Hymn to Soma
Rigveda IX.87 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 9 of the Rigveda, one of the 1,028 hymns organized within the ten books of the oldest Veda. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in Vedic Sanskrit and preserved through oral transmission across millennia.
This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
Run thou forth about the cask; be seated; and, cleansed by men's hands, haste thee to the prize.
As one groometh a steed meet for the crown, so they lead thee by reins to the sacred grass.
He, the well-armed god, the drop, doth purify himself— he smiteth the curse, he shieldeth the folk; sire and begetter of the gods, full of cunning craft, pillar of the heavens, upholder of the earth.
Seer, soul-fired singer, walking before the folk, a wise-handed smith like unto Ṛbhus, yea, like Uśanā in song— he alone found what lay hid of theirs: the secret, veiled name of the kine.
This very one, sweet Soma, hath streamed for thee, O Indra— bull unto bull—round the sieve’s rim.
Thousand-winner, hundred-winner, great-giver, the prize-taker mounteth the sacred grass evermore.
These draughts of Soma have surged forth toward the thousand-fold herds, toward shout and cheer, for the high deathless reward— purified through the strainer like steeds chasing glory into fray.
For, oft-called of the tribes, he hath flowed through all feeds and fattenings while he is cleansed— now bring forth delight, O falcon-fetched one! Drive out wealth, and fly swift to the prize.
This Soma, being pressed, the steed like a wave outpoured, hath sped through the filter, sharpening his horns like a wild buffalo, on a kine-hunt toward cattle, like a champion in arms.
From the breast of the highest stone she fared— she found the kine that were held in the pen.
Like levin from sky with thunder of cloud, the stream of Soma cleanseth itself for thee, O Indra.
And now, in thy cleansing, O Soma, thou drivest about the herd of kine in one chariot with Indra, and through many a lofty draught—thou of the lively drops.
Put forth thy strength, O mighty one; these are thy songs of summoning.
Colophon
This hymn is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation are to be documented during audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ṛgveda IX.87
Sanskrit source text from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
pra tu drava pari kośaṁ ni ṣīda nṛbhiḥ punāno abhi vājam arṣa |
aśvaṁ na tvā vājinam marjayanto 'cchā barhī raśanābhir nayanti || 1 ||
svāyudhaḥ pavate deva indur aśastihā vṛjanaṁ rakṣamāṇaḥ |
pitā devānāṁ janitā sudakṣo viṣṭambho divo dharuṇaḥ pṛthivyāḥ || 2 ||
ṛṣir vipraḥ puraetā janānām ṛbhur dhīra uśanā kāvyena |
sa cid viveda nihitaṁ yad āsām apīcya1ṁ guhyaṁ nāma gonām || 3 ||
eṣa sya te madhumām̐ indra somo vṛṣā vṛṣṇe pari pavitre akṣāḥ |
sahasrasāḥ śatasā bhūridāvā śaśvattamam barhir ā vājy asthāt || 4 ||
ete somā abhi gavyā sahasrā mahe vājāyāmṛtāya śravāṁsi |
pavitrebhiḥ pavamānā asṛgrañ chravasyavo na pṛtanājo atyāḥ || 5 ||
pari hi ṣmā puruhūto janānāṁ viśvāsarad bhojanā pūyamānaḥ |
athā bhara śyenabhṛta prayāṁsi rayiṁ tuñjāno abhi vājam arṣa || 6 ||
eṣa suvānaḥ pari somaḥ pavitre sargo na sṛṣṭo adadhāvad arvā |
tigme śiśāno mahiṣo na śṛṅge gā gavyann abhi śūro na satvā || 7 ||
eṣā yayau paramād antar adreḥ kūcit satīr ūrve gā viveda |
divo na vidyut stanayanty abhraiḥ somasya te pavata indra dhārā || 8 ||
uta sma rāśim pari yāsi gonām indreṇa soma saratham punānaḥ |
pūrvīr iṣo bṛhatīr jīradāno śikṣā śacīvas tava tā upaṣṭut || 9 ||
Source Colophon
Sanskrit text of the Rigveda, Śākala recension. The standard scholarly edition is the Bombay Oriental (Vishva Bandhu, 5 vols., 1963–66). IAST transliteration available from GRETIL (Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages) and Vedaweb (University of Cologne). Both sources are open access. IAST transliteration from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
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