A Hymn of Maṇḍala 9
Rigveda IX.93 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.
The ten sister-threads, grown mighty in one accord—the keen conceits of the All-wise, fleet as coursers—have deftly tended thee. The tawny child of the Sun sped swift around the filtering wool, and, like a champion steed, won the oaken cup for prize.
As a calf bellows with its mothers, the Bull of boundless boons hath raced beside the waters. So doth a fervent youth hasten to his tryst, and he meets the ruddy kine within the foaming vat.
Behold, the udder of the inviolate Cow swelleth full; bright wisdom’s drop is borne upon streaming floods. The cattle bathe his brow with milk in shining bowls, as folk set forth fresh-washed treasure.
Self-cleansing drop, lift up thy bellow; with the gods unearth for us rich hoards of steeds. Let Lady Plenitude speed hither on her car, eager to bestow her gifts.
While thou art strained, measure out for us glittering wealth, thronged with noble men and wooed by the wandering wind. The minstrel’s days are lengthened, O radiant drop; at earliest dawn—aye, swiftly—draw nigh with wisdom-laden bounty.
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.93
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.
sākamukṣo marjayanta svasāro daśa dhīrasya dhītayo dhanutrīḥ |
hariḥ pary adravaj jāḥ sūryasya droṇaṁ nanakṣe atyo na vājī || 1 ||
sam mātṛbhir na śiśur vāvaśāno vṛṣā dadhanve puruvāro adbhiḥ |
maryo na yoṣām abhi niṣkṛtaṁ yan saṁ gacchate kalaśa usriyābhiḥ || 2 ||
uta pra pipya ūdhar aghnyāyā indur dhārābhiḥ sacate sumedhāḥ |
mūrdhānaṁ gāvaḥ payasā camūṣv abhi śrīṇanti vasubhir na niktaiḥ || 3 ||
sa no devebhiḥ pavamāna radendo rayim aśvinaṁ vāvaśānaḥ |
rathirāyatām uśatī puraṁdhir asmadrya1g ā dāvane vasūnām || 4 ||
nū no rayim upa māsva nṛvantam punāno vātāpyaṁ viśvaścandram |
pra vanditur indo tāry āyuḥ prātar makṣū dhiyāvasur jagamyāt || 5 ||
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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