✶Gnosis
← Contents
Theme
0491 / 1027

Listen

Dhammapada · narration sample

A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.

Rig Veda · 491 of 1027

Mandala 6: HYMN L. Viśvedevas.

1.I CALL with prayers on Aditi your Goddess, on Agni, Mitra, Varuṇa for favour, On Aryaman who gives unasked, the gracious, on Gods who save, on Savitar and Bhaga.

2.Visit, to prove us free from sin, O Sūrya Lord of great might, the bright Gods sprung from Dakṣa, Twice-born and true, observing sacred duties, Holy and full of light, whose tongue is Agni.

3.And, O ye Heaven and Earth, a wide dominion, O ye most blissful Worlds, our lofty shelter, Give ample room and freedom for our dwelling, a home, ye Hemispheres, which none may rival.

4.This day invited may the Sons of Rudra, resistless, excellent, stoop down to meet us; For, when beset with slight or sore affliction, we ever call upon the Gods, the Maruts;

5.To whom the Goddess Rodasī clings closely, whom Pūṣan follows bringing ample bounty. What time ye hear our call and come, O Maruts, upon your separate path all creatures tremble.

6.With a new hymn extol, O thou who singest, the Lover of the Song, the Hero Indra. May he, exalted, hear our invocation, and grant us mighty wealth and strength when lauded.

7.Give full protection, Friends of man, ye Waters, in peace and trouble, to our sons and grandsons. For ye are our most motherly physicians, parents of all that standeth, all that moveth.

8.May Savitar come hither and approach us, the God who rescues, Holy, goldenhanded, The God who, bounteous as the face of Morning, discloses precious gifts for him who worships.

9.And thou, O Son of Strength, do thou turn hither the Gods to-day to this our holy service. May I for evermore enjoy thy bounty and, Agni, by thy grace be rich in heroes.

10.Come also to my call, O ye Nāsatyas, yea, verily, through my prayers, ye Holy Sages. As from great darkness ye delivered Atri, protect us, Chiefs, from danger in the conflict.

11.O Gods, bestow upon us riches, splendid with strength and heroes, bringing food in plenty. Be gracious, helpful Gods of earth, of heaven, born of the Cow, and dwellers in the waters.

12.May Rudra and Sarasvatī, accordant, Viṣṇu and Vāyu, pour down gifts and bless us; Ṛbhukṣan, Vāja, and divine Vidhatar, Parjanya, Vāta make our food abundant.

13.May this God Savitar, the Lord, the Offspring of Waters, pouring down his dew be gracious, And, with the Gods and Dames accordant, Tvaṣṭar; Dyaus with the Gods and Prthivi with oceans.

14.May Aja-Ekapād and Ahibudhnya, and Earth and Ocean hear our invocation; All Gods who strengthen Law, invoked and lauded, and holy texts uttered by sages, help us.

15.So with my thoughts and hymns of praise the children of Bharadvāja sing aloud to please you. The Dames invoked, and the resistless Vasus, and all ye Holy Ones have been exalted.

Asked of Guide

Why does this hymn call so many different gods together instead of addressing just one?

The hymn gathers many deities because it treats a single ritual need—protection, wealth, and blessing—as something that benefits from the combined powers of many divine agents. It names Agni, Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Savitar, the Maruts, Nāsatyas, Rudra, Sarasvatī, Viṣṇu, Vāyu and others to summon their specific roles: Agni to bear the prayer, Savitar to bestow gifts, the Maruts to protect in affliction, the Waters as “motherly physicians.”

Calling this assembly also aligns with Vedic practice of harmonising cosmic functions in a communal plea: the hymn asks Heaven and Earth for “a wide dominion,” seeks the Maruts’ strength and Pūṣan’s bounty, and links ritual speech to social ends. For a parallel, see Hymn LXX in Book 10, where plural invocation likewise collects gods to secure a single worldly aim—prosperity and protection through united divine favor.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.