This thread is being commenced to post the translations of various hymns found in the Vedas (Mantra portion only)

Sincerely,

Vishal Agarwal

Narayana Suktam
Yajurveda's Taittiriya Aranyaka Prapathaka X Anuvaka 13
(Cross posted from Advaita Vedanta List)

HYMN ON LORD NARAYANA (TRANSLATION BY SRI SWAMI KRISHNANANDA)

OM!sahasra shIrshhaM devaM vishvaakshaM vishwashaMbhuvam.h| vishvaM naaraayaNaM devaM aksharaM paramaM padam.h ||
This universe is the Eternal Being (Narayana), the imperishable, the supreme, the goal, multi-headed and multi-eyed (i.e.,omnipresent and omniscient), the resplendent, the source of delight for the whole universe.

vishvataH paramaannityaM vishvaM naaraayaNaM harim.h | vishvaM eva idaM purushhaH tadvishvaM upajIvati ||
This universe is the Supreme Being (Purusha) alone; hence it subsists on That, the Eternal which transcends it (in every way), -the omnipresent Absolute which destroys all sins.

patiM vishvasya aatmaa IshvaraM shaashvataM shivamachyutam.h |
naaraayaNaM mahaaGYeyaM vishvaatmaanaM paraayaNam.h ||
The protector of the universe, the Lord of all Souls (or Lord over Self), the perpetual, the auspicious, the indestructible, the Goal of all creation, the Supreme object worthy of being known, the Soul of all beings, the Refuge unfailing (is He).

naaraayaNa paro jyotiraatmaa naaraayaNaH paraH |
naaraayaNa paraM brahma tattwaM naaraayaNaH paraH |
naaraayaNa paro dhyaataa dhyaanaM naaraayaNaH paraH ||
The Lord Narayana is the Supreme Absolute; Narayana is the Supreme Reality; Narayana is the Supreme Light; Narayana is the Supreme Self; Narayana is the Supreme Meditator; Narayana is the Supreme Meditation.

yachcha ki.nchit.h jagat.h sarvaM dR^ishyate shrUyate.api vaa |
a.ntarbahishcha tatsarvaM vyaapya naaraayaNaH sthitaH ||
Whatever all this universe is, -seen or heard of, -pervading all this from inside and outside alike, stands supreme the Eternal Divine Being (Narayana).

anantaM avyayaM kaviM samudrentaM vishvashaMbhuvam.h | padma kosha pratIkaashaM hR^idayaM cha apiadhomukham.h||
He is the Limitless, Imperishable, Omniscient, residing in the ocean of he heart, the Cause of the happiness of the universe, the Supreme end of all striving, (manifesting Himself) in the ether of the heart which is comparable to an inverted bud of the lotus flower.

adho nishhThyaa vitastyaante naabhyaam upari tishhThati | jvaalaamaalaakulaM bhaatI vishvasyaayatanaM mahat.h ||
Below the Adams apple, at a distance of a span, and above the navel (i.e., the heart which is the relative seat of the manifestation of Pure Consciousness in the human being), effulges the Great Abode of the universe, as if adorned with garlands of flames.

santataM shilaabhistu lambatyaa koshasannibham.h | tasyaante sushhira.n sUkshmaM tasmin sarvaM pratishhThitam.h ||
Surrounded on all sides by nerve-currents (or arteries), suspends the lotus-bud of the heart in an inverted position. It is in a subtle space (a narrow aperture, the Sushumna-Nadi), and therein is to be found the Substratum of all things.

tasya madhye mahaanagniH vishvaarchiH vishvato mukhaH | so.agravibhaja.ntishhThan aahaaraM ajaraH kaviH ||
In that space within the heart resides the Great Flaming Fire, undecaying, all-knowing, with tongues spread out in all directions, with faces turned everywhere, consuming food presented before it, and assimilating it unto itself.

tiryagUrdhvamadhashshaayI rashmayaH tasya santataa | santaapayati svaM dehamaapaadatalamaastakaH |
tasya madhye vahnishikhaa aNIyordhvaa vyavasthitaaH ||
His rays, spreading all around, side ways as well as above and below, warm up the whole body from head to foot. In the center of That (Flame) abides the Tongue of Fire as the topmost of all subtle things. (Note: Due to the attachments and entanglements of the Jiva in worldly enjoyment and suffering, the Consciousness is enshrouded in potential as well as expressed objectivity, and hence it appears like a tiny streak of flame within the dark clouds of ignorance. But when the Jiva rises above worldliness the Consciousness is realised as he Infinite.)

niilatoyada-madhyastha-dvidyullekheva bhaasvaraa |
nIvaarashUkavattanvI pItaa bhaasvatyaNUpamaa ||
Brilliant like a streak of lightning set in the midst of the blue rain-bearing clouds, slender like the awn of a paddy grain, yellow (like gold) in colour, in subtlety comparable to the minute atom, (this Tongue of Fire) grows splendid.

tasyaaH shikhaayaa madhye paramaatmaa vyavasthitaH |
sa brahma sa shivaH sa hariH sa indraH so.aksharaH paramaH swaraaT.h ||
In the Middle of That Flame, the Supreme Self dwells. This (Self) is Brahma (the Creator), Siva (the Destroyer), Hari (the Protector), Indra (the Ruler), the Imperishable, the Absolute, the Autonomous Being. Prostrations again and again to the Omni-Formed Being, the Truth, the Law, the Supreme Absolute, the Purusha of blue-decked yellow hue, the Centralised-Force, Power, the All-Seeing One.

R^itaM satyaM paraM brahma purushhaM kR^ishhNa pi~Ngalam.h| UrdhvaretaM virUpaakshaM vishvarUpaaya vai namo namaH || Prostrations again and again to the Omni-Formed Being, the Truth, the Law, the Supreme Absolute, the Purusha of blue-decked yellow hue, the Centralised-Force, Power, the All-Seeing One.

OM naaraayaNaaya vidmahe vaasudevaaya dhImahi |
tanno vishhNuH prachodayaat.h ||
We commune ourselves with Narayana, and meditate on Vasudeva, may that Vishnu direct us (to the Great Goal).

OM shaa.nti shaa.nti shaa.ntiH ||
Om. May there be Peace, Peace, Peace

(Edited by: alakanandaa )

Samjnana Sukta (Rigveda X.191.2-4)

Walk together in harmony, speak in harmony
Let your minds be of one accord,
As the gods of old, being of one mind,
Accepted the share of sacrifice
(so may you share your belongings). ||2||

May your counsel be common, your assembly united,
Common the mind, and the thoughts of these- united.
A common purpose do I lay before you,
And worship with your common oblation. ||3||

Let your aims be common,
And your hearts of one accord,
And all of you be of one mind,
As you may live well together. ||4||

Reference: Hymns from the Vedas by A. C. Bose

Whatever defect I have of eye, of heart, of mind,
Or whatever excess there is,
May Brihaspati remedy it.
Gracious to us be the Lord of the Universe! 36.2

Indra is King over all;
May there be grace on the biped, grace on the quadruped. 36.8

May the wind blow us health,
And the sun shine cheer on us,
And may the clouds with loud thunder
Rain their grace on us. 36.10

The peace in the sky, the peace in the mid-air,
The peace on the earth, the peace in waters,
The peace in plants, the peace in forest trees,
The peace in All Devas, the peace in Brahman,
The peace in all things,
The peace in peace-
May that peace come to me! 36.17

Strong One! Make me strong!
May all beings look on me with the eye of friend!
May I look on all beings with the eye of friend!
May we look on one another with the eye of friend! 36.18

That eye of the sky, divinely placed, rising bright before us-
May we see for a hundred autums!
And may we live for a hundred autums,
And may we hear for a hundred autums,
May we hold our heads high for a hundred autums,
Yea, even more than a hundred autums. 36.24

Reference: Hymns from the Vedas by A C Bose

Sabha Sukta

Atharvaveda (Shaunakiya) VII.12.1-4

May the Assembly and the Council
the two daughters of Prajapati, be in concord and protect me!
May every one I meet guide me;
Fathers, may I speak finely in the meetings. ||1||

I know thy name, O Assembly,
“The Desired of Men” is the name thoy hast;
May all those who are thy members
Agree with me in my opinion. ||2||

Let us receive the brilliance
And the wisdom of those seated here together;
And among those people assembled here
Make me the illustrious, Indra! ||3||

Whether your thoughts are turned away
Or are bound fast here and here,
I turn those thoughts of yours around,
In me may your thoughts delight. ||4||

Reference: Hymns from the Vedas by A C Bose

Hymn for Fearlessness

Abhaya Sukta (freedom from fear)

Atharvaveda (Shaunakiya) XIX.15.1-6

Free us Indra, from the fear of all that we are afraid of,
May Thou, with thy saving power,
Turn away the hater and the enemy. ||1||

We beseech Indra, the bounteous Giver,
We will be prosperous on men and cattle.
Let not the evil powers approach us;
Turn the hostiles who surround us, away. ||2||

Adorable Indra, our Savior,
The slayer of Vritra, fulfiller of our highest ambitions;
May he be our protector from yonder,
From the middle, from behind and from the front. ||3||

Lead us to a free world, Wise One!
Where lie the divine luster, sunlight and security.
Valiant are Thy arms of Thee, the Almighty,
And we seek shelter in them. ||4||

May the mid regions free us from all fear,
And both the Heaven and Earth make us secure.
Let there be for us, no fear from the west,
No fear from the east, no fear from the north and no fear from the south. ||5||

Let there be no fear from friend, no fear from foe,
No fear from the known, no fear from that which lies before us unkown.
Let there be no fear for us from night, no fear from day,
May all the directions be my friends! ||6||

Dear Vishal,

I just wanted to tell you that this is a great work. It is like reading part of Veda everyday. For many days, this is the first page I open in this forum. I am sure there are many other silent readers.

Keep up your good work.

Rigveda X.71.1-11


When, Lord of our Prayer! The First of the sacred Speech, and the Foremost,
The sages uttered, giving the Un-named a name.
Which was their best, and their most stainless,
Then they, with love, revealed the Divine secret in their souls. ||1||

When the sages formed the Speech with their mind,
Straining it, as they strain flour with the sieve,
Therein have friends discovered the bonds of friendship,
Whose holy beauty lies hidden in that Speech. ||2||

With worship they followed the steps of the Speech,
And found it installed in the hearts of sages.
They acquired it and gave it at many places,
And seven singers intone it together. ||3||

There is the man who sees but has not seen the Speech!
There is the man who hears but has not heard her!
But to another, Lady Speech reveals her lovely form,
Like a loving wife, finely robed, to her husband. ||4||

There is a man who, they say, is firm and secure in friendship,
None should urge him to contests.
But he wanders, with an illusion that is barren,
And the speech he hears bears no fruit or flower! ||5||

For one deserting a friend who knows the truth,
There is no grace even in the holy Speech.
What he hears, he hears amiss,
Aye, to be sure, he does not know the path of righteousness! ||6||

Friends who are well endowed with sight and hearing,
Are unequal in the quickness of their mind.
Some look like pools that reach to the mouth or the armpit,
And some like lakes on which a man can bathe. ||7||

When, with the mental impulse shaped by the Spirit,
Friends who know the Speech perform rituals together,
Some are left back with much they still need to know,
While others move onward, regarded as adepts. ||8||

Those, who go neither backward nor forward,
Are no men of knowledge!
Nor performs of the sacred rites, they, the inept ones,
sinfully seize the Speech,
And spread it out as weavers weave the thread. ||9||

All a delighted when a friend comes,
Crowned with fame, a victor in the Assembly.
He wards off their sins, wins for them nurture,
And is always prepared for the tribulations of life. ||10||

One is strong with the power of the verses,
The second sings the song in the Sakvari measure.
The third, an adept, speaks of the knowledge of the Spirit,
And the last lays down the rules of the sacred rites. ||11||

Reference: Hymns from the Vedas by A. C. Bose

from Atharva Veda (Shaunakiya)

The rocky stream flows on: hold you all together,
Quit you like heroes, and cross over, my friends!
Leave here all those that are evil-minded,
let us cross to the powers who are undiseased. XII.2.26

Stand erect, and cross over, my comrades!
This rocky river flows on before us,
Abandon here all those that are malicious,
let us cross to powers, benign and pleasant. XII.2.27

Strike the universal strain to achieve lustre!
becomming pure and bright and purifying.
May we, passing beyond difficult paths,
enjoy a hundred winters with our brave children. XII.28.3

We praise the Lord Who grants/glorifies the deeds of wise men, Who supports the Paramanus and other primeval cause of the Creation before the Universe manifests, Who ought to worshipped in all seasons and creates the world anew from time to time, Who supports the Earth and is the true Bestower of all treasures to mankind, and Who is the True Deity, the Giver of all our possessions and Who illuminates the knowledge of all substances for us. II 1 II

When that Lord is praised and extolled in splendid hymns by the wise Rishis who can fathom his glory and can understand his revelations, and by the young Brahmacharis; then extolled thus, the Lord shows mercy on us and makes available for us divine objects, and the knowledge of these objects. II 2 II

By meditating upon that One God, Who nourishes our souls and bodies day after day, Whose communion is sought for by the wise and the brave, Who is the true bestower of glory upon us; do His devotees easily obtain all temporal and spiritual treasures. II 3 II

O Lord! Thou pervadest the Yajna (acts promoting love and knowledge etc.) and encourage and promote Yajnas whereby the Yajna then becomes a fulfiller of our desires and a bestower of happiness. II 4 II

Behold! Our Lord manifests in the company of the wise. He, our Lord, is indeed Eternal. Descriptions of His glory astound those that listen. He is the Light of the Universe, The True Bestower of of all power, glory and treasures that humans possess. II 5 II

O All Pervader, Thou abideth in the the earth, the heavens, aye! the entire Universe. Thou alone art our True Friend who, out of compassion and infinite goodwill towards us, grants us all spiritual and temporal treasures. To nourish and take care of us is Thy very benevolent nature. II 6 II

O Lord! We praise Thee in our minds and through our noble deeds day and night. Not a moment do we forget Thy Holy name. Abiding in Thee thus, we are saved from all sins and are not tempted towards evil. For we verily know that Thou art all knowing and see our actions, and desireth that we tread the noble ways. II 7 II

Through incessant meditation, we attain the Supreme Blissful state of our Lord, Who is the Greatest, the abode of all light, the Revealer of the Vedas, the Creator and the eternal Protector of piety and pious men. II 8 II

O Lord! Just a father instructs his son in useful knowledge, mayest Thou, our Father, also enlighten us. We pray to Thee for Thy unfailing guidance that leads us to happiness and well being. II 9 II

ashegan pillai