रात्रीति सूक्तस्य कुशिक ऋषिः रात्रिर्देवता, गायत्रीच्छन्दः,
श्रीजगदम्वा प्रीत्यर्थे सप्तशतीपाठादौ जपे विनियोगः।
ॐ रात्री व्यख्यदायति पुरुत्रा देव्यक्षभिः।
विश्वा अधि श्रियोऽधित॥ १॥
rātrīti sūktasya kuśika ṛṣiḥ rātrirdevatā, gāyatrīcchandaḥ,
śrījagadamvā prītyarthe saptaśatīpāṭhādau jape viniyogaḥ |
om rātrī vyakhyadāyati purutrā devyakṣabhiḥ |
viśvā adhi śriyo’dhita || 1||
Om the night of duality comes forth in many forms and times perceivable by the divine power of sense.
ओर्बप्रा अमर्त्त्या निवतो देव्युद्वतः।
ज्योतिषा वाधते तमः॥ २॥
orbaprā amarttyā nivato devyudvataḥ |
jyotiṣā vādhate tamaḥ || 2||
Omnipresent, immortal, the Goddess of places high and low; darkness is repelled by the Light.
निरु स्वसारम्स्कृतोषसं देव्यायती।
अपेदुहासते तमः॥ ३॥
niru svasāramskṛtoṣasaṁ devyāyatī |
apeduhāsate tamaḥ || 3||
She gave definition to Her sister, the Dawning Light, the Goddess who comes. And the darkness departs.
सा नो अद्य यस्या वयं नितेयामन्यविक्ष्महि।
वृक्षेण् वसतिं वयः॥ ४॥
sā no adya yasyā vayaṁ niteyāmanyavikṣmahi |
vṛkṣeṇ vasatiṁ vayaḥ || 4||
She is ours now. May we see Her effortless, unimpaired movements upon the earth as a bird sees from its dwelling in a tree (remaining only the witness).
नि ग्रामासो अविक्षत निपद्वन्तो निपक्षिणः।
नि श्येनासश्चिदर्थिनः॥ ५॥
ni grāmāso avikṣata nipadvanto nipakṣiṇaḥ |
ni śyenāsaścidarthinaḥ || 5||
For all of humanity, for animals who traverse by foot, or birds who fly in the air, She is the object of desperate search.
यावया वृक्यं वृकं यवयस्तेनमूर्म्म्ये।
अथा नः सुतरा भव॥ ६॥
yāvayā vṛkyaṁ vṛkaṁ yavayastenamūrmmye |
athā naḥ sutarā bhava || 6||
Drive away the wolves of confusion, dispel the wolves of egotism, the thieves: hunger, thirst, greed, illusion, grief, and death. Then be to us the excellent crossing to Wisdom.
उप मा पेपिशत्तमः कृष्णं व्यक्तमस्थित।
उष ऋणेव यातय॥ ७॥
upa mā pepiśattamaḥ kṛṣṇaṁ vyaktamasthita |
uṣa ṛṇeva yātaya || 7||
The all-pervasive darkness is near me, existing as individual forms in the blackness. O Dawning Light, dismiss this ignorance.
उप ते गा इवाकरं वृणीष्व दुहितर्द्दिवः।
रात्रि स्तोमं न जिग्युषे॥ ८॥
upa te gā ivākaraṁ vṛṇīṣva duhitarddivaḥ |
rātri stomaṁ na jigyuṣe || 8||
O Daughter of the Heavens, I have recited this to gratify you. O night of duality, may this hymn be victorious.
इति ऋग्वेदोक्तं रात्रिसुक्तं समाप्तं।
iti ṛgvedoktaṁ rātrisuktaṁ samāptaṁ |
(सामविधान ब्राह्मण, ३-८-२)
(sāmavidhāna brāhmaṇa, 3-8-2)
ॐ रात्रिं प्रपद्ये पुनर्भूं मयोभूं कन्यां
शिखण्डिनीं पाशहस्तां युवतीं कुमारिणीमादित्यः
श्रीचक्षुषे वान्तः प्राणाय सोमो गन्धाय आपः
स्नेहाय मनः अनुज्ञाय पृथिव्यै शरीरं॥
॥ इति सामविधानब्राह्मणोक्तं ॥
om rātriṁ prapadye punarbhūṁ mayobhūṁ kanyāṁ
śikhaṇḍinīṁ pāśahastāṁ yuvatīṁ kumāriṇīmādityaḥ
śrīcakṣuṣe vāntaḥ prāṇāya somo gandhāya āpaḥ
snehāya manaḥ anuj?āya pṛthivyai śarīraṁ ||
|| iti sāmavidhānabrāhmaṇoktaṁ rātrisūktaṁ ||
Translation and reflection:
ambahouse.org/ratirisuk.html
Musical rendition:
youtube.com/watch?v=rOBU8FEOBzw
