The Secret of the Veda

The Fourth Hymn to Mitra-Varuna

The Lords of the Journey

[The Rishi invokes the two great increasers of the truth in our being to lead us in our journey to the plenitudes, to the vastness of our true existence which they conquer for us out of the narrow limits of our present ignorant and imperfect mentality.]

यश्चिकेत स सुकतुर्देवत्रा स ब्रवीतु नः ।
वरुणो यस्य दर्शतो मित्रो वा वनते गिरः ॥१॥

1) He who has awakened to the knowledge, becomes perfect in will; let him speak for us among the gods: Varuna of the vision and Mitra take delight in his words.

ता हि श्रेष्ठवर्चसा राजाना दीर्घश्रुत्तमा ।
ता सत्पती ऋतावृध ऋतावाना जनेजने ॥२॥

2) They are the Kings most glorious in light and most far in their hearing;¹ they are the masters of being in creature and creature and the increasers of the Truth in us, for the Truth is theirs.

ता वामियानोऽवसे पूर्वा उप ब्रुवे सचा ।
स्वश्वासः सु चेतुना वाजाँ अभि प्र दावने ॥३॥

3) Travelling on the path I call to them, the twain together, the ancient and first; with perfect steeds² as we travel we

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call to them, the perfect in knowledge, for the giving of the plenitudes.

मित्रो अंहोश्चिदादुरु क्षयाय गातुं वनते ।
मित्रस्य हि प्रतूर्वतः सुमतिरस्ति विधतः ॥४॥

4) Even out of our narrow existence Mitra conquers for us the vastness, he conquers the path to our home; for the perfect mind³ is of Mitra when he harmonises all and hastens forward through to the goal.

वयं मित्रस्यावसि स्याम सप्रथस्तमे ।
अनेहसस्त्वोतयः सत्रा वरुणशेषसः ॥५॥

5) May we abide in the increasing of Mitra which gives us our perfect breadth; then are we free from hurt and sin, fostered by thee, children of the Lord of Wideness.

युवं मित्रेमं जनं यतथः सं च नयथः ।
मा मघोनः परि ख्यतं मो अस्माकमृषीणां गोपीथे न उरुष्यतम् ॥६॥

6) You twain, O Mitra, set this human creature travelling on your path and wholly you lead him. Set not your hedge around our lords of plenitude and our seers of the truth. Guard us in our drinking of the light.⁴

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