Rishi: Hiraņyastūpa Angirasa

MANTRA (1.35.1): I INVOKE SAVITR AGNI AND NIGHT

First I invoke Agni for our happy state.

I invoke Mitra and Varuņa to guard the yajňa.

I invoke the night, the support of the mobile world.

I invoke Savitŗ for our increase.

hvayāmi agnim prathamam svastaye

invoke, Agni, first, happy state,

hvayāmi mitrāvaru´au iha avase,

invoke, Mitra and Varuņa, here (in the yajňa), for protection,

hvayāmi rātŗīm jagato niveshanīm

invoke, night, mobile world, support of,

hvayāmi devam savitāram ūtaye.

invoke, God, Savitŗ, (our) increase.

Details:

Night: the opposite of day, womb of all creation, source of the manifestation of all the worlds, foundation of all that is unmanifest.

Savitŗ: Luminous Sūrya, the impeller of all.

ūtaye: for increase of the Savitŗ power in the rishi and others.

MANTRA (1.35.2): SAVITR COMES BEHOLDING THE WORLDS

Moving along the dark path,

Duly establishing the immortal and the mortal,

God Savitŗ comes in his golden car,

Beholding the worlds.

ā kŗşhņena rajasā varthamāno

., dark, world or path, manifesting,

niveshayan amŗtam martyam cha,

duly establishing the different states, the immortal, mortal, and,

hiraņyayena savitā rathena ā

golden, God Savitŗ, with his car, comes,

devo yāti bhuvanāni pashyan.

God, comes, worlds, seeing.

Details:

God Savitŗ moves in the lower triple world of matter, life and mind which is dark and lacks the spiritual Light. The movement is both in macrocosm and microcosm. When he beholds the world, his energy establishes both the immortals and mortals in their proper states.

The lower world is wrapped in darkness. Thence arises Sūrya of conscient Radiance. Golden hue is the opposite of the dark. The Sun of golden radiance lights up the immortal and the mortal and establishes them in their due places. By this right placement, the functions of both are regulated. The work of the mortal is sacrifice leading to immortality. The work of the immortal Gods is to help the mortals.

This mantra occurs in other Veda Samhitās with satyena replacing kŗşhņena. This mantra is used in the Sandhya worship in all the traditions associated with all the four Vedās.

MANTRA (1.35.3): THE ASCENT AND DESCENT OF SAVITR

The God Savitŗ moves by the upward path and the downward.

Worthy of yajňa, he comes with his two white horses.

Savitŗ comes from the beyond,

Destroying all evils.

yāti devaĥ pravatā yāti udvatā

moves, God, downward path, moves, upward path,

yāti shubrābhyām yajato haribhyām,

moves, pure, worthy of yajňa, horses,

ā devo yāti savitā parāvataĥ

., God, comes, Savitŗ, from the beyond

apa vishvā duritā bādhamanaĥ.

., all, evils, destroying,

Details:

The ascent and descent of the Truth-Light in the inner sacrifice occurring in the subtle body is well known. God Savitŗ radiates the world-impelling Light.

parāvataĥ: from the world beyond the lower triple world; the world dyu.

pravatā udvatā: downward, upward.

The Divine Sun comes down by the downward path to illuminate the earth. He returns by the upward path to his original station.

MANTRA (1.35.4): THE CAR OF SAVITR

The car, stationed nearby, with varied golden forms,

With golden yoke and which is large,

Is mounted by God Savitŗ, who is endowed with variegated rays of light and who is worthy of yajňa,

Bearing the might to disperse the inertia of the worlds.

abhivŗtam kŗshanaiĥ vishvarūpam

stationed nearby, golden, of universal forms,

hiraņya shamyam yajato bŗhantam,

golden, yoke or artistic work, worthy of yajňa, large,

āsthād ratham savitā chitrabhānuĥ

mounts, car, of variegated rays,

kŗşhņa rajāmsi tavişhīm dadhānaĥ.

darkness or inertia, worlds, might, bearing.

Details:

It may be recalled that even though the names Savitŗ and Sūrya are considered as synonyms, Savitŗ is used to represent the active aspect of the deity where as Sūrya, the passive. The lower worlds including are full of the psychological principle of inertia, tamas which is dispersed by Savitŗ with his Light.

MANTRA (1.35.5): STEEDS OF SAVITR

The light has been revealed by the white-footed tawny steeds of Savitŗ

Drawing the car with the golden yoke;

The peoples stand continuously in the presence of the divine Savitŗ;

All the worlds stand likewise.

vi janān shyāvāĥ shitipādo akhyan

., peoples, tawny steeds, white- footed, manifested the light,

ratham hiraņya praugam vahantaĥ,

car, golden, yoke, bearing,

shashvad vishaĥ savituĥ daivyasya upasthe

all the time, people, Savitŗ, of the God, stand,

vishvā bhuvanāni tasthuĥ.

all, the worlds, stand.

Details:

The peoples and worlds to whom the Light has been brought by the white steeds harnessed to the golden chariot, reach and abide in the source of all light.

Worlds and the peoples who have not obtained the light continue in the dark;

Their's are the 'sunless' worlds, mentioned as asūrya loka in the Isha Upanishad. The fourth line in the translation refers to these worlds and peoples. Thus there is no redundancy in lines 3 and 4.

vi + akhyan: to manifest the Light.

MANTRA (1.35.6): THE THREE WORLDS OF LIGHT

Of the three worlds of light, two are in the proximity of Savitŗ.

The third is the dwelling of the all-ruling Sūrya.

The immortal Gods stay resorting to Savitŗ, as the car on the linchpin.

Let him who knows declare the nature of Savitŗ.

tisro dyāvaĥ savitur dvā upasthām

three, heavens or worlds of light, Savitŗ, two (worlds), in proximity,

ekā yamasya bhuvane virāşhāt,

one, of yama Sūrya, world, all- ruling,

āņim na rathyam amŗtādhi tasthuĥ

linch-pin, like, of car, immortals, in front, stay,

iha bravītu ya u tat chiketat.

here, declare, who, ., that or the nature of Savitŗ, knows.

Details:

Like the three earth's, the three Heavens are well-known in the Veda. Of these, two are proximate to Savitŗ, the third is his own dwelling; only the heroes can attain to it; thence they do not return.

yama: In the Veda, this epithet refers to the Divine Sun, Sūrya and not the God of death mentioned in the purāņās.

virāshāt: all-ruling; dwelling of heroes according to S; this meaning is not warranted as discussed in detail in CWKS, Vol.5.

tat: that, the nature of the Divine Sun, Sūrya.

MANTRA (1.35.7): WHO KNOWS? WHERE IS SŪRYA NOW?

The higher regions are lighted up by the happy-winged ray of the sun,

Profound of sight, powerful, and leading to the felicities of light.

Where now is Sūrya? Who knows?

What heavenly regions are pervaded by this ray?

vi suparņo antarikşhāņi akhyad

., happy-winged rays, the higher worlds, lights up,

gabhīravepā asuraĥ sunūthaĥ,

profound of sight, powerful, leading to felicities of light,

kva idānīm sūryaĥ kaĥ chiketa

where, now, Sūrya, who, knows,

katamām dyām rashmiĥ asyā tatāna.

what, heavenly regions, rays, this, pervaded.

Details:

The third line does not refer to the disappearance of the Sun in the night as some occidentals allege. The rişhi is aware of the Divine Ray lighting up the higher worlds, but his own physical body has not been lighted up. The ray is evidently not the common ray of the physical Sun. The rişhi queries, "Who knows why my subtle body is not lighted by the Sun.''

MANTRA (1.35.8): ILLUMINES THE DESERT

He lighted up the eight quarters;

Illumined the three terrestrial desert regions and the seven streams;

Thus arrived God Savitŗ with golden sight,

Giving special ecstasies to the giver.

aşhţau vyakhyat kakubhaĥ pŗthivyāh

eight, lights, quarters, earthly,

trī dhanvā yojanā sapta sindhūn

three, desert, regions, seven, rivers,

hiraņyākşhaĥ savitā deva āgāt

golden sight, Savitŗ, God, arrived,

dadhat ratnā dāshuşhe vāryāņi.

giving, ecstasies, to the giver, choice.

Details:

dhanva: desert regions of matter, life and mind bereft of the nourishing waters of light and strength. The seven rivers are activised to fertilize these dry fields.

ratna: happiness or ecstasy. Discussed in the verse (1.1.1) in this volume in section II.

MANTRA (1.35.9): HE DISPELS DISTRESS

Golden-handed, all-beholding, God Savitŗ

Moves between the earth and heaven.

He dispels distress and attains the supreme sun.

From the dark lower worlds he attains the supreme station or light.

hiraņyapāņiĥ savitā vicharşhaņiĥ ubhe

qolden-handed, Savitŗ, all-beholding,

dyāvā prthivī antarīyate

two, heaven, earth, in between, moves,

apa amīvām bādhate veti sūryam abhi

.,distress, dispels, attains, Sūrya,.,

kŗşhņena rajasā dyām ŗņoti.

dark or covered with inertia, midworld, the heaven of light, attains.

Details:

The God Savitŗ comes to the lower triple worlds covered with darkness and inconscience, dispels the inertia by his Light and returns to his native supreme station in the higher triple world. Hence he is said to travel between the earth and heaven.

apa + bādhate: dispels.

abhi+ŗņoti: attains from all sides.

MANTRA (1.35.10): REPELS THE DEMONS

May the golden-handed person, the mighty one, well-guiding and

Rich, come in front making us happy.

Repelling the demoniac Yātudhānās,

The God is present (in the house) accepting the lauds every night.

hiraņyahasto asuraĥ sunīthaĥ

golden-handed, mighty one, well-guiding,

sumŗļikaĥ svavān yātu arvāng,

makes (us) happy, rich, come, in front,

apasedhan rakşhasaĥ yātudhānān

repelling, demons, a special class of demons,

asthāt devaĥ pratidoşham gŗņānaĥ.

is present, God, every night, lauded.

MANTRA (1.35.11): THE PATHS WELL LAID BY ANCIENTS

O Savitŗ, come to us by the paths in the midworld, perfected of old,

Dustless, well-laid and

Easy to traverse, now;

O God, guard us and speak to us.

ye te panthāĥ savitaĥ purvyāsaĥ

those, your, paths, Savitŗ, perfected of old,

areņavaĥ sukŗtā antarikşhe,

dustless, well-laid (by earlier seers), worlds,

tebhiĥ no adya pathibhiĥ sugebhī

these, us, today, paths, easy,

rakşhā cha no adhi cha brūhi deva.

guard, and, us, and, speak, God.

Details:

The paths by which Savitŗ comes to us and returns have been already laid by ancient seers like Angiras. These paths are in the subtle body of the seers.

areņavaĥ: dustless, clean in all its aspects;   

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