Rudrashtadhyayi: Adhyaya 4 - Maitra Sukta
नेत्र - मैत्रसूक्तम्
The fourth adhyaya of the Rudrashtadhyayi, traditionally called Netra (the eyes). Its seventeen mantras are the Maitra Sukta - praise of Surya as the eye of Mitra, Varuna and Agni, the self of all that moves and stands still, drawing on some of the best-known Vedic sun-hymns.
Sanskrit
हरिः॒ ॐ वि॒भ्राड्बृ॒हत्प॑ाबतु॒ सोम्यं॒ मध्वा॒युर्द॑ध॒द्यज्ञप॑तावविहु॒तम्। वात॑जूतो॒ यो अ॑भि॒रक्ष॑ति॒त्मना॑ प्र॒जाः पु॑पोष पुरु॒धा वि राज॑ति ॥१॥
Transliteration
hariḥ oṃ vibhrāḍ bṛhat pātu somyaṃ madhv āyur dadhad yajñapatāv avihutam | vātajūto yo abhirakṣati tmanā prajāḥ pupoṣa purudhā vi rājati ||1||
Translation
May the vast, radiant one protect the honeyed Soma-drink, granting long life, not to be withheld from the lord of the sacrifice. He who, impelled by the wind, guards by his own nature, has nourished creatures in many ways, and shines forth in many forms.
Deep Meaning
The Maitra Sukta opens by invoking a vast, radiant protector of the Soma offering - setting up the Sun-centred hymns that follow, where this guarding, nourishing, many-shining presence will be identified directly with Surya.
Sanskrit
उदु॒त्यं जा॒तवे॑दसं दे॒वं व॑हन्ति के॒तवः॑। दृ॒शे वि॒श्वाय॒ सूर्य॑म् ॥२॥
Transliteration
ud u tyaṃ jātavedasaṃ devaṃ vahanti ketavaḥ | dṛśe viśvāya sūryam ||2||
Translation
Upward, the rays bear that god Jatavedas, the Sun, so that the whole world may see.
Deep Meaning
One of the most famous sunrise verses in the entire Rig Veda. Jatavedas ("knower of all births") is here identified with the rising Sun, carried up by his own rays for the sight of every creature.
Sanskrit
येना॑पाव॒कं चक्ष॑सा भुर॒ण्यन्त॒ꣳ जना॒ऽ अनु॑। त्वं व॑रुण॒ पश्य॑सि ॥३॥
Transliteration
yenāpāvakaṃ cakṣasā bhuraṇyantaṃ janā anu | tvaṃ varuṇa paśyasi ||3||
Translation
With that purifying eye, O Varuna, you watch over the restless, moving people.
Deep Meaning
The Sun is now named directly as Varuna's own eye - the instrument by which the god of cosmic order keeps watch over every being in motion.
Sanskrit
दैव्या॑ वद्ध्व॒र्यू꣯ऽआग॑त॒ ꣳ रथे॑न॒ सूर्य॑त्वचा। मध्वा॑ य॒ज्ञꣳ स॒मङ्क्ता॑थे ॥४॥
Transliteration
daivyā vadhvaryū āgataṃ rathena sūryatvacā | madhvā yajñaṃ samaṅktāthe ||4||
Translation
O divine officiants, come by chariot, sun-skinned; with honey you two anoint the sacrifice.
Deep Meaning
A dual address - two divine ritual-priests, radiant as if skinned in sunlight, are asked to arrive and bless the offering with sweetness, tying the sacrifice directly to the Sun's own brightness.
Sanskrit
तं प्र॒त्नथा॑ पू॒र्वथा॒ विश्व॑थेम॒था ज्ये॒ष्ठता॑तिं बर्हिष॒दं स्व॒र्विद॑म्। प्र॒ती॒चीन॑ꣳ व्र॒जनं॑ दोहसे धु॒निꣳ आशु॒ꣳ जय॑न्तम॒नु यासु॒ वर्ध॑से ॥५॥
Transliteration
taṃ pratnathā pūrvathā viśvathemathā jyeṣṭhatātiṃ barhiṣadaṃ svarvidam | pratīcīnaṃ vrajanaṃ dohase dhuniṃ āśuṃ jayantam anu yāsu vardhase ||5||
Translation
Him, as of old, as before, as always, even now - the most excellent, seated on the sacred grass, the finder of heaven's light; turning his course toward us to be milked of his bounty, resounding, swift, conquering - by whom, in these waters, you grow.
Deep Meaning
A dense, highly traditional invocation praising this deity's unchanging excellence across all time - "as of old, as before, as always, even now" - closing the first block of this adhyaya before it turns more explicitly to Surya himself in the mantras that follow.
Sanskrit
अय॑ꣳ वे॒नश्चो॒दयत्पृश्नि॑गर्भा॒ ज्योति॑र्जरायू॒रज॑सो वि॒मानै॑। इ॒मम॒पां स॒ङ्गमे॒ सूर्य॑स्य॒ शिशुं॒ न वि॒प्राऽमृ॑तं॒ भीरि॒हन्ति॑ ॥६॥
Transliteration
ayaṃ venaś codayat pṛśnigarbhā jyotir jarāyūr ajaso vimānaiḥ | imam apāṃ saṅgame sūryasya śiśuṃ na viprāmṛtaṃ bhīr ihanti ||6||
Translation
This longing, shining one impels the dappled-wombed light, the caul of dust, by its own measures. At the meeting of the waters, the wise do not, in fear, harm this child of the Sun, the immortal.
Deep Meaning
A deliberately image-rich verse describing light itself as something born, wrapped, and measured out - at the meeting-point of the waters, it is treated by the wise with the same care one would give to a newborn, undying child.
Sanskrit
चि॒त्रं दे॒वाना॒मुद॑गा॒दनी॑कं॒ चक्षु॑र्मि॒त्रस्य॒ वरु॑णस्या॒ग्नेः। आप्रा॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी अ॒न्तरि॑क्षं॒ सूर्य॑ऽआ॒त्मा जग॑तस्त॒स्थुष॑श्च ॥७॥
Transliteration
citraṃ devānām udagād anīkaṃ cakṣur mitrasya varuṇasyāgneḥ | āprā dyāvāpṛthivī antarikṣaṃ sūrya ātmā jagatas tasthuṣaś ca ||7||
Translation
The wondrous face of the gods has risen - the eye of Mitra, of Varuna, of Agni. He has filled heaven and earth and the space between; the Sun is the very soul of all that moves and all that stands still.
Deep Meaning
The central declaration of this adhyaya: Surya is not merely one deity among others but the shared eye of three of the greatest Vedic gods, and more than that - the soul (atman) of everything that exists, in motion or at rest.
Sanskrit
आनऽइ॑डाभि॒र्विद॑थे सुश॒स्तिभि॒र्विश्वा॑नर स॒वि॑ता दे॒वऽऐ॑तु। अपि॒ यथा॒युवा॑नो मत्स॒थान॑ो॒ विश्व॑ꣳ ज॒गद॑भिपि॒त्त्वे म॑नी॒षा ॥८॥
Transliteration
āna iḍābhir vidathe suśastibhir viśvānara savitā deva aitu | api yathā yuvāno matsathāno viśvaṃ jagad abhipittve manīṣā ||8||
Translation
May Savitar, god of all men, come to us at the gathering with offerings and fine praises - so that, as if young again, you may rejoice, and with wisdom nourish the whole moving world at the time of homecoming.
Deep Meaning
Savitar, the Sun in his aspect as the impeller and rouser of all activity, is invited specifically into a communal gathering - his coming is linked to joy and the wise nourishment of the entire living world.
Sanskrit
यद॒द्य कच्च॑ वृत्रहन्नु॒दगा॑ऽअ॒भि सूर्य॑ः। सर्व॒न्तदि॑न्द्र॒ ते व॒शे ॥९॥
Transliteration
yad adya kac ca vṛtrahann udagā abhi sūryaḥ | sarvan tad indra te vaśe ||9||
Translation
Whatever today, O slayer of Vritra, has risen up to meet the Sun - all of that, O Indra, is within your power.
Deep Meaning
A short, forceful mantra placing everything the Sun illumines under Indra's authority as well - a reminder that the sukta's Sun-praise never forgets the wider circle of Vedic gods it is recited alongside.
Sanskrit
त॒रणि॑र्वि॒श्वद॑र्शतो॒ ज्योति॑ष्कृद॒सि सूर्य॑। विश्व॒मा भा॑सि रोच॒नम् ॥१०॥
Transliteration
taraṇir viśvadarśato jyotiṣkṛd asi sūrya | viśvam ā bhāsi rocanam ||10||
Translation
You are the one who carries all across, visible to all, the maker of light, O Sun; you shine upon the whole luminous realm.
Deep Meaning
A direct, simple address closing the first half of the adhyaya - Surya as ferryman, as universally visible, and as the very source of light itself, not merely a bearer of it.
Sanskrit
तत्सूर्य॑स्य देव॒त्वं तन्म॑हि॒त्वं मध्या॒ क॒र्तोर्वि॑भ॒रत्सꣳ ज॒भार॑। य॒देद॒युक्त॒ हरि॑तः॒ सध॑स्था॒दाद्रात्री॒ वास॑स्तनुते सि॒मस्मै॑ ॥११॥
Transliteration
tat sūryasya devatvaṃ tan mahitvaṃ madhyā kartor vibharat saṃ jabhāra | yad id ayukta haritaḥ sadhasthād ād rātrī vāsas tanute simasmai ||11||
Translation
That is the godhood of Surya, that his greatness - in the midst of his task he gathers and bears all together. When he yokes his bright horses from their shared station, then Night spreads out her garment for him.
Deep Meaning
A quietly beautiful image of day giving way to night: the Sun's "greatness" is shown precisely in the orderly handover, where Night herself prepares a resting-garment for him as he unyokes his horses.
Sanskrit
तन्नौ॒ मित्र॑स्य॒ वरु॑णस्याभि॒चक्षे॒ सूर्यो॑ रूपं॒ कृ॑णुते॒ द्योरुप॒स्थे॑। अ॒न॒न्तं॒ अन्य॒द्रुश॑दस्य॒ पाजः॒ कृष्ण॑मन्य॒द्धरि॑तꣳ संभरन्ति ॥१२॥
Transliteration
tan nau mitrasya varuṇasyābhicakṣe sūryo rūpaṃ kṛṇute dyor upasthe | anantaṃ anyad ruśadasya pājaḥ kṛṣṇam anyad dharitaṃ sambharanti ||12||
Translation
For our seeing of Mitra and Varuna, Surya fashions his form in the lap of heaven. Boundless is one of his aspects, bright; the other, dark, they gather together and call tawny.
Deep Meaning
Surya is described as having two aspects held together as one - a boundless bright face and a dark, tawny one - echoing the day-and-night pairing of the previous mantra in a single image of the Sun's own form.
Sanskrit
ब॒ण्म॒हाँऽअ॑सि॒ सूर्य॑ बडा॒दित्य॒ म॒हाँऽअ॑सि। महस्ते॑ स॒तो महि॒मा प॑नस्यते॒द्धा दे॑व म॒हाँऽअ॑सि ॥१३॥
Transliteration
baṇ mahāṃ asi sūrya baḍāditya mahāṃ asi | mahas te sato mahimā panasyated dhā deva mahāṃ asi ||13||
Translation
Truly great are you, O Sun; truly great are you, O Aditya. Great indeed, as it truly is, is your greatness, worthy of praise - verily, O god, you are great.
Deep Meaning
A mantra built almost entirely from repeated affirmations of greatness (mahān), used in recitation as a kind of incantatory emphasis - the repetition itself is the point, not a shortage of other things to say.
Sanskrit
ब॒सूर्व॒ नव॑सा म॒हाँऽअ॑सि स॒त्रा दे॑व म॒हाँऽअ॑सि। म॒न्हा दे॒वाना॑मसु॒र्यः॑ पु॒रोहि॑तो वि॒भु ज्योति॒रदा॑भ्यम् ॥१४॥
Transliteration
basūrva navasā mahāṃ asi satrā deva mahāṃ asi | manhā devānām asuryaḥ purohito vibhu jyotir adābhyam ||14||
Translation
By your newness you are great; truly, O god, you are great - by the bounty of the gods, the mighty (asurya) purohita, the all-pervading, unassailable light.
Deep Meaning
Surya is here given the title purohita - household priest - of the gods themselves, continuing the previous mantra's litany of greatness while adding the specific claim that his light cannot be overcome or deceived.
Sanskrit
आयं॒ गौः पृश्निर॑क्रमीद॒सद॑न्मा॒तरं॒ पुरः॑। पि॒तरं॑ च प्र॒यन्त्स्वः॑ ॥ श्रीयन्त॒ऽइव॒ सूर्यं॒ विश्वे॑दिन्द्रस्य॒ भक्षत॑। व॒सूनि॑ जा॒ते ज॑न्मा॒नऽओज॑सा॒ प्रति॑ भा॒गं न दी॑धिम ॥१५॥
Transliteration
āyaṃ gauḥ pṛśnir akramīd asadan mātaraṃ puraḥ | pitaraṃ ca prayan svaḥ | śrīyanta iva sūryaṃ viśved indrasya bhakṣata | vasūni jāte janmāna ojasā prati bhāgaṃ na dīdhima ||15||
Translation
This speckled cow has come and walked; she sat before her mother, going forward toward her father, toward the light. As all beings gather splendour toward the Sun, let us likewise partake of Indra's portion; among those born, by strength, let us hold our rightful share of wealth.
Deep Meaning
The opening line here is the same Nandishvara-pujana verse already used earlier in this book's puja-vidhi section - the Gita Press edition reuses it here as part of Adhyaya 4's closing group of mantras, exactly as printed, rather than treating it as a one-off invocation. The verse then turns to asking for a fair share of prosperity, likened to how all creation gathers brightness from the Sun.
Sanskrit
अ॒द्या दे॒वाऽउ॒दिता॒ सूर्य॑स्य॒ निरꣳ॑हसः॒ पिप्र॑तानिर॒वद्या॑त्। तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहन्ता॒मदि॑तिः॒ सिन्धुः॑ पृथि॒वीऽउत द्यौः॑ ॥१६॥
Transliteration
adyā devā uditā sūryasya niraṃhasaḥ pipratā nir avadyāt | tan no mitro varuṇo māmahantām aditiḥ sindhuḥ pṛthivī uta dyauḥ ||16||
Translation
Today, with the Sun's rising, O gods, deliver us from distress and from blame. May Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, the rivers, the earth and the sky grant us this.
Deep Meaning
A clear, direct morning petition for freedom from both hardship and fault, addressed to a full roster of Vedic powers together - the gods of order, the boundless mother Aditi, and the physical world itself (waters, earth, sky).
Sanskrit
आ कृ॒ष्णेन॒ रज॑सा व॒र्तमा॑नो नि॒वेश॑यन्न॒मृतं॒ मर्त्यं॑ च। हिर॑ण्ययेन सवि॒ता रथे॒नाऽदे॒वो या॑ति॒ भुव॑नानि॒ पश्य॑न् ॥१७॥
Transliteration
ā kṛṣṇena rajasā vartamāno niveśayann amṛtaṃ martyaṃ ca | hiraṇyayena savitā rathenā devo yāti bhuvanāni paśyan ||17||
Translation
Moving through the dark atmosphere, bringing both the immortal and the mortal to rest, the god Savitar travels in his golden chariot, watching over all the worlds.
Deep Meaning
The closing mantra of Adhyaya 4 pictures evening itself as an act of care - Savitar settling both gods and mortals to rest as he rides on, his gaze never leaving the worlds he passes over. This is a well-known independent Rig Vedic verse (1.35.2) that this book places here to close the Netra (eyes) limb of the recitation.