Rig Veda · Mandala 10 · Sukta 71
Rig Veda 10.71 — Jnanam
Deity: Jnanam. Rishi family (Mandala 10): Many seers — generally considered latest in composition. This Sukta contains 11 verses presented below in Devanagari Sanskrit, IAST romanisation, and Ralph T. H. Griffith's English translation. Click any verse to read a fuller explanation.
Verses
Rig Veda 10.71.1
बर्हस्पते परथमं वाचो अग्रं यत परैरत नामधेयन्दधानाः | यदेषां शरेष्ठं यदरिप्रमासीत्प्रेणा तदेषां निहितं गुहाविः
bṛhaspate prathamaṃ vāco aghraṃ yat prairata nāmadheyandadhānāḥ | yadeṣāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ yadaripramāsītpreṇā tadeṣāṃ nihitaṃ ghuhāviḥ
Rig Veda 10.71.2
सक्तुमिव-तित-उना पुनन्तो यत्र धीरा मनसा वाचमक्रत | अत्रा सखायः सख्यानि जानते भद्रैषांलक्ष्मीर्निहिताधि वाचि
saktumiva-tita-unā punanto yatra dhīrā manasā vācamakrata | atrā sakhāyaḥ sakhyāni jānate bhadraiṣāṃlakṣmīrnihitādhi vāci
Where, like men cleansing corn-flour in a cribble, the wise in spirit have created language, Friends see and recognize the marks of friendship: their speech retains the blessed sign imprinted.
Rig Veda 10.71.3
यज्ञेन वाचः पदवीयमायन तामन्वविन्दन्न्र्षिषुप्रविष्टाम | तामाभ्र्त्या वयदधुः पुरुत्रा तां सप्तरेभा अभि सं नवन्ते
yajñena vācaḥ padavīyamāyan tāmanvavindannṛṣiṣupraviṣṭām | tāmābhṛtyā vyadadhuḥ purutrā tāṃ saptarebhā abhi saṃ navante
With sacrifice the trace of Vāk they foIlowed, and found her harbouring within the Ṛṣis. They brought her, dealt her forth in many places: seven singers make her tones resound in concert.
Rig Veda 10.71.4
उत तवः पश्यन न ददर्श वाचमुत तवः शर्ण्वन नश्र्णोत्येनाम | उतो तवस्मै तन्वं वि सस्रे जायेव पत्यौशती सुवासाः
uta tvaḥ paśyan na dadarśa vācamuta tvaḥ śṛṇvan naśṛṇotyenām | uto tvasmai tanvaṃ vi sasre jāyeva patyauśatī suvāsāḥ
One man hath ne’er seen Vāk, and yet he seeth: one man hath hearing but hath never heard her. But to another hath she shown her beauty as a fond well-dressed woman to her husband.
Rig Veda 10.71.5
उत तवं सख्ये सथिरपीतमाहुर्नैनं हिन्वन्त्यपिवाजिनेषु | अधेन्वा चरति माययैष वाचं शुश्रुवानफलामपुष्पाम
uta tvaṃ sakhye sthirapītamāhurnainaṃ hinvantyapivājineṣu | adhenvā carati māyayaiṣa vācaṃ śuśruvānaphalāmapuṣpām
One man they call a laggard, dull in friendship: they never urge him on to deeds of valour. He wanders on in profitless illusion: the Voice he heard yields neither fruit,nor blossom.
Rig Veda 10.71.6
यस्तित्याज सचिविदं सखायं न तस्य वाच्यपि भागोस्ति | यदीं शर्णोत्यलकं शर्णोति नहि परवेद सुक्र्तस्यपन्थाम
yastityāja sacividaṃ sakhāyaṃ na tasya vācyapi bhāghoasti | yadīṃ śṛṇotyalakaṃ śṛṇoti nahi praveda sukṛtasyapanthām
No part in Vāk hath he who hath abandoned his own dear friend who knows the truth of friendship. Even if he hears her still in vain he listens: naught knows he of the path of righteous action.
Rig Veda 10.71.7
अक्षण्वन्तः कर्णवन्तः सखायो मनोजवेष्वसमाबभूवुः | आदघ्नास उपकक्षास उ तवे हरदा इव सनात्वा उत्वे दद्र्श्रे
akṣaṇvantaḥ karṇavantaḥ sakhāyo manojaveṣvasamābabhūvuḥ | ādaghnāsa upakakṣāsa u tve hradā iva snātvā utve dadṛśre
Unequal in the quickness of their spirit are friends endowed alike with eyes and hearing. Some look like tanks that reach the mouth or shoulder, others like pools of water fit to bathe in.
Rig Veda 10.71.8
हर्दा तष्टेषु मनसो जवेषु यद बराह्मणाः संयजन्तेसखायः | अत्राह तवं वि जहुर्वेद्याभिरोहब्रह्माणो विचरन्त्यु तवे
hṛdā taṣṭeṣu manaso javeṣu yad brāhmaṇāḥ saṃyajantesakhāyaḥ | atrāha tvaṃ vi jahurvedyābhirohabrahmāṇo vicarantyu tve
When friendly Brahmans sacrifice together with mental impulse which the heart hath fashioned, They leave one far behind through their attainments, and some who count as Brahmans wander elsewhere.
Rig Veda 10.71.9
इमे ये नार्वां न परश्चरन्ति न बराह्मणासो नसुतेकरासः | त एते वाचमभिपद्य पापया सिरीस्तन्त्रं तन्वते अप्रजज्ञयः
ime ye nārvāṃ na paraścaranti na brāhmaṇāso nasutekarāsaḥ | ta ete vācamabhipadya pāpayā sirīstantraṃ tanvate aprajajñayaḥ
Those men who step not back and move not forward, nor Brahmans nor preparers of libations, Having attained to Vāk in sinful fashion spin out their thread in ignorance like spinsters.
Rig Veda 10.71.10
सर्वे नन्दन्ति यशसागतेन सभासाहेन सख्या सखायः | किल्बिषस्प्र्त पितुषणिर्ह्येषामरं हितो भवतिवाजिनाय
sarve nandanti yaśasāghatena sabhāsāhena sakhyā sakhāyaḥ | kilbiṣaspṛt pituṣaṇirhyeṣāmaraṃ hito bhavativājināya
All friends are joyful in the friend who cometh in triumph, having conquered in assembly. He is their blame-averter, food-provider prepared is he and fit for deed of vigour.
Rig Veda 10.71.11
रचां तवः पोषमास्ते पुपुष्वान गायत्रं तवो गायतिशक्वरीषु | बरह्मा तवो वदति जातविद्यां यज्ञस्यमात्रां वि मिमीत उ तवः
ṛcāṃ tvaḥ poṣamāste pupuṣvān ghāyatraṃ tvo ghāyatiśakvarīṣu | brahmā tvo vadati jātavidyāṃ yajñasyamātrāṃ vi mimīta u tvaḥ
One plies his constant task reciting verses. one sings the holy psalm in Sakvari measures. One more, the Brahman, tells the lore of being, and one lays down the rules of sacrificing.
Want to hear this Sukta chanted? Subscribe to Pro for
full audio recitations of every verse, on-demand AI commentary, and verse
search across the entire Rig Veda.