Mandala 10

Sukta 127: Ratri Sukta, hymn to Night

Rishi: कुशिकः सौभरः, रात्रिर्वा भारद्वाजी · Devata: रात्रिः · Metre: गायत्री

8 verses · 127 of 191

What happens in this chapter

Ratri Sukta, hymn to Night

Kushika Saubhara, or Ratri Bharadvaji, praises Night in gayatri; the Ratri Sukta is recited before the Devi Mahatmya. Coming, Devi Ratri looks out in many places with her eyes, the stars, and puts on all her glories. The immortal goddess fills the wide space, low and high, and drives back darkness with light. She sets her sister Dawn in place. Under her we have gone to rest as birds settle in a tree: villages, creatures with feet and with wings, even hawks. She is asked to keep away the wolf and the thief and be easy to pass through. The rishi offers her this hymn, daughter of heaven.

127.1

रात्री॒ व्य॑ख्यदाय॒ती पु॑रु॒त्रा दे॒व्य१॒॑क्षभि॑ः ।
विश्वा॒ अधि॒ श्रियो॑ऽधित

rātrī vyakhyadāyatī purutrā devyakṣabhiḥ |
viśvā adhi śriyo'dhita

127.2

ओर्व॑प्रा॒ अम॑र्त्या नि॒वतो॑ दे॒व्यु१॒॑द्वत॑ः ।
ज्योति॑षा बाधते॒ तम॑ः

orvaprā amartyā nivato devyudvataḥ |
jyotiṣā bādhate tamaḥ

127.3

निरु॒ स्वसा॑रमस्कृतो॒षसं॑ दे॒व्या॑य॒ती ।
अपेदु॑ हासते॒ तम॑ः

niru svasāramaskṛtoṣasaṃ devyāyatī |
apedu hāsate tamaḥ

127.4

सा नो॑ अ॒द्य यस्या॑ व॒यं नि ते॒ याम॒न्नवि॑क्ष्महि ।
वृ॒क्षे न व॑स॒तिं वय॑ः

sā no adya yasyā vayaṃ ni te yāmannavikṣmahi |
vṛkṣe na vasatiṃ vayaḥ