Sukta 189: The dappled bull who rules thirty realms

The dappled bull who rules thirty realms

Sarparajni, queen of the serpents, sings the Atman, or Surya, in gayatri. This dappled bull has stepped forth and sat before the mother, going toward the father, heaven. His radiance moves within, breathing in and out from his breath; the great buffalo has lit up the sky. He rules over thirty realms; speech is offered to the bird, day after day, with the rays of morning. These three verses are recited when the household fires are set, and the sun is read as moving like breath itself.