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Aghamarshana Suktam

अघमर्षण सूक्तम्

🕉️ vedic·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 At dawn and dusk during Sandhyavandana; while bathing in a sacred river; on days of expiation or purification·📜 Rigveda (Mandala 10, Sukta 190)

Also known as: aghamarshana suktam · aghamarshana sooktam · aghamarshana sukta · agha marshana suktam · ritam cha satyam cha · aghamarshana mantra

📜 Complete Lyrics 📖 Word-by-Word Meaning ✨ Benefits & How to Chant ⬇️ PDF Download

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हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Aghamarshana Suktam is a short Rigvedic creation hymn of three verses (Mandala 10, Sukta 190) describing how cosmic order, truth, the night, the ocean, time, the sun, moon, and the worlds arose in succession from primordial tapas. Its name, 'agha-marshana' (effacer of sin), reflects its great purificatory power: it is recited during the daily Sandhyavandana, during ritual bathing, and as a prayascitta (expiation), where meditating on the cosmic order is said to dissolve sins. Despite its brevity it is among the most revered purificatory mantras of the Veda.

Origin & Story

Rigveda (Mandala 10, Sukta 190) · Rishi Aghamarshana Madhucchandasa · Vedic period (c. 1500-1000 BCE)

The Aghamarshana Suktam stands near the very end of the Rigveda and is traditionally ascribed to the seer Aghamarshana, son of Madhucchandas. Though only three verses long, it is one of the Veda's great cosmogonic hymns, tracing how cosmic order and truth, the night, the cosmic ocean, time, the luminaries and the worlds came forth in sequence from primordial tapas. From its content and its seer's name it acquired its role as the supreme 'sin-effacing' mantra: in the Sandhyavandana an entire rite — the Aghamarshana — is built around it, in which the worshipper, holding water and meditating on the cosmic law, casts off impurity. It thus unites profound cosmology with daily practical purification.

✦ As told in scripture

By tradition, one who recites the Aghamarshana Suktam over water with concentrated mind, meditating on the cosmic order it unfolds, is cleansed of sin as surely as if he had bathed at the end of a great sacrifice — the texts liken its purifying power to that of the Avabhritha bath that concludes a major yajna. So great is its sanctity that it is woven into the daily Sandhya of the twice-born for the removal of accumulated wrongdoing.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

ऋतं च सत्यं चाभीद्धात्तपसोऽध्यजायत । ततो रात्र्यजायत ततः समुद्रो अर्णवः ॥१॥

Ṛtaṃ ca satyaṃ cābhīddhāttapaso'dhyajāyata | tato rātryajāyata tataḥ samudro arṇavaḥ ||1||

Meaning:Cosmic order (Rita) and Truth (Satya) were born of kindled tapas (the glowing cosmic heat of creative austerity); from that arose the Night, and from that the surging, billowy ocean.

Verse 2

समुद्रादर्णवादधि संवत्सरो अजायत । अहोरात्राणि विदधद्विश्वस्य मिषतो वशी ॥२॥

Samudrādarṇavādadhi saṃvatsaro ajāyata | ahorātrāṇi vidadhadviśvasya miṣato vaśī ||2||

Meaning:From that billowy ocean was born the Year, the Lord who ordains the days and nights, the controller of all that blinks (every living being).

Verse 3

सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ धाता यथापूर्वमकल्पयत् । दिवं च पृथिवीं चान्तरिक्षमथो स्वः ॥३॥

Sūryācandramasau dhātā yathāpūrvamakalpayat | divaṃ ca pṛthivīṃ cāntarikṣamatho svaḥ ||3||

Meaning:The Creator (Dhata) fashioned the sun and the moon as in former cycles, and the heaven and the earth, the mid-air and the realm of light beyond.

Word-by-Word Meaning

Click any word to hear its pronunciation

ऋतं🔊ṛtaṃCosmic order, the eternal law and rhythm of the universe

सत्यं🔊satyaṃTruth, the unchanging reality

अभीद्धात्🔊abhīddhātFrom the blazing (kindled, glowing) one

तपसः अधि अजायत🔊tapasaḥ adhi ajāyataWere born out of tapas (cosmic heat, creative austerity)

ततः रात्री अजायत🔊tataḥ rātrī ajāyataThence (from that) was born the Night

समुद्रः अर्णवः🔊samudraḥ arṇavaḥThe surging, billowy ocean (the cosmic waters)

समुद्रात् अर्णवात् अधि🔊samudrāt arṇavāt adhiOut of that billowy ocean

संवत्सरः अजायत🔊saṃvatsaraḥ ajāyataThe year (Samvatsara — the unit of time) was born

अहोरात्राणि विदधत्🔊ahorātrāṇi vidadhatOrdaining (arranging) the days and nights

विश्वस्य मिषतः वशी🔊viśvasya miṣataḥ vaśīThe Lord and controller of all that blinks (all living, perceiving beings)

सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ🔊sūryācandramasauThe sun and the moon

धाता🔊dhātāDhata, the Creator, the divine Ordainer

यथापूर्वम् अकल्पयत्🔊yathāpūrvam akalpayatFashioned (them) as before, as in former cycles of creation

दिवं च पृथिवीं च🔊divaṃ ca pṛthivīṃ caThe heaven and the earth

अन्तरिक्षम्🔊antarikṣamThe mid-region, the atmosphere (the space between)

अथो स्वः🔊atho svaḥAnd also Svah — the realm of light, the heavenly world

Benefits of Chanting Aghamarshana Suktam

✦

Known as 'Aghamarshana' — the effacer of sin; its recitation is held to wash away accumulated wrongdoing

✦

A core mantra of the daily Sandhyavandana ritual and of ritual bathing (snana)

✦

Used as a prayascitta (act of expiation and purification) in the Vedic tradition

✦

Meditating on the cosmic order (Rita) and truth (Satya) it describes purifies the mind

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One of the Veda's profound creation hymns, revealing the orderly unfolding of the universe

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Invokes Dhata the Creator and the rhythm of time, sun, moon and the worlds

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Brings inner steadiness, purity and reverence for the cosmic law

How to Chant Aghamarshana Suktam

Repetitions3times

Best TimeAt dawn and dusk during Sandhyavandana; while bathing in a sacred river; on days of expiation or purification

Traditionally recited as part of the Aghamarshana rite within Sandhyavandana: the worshipper takes water in the cupped palms, recites the three verses while meditating on the cosmic order they describe, and pours the water away — symbolically washing off sin. It is also chanted while standing in a river or during ritual bath. Recite slowly with clear Vedic pronunciation, dwelling on Rita (cosmic order) and Satya (truth). Three recitations, or as prescribed in the Sandhya, is customary.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a short hymn of three verses from the Rigveda (Mandala 10, Sukta 190) describing the creation of the cosmos out of primordial tapas. Its name means 'effacer of sin', and it is one of the foremost purificatory mantras of the Veda, recited especially during Sandhyavandana and ritual bathing.

'Agha' means sin or impurity, and 'marshana' means rubbing away or effacing. The hymn is so called because its recitation, while meditating on the cosmic order and truth it describes, is traditionally held to wash away sins. The Aghamarshana rite uses it together with water as a symbolic act of purification.

It describes the orderly birth of the universe: from kindled tapas arose cosmic order (Rita) and truth (Satya), then night and the cosmic ocean; from the ocean came the year and the cycle of day and night; and the Creator then fashioned the sun, moon, heaven, earth, atmosphere and the heavenly world, as in earlier cycles of creation.

It is recited daily during the morning and evening Sandhyavandana, during ritual bathing in sacred rivers, and as a prayascitta (expiation). In the Aghamarshana rite one holds water in the palms, recites the verses, and pours the water away to signify the removal of sin.