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रात्रि सूक्तम् Meaning — Line by Line

रात्रि सूक्तम्

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Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of रात्रि सूक्तम् with its Hindi meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

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  1. Verse 1. Rātrī vyakhyadāyatī purutrā devyakṣabhiḥ |
  2. Verse 2. Orvaprā amartyā nivato devyudvataḥ |
  3. Verse 3. Niru svasāramaskṛtoṣasaṃ devyāyatī |
  4. Verse 4. Sā no adya yasyā vayaṃ ni te yāmannavikṣmahi |
  5. Verse 5. Ni grāmāso avikṣata ni padvanto ni pakṣiṇaḥ |
  6. Verse 6. Yāvayā vṛkyaṃ vṛkaṃ yavaya stenamūrmye |
  7. Verse 7. Upa mā pepiśattamaḥ kṛṣṇaṃ vyaktamasthita |
  8. Verse 8. Upa te gā ivākaraṃ vṛṇīṣva duhitardivaḥ |
Verse 1#

Rātrī vyakhyadāyatī purutrā devyakṣabhiḥ |

रात्री व्यख्यदायती पुरुत्रा देव्यक्षभिः । विश्वा अधि श्रियोऽधित ॥१॥

Rātrī vyakhyadāyatī purutrā devyakṣabhiḥ | viśvā adhi śriyo'dhita ||1||

Meaningदेवी रात्रि निकट आती हुई अपने नेत्रों (तारों) से सब ओर देख चुकी है; उसने अपनी समस्त शोभाएँ धारण कर ली हैं।

Verse 2#

Orvaprā amartyā nivato devyudvataḥ |

ओर्वप्रा अमर्त्या निवतो देव्युद्वतः । ज्योतिषा बाधते तमः ॥२॥

Orvaprā amartyā nivato devyudvataḥ | jyotiṣā bādhate tamaḥ ||2||

Meaningउस अमर देवी ने विस्तृत अन्तरिक्ष को, नीचे की घाटियों और ऊपर की ऊँचाइयों को भर दिया है; अपने प्रकाश (चन्द्र-तारों) से वह अन्धकार को दूर हटाती है।

Verse 3#

Niru svasāramaskṛtoṣasaṃ devyāyatī |

निरु स्वसारमस्कृतोषसं देव्यायती । अपेदु हासते तमः ॥३॥

Niru svasāramaskṛtoṣasaṃ devyāyatī | apedu hāsate tamaḥ ||3||

Meaningआती हुई देवी ने अपनी बहन उषा को प्रकट किया; और इस प्रकार अन्धकार भी चला जाता है।

Verse 4#

Sā no adya yasyā vayaṃ ni te yāmannavikṣmahi |

सा नो अद्य यस्या वयं नि ते यामन्नविक्ष्महि । वृक्षे न वसतिं वयः ॥४॥

Sā no adya yasyā vayaṃ ni te yāmannavikṣmahi | vṛkṣe na vasatiṃ vayaḥ ||4||

Meaningहे रात्रि, आज तुम हम पर प्रसन्न हो — तुम्हारे आगमन पर हम विश्राम को प्राप्त हुए, जैसे पक्षी वृक्ष पर अपने नीड़ में बैठ जाते हैं।

Verse 5#

Ni grāmāso avikṣata ni padvanto ni pakṣiṇaḥ |

नि ग्रामासो अविक्षत नि पद्वन्तो नि पक्षिणः । नि श्येनासश्चिदर्थिनः ॥५॥

Ni grāmāso avikṣata ni padvanto ni pakṣiṇaḥ | ni śyenāsaścidarthinaḥ ||5||

Meaningगाँव विश्राम को चले गए, पैरों वाले प्राणी और पंख वाले पक्षी भी, और वेगवान बाज पक्षी भी विश्राम कर रहे हैं।

Verse 6#

Yāvayā vṛkyaṃ vṛkaṃ yavaya stenamūrmye |

यावया वृक्यं वृकं यवय स्तेनमूर्म्ये । अथा नः सुतरा भव ॥६॥

Yāvayā vṛkyaṃ vṛkaṃ yavaya stenamūrmye | athā naḥ sutarā bhava ||6||

Meaningहे रात्रि, भेड़िये और भेड़िनी को दूर रखो, चोर को दूर हटाओ; और इस प्रकार हमारे लिए (इस रात्रि को) सुगमता से पार करने योग्य बनो।

Verse 7#

Upa mā pepiśattamaḥ kṛṣṇaṃ vyaktamasthita |

उप मा पेपिशत्तमः कृष्णं व्यक्तमस्थित । उष ऋणेव यातय ॥७॥

Upa mā pepiśattamaḥ kṛṣṇaṃ vyaktamasthita | uṣa ṛṇeva yātaya ||7||

Meaningकाला, गाढ़ा एवं स्पष्ट अन्धकार मेरे समीप आ गया है; हे उषा, इसे ऋण के समान दूर कर दो (जैसे ऋण वसूल कर लिया जाता है)।

Verse 8#

Upa te gā ivākaraṃ vṛṇīṣva duhitardivaḥ |

उप ते गा इवाकरं वृणीष्व दुहितर्दिवः । रात्रि स्तोमं न जिग्युषे ॥८॥

Upa te gā ivākaraṃ vṛṇīṣva duhitardivaḥ | rātri stomaṃ na jigyuṣe ||8||

Meaningहे द्युलोक की पुत्री, मैंने तुम्हें गायों के समान अपनी स्तुति अर्पित की है; हे रात्रि, इसे विजयी को दी जाने वाली स्तुति की भाँति स्वीकार करो।

Word-by-Word Breakdown

रात्री
rātrī
The Night (goddess Ratri)
व्यख्यत् आयती
vyakhyat āyatī
Approaching, has looked out and made herself manifest in all directions
पुरुत्रा
purutrā
In many places, on every side
देवी अक्षभिः
devī akṣabhiḥ
The goddess, with her eyes (the countless stars)
विश्वा अधि श्रियः अधित
viśvā adhi śriyaḥ adhita
She has put on (donned) all her glories and splendours
ओर्वप्रा
orvaprā
She who pervades and fills the wide expanse
अमर्त्या
amartyā
The immortal one
निवतः उद्वतः
nivataḥ udvataḥ
The low places (valleys) and the high places (heights)
ज्योतिषा बाधते तमः
jyotiṣā bādhate tamaḥ
With her light (of moon and stars) she drives back the darkness
निः स्वसारम् अस्कृत उषसं
niḥ svasāram askṛta uṣasaṃ
She has sent forth her sister, the Dawn (Ushas)
अप इत् ऊ हासते तमः
apa it ū hāsate tamaḥ
And so the darkness departs and vanishes
सा नः अद्य
sā naḥ adya
May she (be gracious) to us today
वृक्षे न वसतिं वयः
vṛkṣe na vasatiṃ vayaḥ
As birds settle to rest in a tree (so we rest in her)
नि ग्रामासः अविक्षत
ni grāmāsaḥ avikṣata
The villages have settled down to rest
नि पद्वन्तः नि पक्षिणः
ni padvantaḥ ni pakṣiṇaḥ
The footed creatures and the winged birds have gone to rest
यावय वृक्यं वृकं
yāvaya vṛkyaṃ vṛkaṃ
Keep away the she-wolf and the wolf (all harm)
यवय स्तेनम् ऊर्म्ये
yavaya stenam ūrmye
Drive off the thief, O Night (Urmya — the enveloping one)
अथा नः सुतरा भव
athā naḥ sutarā bhava
And so be easy for us to cross over (carry us safely through the night)
उष ऋणेव यातय
uṣa ṛṇeva yātaya
O Dawn, drive away (the darkness) as one collects a debt
वृणीष्व दुहितः दिवः
vṛṇīṣva duhitaḥ divaḥ
Accept (this praise), O Daughter of Heaven
रात्रि स्तोमं न जिग्युषे
rātri stomaṃ na jigyuṣe
O Night, (accept) this hymn of praise as offered to a victor

Origin & History

Source: Rigveda (Mandala 10, Sukta 127)

Author: Rishika Ratri Bharadvaji (Kushika Saubhara)

Period: Vedic period (c. 1500-1000 BCE)

The Ratri Suktam is one of the rare hymns of the Rigveda dedicated wholly to a goddess — Ratri, the Night — and by tradition the seer of the hymn is herself Ratri. In eight luminous verses the rishi beholds Night not as fearful darkness but as a radiant, immortal goddess who looks out over the world with a thousand starry eyes, fills the heights and depths, lulls villages, beasts and birds to rest, and at last yields gently to her sister Ushas, the Dawn. Because it praises the Goddess in her cosmic, protective aspect, the later Shakta tradition adopted it as the opening invocation of the Durga Saptashati (Devi Mahatmya), linking the Puranic worship of Durga to this ancient Vedic hymn of the Night.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ratri Suktam?▼
It is a hymn of eight verses from the Rigveda (Mandala 10, Sukta 127) addressed to Ratri, the goddess of Night. It praises Night as a benevolent goddess who fills the world, drives off darkness with her starlight, gives rest to all creatures, and protects beings from danger until the coming of Dawn.
Who is Ratri Devi?▼
Ratri is the divine personification of Night in the Veda — a luminous, protective goddess, sister of Ushas (Dawn) and daughter of Heaven (Dyaus). She watches over the world with countless starry 'eyes', grants rest and shelter, and keeps away wolves, thieves and harm through the night. She is revered as a form of the Devi.
Why is the Ratri Suktam recited with the Durga Saptashati?▼
The Ratri Suktam is one of the foundational Vedic hymns to the Goddess, so the Devi tradition placed it at the very beginning of the Durga Saptashati (Devi Mahatmya) recitation, as an invocation. Reciting it first connects the later Puranic praise of Durga to its ancient Vedic root in the worship of Ratri.
When and why should one chant the Ratri Suktam?▼
It is most fitting at nightfall or before sleep, recited for protection through the night, peaceful rest and freedom from fear and nightmares. It is also chanted during Navaratri and Devi worship. The hymn itself asks Night to ward off wolves and thieves and to carry the worshipper safely across to dawn.

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