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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 567 of 1027

Mandala 7: HYMN LI. Ādityas.

1.THROUGH the Ādityas’ most auspicious shelter, through their most recent succour may we conquer. May they, the Mighty, giving ear, establish this sacrifice, to make us free and sinless.

2.Let Aditi rejoice and the Ādityas, Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman, most righteous. May they, the Guardians of the world, protect us, and, to show favour, drink this day our Soma.

3.All Universal Deities, the Maruts, all the Ādityas, yea, and all the Ṛbhus, Indra, and Agni, and the Aśvins, lauded. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.

Asked of Guide

Who are the Ādityas and why does the hymn call for their shelter and succour?

The Ādityas are a group of solar and moral deities linked to Aditi; the hymn names Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman and addresses them as “Guardians of the world.” It asks their protection and blessing so the sacrificers may be “free and sinless,” tying cosmic order (ṛta) to ethical safety.

Asking them to “drink this day our Soma” is a ritual way to secure their favour: inviting the gods to partake binds them to sustain and establish the sacrifice. This mirrors themes in the Bhagavad Gītā where devotion and right ritual align human action with cosmic law.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.