Rig Veda · 995 of 1027
Mandala 10: HYMN CLVIII. Sūrya.
1.MAY Sūrya guard us out of heaven, and Vāta from the firmament, And Agni from terrestrial spots.
2.Thou Savitar whose flame deserves hundred libations, be thou pleased: From failing lightning keep us safe.
3.May Savitar the God, and may Parvata also give us sight; May the Creator give us sight.
4.Give sight unto our eye, give thou our bodies sight that they may see: May we survey, discern this world.
5.Thus, Sūrya, may we look on thee, on thee most lovely to behold, See clearly with the eyes of men.
Asked of Guide
Why does this hymn ask multiple gods to 'give sight' to the worshippers?
The hymn calls on Sūrya, Savitar, Vāta, Agni, Parvata and the Creator to “give sight” because sight stands for both physical vision and right perception; the poets repeatedly pray “Give sight unto our eye” so the sun’s light and the gods’ favor will let them “survey, discern this world.” The ritual request ties Sūrya’s visible brilliance to cognitive clarity: seeing the world truly requires heavenly backing.
This prayer matches other Vedic passages where light and knowledge are paired, especially the Gayatri/Savitar hymns that ask the sun to “inspire” or “illuminate” the mind. Here the emphasis is straightforward—ask the solar and attendant deities to enable clear seeing, literal and moral, so humans may behold what is lovely and knowably ordered.
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