1. May the one god who, his purpose hidden, through
The yoking of his power in many ways,
Colourless, disposes many colours,
And gathers all together at the end and the beginning,
Yoke us with dear intelligence.
2. That is fire, that is the sun,
That is air, that is the moon likewise:
That is the pure, that is brahman,
That is water, that is Prajapati.
3. You are woman, you are man,
You are youth and maiden too.
Aged, you hobble along with a stick:
Newborn, you have faces on every side.
4. You are the dark blue moth and the green with red eyes,
The one who is pregnant with lightning, the seasons, and the seas;
By all-pervasion you go on without beginning,
You from whom all worlds are born.
5. With the nanny goat, red/ white and black,
Who brings forth many offspring like herself,
Lies one billy goat, taking pleasure.
The other billy goat abandons her, who has had her enjoyment.
6. Two birds, companions and friends,
Cling to the same tree.
One of them eats the sweet pippala berry:
The other looks on, without eating.
7. In the same tree a man (purusa) is plunged.
Deluded, he grieves from powerlessness (amsa):
When he sees the other, powerful one (isa), content,
Sees his greatness, he is freed from sorrow.
8. To one who does not know the supreme syllable
(aksara) of the Rgveda (re),
In which, in heaven, all the gods have taken their seats,
What use is the Rgveda?
But those who know it are assembled here.
9. From it the artificer (mayin) sends forth all this:
Metres, sacrifices, rites and vows,
What has been, what is to be, and what the Vedas teach.
The other is trapped in it by the artifice.
10. One should know nature (wakrti) as the artifice,
The great lord as the artificer,
And the whole world as pervaded
By beings that are parts of him.
11. By discerning the one who stands over every womb,
In whom all this is gathered together,
The lord, the boon-granter, the worshipful god,
One attains surpassing peace.
12. May Rudra, the overlord, the great Rsi,
Who is the source and origin of the gods,
Who saw the golden embryo being born,
Yoke us with clear intelligence.
13. Overlord of the gods,
On whom the worlds depend,
Who rules over his two-footed and four-footed ones,
To which god shall we make our offering?
14. Knowing him, subtler than the subtle in the midst of the throng,
Many-formed creator of all,
One enfolder of all, Shiva,
One attains surpassing peace.
15. He is the protector of the world in time,
Overlord of all, hidden in all beings,
To whom are yoked the Rsis of Brahma and the deities.
Knowing him, one cuts the bonds of death.
16. Knowing him, Siva, hidden in all beings
Like a subtler distillation than clarified butter,
The god, the one enfolder of all,
One is freed from all bonds.
17. The one god, all-maker, magnanimous,
Always dwelling in the heart of beings,
Shaped by the heart, the intelligence, the mind;
Those who know this become immortal.
18. When there is no darkness, there is neither day nor night,
Neither being nor not-being, just Siva, absolute.
That is the imperishable: that is the lovely glory of Savitr
The ancient wisdom came forth from that.
19. No one has grasped him, above,
Across, or in the middle.
There is no likeness of him
Whose name is 'great glory�.
20. His form is not accessible to the sight:
No one sees him with the eye-
Those who, with heart and mind,
See him dwelling in the heart, become immortal.
21. Afraid, someone takes refuge
In you, as 'unborn'.
Rudra, with that propitious face of yours
Protect me always.
22. Do not hurt us in child or grandchild,
In life, in cows or horses:
Rudra, do not in anger slay our heroes.
We invoke you always, bringing offerings.
