sarasvatī sūktam (ṛgveda)

She it was who gave to the pious Vadhryaśva his son Divodāsa, impetuous and shaker-off of debt; she who devoured the ever-grudging Paṇi — these are your mighty gifts, O Sarasvatī.

She with her surging strength broke the mountain ridges as one digs out lotus-fibres. Let us call upon Sarasvatī, slayer of Pārāvata, with well-turned hymns and with our thoughts, for her help.

O Sarasvatī, lay low the revilers of the gods, the offspring of that crafty Bṛsaya; you found out the flowing streams for the settlements, and made the poison flow away from them, O rich in vigour.

May the goddess Sarasvatī, rich in strength and swift with vigour, protectress of our thoughts, guard them for us.

Whoever calls upon you, O goddess Sarasvatī, when the prize is set — as upon Indra in the slaying of Vṛtra —

— you, O goddess Sarasvatī, help him in the contests for the prize, O vigorous one; cleave out a gift for us as Pūṣan does.

And that Sarasvatī of ours, awful, of golden course, slayer of Vṛtra — she desires our fair praise.

Whose flood is endless, unswerving, flashing and restless, and rushes on with a roar —

— may she carry us past all our enemies, past the other sisters, she who keeps the law, as the sun passes over the days.

And may Sarasvatī, dear among the dear, having seven sisters and well beloved, be worthy of our praise.

Having filled the earthly regions and the wide mid-space, may Sarasvatī guard us from reproach.

Abiding in three places, of seven elements, prospering the five peoples — may she be invoked at every winning of the prize.

She who is renowned by her greatness among the great, more active by her splendours than the other active ones; made vast as a chariot for the far-extending one — Sarasvatī is to be praised by the discerning.

O Sarasvatī, lead us toward what is better; do not fail us, do not burn us with your flood. Delight in our friendship and our dwelling; let us not go from you to unfamiliar fields.

With her nourishing flood this Sarasvatī has streamed forth, a stronghold of iron, a support. Pressing onward like a charioteer, the river surpasses all other waters by her greatness.

Sarasvatī alone among rivers shone forth, flowing pure from the mountains to the sea. Perceiving the riches of the abundant world, she yielded ghee and milk for Nāhuṣa.

He grew strong, the manly one among the maidens, a bull, a child among the worshipful. He grants the swift steed to the liberal; let him make his body bright for the winning.

And may that blessed Sarasvatī of ours, well pleased, hear at this sacrifice, approached by those who kneel in homage — greater even than her friends through the ally that is wealth.

Offering these to you with acts of homage, accept our praise, O Sarasvatī. Placed within your dearest shelter, may we stand as beneath a sheltering tree.

This Vasiṣṭha of yours, O blessed Sarasvatī, has opened the doors of Order. Increase, O bright one, and grant strength to him who praises you. Do you protect us evermore with blessings.

I will sing a lofty word — the lordly power of the rivers. Magnify Sarasvatī, O Vasiṣṭha, with well-turned praises and with hymns, and both worlds too.

O bright one, since by your greatness the Pūru folk dwell upon both your banks — be mindful of us as our protectress, you whose friends are the Maruts, and urge on the bounty of the liberal.

Auspicious indeed is what the auspicious Sarasvatī will do; ungrudging, rich in vigour, she takes note — when she is sung as by Jamadagni and praised as by Vasiṣṭha.

Desiring wives, unwed and liberal in gifts, and desiring sons, we call upon Sarasvat.

Those waves of yours, O Sarasvat, that are full of honey and drip with ghee — by these be our helper.

May we partake of the swelling breast of Sarasvat, which is seen by all — for offspring and for nourishment.

O best of mothers, best of rivers, best of goddesses, Sarasvatī — we are as it were without renown; grant us renown, O Mother.

In you, O goddess Sarasvatī, all lives are set. Rejoice among the Śunahotras; grant us offspring, O goddess.

Accept these prayers, O Sarasvatī rich in vigour — the thoughts which the Gṛtsamadas, O keeper of order, offer up, dear among the gods.

May the purifying Sarasvatī, rich in strengths and swift with vigour, desire our sacrifice — she whose wealth is thought.

The impeller of gracious words, the awakener of right thoughts — Sarasvatī has upheld the sacrifice.

Sarasvatī, the great flood, makes herself known by her banner; she rules over all our thoughts.

The god-seeking call upon Sarasvatī; they call upon Sarasvatī as the rite is spread. The doers of good deeds called upon Sarasvatī; may Sarasvatī grant what is choice to the worshipper.

O Sarasvatī, who came on one chariot with the fathers and with the svadhā offerings, rejoicing, O goddess — take your seat upon this sacred grass and be glad; grant us nourishment free of sickness.

Sarasvatī, whom the fathers call as they approach the sacrifice from the south — grant here a share worth a thousand of the offering, and increase of wealth among the sacrificers.

From lofty heaven, from the mountain, may worshipful Sarasvatī come to our sacrifice. May the goddess, delighting in our call, rich in ghee, hear our effectual word with favour.

I call upon Rākā, easy to invoke, with fair praise; may the blessed one hear us and of herself take note. May she sew the work with a needle that does not break, and grant a hero worth a hundred gifts, worthy of praise.

Those gracious and well-fashioned favours of yours, O Rākā, by which you give riches to the worshipper — come to us today with them, kindly disposed, bestowing thousandfold increase, O blessed one.

O Sinīvālī, of broad braids, who are the sister of the gods — accept the oblation poured out, and grant us offspring, O goddess.

She of fair arms and fair fingers, who bears well and bears many — to her, the mistress of the people, to Sinīvālī, offer the oblation.

She who is Guṅgū, she who is Sinīvālī, she who is Rākā, she who is Sarasvatī — I have called upon Indrāṇī for help and upon Varuṇānī for well-being. Om, peace, peace, peace.