Rudra Suktam
Connection
अथातः शतरुद्रियं जुहोति । अत्रैष सर्वोऽग्निः संस्कृतः स एषोऽत्र रुद्रो देवता तस्मिन्देवा एतदमृतं रूपमुत्तममदधुः स एषोऽत्र दीप्यमानोऽतिष्ठदन्नमिच्छमानस्तस्माद्देवा अबिभयुर्यद्वै नोऽयं न हिंस्यादिति – ९.१.१.१ [शतपथब्राह्मणम्/काण्डम् ९/अध्यायः १/ब्राह्मण १]
नमस् ते रुद्र मन्यव उतो त इषवे नमः । नमस् ते अस्तु धन्वने बाहुभ्याम् उत ते नमः ॥ या त इषुः शिवतमा शिवम् बभूव ते धनुः । शिवा शरव्या या तव तया नो रुद्र मृडय ॥ या ते रुद्र शिवा तनूर् अघोराऽपापकाशिनी । तया नस् तनुवा शंतमया गिरिशन्ताभि चाकशीहि ॥ [तैत्तिरीयसंहिता(विस्वरः)/काण्डम् ४/प्रपाठकः ५]
“Then he offers the Shatarudriya. Here, all this is Fire, consecrated. And here, this is Rudra, the deity. Into him the gods (devatas) placed this immortal, highest form. Shining here, he stood, longing for food. The gods became afraid: ‘Let him not harm us!’” (Satapath Brahman)
“Homage to you, Rudra — to your power and to your arrow.
Homage to your bow, and to your strong arms as well.
The arrow of yours that is most benevolent, the bow that has become blessed —
with that, O Rudra, show us kindness.
That gentle form of yours, Rudra — not frightening, not bringing harm —
with that peaceful body, O mountain-dweller, look upon us with grace.” (Taittiriya Samhita)
The Rudra Yagna (Satapath Brahman): The mantras suggest that reality contains powerful, even dangerous forces that cannot simply be denied or suppressed; instead, they must be acknowledged, honored, and guided. Rudra represents a power that can harm or heal, destroy or protect, depending on how it is approached. The prayers do not ask for that power to disappear — they ask that it become gentle, benevolent, and aligned with compassion. This points to a deep insight: what we fear in life (change, anger, death, uncertainty) can become a source of wisdom when we relate to it consciously and humbly. Grace, safety, and clarity arise not from control, but from reverence and integration — recognizing that darkness and light are not enemies, but different expressions of the same underlying reality.
माध्यन्दिनीयायां वाजसनेयसंहितायां षोडशोऽध्यायः
अध्याय 16 रुद्र सूक्तम्
अग्निचयने रुद्रः
नमस् ते रुद्र मन्यव ऽ उतो त ऽ इषवे नमः । बाहुभ्याम् उत ते नमः
16.1 नमस् ते रुद्र मन्यव ऽ उतो त ऽ इषवे नमः ।
बाहुभ्याम् उत ते नमः ॥
16.2 या ते रुद्र शिवा तनूर् अघोरापापकाशिनी ।
तया नस् तन्वा शंतमया गिरिशन्ताभि चाकशीहि ॥
16.3 याम् इषुं गिरिशन्त हस्ते बिभर्ष्य् अस्तवे ।
शिवां गिरित्र तां कुरु मा हिꣳसीः पुरुषं जगत् ॥
16.4 शिवेन वचसा त्वा गिरिशाच्छा वदामसि ।
यथा नः सर्वम् इज् जगद् अयक्ष्मꣳ सुमना ऽ असत् ॥
16.5 अध्य् अवोचद् अधिवक्ता प्रथमो दैव्यो भिषक् ।
अहीꣳश् च सर्वान् जम्भयन्त् सर्वाश् च यातुधान्यो ऽधराचीः परा सुव ॥
16.6 असौ यस् ताम्रो ऽ अरुण ऽ उत बभ्रुः सुमङ्गलः ।
ये चैनꣳ रुद्रा ऽ अभितो दिक्षु श्रिताः सहस्रशो वैषाꣳ हेड ऽ ईमहे ॥
16.7 असौ यो ऽवसर्पति नीलग्रीवो विलोहितः ।
उतैनं गोपा ऽ अदृश्रन्न् अदृश्रन्न् उदहार्यः स दृष्टो मृडयाति नः ॥
16.8 नमो ऽस्तु नीलग्रीवाय सहस्राक्षाय मीढुषे ।
अथो ये ऽ अस्य सत्वानो ऽहं तेभ्यो ऽकरं नमः ॥
16.9 प्र मुञ्च धन्वनस् त्वम् उभयोर् आर्त्न्योर् ज्याम् ।
याश् च ते हस्त ऽ इषवः ऽ परा ता भगवो वप ॥
16.10 विज्यं धनुः कपर्दिनो विशल्यो वाणवाꣳ२ऽ उत ।
अनेशन्न् अस्य याऽइषव ऽआभुर् अस्य निषङ्गधिः ॥
16.11 या ते हेतिर् मीढुष्टम हस्ते बभूव ते धनुः ।
तयास्मान् विश्वतस् त्वम् अयक्ष्मया परि भुज ॥
16.12 परि ते धन्वनो हेतिर् अस्मान् वृणक्तु विश्वतः ।
अथो य ऽइषुधिस् तवारे ऽ अस्मन् नि धेहि तम् ॥
16.13 अवतत्य धनुष् ट्वꣳ सहस्राक्ष शतेषुधे ।
निशीर्य शल्यानां मुखा शिवो नः सुमना भव ॥
16.14 नमस् त ऽ आयुधायानातताय धृष्णवे ।
उभाभ्याम् उत ते नमो बाहुभ्यां तव धन्वने ॥
16.15 मा नो महान्तम् उत मा नो ऽ अर्भकं मा न ऽ उक्षन्तम् उत मा न ऽ उक्षितम् ।
मा नो वधीः पितरं मोत मातरं मा नः प्रियास् तन्वो रुद्र रीरिषः ॥
16.16 मा नस् तोके तनये मा न ऽ आयुषि मा नो गोषु मा नो ऽ अश्वेषु रीरिषः ।
मा नो वीरान् रुद्र भामिनो वधीर् हविष्मन्तः सदम् इत् त्वा हवामहे ॥
16.17 नमो हिरण्यबाहवे सेनान्ये दिशां च पतये नमो नमो वृक्षेभ्यो हरिकेशेभ्यः पशूनां पतये नमो नमः शष्पिञ्जराय त्विषीमते पथीनां पतये नमो नमो हरिकेशायोपवीतिने पुष्टानां पतये नमः ॥
16.18 नमो बभ्लुशाय व्याधिने ऽन्नानां पतये नमो नमो भवस्य हेत्यै जगतां पतये नमो नमो रुद्रायाततायिने क्षेत्राणां पतये नमो नमः सूतायाहन्त्यै वनानां पतये नमः ॥
16.19 नमो रोहिताय स्थपतये वृक्षाणां पतये नमो नमो भुवन्तये वारिवस्कृतायौषधीनां पतये नमो नमो मन्त्रिणे वाणिजाय कक्षाणां पतये नमो नम ऽ उच्चैर्घोषायाक्रन्दयते पत्तीनां पतये नमः ॥
16.20 नमः कृत्स्नायतया धावते सत्वनां पतये नमो नमः सहमानाय निव्याधिनऽ आव्याधिनीनां पतये नमो नमो निषङ्गिणे ककुभाय स्तेनानां पतये नमो नमो निचेरवे परिचरायारण्यानां पतये नमः ॥
16.21 नमो वञ्चते परिवञ्चते स्तायूनां पतये नमो नमो निषङ्गिण ऽ इषुधिमते तस्कराणां पतये नमो नमः सृकायिभ्यो जिघाꣳसद्भ्यो मुष्णतां पतये नमो नमो ऽसिमद्भ्यो नक्तं चरद्भ्यो विकृन्तानां पतये नमः ॥
16.22 नम ऽ उष्णीषिणे गिरिचराय कुलुञ्चानां पतये नमो नम ऽ इषुमद्भ्यो धन्वायिभ्यश् च वो नमो नम ऽ आतन्वानेभ्यः प्रतिदधानेभ्यश् च वो नमो नम ऽ आयच्छद्भ्यो स्यद्भ्यश् च वो नमः ॥
16.23 नमो विसृजद्भ्यो विध्यद्भ्यश्च वो नमो नमः स्वपद्भ्यो जाग्रद्भ्यश् च वो नमो नमः शयानेभ्य ऽ आसीनेभ्यश् च वो नमो नमस् तिष्ठद्भ्यो धावद्भ्यश् च वो नमः ॥
16.24 नमः सभाभ्यः सभापतिभ्यश्च वो नमो नमो ऽश्वेभ्यो ऽश्वपतिभ्यश् च वो नमो नम ऽ आव्याधिनीभ्यो विविध्यन्तीभ्यश् च वो नमो नम ऽ उगणाभ्यस् तृꣳहतीभ्यश्च वो नमः ॥
16.25 नमो गणेभ्यो गणपतिभ्यश्च वो नमो नमो व्रातेभ्यो व्रातपतिभ्यश् च वो नमो नमो गृत्सेभ्यो गृत्सपतिभ्यश् च वो नमो नमो विरूपेभ्यो विश्वरूपेभ्यश् च वो नमः ॥
16.26 नमः सेनाभ्यः सेनानिभ्यश्च वो नमो नमो रथिभ्यो ऽ अरथेभ्यश् च वो नमो नमः क्षत्तृभ्यः संग्रहीतृभ्यश् च वो नमो नमो महद्भ्यो ऽ अर्भकेभ्यश् च वो नमः ॥
16.27 नमस् तक्षभ्यो रथकारेभ्यश् च वो नमो नमः कुलालेभ्यः कर्मारेभ्यश् च वो नमो नमो निषादेभ्यः पुञ्जिष्ठेभ्यश् च वो नमो नमः श्वनिभ्यो मृगयुभ्यश्च वो नमः ॥
16.28 नमः श्वभ्यः श्वपतिभ्यश्च वो नमो नमो भवाय च रुद्राय च नमः शर्वाय च पशुपतये च नमो नीलग्रीवाय च शितिकण्ठाय च ॥
16.29 नमः कपर्दिने च व्युप्तकेशाय च नमः सहस्राक्षाय च शतधन्वने च नमो गिरिशयाय च शिपिविष्टाय च नमो मीढुष्टमाय चेषुमते च ॥
16.30 नमो ह्रस्वाय च वामनाय च नमो बृहते च वर्षीयसे च नमो वृद्धाय च सवृधे च नमो ऽग्र्याय च प्रथमाय च ॥
16.31 नम ऽ आशवे चाजिराय च नमः शीघ्र्याय च शीभ्याय च नम ऽ ऊर्म्याय चावस्वन्याय च नमो नादेयाय च द्वीप्याय च ॥
16.32 नमो ज्येष्ठाय च कनिष्ठाय च नमः पूर्वजाय चापरजाय च नमो मध्यमाय चापगल्भाय च नमो जघन्याय च बुध्न्याय च ॥
16.33 नमः सोभ्याय च प्रतिसर्याय च नमो याम्याय च क्षेम्याय च नमः श्लोक्याय चावसान्याय च नम ऽ उर्वर्याय च खल्याय च ॥
16.34 नमो वन्याय च कक्ष्याय च नमः श्रवाय च प्रतिश्रवाय च नम ऽ आशुषेणाय चाशुरथाय च नमः शूराय चावभेदिने च ॥
16.35 नमो बिल्मिने च कवचिने च नमो वर्मिणे च वरूथिने च नमः श्रुताय च श्रुतसेनाय च नमो दुन्दुभ्याय चाहनन्याय च ॥
16.36 नमो धृष्णवे च प्रमृशाय च नमो निषङ्गिणे चेषुधिमते च नमस् तीक्ष्णेषवे चायुधिने च नमः स्वायुधाय च सुधन्वने च ॥
16.37 नमः स्रुत्याय च पथ्याय च नमः काट्याय च नीप्याय च नमः कुल्याय च सरस्याय च नमो नादेयाय च वैशन्ताय च ॥
16.38 नमः कूप्याय चावट्याय च नमो वीध्र्याय चातप्याय च नमो मेध्याय च च विद्युत्याय नमो वर्ष्याय चावर्ष्याय च ॥
16.39 नमो वात्याय च रेष्म्याय च नमो वास्तव्याय च वास्तुपाय च नमः सोमाय च रुद्राय च नमस् ताम्राय चारुणाय च ॥
16.40 नमः शंगवे च पशुपतये च नम ऽ उग्राय च भीमाय च नमोऽग्रेवधाय च दूरेवधाय च नमो हन्त्रे च हनीयसे च नमो वृक्षेभ्यो हरिकेशेभ्यो नमस् ताराय ॥
16.41 नमः शम्भवाय च मयोभवाय च नमः शंकराय च मयस्कराय च नमः शिवाय च शिवतराय च ॥
16.42 नमः पार्याय चावार्याय च नमः प्रतरणाय चोत्तरणाय च नमस् तीर्थ्याय च कूल्याय च नमः शष्प्याय च फेन्याय च ॥
16.43 नमः सिकत्याय च प्रवाह्याय च नमः किꣳशिलाय च क्षयणाय च नमः कपर्दिने च पुलस्तये च नम ऽ इरिण्याय च प्रपथ्याय च ॥
16.44 नमो व्रज्याय च गोष्ठ्याय च नमस् तल्प्याय च गेह्याय च नमो हृदय्याय च निवेष्याय च नमः काट्याय च गह्वरेष्ठाय च ॥
16.45 नमः शुष्क्याय च हरित्याय च नमः पाꣳसव्याय च रजस्याय च नमो लोप्याय चोलप्याय च नम ऽ ऊर्व्याय च सूर्व्याय च ॥
16.46 नमः पर्णाय च पर्णशदाय च नम ऽ उद्गुरमाणाय चाभिघ्नते च नम ऽ आखिदते च प्रखिदते च नम ऽ इषुकृद्भ्यो धनुष्कृद्भ्यस् च वो नमो नमो वः किरिकेभ्यो देवानाꣳ हृदयेभ्यो नमो विचिन्वत्केभ्यो नमो विक्षिणत्केभ्यो नम ऽ आनिर्हतेभ्यः ॥
16.47 द्रापे ऽ अन्धसस् पते दरिद्र नीललोहित ।
आसां प्रजानाम् एषां पशूनां मा भेर् मा रोङ् मो च नः किं चनाममत् ॥
16.48 इमा रुद्राय तवसे कपर्दिने क्षयद्वीराय प्र भरामहे मतीः ।
यथा शम् असद् द्विपदे चतुष्पदे विश्वं पुष्टं ग्रामे ऽ अस्मिन्न् अनातुरम् ॥
16.49 या ते रुद्र शिवा तनूः शिवा विश्वाहा भेषजी ।
शिवा रुतस्य भेषजी तया नो मृड जीवसे ॥
16.50 परि नो रुद्रस्य हेतिर् वृणक्तु परि त्वेषस्य दुर्मतिर् अघायोः ।
अव स्थिरा मघवद्भ्यस् तनुष्व मीढ्वस् तोकाय तनयाय मृड ॥
16.51 मीढुष्टम शिवतम शिवो नः सुमना भव ।
परमे वृक्ष ऽ आयुधं निधाय कृत्तिं वसान ऽ आ चर पिनाकं बिभ्रद् आ गहि ॥
16.52 विकिरिद्र विलोहित नमस् ते ऽ अस्तु भगवः ।
यास् ते सहस्रꣳ हेतयो ऽन्यम् अस्मन् नि वपन्तु ताः ॥
16.53 सहस्राणि सहस्रशो बाह्वोस् तव हेतयः ।
तासाम् ईशानो भगवः पराचीना मुखा कृधि ॥
16.54 असंख्याता सहस्राणि ये रुद्रा ऽ अधि भूम्याम् ।
तेषाꣳ सहस्रयोजनेऽव धन्वानि तन्मसि ॥
16.55 अस्मिन् महत्य् अर्णवे ऽन्तरिक्षे भवा ऽ अधि ।
तेषाꣳ सहस्रयोजनेऽव धन्वानि तन्मसि ॥
16.56 नीलग्रीवाः शितिकण्ठा दिवꣳ रुद्रा ऽ उपश्रिताः ।
तेषाꣳ सहस्रयोजनेऽव धन्वानि तन्मसि ॥
16.57 नीलग्रीवाः शितिकण्ठाः शर्वा ऽ अधः क्षमाचराः ।
तेषाꣳ सहस्रयोजने ऽव धन्वानि तन्मसि ॥
16.58 ये वृक्षेषु शष्पिञ्जरा नीलग्रीवा विलोहिताः ।
तेषाꣳ सहस्रयोजने ऽव धन्वानि तन्मसि ॥
16.59 ये भूतानाम् अधिपतयो विशिखासः कपर्दिनः ।
तेषाꣳ सहस्रयोजने ऽव धन्वानि तन्मसि ॥
16.60 ये पथां पथिरक्षस ऽ ऐलबृदा ऽ आयुर्युधः ।
तेषाꣳ सहस्रयोजने ऽव धन्वानि तन्मसि ॥
16.61 ये तीर्थानि प्रचरन्ति सृकाहस्ता निषङ्गिणः ।
तेषाꣳ सहस्रयोजने ऽव धन्वानि तन्मसि ॥
16.62 ये ऽन्नेषु विविध्यन्ति पात्रेषु पिबतो जनान् ।
तेषाꣳ सहस्रयोजने ऽव धन्वानि तन्मसि ॥
16.63 ये एतावन्तश् च भूयाꣳसश् च दिशो रुद्रा वितस्थिरे ।
तेषाꣳ सहस्रयोजने ऽव धन्वानि तन्मसि ॥
16.64 नमो ऽस्तु रुद्रेभ्यो ये दिवि येषां वर्षम् इषवः ।
तेभ्यो दश प्राचीर् दश दक्षिणा दश प्रतीचीर् दशोदीचीर् दशोर्ध्वाः ।
तेभ्यो नमो ऽ अस्तु ते नो ऽवन्तु ते नो मृडयन्तु ते यं द्विष्मो यश् च नो द्वेष्टि तम् एषां जम्भे दध्मः ॥
16.65 नमो ऽस्तु रुद्रेभ्यो ये ऽन्तरिक्षे येषां वात ऽ इषवः ।
तेभ्यो दश प्राचीर् दश दक्षिणा दश प्रतीचीर् दशोदीचीर् दशोर्ध्वाः ।
तेभ्यो नमो ऽ अस्तु ते नो ऽवन्तु ते नो मृडयन्तु ते यं द्विष्मो यश् च नो द्वेष्टि तम् एषां जम्भे दध्मः ॥
16.66 नमो ऽस्तु रुद्रेभ्यो ये पृथिव्यां येषाम् अन्नम् इषवः ।
तेभ्यो दश प्राचीर् दश दक्षिणा दश प्रतीचीर् दशोदीचीर् दशोर्ध्वाः ।
तेभ्यो नमो ऽ अस्तु ते नो ऽवन्तु ते नो मृडयन्तु ते यं द्विष्मो यश् च नो द्वेष्टि तम् एषां जम्भे दध्मः ॥
॥शतरुद्रियाख्यहोममन्त्राः॥
Rudra: Translated by Tanmoy Bhattacharyya
Note: All translations of the Vedas fall short. However sincere they may be, however filled with devotion or learning, they cannot truly reveal the living spirit of the mantras. Neither scholarly dictionaries (Niruka), nor etymological treatises (Vyakarana), nor even inherited commentaries (Acharya Parampara) fully capture the profound voice of the Vedic utterance. The Veda is not merely text — it is Vision (Para Vak). Only the Rishis, who became one with the supreme reality — who realized Vishnu (Who is inside of Everything) in their own Being — knew the true meaning, purpose, and application of these mantras. What they saw cannot simply be translated; it must be awakened.
Homage to you, Rudra — to your power and to your arrow; homage as well to your strong arms. (16.1)
May that gentle, harmless, purifying form of yours — the one that removes fear — look upon us with peace and blessing. (16.2)
The arrow you hold in your hand, mountain-dweller — make that arrow benevolent; do not harm the people or the world. (16.3)
With words of peace we address you, mountain-lord, so that the whole world may live free from illness and remain joyful. (16.4)
The first divine healer spoke: “Cast down the serpents and demons, drive them away, and let them fall far from here.” (16.5)
That shining one — reddish, brown, and auspicious — and all those powers dwelling in every direction: we appeal to them with respect. (16.6)
The dark-throated, blood-colored one who moves among us — herders and travelers see him; when seen, he brings mercy to us. (16.7)
Homage to the dark-throated, thousand-eyed giver of rain; and homage also to all his attendants — I bow to them. (16.8)
Release the string from both ends of your bow; and the arrows in your hand — turn them away from us, O Lord. (16.9)
Let the bow of the crested one remain unstrung, his quiver free of barbed shafts; let the sword and scabbard rest harmlessly. (16.10)
Let that missile of yours, O giver of blessings, which became your bow, guard us from every side and keep us free from sickness. (16.11)
Let the missile of your bow turn away from us on every side; and whatever arrow is set upon the string, place it away from us. (16.12)
When you draw your bow, thousand-eyed, with a hundred arrows ready, break the tips of the darts — be kind and benevolent to us. (16.13)
Homage to your weapon, whether raised or lowered; homage to your boldness, your arms, and your bow. (16.14)
Do not strike our elders, nor our children; do not strike our cattle or the unborn. Do not harm father or mother — O Rudra, do not hurt what is dear to us. (16.15)
Do not harm our children, our lifespan, our cows, or our horses. Do not harm our warriors. O Rudra, we call upon you with offerings. (16.16)
Homage to the golden-armed commander, the lord of the regions; homage to the trees with golden foliage, the lord of the herds. (16.17)
Homage to the brown one, the hunter, the lord of food; homage to the wielder of the weapon, the lord of the moving world. (16.18)
Homage to the red one, the builder, lord of trees; homage to the one who brings water, lord of herbs. (16.19)
Homage to the one who runs everywhere, lord of beings; homage to the enduring one, lord of those who protect and those who pursue. (16.20)
Homage to the deceiver and counter-deceiver, lord of rogues; homage to the bearer of sword and quiver, lord of thieves. (16.21)
Homage to the turbaned wanderer of mountains, lord of birds; homage to bowmen and archers, to those who string and restrain the bow. (16.22)
Homage to those who release and those who strike; homage to those who sleep and those who keep vigil; to the sitting and the standing, to the running as well. (16.23)
Homage to assemblies and their leaders; to horses and horse-lords; to those who aim and those who shoot; to the troops gathered together. (16.24)
Homage to the companies and their chiefs; to the bands and their captains; to the clever and their leaders; to the many-formed and all-formed. (16.25)
Homage to armies and commanders; to charioteers and chariots; to protectors and organizers; to the great and the small alike. (16.26)
Homage to carpenters and chariot-makers; to potters and smiths; to hunters and bird-catchers; to dog-keepers and forest-trackers. (16.27)
Homage to dogs and their masters; homage to Bhava and Rudra; to the dark-throated and the bright-throated. (16.28)
Homage to the braided-haired and the shaven-haired; to the thousand-eyed and the wielder of many weapons; to the mountain-dweller and the radiant one. (16.29)
Homage to the small and the dwarf; to the great and the growing; to the old and the ever-rising; to the foremost and the first. (16.30)
Homage to the swift and the quick; to the wave and the flowing; to the resounding and the shining. (16.31)
Homage to the elder and the younger; to the earlier and the later; to the one in the middle and on the edge; to the lowest and the deep-rooted. (16.32)
Homage to the companion and the follower; to the southern and the peaceful; to the praised and the final; to the fertile and the threshing floor. (16.33)
Homage to the wild and the enclosed; to the hearing and echo; to the one with swift troops and swift chariots; to the hero and the piercer. (16.34)
Homage to the armored and shielded; to the clothed and protected; to the famed and the leader of hosts; to the drum and the striker. (16.35)
Homage to the bold and the toucher; to the sword-bearer and archer; to the sharp-arrowed and the weaponed; to the self-armed and the good bowman. (16.36)
Homage to the path and the traveler; to the steep and the lowland; to canals and lakes; to the sounding and the shining. (16.37)
Homage to wells and pits; to the windy and the heated; to the pure and the flashing; to the rainy and the rainless. (16.38)
Homage to the stormy and the dewy; to the dweller and house-protector; to Soma and Rudra; to the copper-colored and the crimson. (16.39)
Homage to the horned and the lord of beasts; to the fierce and the terrible; to the slayer near and far; to the one who strikes and withdraws. (16.40)
Homage to the auspicious and the bringer of joy; to the beneficent and the giver of prosperity; to the gentle and the gentler still. (16.41)
Homage to the one this side and beyond; to the ferryman and the one who carries across; to the ford and the bank; to the grassy and the foamy. (16.42)
Homage to the sandy and the flowing; to the pebbly and decaying; to the crested and the ascetic; to the desert and the roadside. (16.43)
Homage to the path and the cow-pen; to the bed and the house; to the heart and the dwelling; to the field and the cave. (16.44)
Homage to the dry and the green; to the dusty and the earthy; to the broken and the unbroken; to the wide and the rich. (16.45)
Homage to the leaf and the leaf-bearer; to the striker and the smiter; to the one who pierces and splits; to the makers of arrows and bows. (16.46)
Homage to those who search and those who scatter; to the invulnerable; may there be no fear among our people and animals. (16.47)
We offer thoughts to the powerful, crested lord who destroys enemies, so that there may be peace for two-footed and four-footed beings, and all may flourish without sickness. (16.48)
Your gentle, healing form — the remedy for all — with that, grant us kindness and life. (16.49)
May the missile of Rudra turn away from us, and the harsh thought and harm be averted. Be gracious to our children and descendants. (16.50)
O most generous, most auspicious one — be kind and glad toward us. Lay aside your weapon, come adorned, bearing your bow in peace. (16.51)
O scattering, red-glowing one — homage to you. May the thousands of your missiles fall elsewhere, away from us. (16.52)
You have thousands upon thousands of weapons; turn them all to face away, O Lord. (16.53)
Countless are those powers upon earth; to them we dedicate the weapons thousands of leagues away. (16.54)
In this vast expanse of mid-space dwell many; to them we dedicate the weapons thousands of leagues away. (16.55)
Those dark-throated, bright-throated beings in the heavens — to them we dedicate the weapons thousands of leagues away. (16.56)
Those dark-throated wanderers on earth — to them we dedicate the weapons thousands of leagues away. (16.57)
Those who dwell in trees — to them we dedicate the weapons thousands of leagues away. (16.58)
Those lords of beings with braided hair — to them we dedicate the weapons thousands of leagues away. (16.59)
Those guardians of the roads — to them we dedicate the weapons thousands of leagues away. (16.60)
Those who wander at the fords with daggers — to them we dedicate the weapons thousands of leagues away. (16.61)
Those who haunt food and vessels — to them we dedicate the weapons thousands of leagues away. (16.62)
However many there are spread throughout the directions — to them we dedicate the weapons thousands of leagues away. (16.63)
Homage to those in the sky whose arrows are rain; to them in every direction — may they protect us and show mercy; whoever hates us, may their power be restrained. (16.64)
Homage to those in mid-space whose arrows are wind; may they protect us and show mercy; whoever hates us, may their power be restrained. (16.65)
Homage to those on earth whose arrows are food; may they protect us and show mercy; whoever hates us, may their power be restrained. (16.66)
Vedic Vision: Rudra Yajña, as reflected in the great litany to Rudra, is not merely a ritual (Yagna) addressed to a fierce deity — it is a civilizational (Vedic) meditation on how power, danger, compassion, nature, and society are woven into one sacred field. The mantras first bow to Rudra as the force that can wound and heal, destroy and protect, reminding us that reality itself is not tame: it is vast, free, and morally serious. We pray that the arrow of wrath turn away, and that the same cosmic power reveal its śiva (the essence of Rudra)—its auspicious, peace-bearing form. The hymns recognize Rudra not as remote, but present everywhere: in forests and fields, villages and marketplaces, craftsmen, warriors, wanderers, rulers, thieves, hunters, rivers, storms, animals, and medicines. By naming all these, the Vedic civilization affirms that nothing in life is outside the sacred gaze, and therefore everything demands responsibility, reverence, and restraint. The repeated salutations soften the ego, teaching that the right relation to power is not conquest but alignment — to stand in harmony with the law that sustains life. When the mantras beg that neither child nor parent, cattle nor horses, community nor land be harmed, they articulate an ethic of protection: the good society is one in which vitality, health, and continuity are guarded by humility before the divine. And when Rudra is invoked as healer, physician, protector of the paths, lord of seeds, waters, herbs, and prosperity, the Yajña becomes a silent prayer that human effort and cosmic order move together. Thus the wisdom of Rudra Yajña is civilizational — it trains consciousness to see the sacred in the ordinary, to respect power without violence, to seek prosperity without greed, and to trust that the same Reality that terrifies also shelters when we approach it with truth, self-control, and reverent surrender.
Tanmoy Bhattacharyya