Ratri Suktam: the Vedic and Puranic Hymns to Night, Sanskrit Text and Meaning, from the 1917 Print

रात्रीति सूक्तस्य कुशिक ऋषिः । रात्रिर्देवता । गायत्री छन्दः । श्रीजगदम्बाप्रीत्यर्थं सप्तशतीपाठादौ जपे विनियोगः ।

Ratriti suktasya kushika rishih, ratrirdevata, gayatri chhandah, shrijagadambaprityartham saptashatipathadau jape viniyogah

NoteThe formula said before the hymn. The seer is Kushika, the deity is Night, the metre is Gayatri, and the purpose is pleasing the Mother of the world at the start of the Saptashati recitation.

रात्री व्यख्यदायती पुरुत्रा देव्यक्षभिः
विश्वा अधि श्रियोऽधित ॥ १ ॥

Ratri vyakhyadayati purutra devyakshabhih
Vishva adhi shriyo'dhita

MeaningNight, as she comes, has looked out in many places with her eyes. She has put on all her glories.

ओर्वप्रा अमर्त्या निवतो देव्युद्वतः
ज्योतिषा बाधते तमः ॥ २ ॥

Orvapra amartya nivato devyudvatah
Jyotisha badhate tamah

MeaningThe immortal goddess has filled the wide space, the low ground and the high. With her light she pushes back the dark.

निरु स्वसारमस्कृतोषसं देव्यायती
अपेदु हासते तमः ॥ ३ ॥

Niru svasaramaskritoshasam devyayati
Apedu hasate tamah

MeaningThe goddess, as she comes, has made room for her sister, Dawn, and the darkness is giving way.

सा नो अद्य यस्या वयं नि ते यामन्नविक्ष्महि
वृक्षे न वसतिं वयः ॥ ४ ॥

Sa no adya yasya vayam ni te yamannavikshmahi
Vrikshe na vasatim vayah

MeaningMay she be kind to us tonight. At her coming we have gone home to rest, as birds settle in a tree.

नि ग्रामासो अविक्षत नि पद्वन्तो नि पक्षिणः
नि श्येनासश्चिदर्थिनः ॥ ५ ॥

Ni gramaso avikshata ni padvanto ni pakshinah
Ni shyenasashchidarthinah

MeaningThe villagers have settled down, and so have the creatures that walk and the creatures that fly, even the hawks that hunt for food.

यावया वृक्यं वृकं यवय स्तेनमूर्म्ये
अथा नः सुतरा भव ॥ ६ ॥

Yavaya vrikyam vrikam yavaya stenamurmye
Atha nah sutara bhava

MeaningKeep the she-wolf and the wolf away, Night, and keep the thief away. Then be easy for us to pass through.

उप मा पेपिशत्तमः कृष्णं व्यक्तमस्थित
उष ऋणेव यातय ॥ ७ ॥

Upa ma pepishattamah krishnam vyaktamasthita
Usha rineva yataya

MeaningThe darkness has come close to me, black and plain to feel. Dawn, clear it away as one clears a debt.

उप ते गा इवाकरं वृणीष्व दुहितर्दिवः
रात्रि स्तोमं न जिग्युषे ॥ ८ ॥

Upa te ga ivakaram vrinishva duhitardivah
Ratri stomam na jigyushe

MeaningI have brought you my praise as one brings cattle as a gift. Accept it, Night, daughter of heaven, as one accepts a song for the winner.

अथ पौराणम् ।

Atha pauranam

NoteThe print's heading for the second hymn: now the Puranic one.

विश्वेश्वरीं जगद्धात्रीं स्थितिसंहारकारिणीम्
निद्रां भगवतीं विष्णोरतुलां तेजसः प्रभुः ॥ १ ॥

Vishveshvarim jagaddhatrim sthitisamharakarinim
Nidram bhagavatim vishnoratulam tejasah prabhuh

MeaningThe text begins: the goddess, mistress of the universe, who bears the world and carries out its keeping and its ending, is the divine Sleep of Vishnu, matchless, who has power over his radiance.

त्वं स्वाहा त्वं स्वधा त्वं हि वषट्कारः स्वरात्मिका
सुधा त्वमक्षरे नित्ये त्रिधा मात्रात्मिका स्थिता ॥ २ ॥

Tvam svaha tvam svadha tvam hi vashatkarah svaratmika
Sudha tvamakshare nitye tridha matratmika sthita

MeaningBrahma says: You are svaha, you are svadha, you are the call vashat, and you are the sacred sound itself. You are the nectar, and in the eternal syllable you stand as its three measures.

अर्धमात्रा स्थिता नित्या यानुच्चार्या विशेषतः
त्वमेव सन्ध्या सावित्री त्वं देवि जननी परा ॥ ३ ॥

Ardhamatra sthita nitya yanuchcharya visheshatah
Tvameva sandhya savitri tvam devi janani para

MeaningYou are also the half measure that stays always and cannot be spoken aloud. You alone are the twilight and Savitri, and you, goddess, are the supreme mother.

त्वयैतद्धार्यते विश्वं त्वयैतत्सृज्यते जगत्
त्वयैतत्पाल्यते देवि त्वमत्स्यन्ते च सर्वदा ॥ ४ ॥

Tvayaitaddharyate vishvam tvayaitatsrijyate jagat
Tvayaitatpalyate devi tvamatsyante cha sarvada

MeaningBy you this universe is held up. By you this world is made. By you, goddess, it is kept, and at its end you always draw it in.

विसृष्टौ सृष्टिरूपा त्वं स्थितिरूपा च पालने
तथा संहृतिरूपान्ते जगतोऽस्य जगन्मये ॥ ५ ॥

Visrishtau srishtirupa tvam sthitirupa cha palane
Tatha samhritirupante jagato'sya jaganmaye

MeaningIn creation you take the form of creation, and in keeping you take the form of keeping. So at the end of this world you take the form of its withdrawal, you who fill the world.

महाविद्या महामाया महामेधा महास्मृतिः
महामोहा च भवती महादेवी महेश्वरी ॥ ६ ॥

Mahavidya mahamaya mahamedha mahasmritih
Mahamoha cha bhavati mahadevi maheshvari

MeaningYou are great knowledge, great illusion, great intelligence and great memory, great bewilderment as well, great goddess and great queen.

प्रकृतिस्त्वं च सर्वस्य गुणत्रयविभाविनी
कालरात्रिर्महारात्रिर्मोहरात्रिश्च दारुणा ॥ ७ ॥

Prakritistvam cha sarvasya gunatrayavibhavini
Kalaratrirmaharatrirmoharatrishcha daruna

MeaningYou are the nature of everything, the one who brings forth the three qualities. You are the night of time, the great night and the dreadful night of delusion.

त्वं श्रीस्त्वमीश्वरी त्वं ह्रीस्त्वं बुद्धिर्बोधलक्षणा
लज्जा पुष्टिस्तथा तुष्टिस्त्वं शान्तिः क्षान्तिरेव च ॥ ८ ॥

Tvam shristvamishvari tvam hristvam buddhirbodhalakshana
Lajja pushtistatha tushtistvam shantih kshantireva cha

MeaningYou are prosperity, you are the sovereign, you are modesty, and you are understanding, whose mark is awareness. You are shame, nourishment and contentment, you are peace, and you are patience.

खड्गिनी शूलिनी घोरा गदिनी चक्रिणी तथा
शङ्खिनी चापिनी बाणभुशुण्डीपरिघायुधा ॥ ९ ॥

Khadgini shulini ghora gadini chakrini tatha
Shankhini chapini banabhushundiparighayudha

MeaningYou carry a sword, a trident, a mace, a discus, a conch and a bow, with arrows, the bhushundi and the iron bar as your weapons, and in this form you are terrible.

सौम्या सौम्यतराशेषसौम्येभ्यस्त्वतिसुन्दरी
परापराणां परमा त्वमेव परमेश्वरी ॥ १० ॥

Saumya saumyatarasheshasaumyebhyastvatisundari
Paraparanam parama tvameva parameshvari

MeaningYou are gentle, more gentle than all gentle things, and more beautiful than they. You are above the high and the low. You alone are the supreme queen.

यच्च किञ्चित्क्वचिद्वस्तु सदसद्वाऽखिलात्मिके
तस्य सर्वस्य या शक्तिः सा त्वं किं स्तूयसे मया ॥ ११ ॥

Yachcha kinchitkvachidvastu sadasadva'khilatmike
Tasya sarvasya ya shaktih sa tvam kim stuyase maya

MeaningWhatever thing exists anywhere, whether real or unreal, you who are the self of all: the power in all of it is you. How can I praise you?

यया त्वया जगत्स्रष्टा जगत्पात्यत्ति यो जगत्
सोऽपि निद्रावशं नीतः कस्त्वां स्तोतुमिहेश्वरः ॥ १२ ॥

Yaya tvaya jagatsrashta jagatpatyatti yo jagat
So'pi nidravasham nitah kastvam stotumiheshvarah

MeaningHe who creates the world, who keeps it and who draws it in has been brought under the power of sleep by you. Who, then, is able to praise you here?

विष्णुः शरीरग्रहणमहमीशान एव च
कारितास्ते यतोऽतस्त्वां कः स्तोतुं शक्तिमान् भवेत् ॥ १३ ॥

Vishnuh shariragrahanamahamishana eva cha
Karitaste yato'tastvam kah stotum shaktiman bhavet

MeaningVishnu, I, and Ishana (Shiva) have all been made to take bodies by you. So who has the strength to praise you?

सा त्वमित्थं प्रभावैः स्वैरुदारैर्देवि संस्तुता
मोहयैतौ दुराधर्षावसुरौ मधुकैटभौ ॥ १४ ॥

Sa tvamittham prabhavaih svairudarairdevi samstuta
Mohayaitau duradharshavasurau madhukaitabhau

MeaningGoddess, you who are praised in this way by your own noble powers: bewilder these two hard-to-overcome demons, Madhu and Kaitabha.

प्रबोधं च जगत्स्वामी नीयतामच्युतो लघु
बोधश्च क्रियतामस्य हन्तुमेतौ महासुरौ ॥ १५ ॥

Prabodham cha jagatsvami niyatamachyuto laghu
Bodhashcha kriyatamasya hantumetau mahasurau

MeaningAnd let Achyuta, the lord of the world, be brought quickly to wakefulness. Let him be given the awareness to kill these two great demons. Colophon: here ends the Ratri Suktam.