Devi Suktam is hymn 125 of the tenth book of the Rigveda, and it is unusual in one respect: the speaker is the goddess. All eight verses are in the first person. She says what she carries, whom she moves with, whom she favours and how far her being extends. She is Vak, the word or speech, and tradition credits the hymn to Vak, the daughter of Ambhrina.
The hymn is short and dense. It names Vedic gods such as Rudra, Mitra, Varuna, Indra and Agni, and presents the goddess as the one who upholds and enters them all, then as the one present in heaven, earth and the waters. Many devotees of the Divine Mother read it as an early statement that the supreme power is feminine, while others read it as a hymn to the principle of speech or consciousness. Both readings are held in the tradition.
This page gives the eight verses in Devanagari with a simple transliteration and a plain meaning for each, followed by notes on recitation and sound. It sits beside the other hymns of the section, including Shri Suktam, and is often thought of together with Navratri worship, which you can read about on the Sharad Navratri page.
The text, transliteration and meaning
The eight verses are shown as they stand in the Rigveda. In each of them the goddess is the speaker, so the meanings below are written in the first person.
Verse 1
अहं रुद्रेभिर्वसुभिश्चराम्यहमादित्यैरुत विश्वदेवैः ।
अहं मित्रावरुणोभा बिभर्म्यहमिन्द्राग्नी अहमश्विनोभा ॥
Aham rudrebhirvasubhishcharamyahamadityairuta vishvadevaih
Aham mitravarunobha bibharmyahamindragni ahamashvinobha
MeaningI move with the Rudras, the Vasus, the Adityas and all the gods. I hold up both Mitra and Varuna, Indra and Agni, and the two Ashvins.
Verse 2
अहं सोममाहनसं बिभर्म्यहं त्वष्टारमुत पूषणं भगम् ।
अहं दधामि द्रविणं हविष्मते सुप्राव्ये यजमानाय सुन्वते ॥
Aham somamahanasam bibharmyaham tvashtaramuta pushanam bhagam
Aham dadhami dravinam havishmate supravye yajamanaya sunvate
MeaningI carry the swelling soma, and Tvashtar, Pushan and Bhaga. I give wealth to the worshipper who offers oblations, who presses the soma and honours the gods well.
Verse 3
अहं राष्ट्री संगमनी वसूनां चिकितुषी प्रथमा यज्ञियानाम् ।
तां मा देवा व्यदधुः पुरुत्रा भूरिस्थात्रां भूर्यावेशयन्तीम् ॥
Aham rashtri sangamani vasunam chikitushi prathama yajniyanam
Tam ma deva vyadadhuh purutra bhuristhatram bhuryaveshayantim
MeaningI am the queen, the gatherer of treasures, knowing and first among those worthy of worship. The gods have set me in many places, dwelling in many and entering into many.
Verse 4
मया सो अन्नमत्ति यो विपश्यति यः प्राणिति य ईं शृणोत्युक्तम् ।
अमन्तवो मां त उप क्षियन्ति श्रुधि श्रुत श्रद्धिवं ते वदामि ॥
Maya so annamatti yo vipashyati yah praniti ya im shrinotyuktam
Amantavo mam ta upa kshiyanti shrudhi shruta shraddhivam te vadami
MeaningThrough me one eats food: whoever sees, whoever breathes, whoever hears what is spoken. Those who do not know me fade away. Listen, one who is listening: I tell you what is to be trusted.
Verse 5
अहमेव स्वयमिदं वदामि जुष्टं देवेभिरुत मानुषेभिः ।
यं कामये तंतमुग्रं कृणोमि तं ब्रह्माणं तमृषिं तं सुमेधाम् ॥
Ahameva svayamidam vadami jushtam devebhiruta manushebhih
Yam kamaye tantamugram krinomi tam brahmanam tamrishim tam sumedham
MeaningI myself speak this, welcomed by gods and by people. Whomever I love I make mighty: I make him a priest who knows the sacred word, a seer, a person of wisdom.
Verse 6
अहं रुद्राय धनुरा तनोमि ब्रह्मद्विषे शरवे हन्तवा उ ।
अहं जनाय समदं कृणोम्यहं द्यावापृथिवी आ विवेश ॥
Aham rudraya dhanura tanomi brahmadvishe sharave hantava u
Aham janaya samadam krinomyaham dyavaprithivi a vivesha
MeaningI stretch the bow for Rudra so that his arrow may strike the one who hates the sacred word. I stir up the contest for the people, and I have entered heaven and earth.
Verse 7
अहं सुवे पितरमस्य मूर्धन्मम योनिरप्स्वन्तः समुद्रे ।
ततो वि तिष्ठे भुवनानु विश्वोतामूं द्यां वर्ष्मणोप स्पृशामि ॥
Aham suve pitaramasya murdhanmama yonirapsvantah samudre
Tato vi tishthe bhuvananu vishvotamum dyam varshmanopa sprishami
MeaningI bring forth the father at the head of this world, and my source is in the waters, within the ocean. From there I spread through all beings and touch yonder heaven with my body. (The word for father is read as the sky by many.)
Verse 8
अहमेव वात इव प्र वाम्यारभमाणा भुवनानि विश्वा ।
परो दिवा पर एना पृथिव्यैतावती महिना सं बभूव ॥
Ahameva vata iva pra vamyarabhamana bhuvanani vishva
Paro diva para ena prithivyaitavati mahina sam babhuva
MeaningI blow like the wind, taking hold of all the worlds. Beyond the sky and beyond this earth: so great have I become by my greatness.
Text: Sanskrit Wikisource, page “ऋग्वेदः सूक्तं १०.१२५”. Transliteration is simplified; meanings are our own. Verse numbers appear as labels above each verse.
When and how it is traditionally recited
Devi Suktam is recited in the worship of the Divine Mother, and many families and temples include it during Navratri, the nine nights devoted to the goddess in her various forms. It is often chanted at the start of Devi puja, and in some communities as part of larger readings from the Devi tradition. Dates for the festival change each year and are given on the festival page.
Some reciters use the hymn in its Vedic accent under the guidance of a teacher, while many simply chant the verses in a steady even voice. A common custom is to sit facing an image or lamp, light incense, offer a flower, and recite the eight verses once or several times. Counts, timings and rituals vary by region, family and lineage, and none of them is a fixed rule.
What the tradition says it is for
Tradition values this hymn for its bold claim that the goddess is not one power among others but the force behind the gods themselves. In Devi worship it is often taken as a statement of her sovereignty and her closeness to all beings: she is the one through whom people see, breathe, hear and speak.
A common teaching is that Vak here is more than ordinary speech. It is the creative word, the power by which anything is known or expressed. Teachers differ over whether the hymn is about a goddess, about Brahman speaking in a feminine voice, or about the self of the speaker realising itself in all things. The hymn invites reflection rather than a single reading.
As devotion, the hymn is a prayer to the Mother and a way of dwelling on the greatness she claims. It is not a medical treatment and makes no promise of worldly results. If you want to read more from the Devi tradition, Durga Chalisa is a popular devotional poem in Hindi.
Pronunciation notes
Vedic Sanskrit is the oldest layer of the language, so some sounds will feel unfamiliar. Say aham (I) as “a-ham”, with a short first vowel, and give long vowels about twice the length of short ones. Bh and dh are breathy consonants, and j is as in jar.
Watch the anusvara, as in aham and mam, which is a soft nasal hum, and the visarga at the end of some words, which adds a light echo of the preceding vowel. Long compounds such as Mitravaruna are easiest to say in parts, mitra and then varuna. The Vedic tradition also uses pitch accent that is learned by ear, so a teacher or a good recording is a great help.
Related mantras and pages
- Shri Suktam: another hymn to a goddess, Lakshmi
- Durga Chalisa: a Hindi devotional poem to Durga
- Nasadiya Suktam: another Rigveda hymn from the tenth book
- Sharad Navratri: the nine nights of the goddess
- All mantras, stotras, chalisas and aartis
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is Devi Suktam?
It is Rigveda 10.125, an eight-verse hymn in which the goddess speaks about herself. She is Vak, speech or the divine word. Tradition credits the hymn to Vak, the daughter of Ambhrina.
↳ Who speaks in the Devi Suktam?
The goddess herself speaks, from the first word to the last. She says she moves with the Rudras and Vasus, holds up the great gods and spreads through all the worlds. Some readers take the speaker as Brahman in a feminine voice.
↳ Is the Devi Suktam the same as the Ratri Suktam?
No. They are separate Rigveda-linked hymns that are often recited together in Devi worship. This page contains only the Devi Suktam, which is Rigveda 10.125.
↳ When is the Devi Suktam recited?
Many devotees recite it in Devi puja, and especially during Navratri. Some include it at other times of goddess worship. Customs differ by family and region, so follow your own tradition or teacher.
↳ How long does it take to recite?
The eight verses take only a few minutes at a steady pace. Reciting in the Vedic way with accent can take longer. There is no required speed, and a calm even pace is enough for beginners.