30. Yajur Veda — Chapter 30

【 Verse 30.1 】

▸ Veda Mantra: देव॑ सवितः॒ प्र सु॑व य॒ज्ञं प्र सु॑व य॒ज्ञप॑तिं॒ भगा॑य। दि॒व्यो ग॑न्ध॒र्वः॑ के॑त॒पूः केतं॑ नः पुनातु वा॒चस्पति॒र्वाचं॑ नः स्वदतु ॥१ ॥

▸ Translation: May Savita, generous lord creator of life, expand our yajna of light and action. May He inspire and bless the master of yajna for the achievement of wealth and honour. Glorious is Savita, sustainer of the earth and purifier and sanctifier of knowledge. May the lord sanctify our knowledge. Lord of Speech Divine, may He sweeten, sanctify and bless our tongue and speech.

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【 Verse 30.2 】

▸ Veda Mantra: तत्स॑वि॒तुर्वरे॑ण्यं॒ भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमहि। धियो॒ यो नः॑ प्रचो॒दया॑त् ॥२ ॥

▸ Translation: That blazing splendour of lord Savita, selfrefulgent giver of light, which is the sole light worthy of choice, we perceive, meditate upon and absorb in the soul. May He inspire, enlighten and bless our vision and intelligence to follow the path of light and rectitude.

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【 Verse 30.3 】

▸ Veda Mantra: विश्वा॑नि देव सवितर्दुरि॒तानि॒ परा॑ सुव। यद्भ॒द्रं तन्न॒ऽआ सु॑व ॥३ ॥

▸ Translation: Savita, glorious lord of inspiration, light and life, remove all the evil of the world from us, and bless us with all that is good.

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【 Verse 30.4 】

▸ Veda Mantra: वि॒भ॒क्तार॑ꣳ हवामहे॒ वसो॑श्चि॒त्रस्य॒ राध॑सः। स॒वि॒तारं॑ नृ॒चक्ष॑सम् ॥४ ॥

▸ Translation: We invoke Savita and sing in praise of the ultimate judge and dispenser of the fruits of Karma and giver of the wondrous joys of life, who makes everything possible, who creates all and watches over all (what they are and what they do).

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【 Verse 30.5 】

▸ Veda Mantra: ब्रह्म॑णे ब्राह्म॒णं क्ष॒त्राय॑ राज॒न्यं᳖ म॒रुद्भ्यो॒ वैश्यं॒ तप॑से॒ शू॒द्रं तम॑से॒ तस्क॑रं नार॒काय॑ वीर॒हणं॑ पा॒प्मने॑ क्ली॒बमा॑क्र॒याया॑ऽअयो॒गूं कामा॑य पुँश्च॒लूमति॑क्रुष्टाय माग॒धम् ॥५ ॥

▸ Translation: Give us, we pray, the Brahmanas for education and research, culture and human values; the Kshatriyas for governance, defence and administration; the Vaishyas for economic development, and the Shudras for assistance and labour in the ancillary services. Remove, we pray, the thief roaming in the dark, the murderer bent on lawlessness, the coward disposed to sin, the armed terrorist bent on destruction, the harlot out for pleasure of flesh, and the bastard fond of scandal. Note: In mantras 5-22 in which various aspects of organised life are listed, there is repetition of ‘åsuva’ and ‘paråsuva’ from mantra 3, which means: ‘Give us, we pray, what is good’, and, ‘Remove, we pray, what is evil’. This is the prayer. Also, there are echoes of ‘havamahe’ from mantra 4, which means: ‘We invoke and develop’, and, ‘we challenge and fight out’. This is the call for action under the divine eye.

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【 Verse 30.6 】

▸ Veda Mantra: नृ॒त्ताय॑ सू॒तं गी॒ताय॑ शैलू॒षं धर्मा॑य सभाच॒रं न॒रिष्ठा॑यै भीम॒लं न॒र्माय॑ रे॒भꣳ हसा॑य॒ कारि॑मान॒न्दाय॑ स्त्रीष॒खं प्र॒मदे॑ कुमारीपु॒त्रं मे॒धायै॑ रथका॒रं धैर्य्या॑य॒ तक्षा॑णम् ॥६ ॥

▸ Translation: For dance, the dancer; for song, the singer; for dharma, the active councillor; for social morale, the mighty man; for refinement, the poet; for fun, the comedian; for pleasure, fair company; for indulgence, he child of wantonness; for finesse, the chariot-maker; for patience, the carpenter.

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【 Verse 30.7 】

▸ Veda Mantra: तप॑से कौला॒लं मा॒यायै॑ क॒र्मार॑ꣳ रू॒पाय॑ मणिका॒रꣳ शु॒भे वप॒ꣳ श॑र॒व्या᳖याऽइषुका॒रꣳ हे॒त्यै ध॑नुष्का॒रं कर्म॑णे ज्याका॒रं दि॒ष्टाय॑ रज्जुस॒र्जं मृ॒त्यवे॑ मृग॒युमन्त॑काय श्व॒निन॑म् ॥७ ॥

▸ Translation: For heat-treatment, the potter or metallurgist; for furnishing, the decorator; for ornament, the jeweller; for beauty, the beautician; for archery, the arrow-maker; for shooting, the bow-maker; for the target, the bowstring maker; for marking and delimitation, the stringmaker; for killing, the hunter; for the border, the watchdog.

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【 Verse 30.8 】

▸ Veda Mantra: न॒दीभ्यः॑ पौञ्जि॒ष्ठमृ॒क्षीका॑भ्यो॒ नैषा॑दं पुरुषव्या॒घ्राय॑ दु॒र्मदं॑ गन्धर्वाप्स॒रोभ्यो॒ व्रात्यं॑ प्र॒युग्भ्य॒ऽ उन्म॑त्तꣳ सर्पदेवज॒नेभ्योऽप्र॑तिपद॒मये॑भ्यः कित॒वमी॒र्यता॑या॒ऽअकि॑तवं पिशा॒चेभ्यो॑ विदलका॒रीं या॑तु॒धाने॑भ्यः कण्टकीका॒रीम् ॥८ ॥

▸ Translation: For the rivers, the fisherman; for the fast shebears, the forester; for the tiger-man, the drunken fool; for the musicians and dancers, the brute; for the farmers, the demented; for the snakes and nobles, the neurotic; for the desirables, the gambler; for the retiring, the nongambler; for the frustrated, the cynic; for travellers, the thorns; for the sake of these former ones, keep off the latter ones.

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【 Verse 30.9 】

▸ Veda Mantra: स॒न्धये॑ जा॒रं गे॒हायो॑पप॒तिमार्त्यै॒ परि॑वित्तं॒ निर्ऋ॑त्यै परिविविदा॒नमरा॑द्ध्याऽ एदिधिषुः प॒तिं निष्कृ॑त्यै पेशस्का॒री सं॒ज्ञाना॑य स्मरका॒रीं प्र॑का॒मोद्या॑योप॒सदं॒ वर्णा॑यानु॒रुधं॒ बला॑योप॒दाम् ॥९ ॥

▸ Translation: Keep off the paramour out to meet his mistress; the adulterer heading to the house of his married love; the unmarried elder brother with his eye on the wife of his younger brother; the younger brother grabbing and encroaching upon the elder brother’s share of land; the husband of younger sister entertaining love for the unmarried elder sister-in-law; the self-decorated sexdoll impatient to make up for lost opportunities; the amorous woman excited for sex; the inmate intending to abuse the house-mate; the solicitor trying for acceptance; the corrupt official in search of gratification for work.

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【 Verse 30.10 】

▸ Veda Mantra: उ॒त्सा॒देभ्यः॑ कु॒ब्जं प्र॒मुदे॑ वाम॒नं द्वा॒र्भ्यः स्रा॒म स्वप्ना॑या॒न्धमध॑र्माय बधि॒रं प॒वित्रा॑य भि॒षजं॑ प्र॒ज्ञाना॑य नक्षत्रद॒र्शमा॑शि॒क्षायै॑ प्र॒श्निन॑मुपशि॒क्षाया॑ऽअभिप्र॒श्निनं॑ म॒र्यादा॑यै प्रश्नविवा॒कम् ॥१० ॥

▸ Translation: Remove the crooked on way to destruction, the small man addicted to gaiety, disease spreading to house doors, the man blind to dreams, and the deaf in love with adharma. Develop medicine for health and purity, help and encourage the astronomer for science, inquisitive learner for education, the seminary for confirmation and application of learning, and analysis and discrimination for the judgement of truth and value.

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【 Verse 30.11 】

▸ Veda Mantra: अर्मे॑भ्यो हस्ति॒पं ज॒वाया॑श्व॒पं पुष्ट्यै॑ गोपा॒लं वी॒र्य्या᳖याविपा॒लं तेज॑सेऽजपा॒लमिरा॑यै की॒नाशं॑ की॒लाला॑य सुराका॒रं भ॒द्राय॑ गृह॒पꣳ श्रेय॑से वित्त॒धमाध्य॑क्ष्यायानुक्ष॒त्तार॑म् ॥११ ॥

▸ Translation: Create, develop and promote the elephant keeper for tourists, the horse keeper for fast movement, the cowherd for nourishment, the sheep-keeper for virility, the goat keeper for lustre, the farmer for food, the somamaker for vitality, the house keeper for good living, the treasurer for honour and credit, the burser for financial distribution and control.

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【 Verse 30.12 】

▸ Veda Mantra: भायै॑ दार्वा॒हारं प्र॒भाया॑ऽअग्न्ये॒धं ब्र॒ध्नस्य॑ वि॒ष्टपा॑याभिषे॒क्तारं॒ वर्षिष्ठाय॒ नाका॑य परिवे॒ष्टारं॑ देवलो॒काय॑ पेशि॒तारं॑ मनुष्यलो॒काय॑ प्रकरि॒तार॒ꣳ सर्वे॑भ्यो लो॒केभ्य॑ऽउपसे॒क्तार॒मव॑ऽऋत्यै व॒धायो॑पमन्थि॒तारं॒ मेधा॑य वासः पल्पू॒लीं प्र॑का॒माय॑ रजयि॒त्रीम् ॥१२ ॥

▸ Translation: For light, the wood-man, for illumination, fire and fuel, for the horse-course, the water sprinkler, for high satisfaction and comfort, the cook and steward, for a vision of heaven, the scholar visionary, for a vision of humanity, the well-wisher, for the public, the public servant, for get-togethers, the launderer, for happy turnout, the printer and dyer, and fearsome guard to ward off danger.

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【 Verse 30.13 】

▸ Veda Mantra: ऋ॒तये॑ स्ते॒नहृ॑दयं॒ वैर॑हत्याय॒ पिशु॑नं॒ विवि॑क्त्यै क्ष॒त्तार॒मौप॑द्रष्ट्र्यायानुक्ष॒त्तारं॒ बला॑यानुच॒रं भूम्ने प॑रिष्क॒न्दं प्रि॒याय॑ प्रियवा॒दिन॒मरि॑ष्ट्याऽअश्वसा॒दꣳ स्व॒र्गाय॑ लो॒काय॑ भागदु॒घं वर्षि॑ष्ठाय॒ नाका॑य परिवे॒ष्टार॑म् ॥१३ ॥

▸ Translation: Remove the thievish hypocrite bent on envy and attack, and the slanderer bent on enmity and attack. Give us the saviour for judgement and discrimination, the loving guide for vigilance, the supporter for strength, virile generosity for expansion, sweet talker for love, the horse rider for good news and safe arrival, just commonalty for a joyous community, and enlightened superintendence for all round happiness.

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【 Verse 30.14 】

▸ Veda Mantra: म॒न्यवे॑ऽयस्ता॒पं क्रोधा॑य निस॒रं योगा॑य यो॒क्तार॒ꣳ शोका॑याऽभिस॒र्त्तारं॒ क्षेमा॑य विमो॒क्ता॑रमुत्कूलनिकू॒लेभ्य॑त्रि॒ष्ठिनं॒ व॑पुषे मानस्कृ॒तꣳ शीला॑याञ्जनीका॒रीं निर्ऋत्यै कोशका॒रीं य॒माया॒सूम् ॥१४ ॥

▸ Translation: For moral passion, give us the heat of the furnace of steel, for cooling anger, the generous giver, for yoga, the persuasive teacher, for moral lustre, the man of foresight, for peace and well-being, the paternal protector, for the ebb and flow of water, the man who knows both and surveys from above, for good of the body form, the man of thought, for the good of character, the giver of right vision, for the avoidance of adversity, the economic budget maker, for proper control, impartial administration.

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【 Verse 30.15 】

▸ Veda Mantra: य॒माय॑ यम॒सूमथ॑र्व॒भ्योऽव॑तोका संवत्स॒राय॑ पर्य्या॒यिणीं॑ परिवत्स॒रायावि॑जाता- मिदावत्स॒राया॒तीत्व॑रीमिद्वत्स॒राया॑ति॒ष्कद्व॑रीं वत्स॒राय॒ विज॑र्जरा संवत्स॒राय॒ पलि॑क्नीमृ॒भुभ्यो॑ऽ जिनस॒न्धꣳ सा॒ध्येभ्य॒श्चर्म॒म्नम् ॥१५ ॥

▸ Translation: For the man of law and order, give the law-maker ; for the men of peace and meditation, the protective force; for the first year of a five-year plan for women, a woman who knows how time passes; for the second year, an unmarried woman; for the third year, a dynamic woman; for the fourth year, a white-haired woman; for the fifth year, an extremely wise woman; for any year, a woman of long age and experience; for the experts, an indefatigable man; for the men of achievement, a man of super-knowledge.

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【 Verse 30.16 】

▸ Veda Mantra: सरो॑भ्यो धैव॒रमु॑प॒स्थाव॑राभ्यो॒ दाशं॑ वैश॒न्ताभ्यो॑ बै॒न्दं न॑ड्व॒लाभ्यः॒ शौष्क॑लं पा॒राय॑ मार्गा॒रम॑वा॒राय॑ कै॒वर्त्तं॑ ती॒र्थेभ्य॑ऽआ॒न्दं विष॑मेभ्यो मैना॒ल स्वने॑भ्यः॒ पर्ण॑कं॒ गुहा॑भ्यः॒ किरा॑त॒ꣳ सानु॑भ्यो॒ जम्भ॑कं॒ पर्व॑तेभ्यः किम्पूरु॒षम् ॥१६ ॥

▸ Translation: For the lakes, the ferryman; for the tanks close by, a knowledgeable caretaker; for the pools, a forest man; for the reed beds, a dryer; for crossing over, the knowing forester; for damps and marshes, the man of marshes; for tourist and sacred places, the bridge and dam maker; for unknown lands, the man of selfdiscipline; for forest sounds, the man specialising in leaves; for the caves, the caveman; for the mountain peaks, the ferocious guard; for the mountains, the hill ranger.

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【 Verse 30.17 】

▸ Veda Mantra: बी॒भ॒त्सायै॑ पौल्क॒सं वर्णा॑य हिरण्यकारं तु॒लायै॑ वाणि॒जं प॑श्चादो॒षाय॑ ग्ला॒विनं॒ विश्वे॑भ्यो भू॒तेभ्यः॑ सिध्म॒लं भूत्यै॑ जागर॒णमभू॑त्यै स्वप॒नमार्त्यै॑ जनवा॒दिनं॒ व्यृ᳖द्ध्याऽअपग॒ल्भꣳ सꣳश॒राय॑ प्र॒च्छिद॑म् ॥१७ ॥

▸ Translation: Remove the brute bent on cruelty, the nonperformer suffering from faultfinding, the slothful heading to adversity, the slanderer causing mischief and injury, the pessimist inviting poverty, the saboteur causing damage and destruction. Give us the sun and the goldsmith for beauty of form, the measurer for correct measurement, all round capability for all living beings, wakefulness for prosperity, the public voice against adversity.

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【 Verse 30.18 】

▸ Veda Mantra: अ॒क्ष॒रा॒जाय॑ कित॒वं कृ॒ताया॑दिनवद॒र्शं त्रेता॑यै क॒ल्पिनं॑ द्वा॒परा॑याधिक॒ल्पिन॑मास्क॒न्दाय॑ सभास्था॒णुं मृ॒त्यवे॑ गोव्य॒च्छमन्त॑काय गोघा॒तं क्षु॒धे यो गां वि॑कृ॒न्तन्तं॒ भिक्ष॑माणऽउप॒ तिष्ठ॑ति दुष्कृ॒ताय॒ चर॑काचार्यं पा॒प्मने॑ सैल॒गम् ॥१८ ॥

▸ Translation: Remove the gambler playing for his den-master, the tormenter of the cow to death, the butcher who slaughters the cow, the man who impairs the cow to satisfy hunger, the man who approaches the beef carver asking for food, the beggar serving his master of the den, and the robber out for sin and crime. Give us the man of original vision for the age of truth (Krita-yuga), the man of imagination for the age of thought and resolution (Treta-yuga), the man of imagination and resolution for the age of thought and passion (Dvapara-yuga), and the man-pillar of the council for speedy progress and development.

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【 Verse 30.19 】

▸ Veda Mantra: प्र॒ति॒श्रुत्का॑याऽअर्त्त॒नं घोषा॑य भ॒षमन्ता॑य बहुवा॒दिन॑मन॒न्ताय॒ मूक॒ꣳ शब्दा॑याडम्बराघा॒तं मह॑से वीणावा॒दं क्रोशा॑य तूणव॒ध्मम॑वरस्प॒राय॑ शङ्ख॒ध्मं वना॑य वन॒पम॒न्यतो॑ऽरण्याय दाव॒पम् ॥१९ ॥

▸ Translation: For promise and agreement, simplicity of language and content, for proclamation, the announcer, for conclusion, the comprehensive speaker, for the endless talker, silence, for loud proclamation, the beat of the drum, for celebration, the notes of the lute, for sentiment, the flute player, for far and near, the conch blower, for the forests, the protector of the forest and gardens, for large heaths and forests, the fire-guard.

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【 Verse 30.20 】

▸ Veda Mantra: न॒र्माय॑ पुँश्च॒लू हसा॑य॒ कारिं॒ याद॑से शाब॒ल्यां ग्रा॑म॒ण्यं᳕ गण॑कमभि॒क्रोश॑कं॒ तान्मह॑से वीणावा॒दं पा॑णि॒घ्नं तू॑णव॒ध्मं तान्नृ॒त्ताया॑न॒न्दाय॑ तल॒वम् ॥२० ॥

▸ Translation: Remove the flirt disposed to sport, the buffoon disposed to farce, and the courtesan disposed to voluptuous play. Give us for reverence and honour the village headman, the statistician, and the leader who gives the clarion-call. Give us the music of the lute, the drum player, the flute player, and song and celebration for dance and joy.

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【 Verse 30.21 】

▸ Veda Mantra: अ॒ग्नये॒ पीवा॑नं पृथि॒व्यै पी॑ठस॒र्पिणं॑ वा॒यवे॑ चाण्डा॒लम॒न्तरि॑क्षाय वꣳशन॒र्तिनं॑ दि॒वे ख॑ल॒तिꣳ सूर्या॑य हर्य॒क्षं नक्ष॑त्रेभ्यः किर्मि॒रं च॒न्द्रम॑से कि॒लास॒मह्ने॑ शु॒क्लं पि॑ङ्गा॒क्षꣳ रात्र्यै॑ कृ॒ष्णं पि॑ङ्गा॒क्षम् ॥२१ ॥

▸ Translation: For fire and heat work, the strong man and solid materials; for ground work or earthwork, the carrier on the back; for work in the wind, a man of special strength; for work in the sky, a bamboo dancer; for work on and in space, a man who knows the dynamics of space; for work on the sun, a man with green eye-glass; for work on stars and planets, a man with orange eye-glass; for work on the moon, a clear glass; for work on day-light, a man in white with brown eyes; for work on the night, a man in black with brown eyes.

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【 Verse 30.22 】

▸ Veda Mantra: अथै॒तान॒ष्टौ विरू॑पा॒ना ल॑भ॒तेऽति॑दीर्घं॒ चाति॑ह्रस्वं॒ चाति॑स्थूलं॒ चाति॑कृशं॒ चाति॑शुक्लं॒ चाति॑कृष्णं॒ चाति॑कुल्वं॒ चाति॑लोमशं च। अशू॑द्रा॒ऽअब्रा॑ह्मणा॒स्ते प्रा॑जाप॒त्याः। मा॒ग॒धः पुँ॑श्च॒ली कि॑त॒वः क्ली॒बोऽशू॑द्रा॑ऽअब्रा॑ह्मणा॒स्ते प्रा॑जाप॒त्याः ॥२२ ॥

▸ Translation: The good human being accepts and works with these eight classes of people of different forms and colours: too tall, too short, too fat, too thin, too white, too dark, too hairless, too hairy. Also they are neither Brahmanas nor Shudras (nor the others). They too, all of them, are children of God, Prajapati. Even the bastard and the ‘despicable’, the wanton, the gambler, and the coward and the eunuch, neither Shudras nor Brahmanas (nor the others), they too are children of God, Prajapati, father of all.