Categories: Hindu Scripture

Kshetrapati Suktam:The Vedic Hymn to the Lord of the Soil

Kshetrapati “lord of the soil” is the name of a tutelary deity in the Rigveda and Atharvaveda. The Kshetrapati mantra is recited to seek blessings from the “lord of the soil”. This hymn, the Kshetrapati Suktam, aims to invoking blessings from the lord of the fields or soil. Let’s learn the lyrics of this hymn along with their meaning.

Verse 1

khssetrasya Patina Vayam hitenaiva Jayamasi |
gam-asvam Possayitva Sa no mrlatidrse ||

Word Meaning

• khssetrasya – “of the field”
• Patina – “by the lord”
• Vayam – “we”
• hitenaiva – “only by the beneficial”
• Jayamasi – “we conquer”
• gam-asvam – “cow-horse”
• Possayitva – “having nourished”
• Sa – “he”
• no – “us”
• mrlatidrse – “with prosperity and sight”

Translation

“By the lord of the fields, we gain victory through good deeds.
By nurturing the cow and the horse, may he protect us from death.”

Commentary

This verse emphasizes the importance of righteous actions and the nurturing of essential animals in agricultural society, invoking blessings for protection and prosperity.

Verse 2

khssetrasya Pate madhumantamurmim dhenuriva Payo asmasu dhukssva |
madhusCutam ghrtamiva Suputamrtasya nah Patayo mrlayantu ||

Word Meaning

• khssetrasya – “of the field”
• Pate – “O Lord”
• madhumantam – “sweet”
• urmim – “wave”
• dhenuriva – “like a cow”
• Payo – “milk”
• asmasu – “in us”
• dhukssva – “milk”
• madhusCutam – “flowing with honey”
• ghrtamiva – “like ghee (clarified butter)”
• Suputam – “well-purified”
• amrtasya – “of immortality”
• nah – “us”
• Patayo – “lords”
• mrlayantu – “make happy”

Translation

“O Lord of the fields, milk out for us the sweet wave, like a cow yields her milk.
Flowing honey-like, pure as clarified butter, may the guardians of the nectar protect us from death.”

Commentary

This verse continues the theme of invoking blessings from the lord of the fields, asking for abundance and sweetness in life, and protection from death, drawing comparisons to the nurturing qualities of milk and honey.

Verse 3

madhumatir ossadhir dyava apo madhuman no Bhavatu antarikssam |
khssetrasya Patir madhuman no astu arissyanto anvenam Carema ||

Word Meaning

• madhumatir – “sweet”
• ossadhir – “herbs”
• dyava – “sky”
• apo – “waters”
• madhuman – “sweet”
• no – “for us”
• Bhavatu – “become”
• antarikssam – “atmosphere”
• khssetrasya – “of the field”
• Patir – “lord”
• madhuman – “sweet”
• no – “for us”
• astu – “be”
• arissyanto – “without enemies”
• anvenam – “following”
• Carema – “we may walk”

Translation

“May the plants be sweet, may the heavens, the waters, and the mid-region be sweet to us.
May the lord of the fields be sweet to us, and may we, free from injury, walk upon the earth.”

Commentary

This verse invokes sweetness and harmony in nature and the universe, seeking blessings for safety and well-being as people go about their lives.

Verse 4

sunam Vahah sunam narah sunam khrssatu langgalam |
sunam Varatra Badhyantam sunam asstram udinggaya ||

Word Meaning

• sunam – auspicious (or “good”)
• Vahah – conveyance (or “vehicle”)
• narah – men (or “humans”)
• khrssatu – plough (or “cultivate”)
• langgalam – plough
• Varatra – rope (or “cord”)
• Badhyantam – be tied (or “bind”)
• asstram – weapon
• udinggaya – wield (or “use”)

Translation

“May the plants be sweet, may the heavens, the waters, and the mid-region be sweet to us.
May the lord of the fields be sweet to us, and may we, free from injury, walk upon the earth.”

Commentary

This verse invokes sweetness and harmony in nature and the universe, seeking blessings for safety and well-being as people go about their lives.

Verse 5

suna Sira avimam Vacam Jussetham yad divi Cakrathuh Payah |
tena imam upa Sincatam ||

Word Meaning

• sunaḥ: good
• siraḥ: head
• avimam: swiftly, certainly (contextual translation may vary)
• vacam: speech, words
• jussetham: may you both enjoy
• yat: which, that
• divi: in the sky, heaven
• cakrathuh: you both have made
• payah: milk, nectar
• tena: with that
• imam: this
• upa: towards, near
• sincatam: may sprinkle, may shower

Translation

“May the ploughshares and the implements enjoy this speech, as you have created rain in the heavens.
With that, may you water this (earth).”

Commentary

This verse calls for blessings on the tools of agriculture, invoking the divine creation of rain, and asking for that nurturing rain to bless and water the earth.

Verse 6

arvaci Subhage Bhava Site Vandamahe tva |
yatha nah Subhagasi yatha nah Suphalasi ||

Word Meaning

• Arvaci – Coming towards us
• Subhage – O Auspicious one
• Bhava – Be
• Site – White one (or pure one, often refers to a deity or auspicious entity)
• Vandamahe – We praise
• Tva – You
• Yatha – So that
• Nah – For us
• Subhaga – Auspicious
• Asi – You are
• Yatha – So that
• Suphala – Fruitful

Translation

“O auspicious Arvaci, be prosperous, we worship you.
May you be auspicious for us, may you bear fruit for us.”

Commentary

This verse expresses reverence and a plea for prosperity from Arvaci, likely a deity associated with fertility or agriculture, asking for blessings of abundance and success in endeavors.

Verse 7

indrah Sitam ni grhnnatu tam Pussanu yaccatu |
Sa nah Payasvati dhuham uttaram uttaram Samam ||

Word Meaning

• indrah – Indra (the Vedic deity)
• sitam – white, pure
• ni – down, to
• grhnnatu – let him accept, take
• tam – that
• Pussanu – Pusan (another Vedic deity)
• yaccatu – let him bestow, grant
• Sa – he
• nah – our, us
• Payasvati – milk-giving, bounteous
• dhuham – cow
• uttaram – next, subsequent
• Samam – evenly, equally

Translation

“May Indra accept the white (milk), and may Pushan receive what has been poured out.
May the nourishing Payasvati provide us with more and more milk.”

Commentary

This verse invokes blessings from Indra (the Vedic deity associated with rain and thunder) and Pushan (the deity of paths and prosperity), asking for their acceptance and favor. Payasvati, associated with milk and nourishment, is asked to provide abundant milk continually.

Verse 8

sunam nah Phala Vi khrssantu Bhumim sunam khinasah abhi yantu Vahaih |
sunam Parjanyo madhuna Payobhih suna Sira sunam asmasu dhattam ||

Word Meaning

• sunam – well-being, prosperity
• nah – for us
• Phala – fruits
• Vi – various, different
• khrssantu – may they grow
• Bhumim – on earth
• khinasah – the exhausted ones, depleted
• abhi – towards
• yantu – may go, approach
• Vahaih – by winds
• Parjanyo – rain, the rain-giver
• madhuna – with sweetness
• Payobhih – with milk, water
• Sira – plough
• asmasu – in us
• dhattam – may place, bestow

Translation

“May the fields be fruitful for us, may the cows yield abundantly.
May the barren (lands) be filled with abundance (of crops), may the rains shower honey-like milk.
May the ploughs bring good fortune to us.”

Commentary

This verse continues to invoke blessings for fertility, abundance, and prosperity in agriculture, asking for fruitful fields, abundant cattle, and beneficial rains that bring nourishment like honeyed milk.

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Krishna Das is an experienced article writer. He writes about Hinduism in his spare time.

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