1.87.1
प्रत्व॑क्षस॒: प्रत॑वसो विर॒प्शिनो ऽना॑नता॒ अवि॑थुरा ऋजी॒षिण॑: |
जुष्ट॑तमासो॒ नृत॑मासो अ॒ञ्जिभि॒र्व्या॑नज्रे॒ के चि॑दु॒स्रा इ॑व॒ स्तृभि॑: ||
LOUD Singers, never humbled, active, full of strength, immovable, impetuous, manliest, best-beloved, They have displayed themselves with glittering ornaments, a few in number only, like the heavens with stars.
Loud singers, never humbled, active and strong, immovable yet impetuous, most manly and beloved—they shine with glittering ornaments, few in number like a star-filled sky.
The Maruts unite seeming opposites: acyuta (unshaken) and ugra (impetuous). Few yet starlike—quality over mass—they embody Vedic vīrya as radiant collective śakti.
High-trust small teams outshine bloated crowds. Be few, brilliant, and unbowed rather than numerous and dull.
1.87.2
उ॒प॒ह्व॒रेषु॒ यदचि॑ध्वं य॒यिं वय॑ इव मरुत॒: केन॑ चित् प॒था |
श्चोत॑न्ति॒ कोशा॒ उप॑ वो॒ रथे॒ष्वा घृ॒तमु॑क्षता॒ मधु॑वर्ण॒मर्च॑ते ||
When, Maruts, on the steeps ye pile the moving cloud, ye are like birds on whatsoever path it be. Clouds everywhere shed forth the rain upon your cars. Drop fatness, honey-hued, for him who sings your praise.
When you pile moving cloud on the slopes, O Maruts, you are like birds on every path; clouds shed rain on your cars—drop honey-hued fatness for the singer of your praise.
Parvata, megha, and madhu-hued ghṛta-rain are cosmic nourishment (iṣ). The singer who praises receives ecological sweetness—ṛta as reciprocity.
Creative work that honors natural cycles invites 'honeyed' returns: sustainable yield rather than extractive drought.
1.87.3
प्रैषा॒मज्मे॑षु विथु॒रेव॑ रेजते॒ भूमि॒र्यामे॑षु॒ यद्ध॑ यु॒ञ्जते॑ शु॒भे |
ते क्री॒ळयो॒ धुन॑यो॒ भ्राज॑दृष्टयः स्व॒यं म॑हि॒त्वं प॑नयन्त॒ धूत॑यः ||
Earth at their racings trembles as if weak and worn, when on their ways they yoke their cars for victory. They, sportive, loudly roaring, armed with glittering spears, shakers of all, themselves admire their mightiness.
Earth trembles at their racing as if worn thin; when they yoke cars for victory they roar with glittering spears, shake all things, and marvel at their own might.
Pṛthivī's trembling before Marut-ratha recalls Rudra's awe-aspect: divine power that humbles ego and land alike. Self-admiration here is tejas recognizing itself in ṛta's dance.
Respect forces larger than you. Ambition that never feels earth's tremble becomes hubris; healthy power includes awe.
1.87.4
स हि स्व॒सृत् पृष॑दश्वो॒ युवा॑ ग॒णो॒ ३ ऽया ई॑शा॒नस्तवि॑षीभि॒रावृ॑तः |
असि॑ स॒त्य ऋ॑ण॒यावाने॑द्यो॒ ऽस्या धि॒यः प्रा॑वि॒ताथा॒ वृषा॑ ग॒णः ||
Self-moving is that youthful band, with spotted steeds; thus it hath lordly sway, endued with power and might. Truthful art thou, and blameless, searcher out of sin: so thou, Strong Host, wilt be protector of this prayer.
That youthful self-moving band with spotted steeds holds lordly sway; truthful and blameless, searcher of sin, Strong Host—be protector of this prayer.
Satya, anavadya, and ripu-searching mark the Maruts as moral weather: not chaos alone but guardians who detect āgha. Prayer seeks their protection as dharma-police of the skies.
Build teams that move freely yet hold integrity: autonomy without accountability becomes harm; truth-seeking protects the mission.
1.87.5
पि॒तुः प्र॒त्नस्य॒ जन्म॑ना वदामसि॒ सोम॑स्य जि॒ह्वा प्र जि॑गाति॒ चक्ष॑सा |
यदी॒मिन्द्रं॒ शम्यृक्वा॑ण॒ आश॒तादिन्नामा॑नि य॒ज्ञिया॑नि दधिरे ||
We speak by our descent from our primeval Sire; our tongue, when we behold the Soma, stirs itself. When, shouting, they had joined Indra in toil of fight, then only they obtained their sacrificial names.
We speak from our lineage of the ancient Father; our tongue stirs when we behold Soma. When shouting they joined Indra in the toil of battle, only then they won their sacrificial names.
Nomenclature after shared Indra-yajña-labor teaches that divine titles are earned in cooperative tapas. Soma awakens vāk; pitṛ-lineage grounds speech in paramparā.
Identity is forged in shared hard work with worthy allies. Titles without struggle are empty; belonging follows contribution.
1.87.6
श्रि॒यसे॒ कं भा॒नुभि॒: सं मि॑मिक्षिरे॒ ते र॒श्मिभि॒स्त ऋक्व॑भिः सुखा॒दय॑: |
ते वाशी॑मन्त इ॒ष्मिणो॒ अभी॑रवो वि॒द्रे प्रि॒यस्य॒ मारु॑तस्य॒ धाम्न॑: ||
Splendours they gained for glory, they who wear bright rings; rays they obtained, and men to celebrate their praise. Armed with their swords, impetuous and fearing naught, they have possessed the Maruts’ own beloved home.
They won splendours for glory, bright-ringed ones; they gained rays and singers of praise; sword-armed, fearless, they took possession of the Maruts' own beloved home.
Winning śriyaḥ, raśmi, and a beloved sadana is the Maruts' siddhi: luminous self-domain after fearless action. Home is not given—it is possessed through satya-vīrya.
Earn the place you inhabit—craft, community, or calling—through courage and excellence, then dwell there gladly.