Ratri Suktam Rig Veda - Word to Word Meaning and Commentary

Ratri Suktam is recited as a portion of Devi Maahaatmyam.It is actually from the Rig Veda.

Origin of Vedas

The entire Universe is a reverberation. Reverberation means sound energy. The sages of the past, through deep penance, activated the non-mechanical parts of their brains. This enabled them to access and download all forms of knowledge from the cosmos directly.

They did this by tapping into the Ākāśa (ether), which is the cosmic archive. They downloaded the truths of the universe in the form of sounds which they envisioned.

These were referred to as śruti-s. The knowledge was in the form of sound codes. They then recited and taught this sound-bound knowledge to their disciples. Over time, many sages downloaded various truths and contributed to an ocean of Veda-s.

The Veda-s were then organised and branched by Veda Vyāsa.

This is also why recitation is a must in order to learn the Veda-s. The sound (mantra) is the pendrive through which data is transferred / transmitted. A disciple who recites the particular Veda portion imbibes himself with the very frequency of a particular knowledge and realises it.

So Rātri Sūktam occurs in the Ṛgveda Saṃhitā in the 10th Maṇḍala, 127th Sūkta.

The sage(s) who downloaded it is the Ṛṣi Kuśika Saubhara / Rātri Bhāradvājī.

Video : My student Kum. Shravanthi reciting Rātri sūktam

Word to word meaning and commentary

Raatrii vyakh yadaayatii purutra devyaa.akShabhiH

vishvaa adhish shriyoo.adhita

Raatrii = nishaa : night

vi-akhyat = well-known.

aa-yatii = approaching

puru-traa = in several places

devii = feminine term for deva - comes from root 'div',literally 'one who shines'

akSha-bhiH = by means of her eyes ( which are the stars )

vishvaHa = everything

adhi = inherent

shriyaHa = wealth

adhita = adorned

Commentary :

Rātri Devī, the well-known One, approaches in several places. She “sees” with Her eyes, which are the infinite stars that decorate the skies. She adorns all inherent wealth as She approaches.

Rātri Devī is the dimension of Kāla. She is infinite as the formless night sky, which is beyond measurement. She is all-pervasive, as She adorns the infinite stars as Her very eyes. She makes Her presence with such inherent wealth and glory (the glory of the night sky, which reflects the entire cosmos).

orvapraa amartyaa nivato devyuu udvataH

jyotiSha baadhate tamaH

a-apraa = pervaded

uru = the wide one ( Earth )

a-martyaa = those not subject to mR^ityu ( death )

ni-vataHa = those living below

devii = devi

ut-vataHa = those who live higher up

jyotiSha = by her inherent light

baadhate = obstructs

tamaHa = tamas ( ignorance )

Commentary :

She pervades the wide dimension of the space-time continuum of the Universe. She pervades and sustains all beings and entities of all loka-s. By Her inherent light, She illuminates everyone and obstructs darkness in the form of ignorance.

Kālī is Ākāśa. Without Ākāśa, the whole structure of the Universe will collapse. Ākāśa is the component which manifests as the very vibration of the Universe (this explains why the Veda-s were received in the form of sound energy).

This reverberation is the skeleton to the body we call “Universe.” Without this reverberation, the entire structure of the Universe will collapse. That is to say, without Rātri Devī, the entire Universe will collapse.

nirus svasaa aaramaskR^itoShasan devyaa.aayatii

apedu haasate tamaH

nihi = near and dear

svasaaram = sister

um = too

akR^ita = made,prepared

uShasam = dawn

devii = devii

aa-yatii = approaching

apa = in a negative manner

it = cognition

um = too

haasate = laughingly

tamaHa = ignorance

Commentary : 

So too, for Her dear and near sister, the approaching dawn (Uṣā), She prepared the way. Uṣā laughs ridiculously at the ignorance of tamas. Rātrī (night) prepares the way for Uṣā (dawn) to approach (who is verily the sister of Rātrī), who laughs at the ignorance we carry, thus making us powerful.

Our sensory perception is impaired in the state of Rātrī (night). We cannot distinguish objects and places. Rātrī is the state of absolute consciousness which is infinite, which often puts us into a state of powerlessness. When we cannot use our logic to comprehend pure darkness which is infinite, we start to fear. Humans generally fear anything which they do not know: that which is uncertain.

Our sensory function re-establishes with dawn, when light bestows the planet. This ignorance of ours is “laughed upon” by Uṣā because our fears and powerlessness are meaningless. The same world we live in appears so different during day and night. This is because we rely on our senses to perceive the cosmos.

This is ignorance. When we look within and realise that we are consciousness, and when we operate from consciousness, all forms of fear vanish. We are able to embrace Rātri Devī and Uṣā Devī equally.

saa no adyayasyaavayan ni te yaaman na vikshhmahi

vR^ikshhena vaasatim vayaH

saa = she

naHa = us

adya = today

yasyaaHa = She whose

vayam = us

ni = near

te = for you

yaaman = upon coming

avikshhmahi = reside securely

vR^ikshhe = in the trees

na = ni : securely

vasatim = reside

vayaHa = those of vaayuHu ( birds ) 

Commentary :

Rātri Devī has approached us today. We feel secure and reside comfortably upon Her arrival, just like the birds who nest and reside in the trees.

Night, in the form of darkness (Kālī), is a motherly figure. We were nurtured in the void of darkness within the amniotic sac in our mother’s womb.

As we grow and begin to interpret existence with logic, we fear the very darkness which nurtured us. We fear darkness because it is infinite — formless, shapeless, without boundary. Anything uncertain is feared by us.

However, when we settle in the state of absolute consciousness — like a foetus being in complete oneness with its mother — we embrace darkness as our mother and become one with it. We become One with the supreme consciousness.

ni graamaaso avikshhata nipad vanto ni pakshhiNaha

ni shyenaa sash chidarthinaHa

ni = near

graamaasaHa = the graamyaa-s , villagers

avikshhata = resided securely

ni = near

pat-vantaHa = those with feet

ni = near

pakshhiNaHa = birds

ni = near

shyenaasaHa = hawks and falcons

chit = minded

arthinaHa = take shelter

Commentary :

The nearby villagers head home as Rātri approaches. So too, those creatures that walk, so too, those that fly. Why? Even the avaricious-minded hawk too! Darkness reminds us of the origin of every being. Every being, be it the walking, flying, or minded ones, are nurtured in the womb of darkness. This reminds us that our origin is of the absolute consciousness (Parabrahman — Rātri Devī). Brahman expanded into infinite components, and we are part of it. We are a wave in the ocean, not realising that we are the very ocean itself. So, whether it is an animal, bird, or human, all entities are bound to attain self-realisation and go back to their original state of godhood through conscious evolution. From Rātri we come, back to Rātri we go.

yavayaa vrkyaa amvrkan yavayas stenamuurmye

athaa naH sutaraa bhava

yavaya = ward off

vR^ikyam = she wolf

vR^ikam = he wolf

yavaya = ward off

stenam = burglars

uurmye = O uurmi ( wave )

atha = hence

naHa = us

su-taraa = sushhThu taraa = most excellent rescuer

bhava = become

Commentary :

Ward off the she-wolf and the he-wolf. Ward off the thieves-burglars. O wave of darkness! Hence, O Niśā Devī, become our rescuer. Meditating and connecting with Rātri Devī will raise our consciousness. As Ātman, we assume many bodies throughout the evolution of consciousness. The residue of the bodily memories of these low-conscious beings still resides in us. We still have qualities of cunningness, greed, envy, and lust of the animals. When we realise that we are God-consciousness, we are freed from all this luggage of the past bodies we assumed. Rātri Devī acts as our rescuer from these low-consciousness qualities.

upa ma pepishattamaH kR^ishhNaM vyaktamasthita

ushha R^iNeva yaataya

upa = approach near

ma = maam ; me

pepishat = intending to devour

tamaHa = ignorance

kR^ishhNaM = thickly black

vi-aktam = nisha ; night

sthita = situated

ushaHa = dawn

r^iNaa = debt

iva = just like

yaataya = drive away

Commentary 

O Rātri Devī, grace me and drive away the thick black sheath of ignorance which is deluding me away from my true nature as consciousness — God. Just as how we clear our debts, clear away the luggages in me as I invoke You.

This reminds us of the great enlightened master, Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa, who “attained” simply by being devoted to Mahākālī.

upa te gaa ivaakaram vR^iNiishhva duhitardivaH

raatriH stomam na jigyushhe 

upa = approach near

te = to you

gaaHa = cows / vedas

iva = alike

aa = aa + vrNiishhva = do select

akaram = prepared

duhitaHa = daughter

divaHa = heavens

raatri = O night !

stomam = songs of praise

na = as , just like

jigyushhe = victor

Commentary :

We follow the Veda-s (Vedic path) to reach You. O Rātri Devī, do select the daughter of heavens (divā, daylight). We sing songs of praise just like how we do to a victor.

We use the Veda-s as a means to reach You, O Rātri. Do impart us Your grace. Upon enlightenment from You, we sing songs of praise to You!

Image : Tantrik Yoginī Rātriṇī, 11th century

Recitation of the sūkta and meditating upon it is the means to realise the meaning and depth of the Veda-s.

Credits to mentor Śrī Maunish Vyas for imparting the word-to-word meaning of this sūkta.