Usha Suktam
उषा सूक्तम्
What is the Usha Suktam?
Usha Suktam is a nineteen-verse Rigvedic hymn (Mandala 1, Sukta 113) composed by the sage Kutsa Angirasa in praise of Ushas, the goddess of dawn. Chanted at sunrise facing east, it celebrates dawn as the force that wakes every living being, clears the sky for the sun, and quietly measures out the passage of mortal life. Devotees recite it for clarity, vitality, and a renewed sense of purpose at the start of the day.
Among the oldest hymns of the Rigveda, the Usha Suktam turns pure gratitude toward first light. Its nineteen verses, drawn from Mandala 1, Sukta 113, address Ushas as a young woman driving a chariot of reddish horses across the sky, waking sleepers, opening doors, and setting every creature toward its day’s work. The hymn also pauses to ask how many dawns have come before and how many are still to arrive, turning a sunrise prayer into a quiet meditation on time itself. Reciting it at Brahma Muhurta connects that ancient wonder to an ordinary morning.
Usha Suktam Lyrics
Roman transliteration on top, Devanagari below. Tap Meaning under any verse, or use A / A+ / A++ to resize.
idam shreshtham jyotisham jyotir agac citrah praketo ajanishta vibhva
yatha prasuta savituh savayam eva ratry ushase yonim araik
इदं श्रेष्ठं ज्योतिषां ज्योतिरागाच्चित्रः प्रकेतो अजनिष्ट विभ्वा ।
यथा प्रसूता सवितुः सवायँ एवा रात्र्युषसे योनिमारैक् ॥ १ ॥
Meaning
This verse announces dawn’s arrival as the finest of all lights, wondrous in shape and reach. It frames night simply as the light that came before Dawn and now steps aside, handing over her place without conflict.
rushadvatsa rushati shvetyagad araig krishna sadananyasyah
samanabandhu amrite anuci dyava varnam carata aminane
रुशद्वत्सा रुशती श्वेत्यागादारैग् कृष्णा सदनान्यस्याः ।
समानबन्धू अमृते अनूची द्यावा वर्णं चरत आमिनाने ॥ २ ॥
Meaning
Dawn is pictured leading in a bright young calf, the earliest gleam of sunrise, while Night quietly withdraws from her dwelling. The two are called sisters, unlike in color yet bound by the same unending rhythm of change.
samano adhva svasror anantas tam anyanya carato devashishte
na methete na tasthatuh sumeke naktoshasa samanasa virupe
समानो अध्वा स्वस्रोरनन्तस्तमन्यान्या चरतो देवशिष्टे ।
न मेथेते न तस्थतुः सुमेके नक्तोषासा समनसा विरूपे ॥ ३ ॥
Meaning
Night and Dawn share one endless road laid down since the world began, moving by divine arrangement rather than choice. Despite their opposite hues, the verse insists they never collide or come to a stop.
bhasvati netri sunritanam aceti citra vi duro na avah
pararpya jagadadvayu no rayo akhyud usha ajigar bhuvanani vishva
भास्वती नेत्री सूनृतानामचेति चित्रा वि दुरो न आवः ।
परार्प्या जगदद्द्वयु नो रायो अख्युदुषा अजीगर्भुवनानि विश्वा ॥ ४ ॥
Meaning
Ushas is named the guide behind every kind and honest word, opening the doors that let light and opportunity through. In doing so she sets the whole of creation back into motion after the stillness of night.
jihmashye caritave maghony abhogaya ishtaye raya u tvam
dabhram pashyadbhya urviya vicaksha usha ajigar bhuvanani vishva
जिह्मश्ये चरितवे मघोन्याभोगय इष्टये राय उ त्वम् ।
दभ्रं पश्यद्भ्य उर्विया विचक्ष उषा अजीगर्भुवनानि विश्वा ॥ ५ ॥
Meaning
Here dawn rouses the sleeper toward whatever the day calls for – pleasure, worship, or gain – and widens the sight of those who had been seeing only dimly. The closing line repeats that she wakes every creature in every world.
kshatraya tvam shravase tvam mahiya ishtaye tvam artham iva tvam ityai
visadrisha jivitabhipracaksha usha ajigar bhuvanani vishva
क्षत्राय त्वं श्रवसे त्वं महीया इष्टये त्वमर्थमिव त्वमित्यै ।
विसदृशा जीविताभिप्रचक्ष उषा अजीगर्भुवनानि विश्वा ॥ ६ ॥
Meaning
Different people are drawn toward different pursuits at dawn – authority, reputation, greatness, sacrifice, wealth, or simply their own calling – and Ushas is credited with setting each of these paths in motion. The refrain again affirms that her waking touch reaches every being.
esha divo duhita praty adarshi vyucchanti yuvatih shukravasah
vishvasyeshana parthivasya vasva usho adyeha subhage vy uccha
एषा दिवो दुहिता प्रत्यदर्शि व्युच्छन्ती युवतिः शुक्रवासाः ।
विश्वस्येशाना पार्थिवस्य वस्व उषो अद्येह सुभगे व्युच्छ ॥ ७ ॥
Meaning
Dawn is called the daughter of heaven, dressed in brilliant white, mistress over the earth’s wealth. The verse ends as a direct plea for her to shine here, today, for the one speaking.
paravatinam anv eti patha ayatinam prathama shashvatinam
vyucchanti jivam udirayanty usha mritam kam cana bodhayanti
परावातीनामन्वेति पाथ आयतीनां प्रथमा शश्वतीनाम् ।
व्युच्छन्ती जीवमुदीरयन्त्युषा मृतं कं चन बोधयन्ती ॥ ८ ॥
Meaning
This verse places the current dawn in a long line – after every sunrise that has already come, and ahead of every one still to arrive. Even so, it says she stirs the living as though rousing them from something close to death.
usho yad agnim samidhe cakartha vi yad avash cakshasa suryasya
yan manushan yakshyamanam ajigas tad deveshu cakrishe bhadram apnah
उषो यदग्निं समिधे चकर्थ वि यदावश्चक्षसा सूर्यस्य ।
यन्मानुषान्यक्ष्यमाणाँ अजीगस्तद्देवेषु चकृषे भद्रमप्नः ॥ ९ ॥
Meaning
The hymn credits Ushas with rekindling the sacrificial fire, opening the world to sunlight, and setting people in motion for their rites. All of this, the verse says, is service rendered to the gods themselves.
kiyaty a yat samaya bhavati ya vyushur yash ca nunam vyucchan
anu purvah kripate vavashana pradidhyana josham anyabhir eti
कि यातिया यत्समया भवाति या व्यूषुर्याश्च नूनं व्युच्छान् ।
अनु पूर्वाः कृपते वावशाना प्रदीध्याना जोषमन्याभिरेति ॥ १० ॥
Meaning
The tone shifts into direct question: how long has this succession of dawns been going on, and how many are still to come? Ushas is shown moving eagerly along the same path as those before her, in step with the ones yet to follow.
iyush te ye purvataram apashyan vyucchantim ushasam martyasah
asmabhir u nu praticakshyabhud o te yanti ye aparishu pashyan
ईयुष्टे ये पूर्वतरामपश्यन्व्युच्छन्तीमुषसं मर्त्यासः ।
अस्माभिरू नु प्रतिचक्ष्याभूदो ते यन्ति या अपरीषु पश्यान् ॥ ११ ॥
Meaning
The people who watched the very first dawns are gone, the verse notes plainly, while this same dawn now rises for those alive today. It closes by pointing ahead to generations not yet born who will one day watch her in turn.
yavayad dvesha ritapa ritejah sumravari sunrita irayanti
sumangalir bibhrati devavitim ihadyoshah shreshthatama vy ucha
यावयद्द्वेषा ऋतपा ऋतेजाः सुम्रावरी सूनृता ईरयन्ती ।
सुमंगलीर्बिभ्रती देववीतिमिहाद्योषः श्रेष्ठतमा व्युच्छ ॥ १२ ॥
Meaning
Ushas is praised here as guardian of cosmic order, born of truth, a bringer of joy and auspicious speech. The verse asks her, as the finest of all dawns, to shine on this particular day.
shashvat purosha vy uvasa devy atho adyedam vy avo maghoni
atho vy ucchad uttaram anu dyun ajaramrita carati svadhabhih
शश्वत्पुरोषा व्युवास देव्यथो अद्येदं व्यावो मघोनी ।
अथो व्युच्छादुत्तराँ अनु द्यूनजरामृता चरति स्वधाभिः ॥ १३ ॥
Meaning
The hymn states that Ushas has never once failed to dawn – not in the past, not today, and not in any day to come. She is called ageless and undying, moving through time by her own inherent nature rather than any external force.
vyanjibhir diva atasv adyaud apa krishnam nirnijam devy avah
prabodhayanty arunebhir ashvair osha yati suyuja rathena
व्यञ्जिभिर्दिव आतास्वद्यौदप कृष्णां निर्णिजं देव्यावः ।
प्रबोधयन्त्यरुणेभिरश्वैरोषायाति सुयुजा रथेन ॥ १४ ॥
Meaning
This verse pictures the sky’s far edges lit up as Ushas strips away night’s dark covering. She arrives awakening the world with reddish horses, riding a chariot perfectly fitted together.
avahanti poshya varyani citram ketum krinute cekitana
iyushinam upama shashvatinam vibhatinam prathamosha vy ashvait
आवहन्ती पोष्या वार्याणि चित्रं केतुं कृणुते चेकिताना ।
ईयुषीणामुपमा शश्वतीनां विभातीनां प्रथमोषा व्यश्वैत् ॥ १५ ॥
Meaning
Bringing blessings that sustain life, fully alert, Ushas raises a bright banner across the sky. The verse calls her both the image of every dawn before her and the first among all dawns yet to shine.
ud irdhvam jivo asur na agad apa pragat tama a jyotir eti
araik pantham yatave suryayaganma yatra pratiranta ayuh
उदीर्ध्वं जीवो असुर्न आगादप प्रागात्तम आ ज्योतिरेति ।
आरैक्पन्थां यातवे सूर्यायागन्म यत्र प्रतिरन्त आयुः ॥ १६ ॥
Meaning
Life and breath are described as returning with this dawn, darkness withdrawing as light moves in. Ushas is credited with clearing an open road for the sun, on a morning the verse frames as one where life itself is renewed.
syumana vaca ud iyarti vahnih stavano rebha ushaso vibhatih
adya tad uccha grinate maghony asme ayur ni didihi prajavat
स्यूमना वाच उदियर्ति वह्निः स्तवानो रेभ उषसो विभातीः ।
अद्या तदुच्छ गृणते मघोन्यस्मे आयूर्नि दिदीहि प्रजावत् ॥ १७ ॥
Meaning
A devotee is shown lifting his voice in praise as dawn breaks, and the verse asks Ushas to shine specifically for someone who sings her glory, granting him a long life with worthy descendants.
ya gomatir ushasah sarvavira vyucchanti dashushe martyaya
vayor iva sunritanam udarke ta ashvada ashnavat somasutva
या गोमतीरुषसः सर्ववीरा व्युच्छन्ति दाशुषे मर्त्याय ।
वायोरिव सूनृतानामुदर्के ता अश्वदा अश्नवत्सोमसुत्वा ॥ १८ ॥
Meaning
This verse asks that anyone who has prepared the offering and offered sincere praise receive, from these generous dawns, cattle, strong offspring, and horses – the kind of prosperity that rises with the day like a fresh wind.
mata devanam aditer anikam yajnasya ketur brihati vi bhahi
prashastikrid brahmane no vy uccha no jane janaya vishvavare
माता देवानामदितेरनीकं यज्ञस्य केतुर्बृहती वि भाहि ।
प्रशस्तिकृद्ब्रह्मणे नो व्युच्छा नो जने जनय विश्ववारे ॥ १९ ॥
Meaning
Ushas is called mother of the gods and the very face of Aditi, the boundless principle behind them. The final plea asks her to fulfil the sacred prayer, dawn upon the speaker, and make his people distinguished among all others.
Meaning and Significance
Usha Suktam praises Goddess Ushas as the force that separates night from day, rekindles hearths, and stirs every sleeping creature into motion. Its nineteen verses move from the physical arrival of dawn to a longer meditation on the countless dawns that have already passed and the ones still waiting to rise.
The opening verses (1-4) picture Night and Dawn as two sisters who share one endless road without ever colliding, each taking her turn to color the sky. Ushas is called the daughter of heaven, radiant and ageless, who unlocks the doors of light so that ordinary life can resume – the farmer rises for his field, the priest for his fire, the merchant for his trade.
The Meditation on Time
Verses 10 and 11 are the philosophical center of the hymn. The seer asks how long dawn has been rising and how many mornings remain, then notices that the mortals who once watched the earliest sunrises are gone while new generations now stand where they stood. It is less a lament than a plain observation: dawn continues, people do not, and that contrast is meant to sharpen how a listener spends the day that is about to begin.
Dawn and the Sun
The closing verses (14-19) describe Ushas arriving on her chariot and clearing a path for Surya Dev to cross the sky, then shift into direct prayer – for long life, for capable children, for the return of breath and vigor with the new day. The hymn ends by naming her mother of the gods and asking her to make the reciter’s household prosperous and respected.
How to Chant the Usha Suktam
- Wake before the sky lightens – Rise during Brahma Muhurta so you are seated and settled before the first grey light appears – arriving mid-sunrise breaks the hymn’s whole point.
- Face east and settle the body – Sit facing the direction of sunrise, spine upright, hands resting on the knees, breath slow enough that you can speak the Sanskrit without gasping.
- Bathe or wash, then light a lamp – A short wash of hands, face and feet is enough if a full bath is not possible; a single oil lamp placed nearby marks the space as ready for the recitation.
- Offer water to the rising sun – Once the horizon starts to glow, offer a small measure of water (Arghya) toward the east before or after the verses, connecting the hymn to the sun it describes.
- Recite verse by verse, unhurried – Go through all nineteen mantras at a steady pace rather than rushing to finish – the hymn’s pauses on time and mortality land better when the pace itself is unhurried.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
Traditional practice ties the Usha Suktam to the qualities dawn itself represents – clarity, renewal and forward motion. None of this replaces medical or professional advice; it describes a devotional practice, not a guaranteed outcome.
- Mental clarity at the start of the day: Reciting the hymn as the sky lightens gives the mind a fixed, quiet task before the day’s demands arrive, which many practitioners find settles scattered thoughts.
- A felt sense of renewed energy: Combining the recitation with slow, deliberate breathing at sunrise is described in the tradition as refreshing the body’s vitality (Prana) for the hours ahead.
- Lifting of low mood and mental fog: Because the hymn’s central image is light replacing darkness, verses 5 and 6 in particular are used as a focus point for working through sluggishness or a heavy mood.
- An orientation toward honest effort: Several verses show Ushas waking people toward specific goals – work, worship, wealth, calling – which practitioners read as encouragement to meet the day with clear intention rather than drifting into it.
- Perspective on time and mortality: Verses 10, 11 and 13 sit with the fact that dawns keep arriving long after any one person is gone, which regular reciters describe as loosening anxious attachment to outcomes.
- A steady, portable morning discipline: At under ten minutes for all nineteen verses, the hymn is short enough to sustain daily, which matters more for its effect than any single dramatic recitation.
Where Does the Usha Suktam Come From?
The Usha Suktam is Sukta 113 of the first Mandala of the Rigveda, one of the four Vedas and the oldest layer of Sanskrit scripture. Tradition credits its composition to the sage Kutsa Angirasa, and it is set in the Trishtubh metre used throughout much of the Rigveda’s more reflective hymns.
Unlike the Puranic stotras composed centuries later for temple worship, this is a Shrauta-era hymn – part of the direct hymn collection (Samhita) chanted at the daily and seasonal Vedic sacrifices rather than written for a specific festival or deity’s iconographic form. Several other Rigvedic hymns to Ushas exist (1.48, 1.92, 4.51, 5.79, 7.77 and 7.78 among them), but 1.113 is the most complete and the one most commonly recited as a standalone morning text today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Usha Suktam?
Usha Suktam is a nineteen-verse Rigvedic hymn (Mandala 1, Sukta 113) composed by the sage Kutsa Angirasa in praise of Ushas, the goddess of dawn. Chanted at sunrise facing east, it celebrates dawn as the force that wakes every living being, clears the sky for the sun, and quietly measures out the passage of mortal life. Devotees recite it for clarity, vitality, and a renewed sense of purpose at the start of the day.
Why is the Usha Suktam recited at dawn rather than any other time?
The hymn is a direct address to the dawn as it happens, so reciting it while the sky is actually changing color lines up the words with the experience they describe. The Vedic approach favors invoking a deity’s energy while it is active, and dawn’s window is short, which is part of why the practice is tied so tightly to that specific hour.
How many verses does the Usha Suktam have, and what do they cover?
It has nineteen verses. Verses 1 to 4 describe Night and Dawn as sisters sharing one road; verses 5 to 9 show Ushas waking every being toward its purpose; verses 10, 11 and 13 reflect on the dawns that have already passed and those still to come; verses 14 to 16 describe her chariot arriving; and verses 17 to 19 turn into direct prayer for long life and capable children.
Who is Goddess Ushas?
Ushas is addressed in the hymn as the daughter of heaven (Divo Duhita), an ever-young woman in bright clothing who drives a chariot of reddish-golden horses. She is described as sister to Night, closely linked to the Sun, and connected to Rta, the Vedic principle of cosmic order.
Is Ushas related to the Greek dawn goddess Eos?
Yes. Usha, the Greek Eos and the Latin Aurora all trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European root meaning to shine or glow, which is one reason scholars treat the worship of a dawn goddess as an unusually old and widely shared idea across Indo-European traditions.
What is the significance of verses 10 and 11?
These verses step back from description into reflection, asking how long dawns have been rising and noting that the mortals who watched the earliest sunrises are gone while new generations now watch in their place. They are often singled out as the hymn’s most philosophically striking lines, sitting with mortality without turning mournful about it.
Can the Usha Suktam be used for meditation rather than ritual chanting?
Yes. Verses 10, 11 and 13 in particular work well as a standalone meditation on time and continuity, even apart from a full recitation. Sitting with just those lines at sunrise is a common shorter practice for people who want the reflective core of the hymn without the complete nineteen verses.
Do I need any special preparation to recite it?
Nothing elaborate. Washing the hands and face (or bathing, if convenient), facing east, and lighting a small lamp are the traditional minimums. What matters more than ritual completeness is showing up before the sky actually lightens, since the hymn is written to match that moment.
How is the Usha Suktam different from an Ashtakam or a devotional stotra?
An Ashtakam or stotra is usually a later composition, written for a specific deity’s temple worship and often attributed to a known poet-saint. The Usha Suktam belongs to the Rigveda Samhita itself, part of the corpus chanted at Vedic sacrifices centuries before temple-based stotra literature developed, which gives its language and structure a noticeably older, more austere character.
॥ इति ऋग्वेदस्य प्रथममण्डले उषस्सूक्तं (सूक्तं ११३) सम्पूर्णम् ॥