Ratri Suktam
॥ श्री रात्रिसूक्तम् ॥
What is the Ratri Suktam?
Ratri Suktam is an eight-verse hymn from the Rigveda (10.127) that praises Night as a protective mother goddess and is chanted for peaceful sleep and safety after dark.
Tucked into the tenth book of the Rigveda, the Ratri Suktam turns the coming of night into a quiet act of devotion, addressing darkness itself as a caring mother who watches over her children with a thousand starry eyes.
Ratri Suktam Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
Roman transliteration is shown first with the Devanagari beneath. Tap 'Meaning' under any verse for a plain-English explanation.
rātrī vyakhyadāyatī purutrā devyakṣabhiḥ |
viśvā adhi śriyo’dhita
रात्री व्यख्यदायती पुरुत्रा देव्यक्षभिः ।
विश्वा अधि श्रियोऽधित
Meaning
The divine Night, arriving, has looked out in many directions with her many eyes, the stars, and put on all her glories.
orvaprā amartyā nivato devyudvataḥ |
jyotiṣā bādhate tamaḥ
ओर्वप्रा अमर्त्या निवतो देव्युद्वतः ।
ज्योतिषा बाधते तमः
Meaning
Immortal, the goddess fills the wide space, the low ground and the high ground alike, and pushes back the darkness with her own light.
niru svasāramaskṛtoṣasaṃ devyāyatī |
apedu hāsate tamaḥ
निरु स्वसारमस्कृतोषसं देव्यायती ।
अपेदु हासते तमः
Meaning
The divine Night, advancing, has set her sister Ushas, the Dawn, in place, and the darkness slips away.
sā no adya yasyā vayaṃ ni te yāmannavikṣmahi |
vṛkṣe na vasatiṃ vayaḥ
सा नो अद्य यस्या वयं नि ते यामन्नविक्ष्महि ।
वृक्षे न वसतिं वयः
Meaning
Be gracious to us today, O Night, at whose coming we settle into rest just as birds settle into their nests in a tree.
ni grāmāso avikṣata nipadvanto nipakṣiṇaḥ |
ni śyenāsaścidarthinaḥ
नि ग्रामासो अविक्षत निपद्वन्तो निपक्षिणः ।
नि श्येनासश्चिदर्थिनः
Meaning
The villagers have gone to rest, those who walk and those who fly, and even the hungry hawks have settled down for the night.
yāvayā vṛkyaṃ vṛkaṃ yavaya stenamūrmye |
athā naḥ sutarā bhava
यावया वृक्यं वृकं यवय स्तेनमूर्म्ये ।
अथा नः सुतरा भव
Meaning
Keep the she-wolf and the wolf away from us, O Night, keep the thief away, and be easy for us to pass through safely.
upa mā pepiśattamaḥ kṛṣṇaṃ vyaktamasthita |
uṣa ṛṇeva yātaya
उप मा पेपिशत्तमः कृष्णं व्यक्तमस्थित ।
उष ऋणेव यातय
Meaning
A thick, visible blackness has closed in around me. O Dawn, clear it away as a debt is cleared.
upa te gā ivākaraṃ vṛṇīṣva duhitardivaḥ |
rātri stomaṃ na jigyuṣe
उप ते गा इवाकरं वृणीष्व दुहितर्दिवः ।
रात्रि स्तोमं न जिग्युषे
Meaning
O Daughter of the Sky, I bring this hymn to you the way a herdsman brings his cows home. Accept it, O Night, as a song of victory.
Closing Invocation
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
Meaning
Om. Peace, peace, peace.
What Does the Ratri Suktam Mean?
The hymn’s central image is Night looking out over the world with her ‘eyes’, the stars scattered across the sky. Rather than treating darkness as something to fear, the rishi speaks to it directly as Devi Ratri, a goddess who wraps herself in glory and gently pushes the day’s noise aside so rest can begin. She is paired with her sister Ushas, the Dawn; Vedic thought treats the two as twins born of the same sky, taking turns to hold the world.
Verse six asks Ratri to keep the she-wolf, the wolf and the thief away, a line that works on two levels at once. On the ground it is a simple plea for safety through the night in a world with real predators. Read inwardly, the wolf stands for craving that will not settle and the thief for the small anxieties that steal a person’s peace just as sleep is trying to arrive.
This Rigvedic hymn is a separate composition from the later Tantrokta Ratri Suktam found in the Devi Mahatmya, where Brahma appeals to the goddess Yoganidra to wake Vishnu before his battle with the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. The verses translated here are centuries older and have nothing to do with that story; their only concern is a settled mind and an untroubled night.
How Do You Chant the Ratri Suktam?
- Wash up first – clean your hands, feet and face, or bathe, and change into loose, comfortable clothes for sleep.
- Sit facing north or east – find a comfortable spot on your bed or a clean mat before you begin.
- Set your intention – take a few slow breaths, close your eyes, and hand over the day's worries to the Divine Mother.
- Chant without rushing – recite the eight verses slowly, letting the rhythm settle your breathing. A recording is fine to follow along with if the Sanskrit pronunciation feels unfamiliar.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting the Ratri Suktam?
Reciting it before bed is said to ease the mind into rest and keep the small fears of the night at a distance.
- Eases insomnia: Draws on the calm, settling quality of night and is a favourite among those who struggle to fall or stay asleep.
- Keeps nightmares away: Traditionally recited to hold off bad dreams and the low-grade unease that can build up after dark.
- Lets the mind unwind: Gives the day's clutter somewhere to go, so attention shifts from the day's chaos toward real rest.
- Brings a sense of protection: Verse six's plea against the wolf and the thief is understood as protection from both outward danger and inner restlessness.
Where Does the Ratri Suktam Come From?
The Ratri Suktam belongs to the tenth mandala of the Rigveda, hymn 127, one of a handful of Vedic verses that give a natural force its own voice and personality. Tradition credits it to Rishi Kushika, sometimes recorded as Kushika Saubhari, one of the seers whose family name is attached to several hymns in this part of the Rigveda.
It sits alongside other suktas addressed to Ushas, the Dawn, and Prithvi, the Earth, part of a broader Vedic habit of treating the forces that shape everyday life, light, land, water, night, as living, approachable beings rather than distant ideas. Because it asks for nothing more than rest and safety, it has stayed in use as a household prayer long after many neighbouring hymns fell out of everyday recitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the Rigvedic and Tantrokta Ratri Suktam?
The hymn on this page comes from the Rigveda (10.127) and portrays Night as a peaceful, protective mother. A separate text, the Tantrokta Ratri Suktam, comes from the Devi Mahatmya and is a prayer Brahma addresses to the goddess Yoganidra, asking her to wake Vishnu. The two share a name but are otherwise unrelated compositions from different periods.
Can the Ratri Suktam be chanted during the day?
There is no rule against it, though the hymn is written for night and works best chanted before sleep. For easing insomnia specifically, chanting it at night gives the better result.
What do the wolf and the thief in verse six represent?
On a literal level they are the predators and dangers a village faced once darkness fell. Read symbolically, the wolf stands for cravings that will not settle and the thief for the worries that quietly take away a person's peace of mind.
Do I need any initiation or special training to chant it?
No. The Ratri Suktam is open to anyone seeking peace of mind and restful sleep. Reciting it with sincerity and clean habits is enough.
Why is Ratri called the Daughter of the Sky?
Vedic thought treats Night and Dawn, Usha, as sisters born from the same sky, Dyaus. Calling Ratri the daughter of the sky places her within that family of light and time, moving in rhythm with her sister at the edge of each day.
How many verses does the Ratri Suktam have?
Eight verses, followed by a short closing peace chant, Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
॥ ॐ रात्रि देव्यै नमः ॥