Thaiththiri:ya A:ranyaka IV.41

Bhu: Su:ktham

भूसूक्तम्

Vedic Rishi tradition·Vedic (Thaiththiri:ya A:ranyaka)·7 verses·Daily morning sandhya: as a companion to Sri: Su:ktham and Ni:lia: Su:ktham; Bhu:mi Pu:ja: preceding any construction or land observance; agricultural samska:ras; Pa:nchara:thra a:ra:dhana of Bhu:de:vi:

The Vedic invocation of Lakshmi: in Her form as Bhu:de:vi: — the Earth Goddess who is the second of the three consorts of Sri:man Na:ra:yana in Sri:vaishnava theology. The Samprada:ya teaches that Lakshmi: manifests in three eternal forms — Sri:de:vi:, Bhu:de:vi:, and Ni:la:de:vi: — and the Bhu: Su:ktham is the foundational sruthi for the recognition of Bhu:de:vi: as Lakshmi: Herself in Her form as the supportive Earth, the kshama: or forbearance of the Lord.

The Bhu: Su:ktham is the Vedic invocation of the Divine Mother in Her form as Bhu:de:vi: — seven riks preserved in Thaiththiri:ya A:ranyaka IV.41 that address the Earth Goddess as the eternal support of all beings, the field upon which the li:la: of the Lord unfolds, and the embodiment of the kalya:na-guna of kshama: (forbearance) by which the Mother endures every transgression of Her children. For the Sri:vaishnava Samprada:ya these seven verses are doctrinally weight-bearing: Bhu:de:vi: is not a separate goddess but Lakshmi: Herself in one of Her three eternal manifestations.

The Samprada:ya teaches — on the authority of the Pa:nchara:thra A:gamas and the Sri: Vacana Bhu:shana of Pililiai Lo:ka:cha:rya — that Maha:lakshmi: appears in three inseparable forms as the consorts of Sri:man Na:ra:yana: Sri:de:vi: (the splendor and grace of the Lord), Bhu:de:vi: (His forbearance, the Earth that bears every burden), and Ni:la:de:vi: (His attractive beauty, the cowherd's daughter). The Bhu: Su:ktham is the sruthi prama:na for the Bhu:de:vi: aspect, recited in every Pa:nchara:thra a:ra:dhana that contemplates the three Dhevi:s and at every Bhu:mi Pu:ja: before construction, planting, or land-samska:ra. The complete text and authoritative translations are available through the external sources below.

Sanskrit·Always shownIAST·Always shownతెలుగు · Telugu·Always shown

Verse 1

भूमिर्भूम्ना द्यौर्वरीणान्तरिक्षं महित्वा। उपस्थे ते देव्यदिते अग्निमन्नादमन्नाद्यायादधे॥

తెలుగు · Telugu

భూమి తన విస్తారముచేత, ద్యౌః తన శ్రేష్ఠతచేత, అంతరిక్షము తన మహిమచేత (వ్యాపించియున్నవి). ఓ దేవీ అదితీ, నీ ఒడిలో అన్నభక్షణ నిమిత్తము అన్నాదుడైన అగ్నిని నేను స్థాపించుచున్నాను.

English

The Earth is vast in expanse, the Heaven supreme in greatness, the firmament magnificent in glory. Upon Thy lap, O Goddess Aditi, I place Agni the food-eater for the sake of eating food.

Meaning

The opening verse establishes the cosmic scale of Bhu:de:vi: — Earth herself, identified with Aditi the boundless. The Samprada:ya teaches that the Aditi of the Veda is none other than Lakshmi: in Her form as Bhu:de:vi:, the inexhaustible Mother upon whose lap the very fire of the household sacrifice is placed. The verse pictures the worshipper kindling Agni on Her body, the literal ground of every yajna that has ever been offered.

Verse 2

अयन्ते योनिर्ऋत्वियो यतो जातो अरोचथाः। तं जानन्नग्न आरोहाथा नो वर्धया रयिम्॥

తెలుగు · Telugu

ఇది నీ ఋతువిషయక యోని, ఇచట నుండి జనించి నీవు ప్రకాశించితివి. ఓ అగ్నీ, దీనిని తెలిసి ఆరోహణము చేయుము, మాకు ధనమును వృద్ధి చేయుము.

English

This is Thy seasonal womb, whence being born Thou hast shone forth. Knowing this, O Agni, ascend; and increase wealth for us.

Meaning

The verse identifies Bhu:de:vi: as the yoni — the womb-ground — from which even Agni is born. Every fire arises from the friction of wood on wood, and every wood from the earth; thus Bhu:de:vi: is ontologically prior to the sacrificial fire itself. The Samprada:ya reads this as the Vedic statement of Bhu:de:vi:'s primacy in the order of creation, mirroring Her primacy in the inner economy of grace as kshama: — the Lord's forbearance that supports every offering before it is offered.

Verse 3

उद्बुध्यस्वाग्ने प्रति जागृहि त्वमिष्टापूर्ते सं सृजेथामयं च। पुनः कृण्वंस्त्वा पितरं युवानं अन्वातांसीत्त्वयि तन्तुमेतम्॥

తెలుగు · Telugu

ఓ అగ్నీ, మేల్కొనుము, మెలకువగా ఉండుము. ఈ యజమానుడు ఇష్టాపూర్తములతో సంయోగము పొందుగాక. నిన్ను యువ పితృని చేయుచు అతడు నీలో ఈ తంతువును పెంచెను.

English

Awake, O Agni, and be vigilant. May this worshipper join with ishta and pu:rtha. Making thee a youthful father, he hath stretched this thread of continuance within thee.

Meaning

Ishta (ritual offering) and pu:rtha (public works of dharma — wells, temples, gardens) are the two streams of meritorious action recognized by the Veda. The verse petitions Agni — the witness on Bhu:de:vi:'s lap — to receive both for the worshipper. The image of stretching a thread (tantu) in Agni is a metaphor for the continuity of the family line through ritual: each generation kindles the same fire, and Bhu:de:vi: is the constant ground on which the thread is stretched.

Verse 4

विश्वकर्मन् हविषा वर्धनेन त्रातारमिन्द्रमकृणोरवध्यम्। तस्मै विशः समनमन्त पूर्वीरयमुग्रो विहव्यो यथासत्॥

తెలుగు · Telugu

ఓ విశ్వకర్మన్! వర్ధనకరమైన హవిస్సుచేత నీవు ఇంద్రుని అవధ్యుడైన త్రాతగా చేసితివి. ప్రాచీన ప్రజలు అతనికి నమస్కరించిరి, ఈ ఉగ్రుడు విస్తృతముగా ఆహ్వానింపబడుట కొరకు.

English

O Visvakarman, by the growth-bringing oblation Thou hast made Indra the unslayable protector. The ancient clans bowed down to him, that this mighty one might be widely invoked.

Meaning

The verse names Visvakarman — the cosmic Architect — and recalls how through proper oblation Indra was rendered avadhya (unslayable). The Samprada:ya commentary identifies Visvakarman ultimately with Sri:man Na:ra:yana as the universal Maker, and reads the verse as illustrating the operative principle of yajna on Bhu:de:vi:'s lap: the offering is what makes the protector unslayable. The Mother is the field within which this transformation occurs.

Verse 5

समुद्रवसने देवी पर्वतस्तनमण्डले। विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्व मे॥

తెలుగు · Telugu

ఓ సముద్రవసనయైన దేవీ, పర్వత-స్తన-మండలమైనదానా, ఓ విష్ణు-పత్నీ! నీకు నమస్కారము; నా పాద-స్పర్శను క్షమించుము.

English

O Goddess clothed in oceans, breasts the mountain ranges, O consort of Vishnu — salutation unto Thee; forgive the touch of my feet.

Meaning

The most beloved and widely recited verse of the Bhu: Su:ktham — the morning sloka spoken by every devout Vaishnava at the first contact of the feet with the earth. The verse names Bhu:de:vi: as vishnu-pathni:, the explicit consort of Sri:man Na:ra:yana, and asks Her kshama: — Her forbearance — for the unavoidable transgression of walking upon Her body. The doctrine of kshama: as Bhu:de:vi:'s defining kalya:na-guna rests on this verse.

Verse 6

पृथ्वि त्वया धृता लोका देवि त्वं विष्णुना धृता। त्वं च धारय मां देवि पवित्रं कुरु चासनम्॥

తెలుగు · Telugu

ఓ పృథ్వీ! నీచేత సర్వ లోకములు ధరింపబడుచున్నవి; ఓ దేవీ, నీవు విష్ణువుచేత ధరింపబడుచున్నావు. ఓ దేవీ, నన్ను కూడ ధరించుము, ఈ ఆసనమును పవిత్రము చేయుము.

English

O Prithvi:, by Thee are the worlds upheld; O Goddess, Thou art upheld by Vishnu. Uphold me also, O Dhevi:, and make this seat pure.

Meaning

The verse sets forth the chain of dha:rana — Prithvi: upholds the worlds, Vishnu upholds Prithvi:, and the worshipper now asks to be upheld by Her. The Samprada:ya reads this as the operative cosmology of the Pa:nchaka:la Vaishnava day: the seat (a:sana) on which one sits to perform a:ra:dhana is itself part of Bhu:de:vi:, and Her sanctification of it is what makes the worship efficacious. The mantra is recited before sitting for any prolonged japa or pu:ja:.

Verse 7

श्रियं वासय मे कुले मातरं पद्ममालिनीम्। यं वैष्णवीं ब्रह्मरूपां सर्वज्ञां सर्वलोकहितैषिणीम्॥

తెలుగు · Telugu

శ్రీని, పద్మమాలాధారిణియైన మాతను, నా కులమున నివసింపజేయుము — ఎవరు వైష్ణవి, బ్రహ్మరూపిణి, సర్వజ్ఞురాలు, సర్వలోక-హితైషిణి అయియున్నదో.

English

Cause Sri:, the Mother garlanded in lotuses, to dwell in my lineage — She who is the Vaishnavi:, whose form is Brahman, all-knowing, ever wishing the welfare of all worlds.

Meaning

The closing verse names Bhu:de:vi: as vaishnavi: — She who belongs to Vishnu — and brahma-ru:pa: — She whose very form is Brahman. The Samprada:ya reads this as the definitive sruthi establishing Bhu:de:vi:'s identity with Lakshmi: and Her ontological non-difference from Sri:man Na:ra:yana Himself. The petition for Her residence in the lineage (kule) echoes the Sri: Su:ktham directly: it is the Mother in Her form as Earth who supports the family across generations, and Her grace as kshama: that endures every fault of every generation.

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