Medhä-Süktam

Medhä-Süktam

Krshna-Yajurveda -Taittiriya-Äranyaka – IV.10.41-44

Every person is endowed with high intellectual capacity. The Vedas consider this capacity as a manifestation of the deity called Medhä Devi. In every person, this medhä-sakti is a vital element for progress in education, science, religion, and spirituality. The Medhä-Süktam comprises four mantras invoking Medhä Devi.

Text in Roman with Free Translation

medhädevi jushamänä na ägädvisväci bhadrä sumanasya mänä |

tvayä jushtä nudamänä duruktän brhad-vadema vidathe suviräh ||

tvayä jushta rishir bhavati devi! tvayä brahmä’’gatashri-ruta tvayä |
tvayä jushtas-citram vindate vasu säno jushasva dravino na medhe ||1||

May the all pervasive Goddess of intelligence, who brings prosperity and kindness, be pleased with us. Oh! Goddess! We who are helplessly lost in inappropriate speech (duruktän), now with your grace (jushtä), avoid all forms of it.
Oh! Goddess! Blessed (jushta) by you, one becomes a Rishi, one becomes the knower of Brahma (brahmä’gatasri) and attains an abundance of wealth. Blessed (jushtah)  You, the Goddess of intelligence, one obtains various forms (citram) of wealth (dravinah). (1)

medhäm ma indro dadätu medhäm devi sarasvati |

medhäm me asvinävubhävädhattäm pushkarasrajä ||
apsaräsu ca yä medhä gandharveshu ca yan manah |
daivim medhä sarasvati sä mäm medhä surabhir-jushatäm’ ||2||

May Lord Indra (Isvara as the presiding deity/Lord of the five senses of all beings) grant us the medhä- inner knowledge,

May Goddess Saraswati grant us medhä - intelligence.

May both the Asvins (who connect memory with smell), wearing fragrant Lotus garlands grant us medhä - wisdom.

Bless me with medhä - Intelligence that the Apsaras have, the medhä -mind that the Gandharvas have (meaning, bless me with the mental capacities that is enjoyed by the celestial upädhis).

(Bless me with) that divine intelligence of which Saraswati is the Goddess, May she give us that divine (daivim) medhä - intelligence, which spread like fragrance. (Instill in me Vedic-knowledge that is as attractive as lovely fragrance, and blesses those who imbibe it.) (2)

 ämäm medhä surabhir-visvarüpä hiranyavarnä jagati jagamyä |

 ürjasvati payasä pinvamänä sä mäm medhä supratikä jushantäm ||3||

The One who grants intelligence (medhä), the One who spreads (visvarüpä) like perfume (surabhi) , the One who bears the golden letters (hiranyavarnä = the Vedas), the One who is immortal, may that Goddess be kind to us.
Oh Medhä Devi! Who is with a glowing countenance (ürjasvati), Whom seekers of Truth pursue, who is the seat of strength, Who brings us up with milk (payasä) and other wealth, come and be kind to us. (3)

mayi medhäm mayi prajäm mayyagnis-tejo ddhätu|

mayi medhäm mayi prajäm mayi-indra indriyam dadhätu|
mayi medhäm mayi prajäm mayi süryo bhräjo dadhätu||4||

May Agni, the Fire God grant us the intelligence, and unbroken lineage of children and/or disciples, and the brilliance of the Vedic chanting;

May Lord Indra (the presiding deity of all sense-organs) grant us intelligence, unbroken lineage of children and/or disciples, and physical/emotional health/virility (viryapushtim);

May the Sun God grant us intelligence, unbroken lineage of children and/or disciples, and prowess/fearlessness to face all situations with continuous prayer, and express myself through appropriate words and actions. (4)

om säntissäntissäntih

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