Veda: Samaveda 10 Timeless Sāmavedic Chants
📖 Text, Tune & Transformation
Sacred Sound that Shaped the Soul of India
🔆 Introduction
The Sāmaveda is not just a collection of verses; it is the musical heart of the Vedas, where divine sound becomes a vehicle for transformation. Among its 1,875 verses, largely borrowed from the Rigveda, a select few stand out — not for their meaning alone but for their resonant power, ritual centrality, and transformational force.
This post presents 10 of the most timeless Sāmavedic chants — their Sanskrit text, transliteration, English translation, and how each was sung, used, and experienced by ancient Rishis.
🎵 1. गायत्री मंत्र – Gāyatrī Mantra (Sāmaveda 1462)
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः। तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं।
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि। धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्॥
Transliteration:
Om bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ. tat savitur vareṇyaṁ,
bhargo devasya dhīmahi, dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt.
Translation:
We meditate on the glorious light of the divine Savitṛ,
May he inspire and illuminate our intellect.
Purpose:
Chanted at sunrise, this is the most universal mantra across Sāman recensions, known for its awakening and purification power.
🎵 2. अग्निमीळे पुरोहितं – Agnim īḷe Purohitaṁ (Sāmaveda 1)
अग्निमीळे पुरोहितं यज्ञस्य देवमृत्विजम्।
होतारं रत्नधातमम्॥
Transliteration:
Agnim īḷe purohitaṁ yajñasya devam ṛtvijam,
hotāraṁ ratnadhātamam.
Translation:
I worship Agni, the high priest, the divine minister of sacrifice,
The invoker, bestower of treasures.
Purpose:
The very first verse of the Rigveda, and the opening sāman — used to initiate yajñas and invoke sacred fire.
🎵 3. सोमराजं रजस्विनम् – Soma Rājaṁ Rajasvinam (Sāmaveda 585)
सोमराजं रजस्विनं धेनुं न यवसं पिबत्।
पवमानं सुरन्धसम्॥
Transliteration:
Soma rājaṁ rajasvinam dhenuṁ na yavasaṁ pibat,
pavamānaṁ surandhasam.
Translation:
Drink of Soma, O king of kings, vibrant like a cow grazing on barley,
Ever-purifying and richly inspiring.
Purpose:
Chanted during Soma yajña, this chant exalts the divine elixir of insight and ecstasy.
🎵 4. इन्द्राय सोमं सुषुतं – Indrāya Somaṁ Suṣutam (Sāmaveda 446)
इन्द्राय सोमं सुषुतं पिबा सोमपीतये।
स त्वं नः सोमपातमः॥
Transliteration:
Indrāya somaṁ suṣutaṁ pibā somapītaye,
sa tvaṁ naḥ somapātamaḥ.
Translation:
O Indra, drink the well-prepared Soma for your delight,
You are our foremost Soma drinker.
Purpose:
Performed with vocal ascents and repetitions, this chant seeks strength, courage, and victory.
🎵 5. वयं सोमस्य पीतये – Vayaṁ Somasya Pītaye (Sāmaveda 529)
वयं सोमस्य पीतये सखायो यन्ति धर्षत।
सुतस्य चारुशोणस्य॥
Transliteration:
Vayaṁ somasya pītaye sakhāyo yanti dharṣata,
sutasya cāruśoṇasya.
Translation:
We, your companions, come forward to drink the Soma —
That noble, red, and delight-filled essence.
Purpose:
Used in group chanting, often by the udgātṛ team, to invoke collective upliftment.
🎵 6. ओ३म् सोमाय – Oṁ Somāya (Sāmaveda 974)
ओ३म् सोमाय नमः।
Transliteration:
Oṁ somāya namaḥ.
Translation:
Om, Salutations to Soma.
Purpose:
This short sāman served as a mantric punctuation, inserted between stobha phrases to preserve sanctity and induce meditative stillness.
🎵 7. वयं तव प्रचेतसः – Vayaṁ Tava Pracetasah (Sāmaveda 1216)
वयं तव प्रचेतसः सुतस्य गोमतो मदे।
सस्निम पिप्युषीमिषम्॥
Transliteration:
Vayaṁ tava pracetasaḥ sutasya gōmato made,
sasnim pipyuṣīmiṣam.
Translation:
We are awakened through your knowledge, delighting in the Soma that flows,
Nourishing and filling the longing soul.
Purpose:
Chanted at the culmination of the Soma pressing, this hymn is meant to unify emotion and knowledge.
🎵 8. इळा सरस्वती मही – Iḷā Sarasvatī Mahī (Sāmaveda 91)
इळा सरस्वती मही तिस्रो देवीर्मयोभुवः।
बर्हिर्गच्छन्तु सप्रथाः॥
Transliteration:
Iḷā Sarasvatī mahī tisro devīrmayobhuvaḥ,
barhirgacchantu saprathāḥ.
Translation:
Let Iḷā, Sarasvatī, and Mahī, the three goddesses of delight,
Come gloriously to the sacred seat.
Purpose:
Dedicated to the divine feminine trinity, this hymn is rich with devotional sweetness and inviting tone.
🎵 9. त्वमग्ने प्रमन्थ्यः – Tvam Agne Pramanthyaḥ (Sāmaveda 104)
त्वमग्ने प्रमन्थ्यस्त्वं होत्रोऽसि यज्ञियः।
त्वमध्वर्युरंगिरः॥
Transliteration:
Tvam agne pramanthyaḥ tvaṁ hotro’si yajñiyaḥ,
tvam adhvaryuraṅgiraḥ.
Translation:
You, O Agni, are the kindler, the invoker, the sacrificial priest,
You are the sacred officiant among the Aṅgiras.
Purpose:
Evokes inner fire and offers devotional praise to the deity of light and will.
🎵 10. स उ षू न इन्द्रो यं – Sa U Ṣū Na Indro Yam (Sāmaveda 168)
स उ षू न इन्द्रो यं कामं कामाय घोषति।
नृम्णस्य महतो नृभिः॥
Transliteration:
Sa u ṣū na indro yaṁ kāmaṁ kāmāya ghoṣati,
nṛmṇasya mahato nṛbhiḥ.
Translation:
That Indra, when invoked, fulfills the desire of the desiring one,
By his great strength, among men.
Purpose:
A chant of fulfillment and courage, often recited before battle or decision-making.
🌺 Spiritual Use and Transformation
| Chant | Transforms… |
|---|---|
| Gāyatrī | Mind → Illumination |
| Agnim īḷe | Environment → Sacred Space |
| Soma Rājaṁ | Emotion → Ecstasy |
| Indrāya Somaṁ | Weakness → Strength |
| Iḷā Sarasvatī | Prayer → Presence |
| Oṁ Somāya | Ego → Silence |
Sāmaveda was not sung to impress, but to evoke transformation.
🕉️ Modern Application
| Practice | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Daily Gāyatrī chant | Clarity of mind |
| Agni invocation | Inner discipline |
| Soma hymns with meditation | Emotional healing |
| Chanting stobha-syllables (hau, bhā) | Activates subtle energies |
| Listening to traditional sāman | Induces meditative resonance |
🪔 Final Reflection
These ten chants are not just echoes of the past, but living mantras. Each one carries the potential to:
- Rewire consciousness
- Purify atmosphere
- Invoke the divine
- Restore inner harmony
They are doorways — enter not with intellect, but with listening devotion.