Medha Suktam

Medha Suktam is a Vedic hymn dedicated to Medha Devi (Saraswati), the Goddess of Intellect, from the Mahanaryanopanishad (part of Taittiriya Upanishad, which is a part of Yajur Veda). A highly powerful hymn that is known to bestow the devotee who recites it with Medha Sakthi (the power of intellection). It is a prayer for one who wants intelligence (ultimately, to attain the supreme wisdom, to realise the Self.

Mēdhā – Intellection: understanding, retaining and assimilating what is heard/read.
Sūktam – A vedic hymn (lit: “well said”) that invokes either a devataa or Bhagavaan

Note: Medha Suktam originates from the Vedic texts, specifically from the Yajur Veda, with variations also found in the Rig Veda and Atharva Veda.

Word by Word meaning of Medha Suktam

1)
Om yashChandasaamRishabho vishvaruupaHa
Om – (pratîka) sound symbol that stands for the Lord (i.e. a (pratîka symbol, one that has no human features like the Siva lingam, unlike Ganesha who has a hands and legs, called a pratîma symbol)
yash – that which (i.e. that Om)
Chandasaam – of the Vedic mantras
Rishabha – is exalted (lit. like a bull, i.e. “that which is the bull among Vedic mantras”)
vishvaruupaHa – in the form of the universe
That Om, the symbol for the Lord in the form of the universe, which is the most exalted of the Veda mantras…

Chandobhyo’dhyamRitaath-sambabhuuva
chandobhya – from the Vedas
adhi – essence (lit. ‘pertaining to’, here to be read with sambabhuuva to carry sense of ‘essence’)
amRitaath – from the timeless
sam-babhuuva – emerged from (with adhi – adhi sam-babhuuva – means “emerged as the essence”)
(That Om) which has emerged from the Vedas as their essence…

sa mendro medhayaa spRiNotu
sa – that
me – me
indra – Indra, Lord, Om
medhayaa – with intelligence/wisdom
spRiNotu – may (he) bless
May that Om, the Lord Indra, bless me with intelligence.

May that Om, sound symbol for the Lord Indra in the form of the universe, most exalted of Veda mantras, which has emerged from the Vedas as their essence, bless me with the power of intelligence.

amRitasya devadhaaraNo bhuuyaasam
amRitasya – of immortality (here to be read in the context of a prayer for wisdom, so means nectar of knowledge that frees me from mortality)
deva – O effulgent Lord (i.e. Om)
dhaaranaa – possessor, holder
bhuuyaasam – may I become
O Lord, may I become endowed with the nectar of wisdom that frees me from mortality.

shariram me vicharShaNam
shariram – body
me – my
vicharShaNam – fit, healthy, strong
(bhuuyaat) – may become (understood, implied)
May my body become strong, healthy and fit

jihvaa me madhumattamaa
jivhaa – tongue
me – my
madhu-mat-tamaa – that which is sweetest (madhu = sweet + mat = that which is sweet + tama = that which is sweetest)
(bhuuyaat) – may become (understood, implied)
May my tongue become the sweetest, i.e. always speak what is sweet, not-hurtful, true.

karNaabhyaaM bhuurivishruvam
karNaabhyaam – with my ears
bhuuri – abundantly, much
vishruvam – may I hear
May I listen to the shaastras as often as possible with my ears.

brahmaNaH(:) kosho’asi medhayaa pihitaHa
brahmaNaH(:) – of Brahman
koshaa – the sheath
asi – you are
medhayaa – worldly intelligence (i.e. limited)
pihitaHa – covered
O Omkaara, you cover Brahman like a sheath*; and you are covered by worldly intelligence
(* sheath: i.e. By dwelling on you we can arrive at the nature of Reality, which cannot be accessed directly.)

shrutaM me gopaaya
shrutaM – what has been heard (i.e. shástra)
me – for me
gopaaya – for protection (i.e. 4th case)
(bhuuyaat) – may become (understood, implied)
May the shaastra that has been heard by me BE for my protection.

Om shaantiH shaantiH shaantiHi

Om Peace Peace Peace

2)
Om medhaa devii
juShamaaNaa na aagaa-dvishvaachii
bhadraa sumanasyamaanaa

Om Medhaa Devii – O goddess (devi) of intellection (Medhaa)
juShamaaNaa** – blessing
na – us (naä)
aagaad – let her come
vishvaachii – all-knowing (i.e. by which alone one becomes all-knowing)
bhadraa – auspicious (i.e. through clarity of thinking, perception, purpose)
sumanasyamaanaa – pleased-minded (i.e. our actions, being dharmic, do not disturb the order)

May Medhaa Devi, the power of intellection, who bestows all-knowingness, who brings auspiciousness through clarity, whose mind is pleased — undisturbed by our actions which are righteous — come, blessing us. (Implied Prayer: Please bless me with the knowledge and strength to live a life of dharma.)

(**maaNaa. creates present participles e.g. aatmanepada verbs, jushate – blesses, jushamaaNaa – is blessing;
bhaashate – he speaks, bhaashamaaNaa – he is speaking; ucchate – is spoken, ucchamaaNaa – is being spoken)

tvayaa juShTaa nudamaanaa duruktaan
bRihad vadema vidathe suviraaHa

tvayaa – by you
juShTaa – (we who are) blessed
nudamaanaa – giving up (pushing aside)
duruktaan – unwanted, vile speech (that distracts from living dharma)
bRihad – of Brahman
vadema – may we speak
vidathe – having understood*
suviraaHa – good children (i.e. who understand the value of dharma and are committed to a life of dharma)

Being blessed by you, may we, having understood* and having given up all harsh words, speak about Brahman and have children that appreciate the value of a life of dharma.

(* understood = having purushartha nishchaya, knowing the value of knowledge [i.e. connected with moksha], knowing the importance of pramaana, knowing the shastra as pramaana, learning with a right teacher, having shraddha, thereby understanding what Brahman is and remaining in contemplation.)

tvayaa juShTa RiShirbhavati devi
tvayaa brahmaa aagatashrii-ruta tvayaa

tvayaa – by you
juShTa – (one who is) blessed
RiShir – a rishi (a seer of reality, a knower of Brahman) (rishiä)
bhavati – becomes
devi – O goddess
tvayaa – by you
brahmaa – Brahman (the word “bhavati”- becomes, is understood)
aagatashriir – wealthy (lit. one to whom wealth has come) (aagatashriir) (“bhavati” is understood)
uta – and
tvayaa – by you (rhythmic filler)

O Goddess, blessed by you one becomes a knower of Brahman, one becomes Brahman, one becomes wealthy.

tvayaa jushTash chitraM vindate
vasu saa no jushasva draviNona medhe

tvayaa – by you
jushTash – (one who is) blessed
chitraM – different forms of
vindate – attains
vasu – wealth
saa – such a one (Medhaa Devi)
no – us (naä)
jushasva – may you bless
draviNona – with wealth (= draviNena)
medhe – O power of intellection (voc. of Medhaa)

May such a One as you, O Medhaa Devi, blessed by whom one attains all varieties of wealth, bless us with prosperity (both material and subtle, up to moksha).

medhaaM ma indro dadaatu
medhaam devii sarasvatii
medhaam – intellection

ma – me
indro – by Indra
dadaatu – may he give (bless)
medhaam – intellection
devii – goddess
sarasvatii – Sarasvati (goddess/power of knowledge, intellect, music and wisdom)

May Indra (shakti of the physical body) grant me good stamina and health (for unhindered functioning of the intellect) and may Goddess Sarasvati grant me the power of intellection.

medhaam me AshvinaavubhaavaadhattaaM pushkarasrajaa
medhaam – intellection

me – to me
Ashvinaav (=Ashvinau) – the twin Ashvins, deities of the nostrils, the divine physicians
ubhav (=ubhau) – both
aadhattaaM – infuse/place
pushkarasrajaa – lotus (pushkara) garlanded (srajaa)

May the twin Ashvins, garlanded with lotuses, bless me with the power of intellection (by giving me good health, on which it depends).

apsaraasu cha yaa
medhaa gandharveShu
cha yan manaHa
apsaraasu – heavenly damsels

cha – and
yaa – that which (yad f.) (co-relative of saa in following statement)
medhaa – intellection
gandharveShu – celestial musicians
cha – and
yan – that which (yad n.) (co-relative of saa in the following statement)
manaHa – intellect (the mind – manas – regarded here, generically, as the intellect)

That which is enjoyed as the subtle intelligence of heavenly damsels and the intelligence of celestial musicians…

daiviiM medhaa sarasvati
saa maam medhaa surabhi-rjuShataagm
swaaHaaaa

daiviiM – divine
medhaa – intellection
Sarasvati – Sarasvati (goddess/power of knowledge, intellect, music and wisdom)
saa – that (co-relative of yaa in previous statement)
maam – me
medhaa – power of intellection
Surabhir – celestial wish-fulfilling cow (symbolizing wisdom and self-knowledge)
juShataagm – may bless

… may Sarasvati, manifest as Surabhi, bless me with the intellection which is that Divine intelligence…

May Sarasvati, fulfiller of all wishes*, bless me with the power of intellection which is that subtle Divine intelligence enjoyed by heavenly damsels and celestial musicians.
(* When, through the power of intellection, all is known, no more desires remain to be attained, i.e. all wishes are fulfilled as it were.)
(Svaha is the wife of fire God. We give offerings to her and she gives it to fire, who gives it to devas)

aa maaM medhaa surabhir
vishvaruupaa hiraNyavarNaa
jagatii jagamyaa

aa – coming maaM – (to) me
medhaa – intellection
surabhir – lit. wish-fulfilling cow (i.e. Surabhir Medhaa = that Medhaa Devi by which one gets self knowledge)
vishvaruupaa – lit. one who is in the form of the universe (i.e. vishvaruupaa Medhaa = that Medhaa Devi in the form of all disciplines of knowledge that are known to the mind)
hiraNyavarNaa – lit. one of golden complexion (i.e. hiraNyavarNaa Medhaa = that Medhaa Devi in the form of brilliance of intellect which flashes as ‘presence of mind’.)
jagatii – lit. the universe (i.e. jagatii Medhaa = that Medhaa Devi in the form of the intelligence backing the order behind the functions in all life forms)
jagamyaa – lit. accessible (i.e. jagamyaa Medhaa = that Medhaa Devi in the form of the intelligence which is worth gaining)
Coming to me, (may She) by whom one gains self-knowledge, who manifests as all forms of knowledge, who flashes as presence of mind, who manifests as the intelligence behind the order involved in the functions in all life forms, who is worth possessing, …

uurjasvatii payasaa pinvamaanaa
saa maaM medhaa supratiikaa juShantaam

uurjasvatii – lit. powerful (i.e. gain strength in me)
payasaa – lit. with milk of boons (i.e. with knowledge)
pinvamaanaa – showering
saa – she
maam – me
medhaa – intellection
supratiikaa – auspicious beginning (to study of scripture)
juShantaam – may (he/she/it) bless

… gain strength in me, shower me with knowledge, may that Medhaa Devi bless me with an auspicious beginning to the study of scriptures.

May that Medhaa Devi,
by whom one gains self-knowledge,
who is the intelligence behind all disciplines known to the mind,
who flashes as presence of mind in any situation,
who manifests as the intelligent order behind the functions in all life forms,
who is worth possessing…
come to me,
grow in me,
shower me with knowledge,
bless me with an auspicious beginning to my study of scripture.

3)
mayi medhaaM mayi prajaaM
mayyagnistejo dadhaatu

mayi – in me
medhaaM – intellection
mayi – in me
prajaaM – progeny
mayi – in me
agnistejo – the Lord in the form of fire (agni devataa) and strength (tejas)
dadhaatu – place, infuse

May Agni, deity of speech, infuse me with strength and intelligence and bless me with good progeny.

mayi medhaaM mayi prajaaM
mayiindra indriyaM dadhaatu

mayi – in me
medhaaM – intellection
mayi – in me
prajaaM – progeny
mayi – in me
indra – Indra
indriyaM – virility
dadhaatu – place, infuse

May Indra, deity of the power of action, infuse me with virility and intelligence and bless me with good progeny.

mayi medhaaM mayi prajaaM
mayi suuryo bhraajo dadhaatu

mayi – in me
medhaaM – intellection
mayi – in me
prajaaM – progeny
mayi – in me
suuryo – the sun
bhraajo – brilliance
dadhaatu – place, infuse

May Suurya, deity of seeing, who inspires our thoughts, infuse me with brilliance and intelligence and bless me with good progeny.

4) Hamsa Gayatri Mantra
Om haMsa haMsaaya vidmahe
paramahaMsaaya dhiimahi
tanno haMsaH(:) prachodayaat

hamsa – swan (symbol for SELF)
vidmahe – know (realise)
paramahaMsaa – supreme self
dhiimahi – meditate
tanno – may
prachodayaat – pray to inspire and illumine

May we realise Hamsa that is our own Self. Let us meditate on that ParamaHamsa, the Supreme Self. May Hamsa illumine us.

Om shaantiH shaantiH shaantiHi

Om Peace Peace Peace