Medha Suktam

ಓಂ ಯಶ್ಛಂದ’ಸಾಮೃಷಭೋ ವಿಶ್ವರೂ’ಪಃ |

ಛಂದೋಭ್ಯೋಽಧ್ಯಮೃತಾ”ಥ್ಸಂಬಭೂವ’ |

ಸ ಮೇಂದ್ರೋ’ ಮೇಧಯಾ” ಸ್ಪೃಣೋತು |

ಅಮೃತ’ಸ್ಯ ದೇವಧಾರ’ಣೋ ಭೂಯಾಸಂ |

ಶರೀ’ರಂ ಮೇ ವಿಚ’ರ್ಷಣಂ |

ಜಿಹ್ವಾ ಮೇ ಮಧು’ಮತ್ತಮಾ |

ಕರ್ಣಾ”ಭ್ಯಾಂ ಭೂರಿವಿಶ್ರು’ವಂ |

ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ’ಣಃ ಕೋಶೋ’ಽಸಿ ಮೇಧಯಾ ಪಿ’ಹಿತಃ |

ಶ್ರುತಂ ಮೇ’ ಗೋಪಾಯ ‖

ಓಂ ಶಾಂತಿಃ ಶಾಂತಿಃ ಶಾಂತಿಃ’ ‖

yascandasāmriśabho viśwaroopah

chhandobhyodhyamritāt sambabhoova

Sa mendro medhayā sprinotu

āmritasya devadhārano bhooyāsam

ṣareeram me vicarśanam

Jihwā me madhumattamā

k͟harnābhyām bhoori viśruvam

Brahmanah k͟hośoasi medhayāpihitah

ṣrutam me gopāya

ŏm śantih śantih śantih!

May He, the Lord of all, pre-eminent among the Vedas and superior to the nectar contained in them, bless me with wisdom! May I be adorned with the knowledge of Brahman that leads to immortality! May my body become strong and vigorous (to practise meditation)! May my tongue always utter delightful words! May I hear much with my ears! Thou art the scabbard of Brahman hidden by worldly taints (not revealed by impure, puny intellects). May I never forget all that I have learnt! Om peace, peace, peace!

ಓಂ ಮೇಧಾದೇವೀ ಜುಷಮಾ’ಣಾ ನ ಆಗಾ”ದ್ವಿಶ್ವಾಚೀ’ ಭದ್ರಾ ಸು’ಮನಸ್ಯ ಮಾ’ನಾ |

ತ್ವಯಾ ಜುಷ್ಟಾ’ ನುದಮಾ’ನಾ ದುರುಕ್ತಾ”ನ್ ಬೃಹದ್ವ’ದೇಮ ವಿದಥೇ’ ಸುವೀರಾ”ಃ |

ḍevi juśamamana na āgath, Viswaci bhadra sumanasyamana,

ṭhvaya juśta juśamana dhurookthan, Brahad vadema vidardhe suveera.

Let the goddess of intellect come here with happiness, she is everywhere and has a happy frame of mind,

May we who were grief stricken, before she came, become greatly intelligent and know the ultimate.

ತ್ವಯಾ ಜುಷ್ಟ’ ಋಷಿರ್ಭ’ವತಿ ದೇವಿ ತ್ವಯಾ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾ’ಽಽಗತಶ್ರೀ’ರುತ ತ್ವಯಾ” |

ತ್ವಯಾ ಜುಷ್ಟ’ಶ್ಚಿತ್ರಂ ವಿ’ನ್ದತೇ ವಸು ಸಾ ನೋ’ ಜುಷಸ್ವ ದ್ರವಿ’ಣೋ ನ ಮೇಧೇ ‖

ṭḥwaya juśtā riśir bhavathi devi, ṭhwaya brahmagath srirutha thwaya,

ṭhwaya juśtascithramvindathe vasu, Sa no juśasva dravinena medhe.

By your grace one becomes a saint, one becomes learned, one becomes rich,

Showered by your grace one gets different kinds of wealth, and so goddess of wealth, give us wealth and intellect.

ಮೇಧಾಂ ಮ ಇಂದ್ರೋ’ ದದಾತು ಮೇಧಾಂ ದೇವೀ ಸರ’ಸ್ವತೀ |

ಮೇಧಾಂ ಮೇ’ ಅಶ್ವಿನಾ’ವುಭಾ-ವಾಧ’ತ್ತಾಂ ಪುಷ್ಕ’ರಸ್ರಜಾ |

ṃedham ma indro dadathu, ṃedham devi Saraswathi.

ṃedam may aśvinou ubhavadathām, Puśkarasrajo.

Let Indra give me intelligence, let Saraswathi give me intelligence,

Let the Aswini Kumaras support my intelligence, for they wear the garlands of lotuses.

ಅಪ್ಸರಾಸು’ ಚ ಯಾ ಮೇಧಾ ಗಂ’ಧರ್ವೇಷು’ ಚ ಯನ್ಮನಃ’ |

ದೈವೀಂ” ಮೇಧಾ ಸರ’ಸ್ವತೀ ಸಾ ಮಾಂ” ಮೇಧಾ ಸುರಭಿ’ರ್ಜುಷತಾಗ್ ಸ್ವಾಹಾ” ‖

āapsarāsu ca ya medha, ġandharveśu ca yan mana,

ḍevi medha Saraswathi, Sa mam medha surabhir juśtām svaha.

Apsaras possess intelligence, Gandarwas possess intelligence,

Goddess of intelligence is Saraswathi, let the intelligence spread like fragrance. I offer you without any reservations.

(Svaha is the wife of fire God. We give offerings to her and she gives it to fire, who gives it to devas.)

ಆಮಾಂ” ಮೇಧಾ ಸುರಭಿ’ರ್ವಿಶ್ವರೂ’ಪಾ ಹಿರ’ಣ್ಯವರ್ಣಾ ಜಗ’ತೀ ಜಗಮ್ಯಾ |

ಊರ್ಜ’ಸ್ವತೀ ಪಯ’ಸಾ ಪಿನ್ವ’ಮಾನಾ ಸಾ ಮಾಂ” ಮೇಧಾ ಸುಪ್ರತೀ’ಕಾ ಜುಷಂತಾಂ ‖

āa mām meśa surabhir viswa roopa, ḥiranya varna jagathi jāmya,

ŏorjaswathi payasā pinvamānā, Sa mām medha suprathika juśtām.

Intelligence is glorious in form and is like nectar, Intelligence is golden and pervades the entire universe,

Intelligence is powerful and is sought after continuously, Let it come to me with love and favour me.

ಮಯಿ’ ಮೇಧಾಂ ಮಯಿ’ ಪ್ರಜಾಂ ಮಯ್ಯಗ್ನಿಸ್ತೇಜೋ’ ದಧಾತು

ಮಯಿ’ ಮೇಧಾಂ ಮಯಿ’ ಪ್ರಜಾಂ ಮಯೀಂದ್ರ’ ಇಂದ್ರಿಯಂ ದ’ಧಾತು

ಮಯಿ’ ಮೇಧಾಂ ಮಯಿ’ ಪ್ರಜಾಂ ಮಯಿ ಸೂರ್ಯೋ ಭ್ರಾಜೋ’ ದಧಾತು ‖

ṃayi medham mayi prajam mayagnistejo dadhatu

ṃayi medham mayi prajam mayi indra indriyam dadhatu

ṃayi medham ṃayi prajam mayi suryo brajo dadhatu

May Agni render in me intelligence, continuity of progeny and splendor born of vedic study,

May Indra render in me intelligence, continuity of progeny and virility,

May Surya render in me intelligence, continuity of progeny and prowess that strikes fear in the hearts of enemies.

ಓಂ ಹಂಸ ಹಂಸಾಯ’ ವಿದ್ಮಹೇ’ ಪರಮಹಂಸಾಯ’ ಧೀಮಹಿ |

ತನ್ನೋ’ ಹಂಸಃ ಪ್ರಚೋದಯಾ”ತ್ ‖

haṃsa haṃsāya vidmahĕ paramahaṃsāya dheemahi,

tannŏ haṃsaḥ pracŏdayāt.

The great seer who recognizes this “haMsa” and dwells in that “haMsa” is proclaimed as “paramahaMsa”. Here the word “haMsa” may refer to “sOham” in one context, which refers to inhalation/exhalation cycles of breath.

ಓಂ ಶಾಂತಿಃ ಶಾಂತಿಃ ಶಾಂತಿಃ’ ‖

ŏm śantih śantih śantih!