ॐ रात्रीत्याद्यष्टर्चस्य सूक्तस्य कुशिकः सौभरो रात्रिर्वा भारद्वाजो ऋषिः, रात्रिर्देवता, गायत्री छन्दः, देवीमाहात्म्यपाठे विनियोगः।
ōṁ rātrītyādyaṣṭarcasya sūktasya kuśikaḥ saubharō rātrirvā bhāradvājō ṛṣiḥ, rātrirdēvatā, gāyatrī chandaḥ, dēvīmāhātmyapāṭhē viniyōgaḥ |
Translation
Om. Of this hymn of eight verses beginning “Rātrī”, the seer is Kuśika Saubhara, or else Rātri of the line of Bharadvāja; the deity is Night (Rātri); the meter is Gāyatrī; it is applied in the recitation of the Devī Māhātmya.
Word by word
- ōṁ
- sacred syllable
- rātrī iti ādi
- beginning with “Rātrī”
- aṣṭarcasya
- of eight verses
- sūktasya
- of the hymn
- kuśikaḥ saubharaḥ
- Kuśika, son of Sobhari
- rātriḥ vā bhāradvājaḥ
- or Rātri of the line of Bharadvāja
- ṛṣiḥ
- the seer
- rātriḥ
- Night
- dēvatā
- the deity
- gāyatrī
- Gāyatrī
- chandaḥ
- the meter
- dēvīmāhātmyapāṭhē
- in the recitation of the Devī Māhātmya
- viniyōgaḥ
- application, purpose
Meaning
The viniyoga names the seer, the deity and the meter of the hymn and the purpose for which it is recited. This Vedic hymn to Night is read before the Durgā Saptaśatī, where Night is the Goddess herself: Yoganidrā, who holds even Viṣṇu in sleep in the first chapter.