Brihat Jataka Verse 1.1

Sanskrit Verse

मूर्तित्वे परिकल्पितः शशभृतो वर्त्मापुनर्जन्मनामात्मेत्यात्मविदां क्रतुश्च यजतां भर्तामरज्योतिषाम् । लोकानां प्रलयोद्भवस्थितिविभुश्चानेकधा यः श्रुतौ वाचं नः स ददात्वनेककिरणस्त्रैलोक्यदीपो रविः ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

mūrtitve parikalpitaḥ śaśabhṛto vartmāpunarjanmanāmātmetyātmavidāṃ kratuśca yajatāṃ bhartāmarajyotiṣām | lokānāṃ pralayodbhavasthitivibhuścānekadhā yaḥ śrutau vācaṃ naḥ sa dadātvanekakiraṇastrailokyadīpo raviḥ || 1 ||

Word meanings

mūrtitve—in materiality/having a body; parikalpitas—divided; śaśabhṛtas—possessed of rabbits (the phases of the Moon); vartman—path; apunar—liberated janman = birth; vartmāpunarjanmanām—of the births on the liberated path; ātmā—the soul; iti—(syntax marker); ātman—soul; vid—knowing; ātmavidām—of knowing the soul; kratus—sacrifice; ca—and; yajatām—of the sacrifices; bhartā—lord; amara—immortal; jyotis—heavenly bodies; amarajyotiṣām—of the science of the heavenly bodies; lokānām—of the worlds; pralaya—destruction; udbhava—creation sthiti = preservation; vibhus—the lord; pralayodbhavasthitivibhus—lord of destruction, creation, and preservation; ca—and; anekadhā—in various ways; yas—who; śrutau—in the Veda; vācam—a body of words (a speech); nas—to us; sas—that one; dadātu—may it grant; aneka—not one (many); kiraṇa—ray; anekakiraṇas—not one ray (from the sun, moon, or other luminous body); trailokya—three worlds; dīpa—light; trailokyadīpas—light of the three worlds; ravis—the sun

Translation

The Sun, the multi-rayed light of the three worlds, who is the creator, sustainer, and dissolver of the universe; the soul of those seeking liberation from rebirth, and the essence of the sacrificial path for the wise; may that Lord of the heavenly bodies grant us the gift of speech as revealed in the Vedas.

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Reference: Brihat Jataka