Ayushya Sooktham

आयुष्यसूक्तं
āyuṣyasūktaṁ
यो ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मण उज्जहार प्राणैः शिरः कृत्तिवासाः पिनाकी।
ईशानो देव स न आयुर्दधातु तस्मै जुहोमि हविषा घृतेन॥१॥
विब्राजमानः सरिरस्य मध्या-द्रोचमानो धर्मरुचिर्य आगात्।
स मृत्युपाशानप्नुद्य घोरानिहायुषेणो घृतमत्तु देवः॥२॥
ब्रम्हज्योतिर्ब्रह्मपत्नीषु गर्भं यमादधत् पुरुरूपं जयन्तं।
सुवर्णरंभग्रहमर्कमर्च्यम् तमायुषे वर्धयामो घृतेन॥३॥
श्रियं लक्ष्मीमौबलामंबिकां गां षष्ठीं च यामिन्द्रसेनेत्युदाहुः।
ताम् विध्यां ब्रह्मयोनिग्ँ सरूपामिहायुषे तर्पयामो घृतेन॥४॥
दाक्षायण्यः सर्वयोन्यः स योन्यः सहस्रशो विश्वरूपा विरूपाः।
ससूनवः सपतयः सयूथ्या आयुषेणो घृतमिदम् जुषन्तां॥५॥
दिव्या गणा बहुरूपाः पुराणा आयुश्छिदो नः प्रमथ्नन्तु वीरान्
तेभ्यो जुहोमि बहुधा घृतेन मा नः प्रजाग्ँ रीरिषो मोत वीरान्॥६॥
एकः पुरस्ताद् य इदं बभूव यतो भभूव भुवनस्य गोपाः।
यमप्येति भुवनग्ं सांपराये स नो हविर्घृतमिहायुषेत्तु देवः॥७॥
वसून् रुद्रानादित्यान् मरुतोऽथ साध्यान् ऋभून् यक्षान् गन्धर्वाग्ंश्च पितॄग्ंश्च विश्वान्।
भृगून् सर्पाग्ंश्चांगिरसोऽथ सर्वान् घृतग्ं हुत्वा महयाम शश्वत्॥८॥
विष्णो त्वं नो अन्तमश्शर्मयच्छसहन्त्य। प्रतोधारा मध्श्चुत उथ्सं दुहते अक्षितं॥
ॐ शान्तिः॥ ॐ शान्तिः म् शान्तिः
yo brahma brahmaṇa ujjahāra prāṇaiḥ śiraḥ kṛttivāsāḥ pinākī|
īiśāno deva sa na āyurdadhātu tasmai juhomi haviṣā ghṛtena||1||
vibrājamānaḥ sarirasya madhyā-drocamāno dharmarucirya āgāt|
sa mṛtyupāśānapnudya ghorānihāyuṣeṇo ghṛtamattu devaḥ||2||
bramhajyotirbrahmapatnīṣu garbhaṁ yamādadhat pururūpaṁ jayantaṁ|
suvarṇaraṁbhagrahamarkamarcyam tamāyuṣe vardhayāmo ghṛtena||3||
śriyaṁ lakṣmīmaubalāmaṁbikāṁ gāṁ ṣaṣṭhīṁ ca yāmindrasenetyudāhuḥ|
tām vidhyāṁ brahmayonig sarūpāmihāyuṣe tarpayāmo ghṛtena||4||
dākṣāyaṇyaḥ sarvayonyaḥ sa yonyaḥ sahasraśo viśvarūpā virūpāḥ|
sasūnavaḥ sapatayaḥ sayūthyā āyuṣeṇo ghṛtamidam juṣantāṁ||5||
divyā gaṇā bahurūpāḥ purāṇā āyuśchido naḥ pramathnantu vīrān
tebhyo juhomi bahudhā ghṛtena mā naḥ prajāg rīriṣo mota vīrān||6||
ekaḥ purastād ya idaṁ babhūva yato bhabhūva bhuvanasya gopāḥ|
yamapyeti bhuvanagṁ sāṁparāye sa no havirghṛtamihāyuṣettu devaḥ||7||
vasūn rudrānādityān maruto'tha sādhyān ṛbhūn yakṣān gandharvāgṁśca pitṝgṁśca viśvān|
bhṛgūn sarpāgṁścāṁgiraso'tha sarvān ghṛtagṁ hutvā mahayāma śaśvat||8||
viṣṇo tvaṁ no antamaśśarmayacchasahantya| pratodhārā madhścuta uthsaṁ duhate akṣitaṁ||
om śāntiḥ || om śāntiḥ m śāntiḥ

This is the Aayushya Sooktham, and it is the vedic chant rendered while  performing aayushya homam on the occasions of one's birthday.. Essentially, the mantras are addressed to the deities most importantly  Sri Isaana Rudra and Vishnu, and the prayer is that the deities after receiving oblations from us in cleared butter (ghee) may give us longevity and may remove factors in our life which are giving us stints of illness.

  The word Ayuh in Sanskrit has five and more meanings.. When the related deities that are mentioned in the sukta are revered with the ghee-offering or any other suitable dravya in a homa performance or even through mere prayer with folded hands it would result in the reaping of the rewards or results known and even beyond expectations 

This Sukta itself indicates the prayoga (applications), directions and material offered. The verbs signify the viniyoga in the hymn.

The expression ‘isano devah sa na ayurdadhatu’ in the hymn clearly states that the deity who is by name the Isana, the overlord of all, should accord long life. 

Also we make the prayer : sa mrutyupasan apanudyaghoran ihayushenah’ meaning that Lord may be pleased to  obviate the strong nooses of the death thrown at us and provide us relief and comfort. 

We do  know pain when we come into this world but we do not know what we would get at the time of leaving the world. We make a prayer that the Lord should mitigate the intensity  of pain, if he is pleased, when we leave our body. 

 Also we see in  the prayer again ‘ tamayushe vardhayamo ghrutena’ meaning we revere him for balance in the state of health and happiness when one is living his own life.

 We have the mention of deities who should guard our life and support happiness (ayusheno jushantam).

 In the 6th mantra, the devotee includes all his people to be protected with health when he says ’ma nah prajagum ririsho(trouble) mota viran’ (May the deities providing longevity be pleased not to give trouble to our progenies who are bold and valorous)

In the 8th Verse we have mention of ten gods like vasus, gandharvas etc who would extend care of health to the devotees. These are the Health care personnel in the realm of gods constantly at work protecting the devotees. 

Ultimately in the 9th mantra, we have praise  for Sri Mahavishnu to whom the prayers are submitted for counter signature of the desires since he is deemed as the antimo devah, the ultimate of all gods,. He is submitted with a prayer: Sarma yaccha (bless us with bliss). 

Let us recite the sublime hymn  with faith.