that life giving flow...

प्र णो देवी सरस्वती वाजेभिर्वाजिनीवती। धीनामवित्र्यवतु॥ ऋग्वेदम् ६-६१-४

pra ṇo devī sarasvatī vājebhirvājinīvatī| dhīnāmavitryavatu|| ṛgvedam 6-61-4

This is a vedic prayer to Sarasvathi.. in Rigvedam…

It is actually addressed to the Great River Sarasvathi,

which is not visible today..

It is also a prayer to Sarasvathi the Divine mother of Letters.

The hymn is found in the sixth Mandalam of Rigvedam.. where River Sarasvathi is Praised.

In fact the affectionate and prayerful description and praise of Sarasvathi (River) is a great piece of poetic beauty too..

The meaning of the hymn is..

The Divine River Saraswathi, by flowing in her meandering way along the heartland of India, was making the land fertile, and giving life to plants and vegetation which provide food for all..

She by Her nature, is very generous and has always been a provider of welfare for all around her without any expectation or partiality.

She is always pleased with the praises being bestowed upon her.. by the Vedic Singers.. She is ever eager to protect such people who sing about her..

May she always provide us with food in the shape of grains and vegetation and may She provide us with pleasant life.

(Now we chant the hymn also in Praise of Devi Sarasvathi.. the Goddess of Knowledge)

Note.. The Vedic people were always very thankful to the Divine manifestation of natural forces, and they believed that they should always pray and praise whatever they found as great an generous..

The praise and prayer will apply not only to the River Sarasvathi.. which was a major river in the Indo-Gangetic Plane during Vedic period but seems to have dried up..but would apply to all the great rivers and sources of water which provide us with life and food..

देवी goddes, whose basic nature is to bestow boons on all

वाजिनीवती who is the provide of basic food.. Annam for all

धीनां those who are praising her

अवित्री protector

सरस्वती sarasvatii the flowing one

वाजेभिः with food in the shape of grains and vegetation

नः प्र अवतु protect us and provide us welfare..

This is a vedic prayer.. Usually it is sung at the beginning of every session of reciting Vedas..