Medha Suktam ( (IAST medhasūkta, Devanāgarī मेधा सूक्त) ) is a suktam (set of mantras contained in the Vedas) addressed to Medha (i.e., intelligence, wisdom, memory), visualized as a goddess. Because goddess Medha is considered as a form of Saraswathi, Medha Suktam is quite popular as a hymn to goddess Saraswathi; as a prayer seeking intelligence and capability to learn.

There are at least two popular versions of Medha Suktam. One version is a set of six verses from Mahanarayana Upanishad, which forms part of Taittiriya Aranyaka in Krishna Yajurveda. There is one more version comprising nine mantras, which appears as a khila sukta (khilani) to the Rig Veda. There is one more set of five verses in the Atharva Veda, which too reads like a hymn to goddess Medha, but this is not popularly recognized or chanted as such. In essence, Medha Suktam relates to the worship of knowledge visualized as a goddess, and has been commonly chanted as a prayer to Saraswati.

The meaning of the world Medha (in the feminine gender, as used in Medha Suktam) is “power of understanding endowed with consciousness”. The other meaning of Medha (in the masculine gender) is Yajna, which is not applicable in this context.

medhā sūktam taittirīyāraṇyakam – 4, prapāṭhakaḥ – 10, anuvākaḥ – 41-44

oṃ yaśChanda’sāmṛśhabho viśvarū’paḥ | Chandobhyoadhyamṛtā”thsambabhūva’ | sa mendro’ medhayā” spṛṇotu | amṛta’sya devadhāra’ṇo bhūyāsam | śarī’raṃ me vicha’rśhaṇam | jihvā me madhu’mattamā | karṇā”bhyāṃ bhūriviśru’vam | brahma’ṇaḥ kośo”si medhayā pi’hitaḥ | śrutaṃ me’ gopāya ‖

oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śānti’ḥ ‖

oṃ medhādevī juśhamā’ṇā na āgā”dviśvāchī’ bhadrā su’manasya mā’nā | tvayā juśhṭā’ nudamā’nā duruktā”n bṛhadva’dema vidathe’ suvīrā”ḥ | tvayā juśhṭa’ ṛśhirbha’vati devi tvayā brahmā”’gataśrī’ruta tvayā” | tvayā juśhṭa’śchitraṃ vi’ndate vasu sā no’ juśhasva dravi’ṇo na medhe ‖

medhāṃ ma indro’ dadātu medhāṃ devī sara’svatī | medhāṃ me’ aśvinā’vubhā-vādha’ttāṃ puśhka’rasrajā | apsarāsu’ cha yā medhā ga’ndharveśhu’ cha yanmana’ḥ | daivī”ṃ medhā sara’svatī sā mā”ṃ medhā surabhi’rjuśhatāg svāhā” ‖

āmā”ṃ medhā surabhi’rviśvarū’pā hira’ṇyavarṇā jaga’tī jagamyā | ūrja’svatī paya’sā pinva’mānā sā mā”ṃ medhā supratī’kā juśhantām ‖

mayi’ medhāṃ mayi’ prajāṃ mayyagnistejo’ dadhātu mayi’ medhāṃ mayi’ prajāṃ mayīndra’ indriyaṃ da’dhātu mayi’ medhāṃ mayi’ prajāṃ mayi sūryo bhrājo’ dadhātu ‖

oṃ haṃsa haṃsāya’ vidmahe’ paramahaṃsāya’ dhīmahi | tanno’ haṃsaḥ prachodayā”t ‖

oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śānti’ḥ ‖

SUKTAM is an ode or a prayer to a god or goddess requesting his or her grace and bestowing of benefits. The word SUKTAM is split as ‘sustum uktam’ that which is well spoken or said. Thus SUKTAM is a prayer addressed to a god or goddess that connects us to the supreme power that is Almighty! If DHARMA is considered as a road, suktas are the stones or bricks that pave the way for it! Thus we have a number of suktas like the Purusha,Sri,Bhu,Medha, Durga, Vishnu and other suktas.Medha sukta is from the Yajur Veda and it is also found in the Rig and Atharva Vedas. Medha sukta is a prayer for Medha or retentive power and concentration addressed to goddess Saraswathi, the presiding deity of all knowledge, wisdom and concentration.In the Sikshavalli of Taittiriya Upanishad the student of the Vedas propitiates the Almighty with the mantra “yas chandasamrushabho viswarupaha….He praises the Absolute through hymns as ‘ Purushottama’-greatest of Purushas, Viswarupa- the form of the entire universe and the one who has emerged from the pure Veda suktas! “ Let me attain immortality. Let me obtain physical and mental powers.

Let my word be sweet and reach its height. Let my ears hear good teachings always. Oh, Paramatma! you are the sheath of the Absolute I request your Grace so that I can retain and remember these mantras for ever!”

Medha Suktam

“ Medha Devi jushamana——-

Let the omnipresent goddess Saraswati, the bestower of everything good, including happiness, grace us with Her presence. O Devi, earlier we wasted our precious time in worthless and useless talk. Now, with your benign grace we have become wise and obtained the capacity to discuss lofty truths along with our good children and disciples.

Twaya jushta rushir bhavati devi——–

O Devi! One who has your Grace flowers into a rishi- a sage. He becomes a Brahma Jnani– one who realizes the Brahman and prosperous in all respects. Oh, goddess Saraswathi, kindly grant us riches and all round prosperity.

Medham ma Indro dadhathu medham Devi Saraswathi

Let Indra, king of God’s and goddess Saraswathi grant me intellect! Let the Aswini Devas bedecked with lotus garlands grant me intellect!

Apsara suchaya medha gandharveshu cha yan manaha

Let me be granted the same intellect innate in the Divine damsels- apsaras and the mind of the Gandharvas! Let that intellect which revealed itself as the Vedic knowledge and spreads like sweet fragrance be granted to me!

Aa mam medha surabhir Viswarupa-…..

Medha– Intellect grants inner wisdom, spreads like sweet fragrance, can examine and research all things in the universe, glitters like gold and is everlasting! It should be realized by the seekers of Truth! Let Medha– Devi who brings me up with milk and other riches take me into her fold with her radiant face and bring me safety and renown!

Mayi Medham mayi prajam mayyagnis thejo…..

Let Agni, the god of Fire grant me intellect, progeny, the radiance from the recitation of the Vedas along with the strength of the indriyas! Let Surya, the Sun god grant me intellect, progeny and the power to terrify the minds of my enemies!