Tr. By the Truth Mitra and Varura whose touch is on the Truth, and who increase the Truth, enjoy a vast will-power.
ṛtena by the truth (by means of truth alone); mitrāvarunau O Mitra and Varuna (both of you); bịhantam vast; kratum conscious firm will (that is, will-power of effectuating action); āśāthe pervade (attain for enjoyment); of what kind are the Mitra-Varuna ? ſtāvşdhau increasers of the Truth; again of what kind ? ștaspşšā touching the Truth.
Rta is Truth or the Truth-Law everywhere in the Veda. This is indeed the first of the terms that are significant for bringing out the secret sense of the Veda. Mitra and Varuna are the increasers of ſta, ſtāvsdhau, those who increase the Truth in the Yajamana. They are those "whose touch is on the Truth”, ștaspěšā, because their contact with Truth is inherently present. And their one means of increasing the Truth is Truth alone. That is why the instrumental (ṛtena) is used in the sense of the instrument of action. Their will is engaged in the conscious performance of such activity. That is why it is said 'you pervade the will’ kratum āśāthe.
Externally, it is well known that kratu stands for sacrifice. And hence in the outer sense, they take the Rik to mean that Mitra and Varuna, enjoyers of the Yajna, who come to the place of the sacrifice, to enjoy the sacrifice, bịhantam, most developed in its limbs and sublimbs, and replete with food. But in our sense it is to be understood as follows: when the inner sacrifice is begun, when the inner flame of the seer-will is lit, and when the chief prāņa –charioteer of Mind-has obtained by the grace of the pleased Indra and Vayu, the capacity to press the soma, Mitra and Varuna, distinguished with the said qualities, increasers of Truth, attain to and enjoy the effectuating will-power abundant or large, vast by its truth, denoted by the term kratu.
Here is the third Rik in the sub-hymn to Mitra-Varuna: