Verses 1, 2, 3, 4
ईळे॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी पू॒र्वचि॑त्तये॒ऽग्निं घ॒र्मं सु॒रुचं॒ याम॑न्नि॒ष्टये॑ । याभि॒र्भरे॑ का॒रमंशा॑य॒ जिन्व॑थ॒स्ताभि॑रू॒ षु ऊ॒तिभि॑रश्वि॒ना ग॑तं ॥
ī́ḷe dyā́vāpṛthivī́ pūrvácittaye’gním gharmám surúcam yā́manniṣṭáye ǀ yā́bhirbháre kārámáṃśāya jínvathastā́bhirū ṣú ūtíbhiraśvinā́ gatam ǁ
यु॒वोर्दा॒नाय॑ सु॒भरा॑ अस॒श्चतो॒ रथ॒मा त॑स्थुर्वच॒सं न मंत॑वे । याभि॒र्धियोऽव॑थः॒ कर्म॑न्नि॒ष्टये॒ ताभि॑रू॒ षु ऊ॒तिभि॑रश्वि॒ना ग॑तं ॥
yuvórdānā́ya subhárā asaścáto ráthamā́ tasthurvacasám ná mántave ǀ yā́bhirdhíyó’vathaḥ kármanniṣṭáye tā́bhirū ṣú ūtíbhiraśvinā́ gatam ǁ
यु॒वं तासां॑ दि॒व्यस्य॑ प्र॒शास॑ने वि॒शां क्ष॑यथो अ॒मृत॑स्य म॒ज्मना॑ । याभि॑र्धे॒नुम॒स्वं१॒॑ पिन्व॑थो नरा॒ ताभि॑रू॒ षु ऊ॒तिभि॑रश्वि॒ना ग॑तं ॥
yuvám tā́sām divyásya praśā́sane viśā́m kṣayatho amṛ́tasya majmánā ǀ yā́bhirdhenúmasvám pínvatho narā tā́bhirū ṣú ūtíbhiraśvinā́ gatam ǁ
याभिः॒ परि॑ज्मा॒ तन॑यस्य म॒ज्मना॑ द्विमा॒ता तू॒र्षु त॒रणि॑र्वि॒भूष॑ति । याभि॑स्त्रि॒मंतु॒रभ॑वद्विचक्ष॒णस्ताभि॑रू॒ षु ऊ॒तिभि॑रश्वि॒ना ग॑तं ॥
yā́bhiḥ párijmā tánayasya majmánā dvimātā́ tūrṣú taráṇirvibhū́ṣati ǀ yā́bhistrimánturábhavadvicakṣaṇástā́bhirū ṣú ūtíbhiraśvinā́ gatam ǁ
As the Sūkta opens, the Ṛṣi invokes Heaven and Earth alongside Agni, preparing the consciousness for the descent of the dual divine physicians, the Aśvins. The Aśvins are implored to come with those ancient, infallible acts of grace by which they uplifted the devoted singer, sustained the cosmic and human orders, and nourished the inner cattle of light. These verses establish the refrain that echoes through the entire hymn: 'With those protections, O Aśvins, come hither.'
Verse 1: I invoke Heaven and Earth for ancient awareness, and Agni, the flaming purifier, bright in his course; with those same saving helps by which you invigorate the singer for his portion, come hither, O Aśvins, with your protections.
Verse 2: With well-laden chariots, unyielding and swift toward your giving, your worshippers approach your praise as one seeks understanding; with those helps by which you foster the inner thought in sacred work, come hither, O Aśvins.
Verse 3: You two, under the supreme governance of the Divine, rule over the peoples by the mighty power of immortality; with those helps by which you swell the barren cow with milk, come hither, O Aśvins.
Verse 4: By which powers the all-pervading one, through the might of progeny, moves swiftly with a double mother, and becomes the threefold-knowing seer; with those protections, O Aśvins, come hither.
Sāyaṇa interprets these opening verses through traditional ritualistic lenses, while Sri Aurobindo sees the Aśvins as the Lords of Bliss (Ānanda) who bridge the gulf between darkness and light, bringing psychological integration and spiritual wealth.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ईळे | īḷe | I praise, I invoke |
| द्यावापृथिवी | dyāvāpṛthivī | Heaven and Earth |
| अग्निम् | agnim | Agni, the divine flame |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| युवोः | yuvoḥ | of you two (Aśvins) |
| दानाय | dānāya | for the gift/bestowal |
| रथम् | ratham | chariot |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| दिव्यस्य | divyasya | of the divine/heavenly |
| अमृतस्य | amṛtasya | of immortality |
| पिन्वथः | pinvathaḥ | you cause to swell, nourish |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| परिज्मा | parijmā | moving around, all-pervading |
| द्विमामाता | dvimātā | having two mothers (earth and heaven or two fires) |
| तरणिः | taraṇiḥ | swift, crossing safely |
Picture twin physicians riding a golden chariot across the morning sky, bearing urns of nectar to heal every human deficiency.