Verses 1, 2, 3
आ वां॒ रथो॑ अश्विना श्ये॒नप॑त्वा सुमृळी॒कः स्ववाँ॑ यात्व॒र्वाङ् । यो मर्त्य॑स्य॒ मन॑सो॒ जवी॑यांत्रिवंधु॒रो वृ॑षणा॒ वात॑रंहाः ॥
ā́ vām rátho aśvinā śyenápatvā sumṛḷīkáḥ svávām̐ yātvarvā́ṅ ǀ yó mártyasya mánaso jávīyāntrivandhuró vṛṣaṇā vā́taraṃhāḥ ǁ
त्रि॒वं॒धु॒रेण॑ त्रि॒वृता॒ रथे॑न त्रिच॒क्रेण॑ सु॒वृता या॑तम॒र्वाक् । पिन्व॑तं॒ गा जिन्व॑त॒मर्व॑तो नो व॒र्धय॑तमश्विना वी॒रम॒स्मे ॥
trivandhuréṇa trivṛ́tā ráthena tricakréṇa suvṛ́tā́ yātamarvā́k ǀ pínvatam gā́ jínvatamárvato no vardháyatamaśvinā vīrámasmé ǁ
प्र॒वद्या॑मना सु॒वृता॒ रथे॑न॒ दस्रा॑वि॒मं शृ॑णुतं॒ श्लोक॒मद्रेः॑ । किमं॒ग वां॒ प्रत्यव॑र्तिं॒ गमि॑ष्ठा॒हुर्विप्रा॑सो अश्विना पुरा॒जाः ॥
pravádyāmanā suvṛ́tā ráthena dásrāvimám śṛṇutam ślókamádreḥ ǀ kímaṅgá vām prátyávartim gámiṣṭhāhúrvíprāso aśvinā purājā́ḥ ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi summons the Aśvins—the divine twin horsemen of dawn and healing—with breathless urgency and poetic wonder. Their chariot is no ordinary vehicle; it is described as flying like a hawk, swifter than the human mind itself, possessing three seats (trivandhura) and three wheels, moving smoothly across the realms. The poet asks them to come swiftly, to make the cows flow with milk, to stimulate the swift war-horses, and to enhance the heroic strength within the seekers. The imagery evokes a cosmic dynamism. The Aśvins are the bridging deities between darkness and light, mortal limitations and divine boundlessness. By invoking their swift chariot, the Ṛṣi is aligning the human consciousness with the lightning-fast grace of the divine, which transcends the mundane barriers of time and space. The praise sung to them is ancient and eternal, echoing the wisdom of the earliest seers who recognized their constant presence at the break of every dawn.
Verse 1: May your swift, hawk-flying, benevolent, and self-luminous chariot, O Aśvins, come near to us—a chariot faster than the human mind, equipped with three seats and moving like the wind, O mighty Lords.
Verse 2: Come hither with your three-seated, threefold, smooth-rolling, three-wheeled chariot! Cause our cows to yield milk, urge our steeds forward, and augment our inner heroic vitality, O Aśvins.
Verse 3: Moving along the sloping path in your smooth chariot, O Dasras, hear this hymn of praise rising from the pressing-stone. The ancient sages have always asked: who among you is the most swift to reach our call?
The translation adheres closely to the traditional descriptions of the Aśvins' chariot as analyzed by Sāyaṇa, who emphasizes the mechanical and cosmic symbolism of the three wheels and three seats (representing cosmic planes or times of day). Modern esoteric interpretations, such as Sri Aurobindo's, view these swift movements as symbols of psychological illumination and the rapid descent of divine joy.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अश्विना | aśvinā | O Aśvins (the divine twins) |
| श्येनपत्वा | śyenapatvā | flying like a hawk or eagle |
| जवीयान् | javīyān | swifter, faster |
| वातरंहाः | vātaraṃhāḥ | moving with the speed of the wind |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| त्रिवन्धुरेण | trivandhureṇa | with the three-seated chariot |
| त्रिचक्र्रेण | tricakreṇa | with the three-wheeled chariot |
| पिन्वतम् | pinvatam | cause to swell, make overflow |
| वीरम् | vīram | heroic strength, hero |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| दस्रा | dasrā | O Dasras (wonderful wonder-workers, a name for the Aśvins) |
| श्लोकम् | ślokam | hymn, song of praise, call |
| विप्रासः | viprāsaḥ | the inspired sages, wise poets |
| पुराजाः | purājāḥ | born of old, ancient seers |
Imagine a celestial racing chariot flashing across the morning sky faster than a stray thought, drawn by hawk-like steeds, bringing immediate abundance to earth.
Verses 4, 5
आ वां॑ श्ये॒नासो॑ अश्विना वहंतु॒ रथे॑ यु॒क्तास॑ आ॒शवः॑ पतं॒गाः । ये अ॒प्तुरो॑ दि॒व्यासो॒ न गृध्रा॑ अ॒भि प्रयो॑ नासत्या॒ वहं॑ति ॥
ā́ vām śyenā́so aśvinā vahantu ráthe yuktā́sa āśávaḥ pataṃgā́ḥ ǀ yé aptúro divyā́so ná gṛ́dhrā abhí práyo nāsatyā váhanti ǁ
आ वां॒ रथं॑ युव॒तिस्ति॑ष्ठ॒दत्र॑ जु॒ष्ट्वी न॑रा दुहि॒ता सूर्य॑स्य । परि॑ वा॒मश्वा॒ वपु॑षः पतं॒गा वयो॑ वहंत्वरु॒षा अ॒भीके॑ ॥
ā́ vām rátham yuvatístiṣṭhadátra juṣṭvī́ narā duhitā́ sū́ryasya ǀ pári vāmáśvā vápuṣaḥ pataṃgā́ váyo vahantvaruṣā́ abhī́ke ǁ
Here the Ṛṣi deepens the avian imagery. The horses pulling the chariot are explicitly likened to hawks or soaring birds—divine, rapid, and ever-eager to reach the offering (prayas). They cross the waters of existence effortlessly, descending like divine vultures of grace to claim their share of devotion. Then, a magnificent mythological vignette unfolds: Sūryā, the radiant daughter of the Sun, chooses to mount their chariot as a young bride. The golden-red horses surround the chariot, representing the glorious hues of sunrise. This union of the divine twins with the Sun's daughter highlights their role as patrons of marriage, harmony, and the radiant integration of divine light into human life.
Verse 4: May your hawk-like, swift, flying steeds yoke themselves to your chariot, O Aśvins—those divine, water-crossing birds that, like eager vultures, speed directly toward our offerings, O Nāsatyas.
Verse 5: Here upon your chariot mounted the youthful maiden, the daughter of the Sun, rejoicing in you, O Lords. Around you circle your brilliant, reddish-brown, bird-like steeds, carrying your majesty close to the gathering.
Sāyaṇa identifies the 'daughter of the Sun' (Sūryā) as the bride in the famous Sūryā-sūkta narrative, where the Aśvins act as her suitors and escorts. Symbolically, commentators see Sūryā as the individual soul or human consciousness wedded to the divine twin powers of bliss and action.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| श्येनासः | śyenāsaḥ | hawks, falcons |
| अप्तुरः | apturaḥ | crossing or conquering the waters |
| गृध्राः | gṛdhrāḥ | eager, greedy for the offering, vultures |
| नासत्या | nāsatyā | O Nāsatyas (true ones, a name for the Aśvins) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| युवतिः | yuvatiḥ | young maiden, bride |
| दुहिता सूर्यस्य | duhitā sūryasya | the daughter of the Sun (Sūryā) |
| वपुषः | vapuṣaḥ | marvelous, of wondrous form |
| अरुषाः | aruṣāḥ | red, reddish-brown (horses) |
Picture a dazzling sunrise where the golden rays are fierce hawks carrying a radiant bride (Sūryā) between heaven and earth.
Verses 6, 7, 8
उद्वंद॑नमैरतं दं॒सना॑भि॒रुद्रे॒भं द॑स्रा वृषणा॒ शची॑भिः । निष्टौ॒ग्र्यं पा॑रयथः समु॒द्रात्पुन॒श्च्यवा॑नं चक्रथु॒र्युवा॑नं ॥
údvándanamairatam daṃsánābhirúdrebhám dasrā vṛṣaṇā śácībhiḥ ǀ níṣṭaugryám pārayathaḥ samudrā́tpúnaścyávānam cakrathuryúvānam ǁ
यु॒वमत्र॒येऽव॑नीताय त॒प्तमूर्ज॑मो॒मान॑मश्विनावधत्तं । यु॒वं कण्वा॒यापि॑रिप्ताय॒ चक्षुः॒ प्रत्य॑धत्तं सुष्टु॒तिं जु॑जुषा॒णा ॥
yuvámátrayé’vanītāya taptámū́rjamomā́namaśvināvadhattam ǀ yuvám káṇvāyā́piriptāya cákṣuḥ prátyadhattam suṣṭutím jujuṣāṇā́ ǁ
यु॒वं धे॒नुं श॒यवे॑ नाधि॒तायापि॑न्वतमश्विना पू॒र्व्याय॑ । अमुं॑चतं॒ वर्ति॑का॒मंह॑सो॒ निः प्रति॒ जंघां॑ वि॒श्पला॑या अधत्तं ॥
yuvám dhenúm śayáve nādhitā́yā́pinvatamaśvinā pūrvyā́ya ǀ ámuñcatam vártikāmáṃhaso níḥ práti jáṅghām viśpálāyā adhattam ǁ
The Sūkta now transitions from cosmic splendor to intimate, compassionate intervention. The Aśvins are celebrated as the supreme physicians of gods and mortals, famous for rescuing those in dire distress. They lifted Vandana and Rebha from deep pits or dark waters using their wondrous skill (daṃsanābhiḥ); they delivered the son of Tugra (Bhuṅju) from the ocean; they restored youth to the aged Cyavana. Furthermore, they brought the honeyed, strengthening elixir (ūrja) to Atri when he was scorched in suffering, gave back physical sight to the blind Kaṇva, filled the milk-cow for the destitute Śaya, and miraculously saved the quail (Vartikā) from danger, while even replacing Viśpalā's severed leg with an iron prosthesis. These acts are the historical and mythological bedrock of the Aśvins' identity as divine saviors who turn impossible tragedy into vibrant life.
Verse 6: With your wondrous arts you raised up Vandana, and Rebha too, O Dasras; with your mighty powers you brought the son of Tugra safely out of the ocean, and you made aged Cyavana young once again.
Verse 7: You bestowed heated vigor and sustenance upon Atri when he was cast down in suffering, O Aśvins; and you restored sight to Kaṇva when he was blinded, gladly accepting our sweet praise.
Verse 8: You made the milk-cow flow for impoverished Śaya, O Aśvins, and you freed the quail from distress; you also restored the leg of Viśpalā when it was cut off in battle.
These verses summarize the famous 'Aśvin-miracles' (aśvinī-karmaṇi) found throughout the Rigveda. Sāyaṇa explains each as a literal historical miracle performed by the physicians of the gods. Psychological commentators view these acts as metaphors for spiritual healing—curing inner blindness, restoring the vitality of aging spiritual practice, and rescuing the soul from the dark waters of ignorance.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वन्दनम् | vandanam | Vandana (name of a sage rescued by them) |
| दंसनाभिः | daṃsanābhiḥ | with wondrous deeds, marvelous skills |
| तौग्र्यम् | taugryam | the son of Tugra (Bhuṅju) |
| च्यवानम् | cyavānam | Cyavana (the aged sage made young) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अत्रये | atraye | for the sage Atri |
| तप्तम् ऊर्जम् | taptam ūrjam | warm/fiery energy and nourishment |
| कण्वाय | kaṇvāya | for the sage Kaṇva |
| चक्षुः | cakṣuḥ | sight, vision, eye |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| धेनुम् | dhenum | milch cow |
| शयवे | śayave | for Śaya (a needy devotee) |
| वर्तिकाम् | vartikām | the quail (rescued from a predator or fire) |
| जङ्घाम् | jaṅghām | leg, shank (of Queen Viśpalā) |
Think of a master hospital emergency room where blind men see, old men regain youth, amputees walk, and trapped travelers are pulled from the sea.
Verses 9, 10, 11
यु॒वं श्वे॒तं पे॒दव॒ इंद्र॑जूतमहि॒हन॑मश्विनादत्त॒मश्वं॑ । जो॒हूत्र॑म॒र्यो अ॒भिभू॑तिमु॒ग्रं स॑हस्र॒सां वृष॑णं वी॒ड्वं॑गं ॥
yuvám śvetám pedáva índrajūtamahihánamaśvinādattamáśvam ǀ johū́tramaryó abhíbhūtimugrám sahasrasā́m vṛ́ṣaṇam vīḍváṅgam ǁ
ता वां॑ नरा॒ स्वव॑से सुजा॒ता हवा॑महे अश्विना॒ नाध॑मानाः । आ न॒ उप॒ वसु॑मता॒ रथे॑न॒ गिरो॑ जुषा॒णा सु॑वि॒ताय॑ यातं ॥
tā́ vām narā svávase sujātā́ hávāmahe aśvinā nā́dhamānāḥ ǀ ā́ na úpa vásumatā ráthena gíro juṣāṇā́ suvitā́ya yātam ǁ
आ श्ये॒नस्य॒ जव॑सा॒ नूत॑नेना॒स्मे या॑तं नासत्या स॒जोषाः॑ । हवे॒ हि वा॑मश्विना रा॒तह॑व्यः शश्वत्त॒माया॑ उ॒षसो॒ व्यु॑ष्टौ ॥
ā́ śyenásya jávasā nū́tanenāsmé yātam nāsatyā sajóṣāḥ ǀ háve hí vāmaśvinā rātáhavyaḥ śaśvattamā́yā uṣáso vyúṣṭau ǁ
In the concluding movement, the Ṛṣi recalls yet another great boon: the gift of the miraculous white, serpent-slaying horse given to Pedu, a steed urged by Indra himself, fierce, victorious, and sturdy-limbed. With this memory, the poet turns back to the immediate present, offering heartfelt invocations so that the Aśvins may arrive once more on their treasure-laden chariot. The Sūkta closes with a passionate call at the break of the countless dawns. The poet, having offered his oblations, begs the Nāsatyas to come with the fresh, lightning speed of the hawk, in complete harmony with the worshippers, ensuring that every morning begins with divine grace, protection, and boundless prosperity.
Verse 9: You gave to Pedu the white, serpent-slaying horse urged on by Indra—a horse invoked by all, victorious, fierce, winning thousands of prizes, vigorous, and strong-limbed.
Verse 10: Thus do we, imploring you and well-born lords, invoke you, O Aśvins, for our highest protection. Delighting in our hymns, come to us upon your treasure-laden chariot for our auspicious well-being.
Verse 11: Come to us with the fresh speed of the hawk, O Nāsatyas, united in joy! For I, who have prepared the oblation, invoke you, O Aśvins, at the breaking of every recurring dawn.
The gift of the white horse to Pedu (aśvaḥ pedave dattaḥ) is a well-known Rigvedic legend symbolizing divine victory over dark, obstructive forces (the 'ahi' or serpent). Sāyaṇa treats Pedu as a mortal king blessed by the gods, while spiritual commentators see the white horse as the purified life-force (prāṇa) imbued with divine energy.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| श्वेतम् | śvetam | white |
| पेदवे | pedave | to Pedu (a favored hero) |
| इन्द्रजूतम् | indrajūtam | impelled or urged by Indra |
| अहिहनम् | ahi-hanam | slayer of the serpent/dragon |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अवसे | avase | for aid, protection |
| सुजाता | sujātā | well-born, noble |
| नाधमानाः | nādhamānāḥ | imploring, begging for help |
| वसुमता | vasumatā | wealthy, possessing treasures |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| स्येनस्य | śyenasya | of the hawk or falcon |
| नूतनेन | nūtanena | fresh, new |
| सजोषाः | sajoṣāḥ | harmonious, of one mind, rejoicing together |
| व्यूष्टौ | vyuṣṭau | at the shining forth, at dawn |
Picture a magnificent white warhorse standing proudly at dawn, while the priest raises his hands at first light, welcoming the divine twins as the new day begins.