Verses 1, 2, 3, 4
मा नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो अर्य॒मायुरिंद्र॑ ऋभु॒क्षा म॒रुतः॒ परि॑ ख्यन् । यद्वा॒जिनो॑ दे॒वजा॑तस्य॒ सप्तेः॑ प्रव॒क्ष्यामो॑ वि॒दथे॑ वी॒र्या॑णि ॥
mā́ no mitró váruṇo aryamā́yúríndra ṛbhukṣā́ marútaḥ pári khyan ǀ yádvājíno devájātasya sápteḥ pravakṣyā́mo vidáthe vīryā́ṇi ǁ
यन्नि॒र्णिजा॒ रेक्ण॑सा॒ प्रावृ॑तस्य रा॒तिं गृ॑भी॒तां मु॑ख॒तो नयं॑ति । सुप्रा॑ङ॒जो मेम्य॑द्वि॒श्वरू॑प इंद्रापू॒ष्णोः प्रि॒यमप्ये॑ति॒ पाथः॑ ॥
yánnirṇíjā rékṇasā prā́vṛtasya rātím gṛbhītā́m mukható náyanti ǀ súprāṅajó mémyadviśvárūpa indrāpūṣṇóḥ priyámápyeti pā́thaḥ ǁ
ए॒ष छागः॑ पु॒रो अश्वे॑न वा॒जिना॑ पू॒ष्णो भा॒गो नी॑यते वि॒श्वदे॑व्यः । अ॒भि॒प्रियं॒ यत्पु॑रो॒ळाश॒मर्व॑ता॒ त्वष्टेदे॑नं सौश्रव॒साय॑ जिन्वति ॥
eṣá chā́gaḥ puró áśvena vājínā pūṣṇó bhāgó nīyate viśvádevyaḥ ǀ abhipríyam yátpuroḷā́śamárvatā tváṣṭédenam sauśravasā́ya jinvati ǁ
यद्ध॑वि॒ष्य॑मृतु॒शो दे॑व॒यानं॒ त्रिर्मानु॑षाः॒ पर्यश्वं॒ नयं॑ति । अत्रा॑ पू॒ष्णः प्र॑थ॒मो भा॒ग ए॑ति य॒ज्ञं दे॒वेभ्यः॑ प्रतिवे॒दय॑न्न॒जः ॥
yáddhaviṣyámṛtuśó devayā́nam trírmā́nuṣāḥ páryáśvam náyanti ǀ átrā pūṣṇáḥ prathamó bhāgá eti yajñám devébhyaḥ prativedáyannajáḥ ǁ
As the sacred rite begins, the Ṛṣi invokes the great guardians of the cosmic order—Mitra, Varuṇa, Aryaman, Indra, and the Maruts—to witness the grand consecration of the sacrificial steed. This magnificent horse, born of the gods, is not merely an animal; it is a symbol of cosmic energy, prāṇa, and the vital force of the universe itself, decorated and brought forward with sacred garments and treasures. Accompanying the noble horse is the goat, sacred to Pūṣan, which leads the procession and acts as the forerunner of the sacrifice, announcing the offering to the assembled deities. The ritual unfolds with absolute precision, repeated thrice by human hands along the path of the gods. The Ṛṣi reminds us that every element of this great liturgy is structured to bridge the mortal realm with the immortal divine planes. Through the goat and the steed, the sacrifice is properly introduced, ensuring that the cosmic circuit of giving and receiving remains unbroken, vibrant, and aligned with Ṛta.
Verse 1: May Mitra, Varuṇa, Aryaman, Indra, Ṛbhukṣan, and the Maruts protect us as we proclaim the heroic deeds of the divine-born, victorious steed in the sacred assembly.
Verse 2: When they lead forward the beautifully adorned offering wrapped in wealth, the many-formed, bleating goat walks straight in front, reaching the beloved path of Indra and Pūṣan.
Verse 3: This goat, sacred to all gods, goes ahead of the swift horse as Pūṣan's share; Tvaṣṭṛ indeed urges this sweet oblation forward with the courser toward high renown.
Verse 4: When mortals three times lead the sacrificial horse around the divine path according to the seasons, the first share of Pūṣan goes forth, announcing the sacrifice to the gods as the goat.
Sāyaṇa interprets the horse and goat literally as animal sacrifices, while esoteric commentators like Sri Aurobindo view the 'Ashva' as the vital force (prāṇa) and energy of the cosmos offered back to the divine source.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मित्रः | mitraḥ | Mitra, deity of contracts and friendship |
| वरुणः | varuṇaḥ | Varuṇa, guardian of cosmic order |
| वाजिनः | vājinaḥ | of the swift, powerful, or victorious steed |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| निर्णिजा | nirṇijā | with ornament or garment |
| अजः | ajaḥ | the goat (also meaning unborn) |
| मेम्यत् | memyat | bleating |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| छागः | chāgaḥ | he-goat |
| पूष्णः | pūṣṇaḥ | of Pūṣan, nourisher |
| त्वष्टा | tvaṣṭā | Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine shaper |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| हविष्यम् | haviṣyam | fit for oblation |
| देवयानम् | devayānam | the path of the gods |
| ऋतुशः | ṛtuśaḥ | season by season, in due order |
Picture a magnificent royal procession led by a bleating goat paving the way for a majestic, garlanded warhorse entering a golden temple gate.
Verses 5, 6, 7
होता॑ध्व॒र्युराव॑या अग्निमिं॒धो ग्रा॑वग्रा॒भ उ॒त शंस्ता॒ सुवि॑प्रः । तेन॑ य॒ज्ञेन॒ स्व॑रंकृतेन॒ स्वि॑ष्टेन व॒क्षणा॒ आ पृ॑णध्वं ॥
hótādhvaryúrā́vayā agnimindhó grāvagrābhá utá śáṃstā súvipraḥ ǀ téna yajñéna sváraṅkṛtena svíṣṭena vakṣáṇā ā́ pṛṇadhvam ǁ
यू॒प॒व्र॒स्का उ॒त ये यू॑पवा॒हाश्च॒षालं॒ ये अ॑श्वयू॒पाय॒ तक्ष॑ति । ये चार्व॑ते॒ पच॑नं सं॒भरं॑त्यु॒तो तेषा॑म॒भिगू॑र्तिर्न इन्वतु ॥
yūpavraskā́ utá yé yūpavāhā́ścaṣā́lam yé aśvayūpā́ya tákṣati ǀ yé cā́rvate pácanam sambhárantyutó téṣāmabhígūrtirna invatu ǁ
उप॒ प्रागा॑त्सु॒मन्मे॑ऽधायि॒ मन्म॑ दे॒वाना॒माशा॒ उप॑ वी॒तपृ॑ष्ठः । अन्वे॑नं॒ विप्रा॒ ऋष॑यो मदंति दे॒वानां॑ पु॒ष्टे च॑कृमा सु॒बंधुं॑ ॥
úpa prā́gātsumánme’dhāyi mánma devā́nāmā́śā úpa vītápṛṣṭhaḥ ǀ ánvenam víprā ṛ́ṣayo madanti devā́nām puṣṭé cakṛmā subándhum ǁ
Here we witness the intricate division of labor among the officiating priests. The Hotṛ, Adhvaryu, Āvayā, Agnimindha, Grāvagrābha, and the wise reciter all play their assigned roles with absolute synchronization. Every individual involved in the physical construction—from those who hew the sacrificial yūpa (sacrificial post) and carve the ringed caṣāla to those who prepare the cooking vessels—is blessed and integrated into the spiritual efficacy of the sacrifice. The Ṛṣi notes that the prayer reaches forward, supported by deep insight, touching the heavenly quarters. The priests and sages rejoice in this communion, establishing an unbroken lineage of sacred friendship and divine abundance. The meticulous physical labor of the altar thus mirrors the inner discipline required to channel divine consciousness.
Verse 5: May the Hotṛ, the Adhvaryu, the Āvayā, the Agnimindha, the Grāvagrābha, and the wise reciter fill our inner faculties with this well-made, well-offered sacrifice.
Verse 6: Those who hew the sacrificial posts, those who carry them, those who carve the caṣāla ring for the horse's post, and those who prepare the vessel for the steed—may their blessed dedication further us.
Verse 7: The well-formulated prayer has gone forth, well-placed, touching the quarters with its broad back. The wise sages rejoice in it, and we have established a deep bond in the abundance of the gods.
Sāyaṇa focuses heavily on the technical duties of the six priests mentioned in verse 5. The spiritual reading views these priests as psychological faculties harmonizing within the seeker.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| होता | hotā | the invoking priest |
| अध्वर्युः | adhvaryuḥ | the performing priest |
| वक्षणाः | vakṣaṇāḥ | belly, breasts, or inner vessels/faculties |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| यूपव्रस्काः | yūpavraskāḥ | hewers of the sacrificial post |
| चषालम् | caṣālam | the wooden ring atop the sacrificial post |
| पचनम् | pacanam | cooking vessel or place |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वीतपृष्ठः | vītapṛṣṭhaḥ | having a broad or gladdened back |
| विप्राः | viprāḥ | inspired sages, poets |
| सुबंधुम् | subandhum | well-related, a firm kinship |
Imagine a master carpenter and a team of artisans carving pillars and fashioning golden vessels, each strike of the mallet echoing like a chant in a grand cathedral.
Verses 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
यद्वा॒जिनो॒ दाम॑ सं॒दान॒मर्व॑तो॒ या शी॑र्ष॒ण्या॑ रश॒ना रज्जु॑रस्य । यद्वा॑ घास्य॒ प्रभृ॑तमा॒स्ये॒३॒॑ तृणं॒ सर्वा॒ ता ते॒ अपि॑ दे॒वेष्व॑स्तु ॥
yádvājíno dā́ma saṃdā́namárvato yā́ śīrṣaṇyā́ raśanā́ rájjurasya ǀ yádvā ghāsya prábhṛtamāsyé tṛ́ṇam sárvā tā́ te ápi devéṣvastu ǁ
यदश्व॑स्य क्र॒विषो॒ मक्षि॒काश॒ यद्वा॒ स्वरौ॒ स्वधि॑तौ रि॒प्तमस्ति॑ । यद्धस्त॑योः शमि॒तुर्यन्न॒खेषु॒ सर्वा॒ ता ते॒ अपि॑ दे॒वेष्व॑स्तु ॥
yádáśvasya kravíṣo mákṣikā́śa yádvā svárau svádhitau riptámásti ǀ yáddhástayoḥ śamitúryánnakhéṣu sárvā tā́ te ápi devéṣvastu ǁ
यदूव॑ध्यमु॒दर॑स्याप॒वाति॒ य आ॒मस्य॑ क्र॒विषो॑ गं॒धो अस्ति॑ । सु॒कृ॒ता तच्छ॑मि॒तारः॑ कृण्वंतू॒त मेधं॑ शृत॒पाकं॑ पचंतु ॥
yádū́vadhyamudárasyāpavā́ti yá āmásya kravíṣo gandhó ásti ǀ sukṛtā́ tácchamitā́raḥ kṛṇvantūtá médham śṛtapā́kam pacantu ǁ
यत्ते॒ गात्रा॑द॒ग्निना॑ प॒च्यमा॑नाद॒भि शूलं॒ निह॑तस्याव॒धाव॑ति । मा तद्भूम्या॒मा श्रि॑ष॒न्मा तृणे॑षु दे॒वेभ्य॒स्तदु॒शद्भ्यो॑ रा॒तम॑स्तु ॥
yátte gā́trādagnínā pacyámānādabhí śū́lam níhatasyāvadhā́vati ǀ mā́ tádbhū́myāmā́ śriṣanmā́ tṛ́ṇeṣu devébhyastáduśádbhyo rātámastu ǁ
ये वा॒जिनं॑ परि॒पश्यं॑ति प॒क्वं य ई॑मा॒हुः सु॑र॒भिर्निर्ह॒रेति॑ । ये चार्व॑तो मांसभि॒क्षामु॒पास॑त उ॒तो तेषा॑म॒भिगू॑र्तिर्न इन्वतु ॥
yé vājínam paripáśyanti pakvám yá īmāhúḥ surabhírnírharéti ǀ yé cā́rvato māṃsabhikṣā́mupā́sata utó téṣāmabhígūrtirna invatu ǁ
यन्नीक्ष॑णं माँ॒स्पच॑न्या उ॒खाया॒ या पात्रा॑णि यू॒ष्ण आ॒सेच॑नानि । ऊ॒ष्म॒ण्या॑पि॒धाना॑ चरू॒णामं॒काः सू॒नाः परि॑ भूषं॒त्यश्वं॑ ॥
yánnī́kṣaṇam mām̐spácanyā ukhā́yā yā́ pā́trāṇi yūṣṇá āsécanāni ǀ ūṣmaṇyā́pidhā́nā carūṇā́maṅkā́ḥ sūnā́ḥ pári bhūṣantyáśvam ǁ
नि॒क्रम॑णं नि॒षद॑नं वि॒वर्त॑नं॒ यच्च॒ पड्बी॑श॒मर्व॑तः । यच्च॑ प॒पौ यच्च॑ घा॒सिं ज॒घास॒ सर्वा॒ ता ते॒ अपि॑ दे॒वेष्व॑स्तु ॥
nikrámaṇam niṣádanam vivártanam yácca páḍbīśamárvataḥ ǀ yácca papáu yácca ghāsím jaghā́sa sárvā tā́ te ápi devéṣvastu ǁ
A profound sense of reverence pervades these verses. The Ṛṣi addresses every potential source of impurity or accidental roughness associated with the handling of the animal. Whether it is the binding rope, the tether, the grass in its mouth, the touch of the knife, the fly upon the flesh, or the hands of the slaughterer—every single detail is sanctified and offered up to the divine. Nothing is left to mundane negligence. The śamitārs (cooks/processors) are instructed to perform their duties with absolute skill so that the offering is cooked to perfection and pure. The steam, the vessels, the juices, and the restraints are all acknowledged with deep mindfulness, ensuring that the transition of the physical form is conducted with sacred dignity and absolute purity.
Verse 8: Whatever tether, binding rope, or head-harness belongs to the steed, and whatever grass has been placed in its mouth—may all that be yours among the gods.
Verse 9: Whatever flies have touched the horse's flesh, whatever is smeared on the sacrificial axe or knife, whatever is on the hands of the cutter or his nails—may all that be with the gods.
Verse 10: Whatever foul odor exhales from the belly of the raw flesh, let the skilled processors prepare it well and cook the offering to perfection.
Verse 11: Whatever juices run from your limbs heated by fire against the spit of the slain one, let them not scatter on the earth or grass, but let that be offered to the desiring gods.
Verse 12: Those who watch the steed as it is cooked, and say 'It smells fragrant, take it down!', and those who wait for the distribution of its meat—may their dedication further us.
Verse 13: The inspection vessel of the meat-cooker, the containers for pouring the broth, the steam-covers of the cauldrons, and the hooks—all these slaughterhouse utensils surround the horse.
Verse 14: The stepping, the sitting, the turning, and the foot-fetters of the steed, what it drank and what fodder it chewed—may all that be yours among the gods.
These verses highlight the extreme ritual consciousness of the Vedic tradition, where even mundane physical byproducts and tools are sanctified through mantra so nothing is left profane.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| संसदानम् | saṃsadānam | binding cord or fetter |
| शीर्षण्या | śīrṣaṇyā | pertaining to the head, headstall |
| घास्य | ghāsya | fodder, grass |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| क्रविषः | kraviṣaḥ | of raw flesh |
| स्वरौ | svarau | on the stake or knife |
| स्वधितौ | svadhitau | on the butcher's knife |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ऊवध्यम् | ūvadhyam | intestinal waste, omentum |
| शमितारः | śamitāraḥ | the preparers/cooks |
| शृतपाकम् | śṛtapākam | cooked thoroughly |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| गात्रात् | gātrāt | from the limb |
| शूलम् | śūlam | spit, stake |
| उशद्भ्यः | uśadbhyah | to the desiring (gods) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पक्वम् | pakvam | cooked, ripe |
| सुरभिः | surabhiḥ | fragrant |
| मांसभिक्षाम् | māṃsabhikṣām | share or portion of meat |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मांसपचन्याः | māṃspacanyāḥ | of the meat-cooking pot |
| ऊष्मण्या | ūṣmaṇyā | steaming, vapor-filled |
| सूनाः | sūnāḥ | slaughter place, butcher's stall |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| निक्रमणम् | nikramaṇam | stepping out |
| पड्बीशम् | paḍbīśam | foot-fetter, hobble |
| घासिम् | ghāsim | fodder |
Think of a meticulous surgeon and sanctuary keeper checking every single instrument and cloth to ensure absolute purity and zero waste during a sacred rite.
Verses 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
मा त्वा॒ग्निर्ध्व॑नयीद्धू॒मगं॑धि॒र्मोखा भ्राजं॑त्य॒भि वि॑क्त॒ जघ्रिः॑ । इ॒ष्टं वी॒तम॒भिगू॑र्तं॒ वष॑ट्कृतं॒ तं दे॒वासः॒ प्रति॑ गृभ्णं॒त्यश्वं॑ ॥
mā́ tvāgnírdhvanayīddhūmágandhirmókhā́ bhrā́jantyabhí vikta jághriḥ ǀ iṣṭám vītámabhígūrtam váṣaṭkṛtam tám devā́saḥ práti gṛbhṇantyáśvam ǁ
यदश्वा॑य॒ वास॑ उपस्तृ॒णंत्य॑धीवा॒सं या हिर॑ण्यान्यस्मै । सं॒दान॒मर्वं॑तं॒ पड्बी॑शं प्रि॒या दे॒वेष्वा या॑मयंति ॥
yádáśvāya vā́sa upastṛṇántyadhīvāsám yā́ híraṇyānyasmai ǀ saṃdā́namárvantam páḍbīśam priyā́ devéṣvā́ yāmayanti ǁ
यत्ते॑ सा॒दे मह॑सा॒ शूकृ॑तस्य॒ पार्ष्ण्या॑ वा॒ कश॑या वा तु॒तोद॑ । स्रु॒चेव॒ ता ह॒विषो॑ अध्व॒रेषु॒ सर्वा॒ ता ते॒ ब्रह्म॑णा सूदयामि ॥
yátte sādé máhasā śū́kṛtasya pā́rṣṇyā vā káśayā vā tutóda ǀ srucéva tā́ havíṣo adhvaréṣu sárvā tā́ te bráhmaṇā sūdayāmi ǁ
चतु॑स्त्रिंशद्वा॒जिनो॑ दे॒वबं॑धो॒र्वंक्री॒रश्व॑स्य॒ स्वधि॑तिः॒ समे॑ति । अच्छि॑द्रा॒ गात्रा॑ व॒युना॑ कृणोत॒ परु॑ष्परुरनु॒घुष्या॒ वि श॑स्त ॥
cátustriṃśadvājíno devábandhorváṅkrīráśvasya svádhitiḥ sámeti ǀ ácchidrā gā́trā vayúnā kṛṇota páruṣparuranughúṣyā ví śasta ǁ
एक॒स्त्वष्टु॒रश्व॑स्या विश॒स्ता द्वा यं॒तारा॑ भवत॒स्तथ॑ ऋ॒तुः । या ते॒ गात्रा॑णामृतु॒था कृ॒णोमि॒ ताता॒ पिंडा॑नां॒ प्र जु॑होम्य॒ग्नौ ॥
ékastváṣṭuráśvasyā viśastā́ dvā́ yantā́rā bhavatastátha ṛtúḥ ǀ yā́ te gā́trāṇāmṛtuthā́ kṛṇómi tā́tā píṇḍānām prá juhomyagnáu ǁ
मा त्वा॑ तपत्प्रि॒य आ॒त्मापि॒यंतं॒ मा स्वधि॑तिस्त॒न्व१॒॑ आ ति॑ष्ठिपत्ते । मा ते॑ गृ॒ध्नुर॑विश॒स्ताति॒हाय॑ च्छि॒द्रा गात्रा॑ण्य॒सिना॒ मिथू॑ कः ॥
mā́ tvā tapatpriyá ātmā́piyántam mā́ svádhitistanvá ā́ tiṣṭhipatte ǀ mā́ te gṛdhnúraviśastā́tihā́ya cchidrā́ gā́trāṇyasínā míthū kaḥ ǁ
In this powerful sequence, the ritual reaches its anatomical and spiritual climax. The Ṛṣi prays that the fire does not scorch the offering with harsh smoke, and that the vessels do not crack. Garments, gold ornaments, fetters, and housings are symbolically sent to the divine realm along with the horse. The Ṛṣi addresses any accidental pain caused by heel or whip during the horse's life, smoothing it over with sacred utterance (brahman). Then comes the famous instruction on anatomical precision: thirty-four ribs of the divine-related steed are cleanly met by the axe, joint by joint, without fracturing the bones. The dissector and the restrainers act with rhythmic harmony according to the seasonal laws. Portions of the limbs are sliced rhythmically and offered directly into the blazing Agni, while prayers ensure the knife causes no wrongful pain or clumsy dismemberment.
Verse 15: Let not smoke-scented fire scorch you, nor let the glowing cauldron burst. The gods receive the horse as duly desired, welcomed, praised, and consecrated with 'Vaṣaṭ!'
Verse 16: Whatever raiment they spread over the horse, the upper garment, whatever gold ornaments, fetters, and hobbles—they direct all these dear things to the gods.
Verse 17: Whatever during your seating you suffered from a blow of the heel or whip, all that I make smooth for you in sacrifices with mantra, like a sruk ladle with oblation.
Verse 18: The thirty-four ribs of the steed, friend of the gods, meet the axe. Make the limbs flawless, knowing the right way, and cutting them joint by joint with repeated proclamation.
Verse 19: One is the dismemberer of Tvaṣṭṛ's horse, two are the holders that assist in due season. The parts of your limbs that I carve out in rhythm, all these pieces I offer forth into Agni.
Verse 20: Let not your dear soul burn you as you depart; let not the axe stick fast in your body. Let not a greedy, unskilled cutter leave your limbs mutilated by awkward hacking.
Verse 18's reference to 'thirty-four ribs' includes the rib cage and associated skeletal structures recognized in Vedic veterinary taxonomy. The tone is deeply protective, ensuring the animal's transition is honorable.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ध्वनयीत् | dhvanayīt | scorch, fill with smoke |
| उखा | ukhā | cooking pot, cauldron |
| वषट्कृतम् | vaṣaṭkṛtam | consecrated with the vaṣaṭ exclamation |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अधीवासम् | adhīvāsam | over-garment, upper cloth |
| हिरण्यानि | hiraṇyāni | gold ornaments |
| यामयंति | yamayanti | they direct, cause to reach |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पार्ष्ण्या | pārṣṇyā | with the heel |
| कशया | kaśayā | with the whip |
| सूदयामि | sūdayāmi | I make right, sweeten, or render successful |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| चतुस्त्रिंशत् | catustriṃśat | thirty-four |
| वङ्क्रीः | vaṅkrīḥ | ribs |
| परुष्परुः | paruṣparuḥ | joint by joint |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| विशस्ता | viśastā | dissector, cutter |
| यन्तारा | yantārā | two controllers/holders |
| पिंडानाम् | piṇḍānām | of the pieces, lumps |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| तपत् | tapat | scorch, burn, pain |
| गृधनुः | gṛdhnuḥ | greedy, eager |
| मिथू कः | mithū kaḥ | do awry, mangle |
Envision an expert artisan sculpting a masterpiece from stone with absolute symmetry and reverence, where every strike is accompanied by a silent prayer.
Verses 21, 22
न वा उ॑ ए॒तन्म्रि॑यसे॒ न रि॑ष्यसि दे॒वाँ इदे॑षि प॒थिभिः॑ सु॒गेभिः॑ । हरी॑ ते॒ युंजा॒ पृष॑ती अभूता॒मुपा॑स्थाद्वा॒जी धु॒रि रास॑भस्य ॥
ná vā́ u etánmriyase ná riṣyasi devā́m̐ ídeṣi pathíbhiḥ sugébhiḥ ǀ hárī te yúñjā pṛ́ṣatī abhūtāmúpāsthādvājī́ dhurí rā́sabhasya ǁ
सु॒गव्यं॑ नो वा॒जी स्वश्व्यं॑ पुं॒सः पु॒त्राँ उ॒त वि॑श्वा॒पुषं॑ र॒यिं । अ॒ना॒गा॒स्त्वं नो॒ अदि॑तिः कृणोतु क्ष॒त्रं नो॒ अश्वो॑ वनतां ह॒विष्मा॑न् ॥
sugávyam no vājī́ sváśvyam puṃsáḥ putrā́m̐ utá viśvāpúṣam rayím ǀ anāgāstvám no áditiḥ kṛṇotu kṣatrám no áśvo vanatām havíṣmān ǁ
The Sūkta culminates in a sublime metaphysical assurance. The Ṛṣi directly addresses the horse, reassuring it that it does not truly die or perish; rather, it travels by auspicious, easy paths straight to the abode of the gods. Its swift harness is joined, and it takes its exalted place among the immortals. Finally, the sacrificer turns to the ultimate boons sought from this grand liturgy. Aditi, the boundless mother of the cosmos, is invoked to grant absolute sinlessness (anāgāstvam). The horse-sacrifice brings comprehensive prosperity: rich herds of cattle, excellent horses, heroic and noble sons, all-nourishing wealth (viśvāpuṣam rayim), and firm spiritual sovereignty (kṣatram) for the community.
Verse 21: Indeed, you do not truly die here, nor are you harmed; you go to the gods along auspicious paths. Your yoked bays are paired, and the swift steed takes its place at the pole of the ass.
Verse 22: May the swift steed grant us rich cattle, fine horses, brave sons, and all-nourishing wealth. May Aditi grant us sinlessness, and may our horse-sacrificing kṣatra prevail.
Verse 21 is a foundational text for Hindu eschatology regarding sacrifice, explicitly stating that the ritual is a transmutation rather than destruction. Aditi in verse 22 represents the unfragmented divine matrix that cleanses all ritual imperfections.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| म्रियसे | mriyase | you die |
| रिष्यसि | riṣyasi | you suffer harm |
| सुगेभिः | sugebhiḥ | by easy, safe paths |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सुगव्यम् | sugavyam | abounding in good cattle |
| अनागास्त्वम् | anāgāstvam | state of being sinless/blameless |
| अदितिः | aditiḥ | Aditi, the indivisible cosmic mother |
Picture a magnificent steed shedding its earthly harness and soaring upward into a golden cloud, transforming into a constellation of pure light and abundance.