Verses 1, 2
तं युं॑जाथां॒ मन॑सो॒ यो जवी॑यान् त्रिवंधु॒रो वृ॑षणा॒ यस्त्रि॑च॒क्रः । येनो॑पया॒थः सु॒कृतो॑ दुरो॒णं त्रि॒धातु॑ना पतथो॒ विर्न प॒र्णैः ॥
tám yuñjāthām mánaso yó jávīyān trivandhuró vṛṣaṇā yástricakráḥ ǀ yénopayātháḥ sukṛ́to duroṇám tridhā́tunā patatho vírná parṇáiḥ ǁ
सु॒वृद्रथो॑ वर्तते॒ यन्न॒भि क्षां यत्तिष्ठ॑थः॒ क्रतु॑मं॒तानु॑ पृ॒क्षे । वपु॑र्वपु॒ष्या स॑चतामि॒यं गीर्दि॒वो दु॑हि॒त्रोषसा॑ सचेथे ॥
suvṛ́drátho vartate yánnabhí kṣā́m yáttíṣṭhathaḥ krátumantā́nu pṛkṣé ǀ vápurvapuṣyā́ sacatāmiyám gī́rdivó duhitróṣásā sacethe ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi invites the Aśvins—the divine twin horsemen of dawn, healing, and transition—to yoke their marvelous chariot. This vehicle is no ordinary carriage; it is swift as thought, possessed of three seats (trivandhura), and three wheels (tricakra), moving across the realms with the speed of birds flying on wings of three-fold essence. The imagery is cosmic yet intimate. The Ṛṣi pictures the chariot descending smoothly upon the dwelling of the righteous sacrificer, rolling across the earth as the wise, purposeful (kratumantā) twins approach in harmony with Uṣas, the goddess of dawn. The dynamic movement of the chariot symbolizes the descent of divine grace and healing energy from the spiritual heights into the earthly consciousness of the seeker. The Aśvins represent the harmonious balancing of opposing forces—light and dark, breath and vitality, mind and matter. By asking them to yoke this thought-swift chariot, the Ṛṣi demonstrates that spiritual attainment requires a focused, elevated mind capable of matching the rapid tempo of divine intervention.
Verse 1: Yoke together that chariot of yours which is swifter than thought, possessing three seats and three wheels, O vigorous ones; with it, fly like birds on wings of triple essence to the home of the righteous worshipper.
Verse 2: Your well-rolling chariot turns toward the earth when you mount it, purposeful ones, hastening to the offering. May this hymn of ours, radiant in its beauty, join with you, and with Uṣas, the daughter of heaven.
Sāyaṇa interprets the 'three wheels' and 'three seats' as cosmic references to the three worlds or three daily sacrifices, while psychological interpreters like Sri Aurobindo see them as symbols of the three psychological planes—mental, vital, and physical—bridged by divine action.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| तं युञ्जाथाम् | tám yuñjāthām | yoke that (chariot) |
| मनसो जवीयान् | mánaso yó jávīyān | which is swifter than mind/thought |
| त्रिवन्धुरः | trivandhuráḥ | having three seats or attachments |
| वृषणा | vṛṣaṇā | O vigorous ones (Aśvins) |
| त्रिचक्रः | yástricakráḥ | which has three wheels |
| विर्न पर्णैः | vírná parṇáiḥ | like birds with wings |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सुवृद्रथः | suvṛ́dráthaḥ | well-rolling chariot |
| वर्तते | vartate | turns, rolls |
| क्रतुमन्ता | krátumantā́ | possessing will or divine wisdom |
| उषसा सचेथे | uṣásā sacethe | you associate/unite with Dawn |
Imagine a brilliant, three-wheeled vehicle flashing across the morning sky faster than a fleeting thought, guided by twin lights right to your doorstep.
Verses 3, 4
आ ति॑ष्ठतं सु॒वृतं॒ यो रथो॑ वा॒मनु॑ व्र॒तानि॒ वर्त॑ते ह॒विष्मा॑न् । येन॑ नरा नासत्येष॒यध्यै॑ व॒र्तिर्या॒थस्तन॑याय॒ त्मने॑ च ॥
ā́ tiṣṭhatam suvṛ́tam yó rátho vāmánu vratā́ni vártate havíṣmān ǀ yéna narā nāsatyeṣayádhyai vartíryāthástánayāya tmáne ca ǁ
मा वां॒ वृको॒ मा वृ॒कीरा द॑धर्षी॒न्मा परि॑ वर्क्तमु॒त माति॑ धक्तं । अ॒यं वां॑ भा॒गो निहि॑त इ॒यं गीर्दस्रा॑वि॒मे वां॑ नि॒धयो॒ मधू॑नां ॥
mā́ vām vṛ́ko mā́ vṛkī́rā́ dadharṣīnmā́ pári varktamutá mā́ti dhaktam ǀ ayám vām bhāgó níhita iyám gī́rdásrāvimé vām nidháyo mádhūnām ǁ
Moving from cosmic mechanics to personal devotion, the Ṛṣi passionately calls upon the Aśvins to mount their smooth-rolling chariot and partake of the ritual offerings prepared by the haviṣmān (the one holding the oblation). The journey of the chariot is not abstract; it is directed toward securing the wellbeing, sustenance, and continuation of the seeker's lineage and self (tanayāya tmane ca). The relationship is profoundly reciprocal: the mortal offers devotion and sacred butter, while the divine twins bring healing, energy, and safe passage. Yet, the mortal journey is fraught with peril. In verse 4, the Ṛṣi utters a fierce protective prayer: 'May neither the wolf nor the she-wolf harm us, nor trample upon us, nor scorch us with calamity.' The wolf here operates on multiple levels—both the literal predator threatening pastoral life in Vedic times and the psychological embodiment of greed, greediness, and destructive predatory forces that sap human vitality. The Ṛṣi lays out his treasure—the song of praise and the reservoirs of sweetness (madhūnām)—as an offering to secure divine safeguarding.
Verse 3: Mount your well-rolling chariot, which moves according to your sacred laws, O you who possess the offering; by this chariot, O Nāsatyas, you travel to bestow vigor upon us, for the sake of our children and ourselves.
Verse 4: Let neither male nor female wolf assault us, nor turn us away, nor scorch us with harm. Here is set your share, O Dasras, here is the hymn, and here are your reservoirs of sweetness.
Traditional commentators view the wolf ('vṛka') both literally as a dangerous beast of the forest and metaphorically as malevolent human enemies or inner vices that attack the spiritual seeker.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| आ तिष्ठतम् | ā́ tiṣṭhatam | mount, step upon |
| सुवृतम् | suvṛ́tam | smooth-rolling |
| नरा नासत्या | narā́ nāsatyá | O heroes, O Nāsatyas (Aśvins) |
| इषयध्यै | iṣayádhyai | to refresh, to grant vigor |
| तनयाय त्मने च | tánayāya tmáne ca | for offspring and for ourselves/soul |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वृको मा वृकीः | vṛ́ko mā́ vṛkī́ḥ | neither the wolf nor the she-wolf |
| आ दधर्षीत् | ā́ dadharṣīt | let attack or maltreat |
| भागो निहितः | bhāgó níhitaḥ | share is placed/set |
| निधयो मधूनाम् | nidháyo mádhūnām | treasures/reservoirs of honey or sweetness |
Picture a shepherd standing safely within a ring of golden light, protected from prowling shadows while offering sweet honey to his divine protectors.
Verses 5, 6
यु॒वां गोत॑मः पुरुमी॒ळ्हो अत्रि॒र्दस्रा॒ हव॒तेऽव॑से ह॒विष्मा॑न् । दिशं॒ न दि॒ष्टामृ॑जू॒येव॒ यंता मे॒ हवं॑ नास॒त्योप॑ यातं ॥
yuvā́m gótamaḥ purumīḷhó átrirdásrā hávaté’vase havíṣmān ǀ díśam ná diṣṭā́mṛjūyéva yántā́ me hávam nāsatyópa yātam ǁ
अता॑रिष्म॒ तम॑सस्पा॒रम॒स्य प्रति॑ वां॒ स्तोमो॑ अश्विनावधायि । एह या॑तं प॒थिभि॑र्देव॒यानै॑र्वि॒द्यामे॒षं वृ॒जनं॑ जी॒रदा॑नुं ॥
átāriṣma támasaspārámasyá práti vām stómo aśvināvadhāyi ǀ éhá yātam pathíbhirdevayā́nairvidyā́meṣám vṛjánam jīrádānum ǁ
The Sūkta culminates in a grand invocation and a triumphant statement of spiritual success. Famous ancient Ṛṣis—Gotama, Purumīḷha, and Atri—join their voices in calling upon the Aśvins for protection and grace. The supplicant likens the divine guidance to a straight path directed toward a specific goal, handled with the precision of an expert charioteer. The final verse, one of the most sublime in the Maṇḍala, proclaims: 'We have crossed to the other shore of this darkness!' This crossing is not merely geographical; it is an existential breakthrough from ignorance, suffering, and unconsciousness into the luminous realm of the gods. The hymn (stoma) is laid before the Aśvins as an act of profound gratitude. The Ṛṣi prays that traveling along the divine paths (devayāna), they may attain abundant, life-giving vigor (iṣam vṛjanam jīradānum). The journey begun with the yoking of the thought-swift chariot ends in complete liberation and the realization of divine sweetness.
Verse 5: Gotama, Purumīḷha, and Atri—holding the oblation—call upon you both for help, O Dasras. As a guide leads straight to the intended destination, so come hither to my call, O Nāsatyas.
Verse 6: We have crossed over to the other shore of this darkness, and this song of praise has been offered to you, O Aśvins. Come hither by the paths traveled by the gods, that we may attain life-giving, abundant vigor.
Yāska and Sāyaṇa read 'tamasaḥ pāram' as escaping mortal night or difficulty, while esoteric commentators emphasize it as the definitive crossing from the night of spiritual ignorance (avidyā) into the dawn of divine knowledge.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| गोतमः पुरुमीळ्हो अत्रिः | gótamaḥ purumīḷhó átriḥ | Gotama, Purumīḷha, Atri (ancient Ṛṣis) |
| अवसे हविष्मान् | ávase havíṣmān | for help, possessing the oblation |
| ऋजुयेव यन्ता | ṛjuyā-iva yántā | like a guide leading straight |
| आ मे हवम् उप यातम् | ā́ me hávam nāsatyópa yātam | come hither unto my invocation |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अतारिष्म तमसस्पारम् | átāriṣma támasaspārám | we have crossed the far shore of darkness |
| स्तोमो अश्विनावधायि | stómo aśvināvadhāyi | the hymn was established/offered to the Aśvins |
| पथिभिर्देवयानैः | pathíbhirdevayā́naiḥ | by the paths of the gods |
| इषं वृजनं जीरदानुम् | iṣám vṛjánam jīrádānum | abundant, life-giving, active vigor/sustenance |
Visualize a boat emerging from a thick, black fog into blinding, beautiful sunlight, greeted by cheering voyagers on the golden shore.