Rig Veda 10.39.9: Mandala 10, Sukta 39, Mantra 9
Sukta 10.39
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Karuna (compassion)
युवं ह रेभं वृषणा गुहा हितमुदैरयतं ममृवांसमश्विना । युवमृबीसमुत तप्तमत्रय ओमन्वन्तं चक्रथुः सप्तवध्रये ॥
yuváṃ ha rebháṃ vṛṣaṇā guhā́ hitám úd airayataṃ mamṛ-vā́ṃsam aśvinā | yuvám ṛbī́sām utá taptám átraye óman-vantaṃ cakrathuḥ saptá-vadhraye ||
أنتما، أيها الأشفينان القويّان، أقمتما رِبها الذي كان مُخفىً في الكهف، كأنه قد مات. وجعلتما رِبيسا—وكذلك المُحترِق—لأَتري في حِمىً وسلامةٍ وكمال؛ وأعدتما الموثوقَ سبعَ مرّات إلى الأمان وإلى نَفَسٍ قويم.
Word by Word
- युवाम्
- you twoPronounद्विवचन, द्वितीया (कर्म/सम्बोधन-प्रयोगेऽपि)Role Kartā (सह-कर्तृ; ‘you two’)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ह
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपातRoot ह (निपात)
- रेभम्
- Rebha (the seer)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रेभ (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषि-नाम)
- वृषणा
- O two mighty/bull-like onesNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, द्विवचन (अश्विनौ)Role SambodhanaRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- गुहा
- in a cave, in concealmentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
- हितम्
- placed, hiddenParticiple (past passive) used adjectivallyनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रेभम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (विशेषण) / अवस्थाRoot धा → √धा (कृदन्त: ‘हित’ = स्थापित/निहित)
- उद्
- up, outIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot उद् (उपसर्ग)
- ऐरयतम्
- you two raised / brought outVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), परस्मैपद, उत्तम? (न) → मध्यम? (न) → प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root ईरयति (caus.) ← √ईर/√इर् ‘to set in motion, raise’
- ममृवांसम्
- dead/near-deadPerfect active participleपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रेभम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (विशेषण)Root √मृ ‘to die’ (कृदन्त: ममृवांस् = परिपूर्ण-भूतकृदन्त, ‘having died/near-dead’)
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole SambodhanaRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक; देवता-नाम)
- युवम्
- you twoPronounद्विवचन, प्रथमाRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋबीसम्
- Ṛbīsa (a demon/foe)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ऋबीस (प्रातिपदिक; दैत्य/राक्षस-नाम)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-अर्थRoot उत (निपात)
- तप्तम्
- burnt, scorchedParticiple (past passive) used adjectivallyपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (ऋबीसम् विशेषयति) अथवा पृथक् कर्मRole Karma (विशेषण)Root √तप् ‘to heat, burn’ (कृदन्त: तप्त)
- अत्रये
- for AtriNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अत्रि (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषि-नाम)
- ओमन्वन्तम्
- helped/protectedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अत्रये विशेषयति—‘Atri who had aid’)Role Sampradāna (विशेषण)Root ओमन्वत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘having help/protection’, from ओमन् ‘aid, protection’)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च (निपात)
- चक्रथुः
- you two did / accomplishedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √कृ ‘to do, make’
- सप्तवध्रये
- for the one with seven bonds (Saptavadhri)Noun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot सप्त-वध्रि (समास-प्रातिपदिक; ‘having seven restraints/bonds’; वध्रि = बन्ध/वध्रि ‘halter, fetter’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): युवाम् ह रेभम् वृषणा गुहा हितम् उद् ऐरयतम् ममृवांसम् अश्विना । युवम् ऋबीसम् उत तप्तम् अत्रये ओमन्वन्तम् च चक्रथुः सप्तवध्रये ॥ 1) ‘उदैरयतम्’ = उद् + ऐरयतम् (उपसर्ग-सन्धि; उद् + स्वर ‘ऐ’)
- 2) ‘युवमृबीसम्’ = युवम् + ऋबीसम् (म् + ऋ → मृ)
- 3) ‘ममृवांसम्’ कृदन्त-रूप: √मृ का लिट्-प्रत्ययान्त परिपूर्णकृदन्त (वांस्) accus
- sg. 4) ‘सप्तवध्रये’ समास-प्रातिपदिक (सप्त + वध्रि) चतुर्थी एकवचन
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Aśvins raised Rebha from a cave where he lay as if dead; they made Ṛbīsa and the scorched one protected for Atri; they restored the sevenfold-bound one to safety.
Inner meaning
Rebha (the ‘praiser’) is the soul-voice buried in the subconscient cave (guhā), appearing dead—Aśvins lift it back to expression. The ‘scorched’ (taptam) indicates a being burnt by suffering/inner heat of ordeal; Atri (seer of inner fire) receives their protection so the tapas becomes luminous rather than destructive. ‘Sevenfold-bound’ (saptavadhraye) suggests the consciousness tied by multiple knots—habit, fear, ignorance, vital compulsion; the Healers restore free breath and right functioning across the seven powers/planes.
Universal truth
Even when inspiration seems dead or buried, and even when tapas turns into pain, restorative forces can retrieve the lost voice, protect the seeker, and untie multi-layered bondage.
Themes
rescue-from-cave, revivification, healing-from-burning, breaking-bonds
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.112, Rig Veda 1.116, Rig Veda 10.39
Family tradition
Late hymn style preserving older mythic exempla (Rebha, Atri) as paradigms for inner rescue.
Significance
These myths are psychological ‘case studies’: recovery of the buried mantra-voice and right handling of tapas—central to an Aurobindonian reading of Vedic yoga.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- vṛṣaṇā (mighty, virile), Nāsatyā
- Related deities
- Atri, Agni (implicit via tapas/heat), Uṣas
Cosmic role
Rescuers from death-like states; restorers of breath and movement; mediators who bring the hidden to the surface.
Inner power
Healing force that penetrates the subconscient (cave) and reanimates aspiration; harmonizes tapas.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invocation for protection and revival; Soma ritual praise segments (general)
यु॒वं ह॑ रे॒भं वृ॑षणा॒ गुहा॑ हि॒तमुदै॑रयतं ममृ॒वांस॑मश्विना । यु॒वमृ॒बीस॑मु॒त त॒प्तमत्र॑य॒ ओम॑न्वन्तं चक्रथुः स॒प्तव॑ध्रये ॥
यु॒वम् । ह॒ । रे॒भम् । वृ॒ष॒णा॒ । गुहा॑ । हि॒तम् । उत् । ऐ॒र॒य॒त॒म् । म॒मृ॒ऽवांस॑म् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । यु॒वम् । ऋ॒बीस॑म् । उ॒त । त॒प्तम् । अत्र॑ये । ओम॑न्ऽवन्तम् । चक्रथुः । स॒प्तऽव॑ध्रये ॥
yuvam | ha | rebham | vṛṣaṇā | guhā | hitam | ut | airayatam | mamṛ-vāṃsam | aśvinā | yuvam | ṛbīsam | uta | taptam | atraye | oman-vantam | cakrathuḥ | sapta-vadhraye
44
4 × ~11
Grave-to-triumphant; strong verbs (ud airayatam, cakrathuḥ) give a lifting motion.
Elicits hope in ‘impossible’ recoveries; stabilizes the nervous system through firm cadence.
- गुहा (guhā)
- Literal: cave. Symbolic: subconscient storehouse; hidden layer where light is covered
- रेभ (rebha)
- Literal: name; ‘praiser’. Symbolic: the inner voice of aspiration and mantra-consciousness
- ममृवांस (mamṛvāṃsam)
- Literal: as if dead / having died. Symbolic: collapsed will; numbness; loss of inner response
- तप्त (taptam)
- Literal: scorched, heated. Symbolic: burnt nature under ordeal; tapas turned into suffering
- सप्तवध्रि (saptavadhrī)
- Literal: sevenfold-bound. Symbolic: multiple bondages across the being; knots in the sevenfold nature
Rescue and healing exempla; invoked when seeking deliverance from confinement, burning affliction, and deathlike inertia.
When seeking recovery from danger/illness; dawn recitations; protective rites
Narrative praise to compel presence through remembrance of past deeds
Meditation for depression/numbness (‘as if dead’), trauma release (cave), and safe transformation of intense tapas.
guhā ‘cave’ (concealment). úd-√īr (airay-) from √īr ‘raise, set in motion’. mamṛ-vāṃs: perfect participle of √mṛ ‘die’ with intensification—‘as good as dead’. taptá: pp. of √tap ‘heat, burn’—ordeal/affliction. óman-vant: from óman ‘help/protection’ + -vant ‘possessing’.
release from subconscient concealment (guhā), transformation of tapas/heat into protection (oman), breaking bonds (vadhrí motif)
Raising from the cave is restoration of right emergence—truth coming out of concealment.
The ‘praiser’ returns: speech aligned with truth becomes possible again.
Ascent from hiddenness to manifestation; liberation from bonds.
Yoga of transformation: subconscient purification and integration.
dawn (Aśvin context)
Cave = subconscient; heat = ordeal/tapas; bonds = entrenched patterns; rescue = emergence of light and breath.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Raising the ‘dead’ from the cave and restoring the scorched/afflicted: a classic Aśvin rescue cycle. Inner meaning: the twin powers bring the consciousness out of hidden darkness (guhā), revive what is inert (mamṛvāṃs), and convert burning ordeal (taptam) into safeguarded wholeness (oman).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mṛ ‘die’ is securely Indo-European (cf. Latin mori, English mortal). The spatial metaphor of ‘cave’ as concealment and the verb ‘raise up’ (úd + √īr) align with archaic hymn diction: salvation is expressed as vertical emergence from enclosure.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s praise is a deliberate activation of memory: by rehearsing rescues from death, burning, and bonds, he establishes the Aśvins as powers of immediate deliverance within the seeker’s present crisis.
Bring awareness to the ‘cave’—the place you avoid; invite the Aśvin force to lift the buried voice.
mūlādhāra (subconscient/bondage) to viśuddha (restored voice)
gentle kumbhaka after inhale (2–3 seconds) imagining ‘lifting’; long exhale to untie bonds
from tamas to reanimated clarity.
Journal a ‘dead zone’ in life; chant once, sit in silence, then speak one truthful sentence aloud—training Rebha (inner speech) to return.
Maintain Vedic accents via pada; emphasize verb-raises ‘ud airayatam’.
Do not blur ‘guhā hitam’; give a slight pause after ‘aśvinā’.
‘rebhaṃ’ with clear bh, ‘mamṛvāṃsam’ keep nasalization (āṃ), ‘saptavadhraye’ articulate dhra (aspirated)
grave at start, brightening through the second half
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