Rig Veda 5.76.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 76, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.76
- Rishi
- Atri tradition
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उता यातं संगवे प्रातरह्नो मध्यंदिन उदिता सूर्यस्य । दिवा नक्तमवसा शंतमेन नेदानीं पीतिरश्विना ततान ॥
utā́ yātaṃ saṃgávé prā́tar áhnó madhyáṃdina ut-itā́ sū́ryasya | divā́ náktam ávasā śáṃ-tamena nédānīṃ pītír aśvinā́ tatāna ||
هَلُمَّا أيضًا في أوقاتِ الالتقاء—في صباحِ النهار، وفي منتصفِ النهار حين يرتفعُ سُوريا عاليًا. نهارًا وليلاً، بعونِكما الأشدِّ إسباغًا للسلام: فلا ينقطعْ الآن شرابُ البهجة، يا أَشْوِنَين، بل ليمتدَّ لنا ويُبسط.
Word by Word
- उता
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also, and) ; accent: उ॒ता (anudātta/svarita per Saṃhitā)Root उ (उत) अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक
- यातम्
- come (you two)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्; ‘you two go/come’Role Kartā (implied: अश्विनौ)Root या (गत्यर्थे) धातु
- संगवे
- at the saṅgava (morning milking-time)Nounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वेदे चल), सप्तमी एकवचनम् (काल/अधिकारण) ; ‘at the saṅgava-time’Role Adhikaraṇa (time)Root संगव (प्रातिपदिक) < सम् + गव (गो) / ‘cattle-gathering, milking-time’
- प्रातरह्नः
- in the morningNoun (compound) / Adverbialषष्ठी एकवचनम् (अह्नः) with पूर्वपद ‘प्रातर्’; ‘of the morning-day’ → ‘in the morning’Role Adhikaraṇa (time)Root प्रातर् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक) → प्रातरह्न (समास)
- मध्यम्दिन
- at middayNoun (compound)नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया एकवचनम् (काल-निर्देशे/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः) ; ‘midday’Role Adhikaraṇa (time)Root मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक) → मध्यम्दिन (समास)
- उदिता
- having risen / risenParticiple / Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा एकवचनम्; modifies implied ‘(वेला/कालः)’ or agrees with ‘पीतिः’ by sense: ‘risen’Role (qualifier)Root उद् + इ (गत्यर्थे) → उदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- सूर्यस्य
- of the SunNounपुंलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) / Adhikaraṇa-specifierRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवा
- by dayIndeclinable (temporal) / Noun-form used adverbiallyदिवा = ‘by day, in daytime’ (fixed Vedic adverb)Role Adhikaraṇa (time)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक) → दिवा (अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
- नक्तम्
- by nightIndeclinable (temporal) / Noun-form used adverbiallyनक्तम् = ‘by night, at night’ (Vedic adverb)Role Adhikaraṇa (time)Root नक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवसा
- with help / by protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot अवस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘help, protection’
- शंतमेन
- with the most beneficentAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया एकवचनम्; agrees with अवसाRole Karaṇa (qualifier)Root शंतम (प्रातिपदिक) < शम् ‘well-being’ + तमप् (superlative)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न (निषेध-अव्यय)
- इदानीम्
- nowIndeclinable‘now, at this time’Role Adhikaraṇa (time)Root इदानीम् (कालवाचक-अव्यय)
- पीतिः
- the draught / drinkingNounस्त्रीलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Kartā (of ततान) / or subject-nounRoot पीति (प्रातिपदिक) < पा (पाने) धातोः भाव/कृदन्त-निर्माणः; ‘drinking, draught’
- अश्विनोः
- of the AśvinsNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी द्विवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक) (dual deity-name)
- ततान
- has spread / has extendedVerbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्; ‘has stretched/spread’Role Kriyā (predicate); Kartā = पीतिःRoot तन् (विस्तारणे) धातु
Sandhi Notes
- Saṃhitā text: उ॒ता या॑तं संग॒वे प्रा॒तरह्नो॑ म॒ध्यंदि॑न॒ उदि॑ता॒ सूर्य॑स्य । दिवा॒ नक्त॒मव॑सा॒ शंत॑मेन॒ नेदानीं॑ पी॒तिर॒श्विना त॑तान ॥ Sandhi resolution: (1) नेदानीम् = न + इदानीम् (vowel sandhi: a+i → e). (2) पीतिरश्विना = पीतिः + अश्विनोः (visarga sandhi: ः + अ → र्; and dual genitive अश्विनोः appears as अश्विना in Saṃhitā). Other items are largely pada-separated already
- temporal adverbs दिवा, नक्तम् are fixed Vedic forms. Accent marks retained as in Saṃhitā but not re-derived for each pada
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come at the junction-times: at morning, at midday when the Sun is up. By day and by night with your most peace-giving help; let not the drink (pīti) fail now, but be spread out for us, O Ashvins.
Inner meaning
‘Saṃgave’ are inner junctions—moments when consciousness shifts (sleep to waking, distraction to recollection, effort to surrender). The Aśvins are invoked not only at dawn but at all critical transitions, including midday (full waking clarity under Sūrya). ‘By day and by night’ means in all states—waking and subtle inner states—let their peace-bringing help operate. ‘Pīti’ is the draught of delight/strength: the sustaining flow of soma-like joy and refreshment in the practice. The prayer is for continuity: may the nectar of consciousness not thin out, but be extended (tatāna) through the whole being and the whole cycle of life.
Universal truth
Spiritual help is most needed and most effective at transitions; when assistance is invited across all states, the sustaining delight of consciousness becomes continuous and wide.
Themes
Temporal universality, Sustained delight, Protective aid, Solar illumination
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.76.1-2 (same hymn), RV 1.34 (Aśvin approach at various times)
Family tradition
The Ātreya approach emphasizes rhythm and timing: spiritual progress depends on meeting the ‘junctions’ with right help and peace.
Significance
Atri frames an integral practice: not episodic inspiration, but continuity of nectar—help invoked across the whole day-night cycle.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- śaṃtamena (most peace-giving, by help)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Uṣas, Soma
Cosmic role
Guardians of transitions and restorers of balance across cycles of time and states of consciousness.
Inner power
They stabilize the practitioner through shifts; they maintain the flow of delight/energy so practice does not dry into effort.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invitatory across times; suitable for rites acknowledging multiple ‘savanas’ (pressings)
उ॒ता या॑तं संग॒वे प्रा॒तरह्नो॑ म॒ध्यंदि॑न॒ उदि॑ता॒ सूर्य॑स्य । दिवा॒ नक्त॒मव॑सा॒ शंत॑मेन॒ नेदानीं॑ पी॒तिर॒श्विना त॑तान ॥
उ॒त । आ । या॒त॒म् । स॒म्ऽग॒वे । प्रा॒तः । अह्नः॑ । म॒ध्यन्दि॑ने । उत्ऽइ॑ता । सूर्य॑स्य । दिवा॑ । नक्त॑म् । अव॑सा । शम्ऽत॑मेन । न । इ॒दानी॑म् । पी॒तिः । अ॒श्विना॑ । आ । त॒ता॒न॒ ॥
uta | ā | yātam | sam-gave | prātaḥ | ahnaḥ | madhyandine | ut-itā | sūryasya | divā | naktam | avasā | śam-tamena | na | idānīm | pītiḥ | aśvinā | ā | tatāna
48
4 × ~12 syllables
Cyclical and enumerative (morning–midday–day–night), giving a sense of completeness.
Instills continuity and steadiness; supports the sense of an all-day protective presence.
- संगवे (saṃgave)
- Literal: at the coming together, junction-time. Symbolic: transition points in consciousness; moments of choice and shift
- प्रातः (prātaḥ)
- Literal: morning. Symbolic: first awakening; beginning of a new inner cycle
- मध्यन्दिने (madhyaṃdine)
- Literal: midday. Symbolic: full clarity; peak of waking awareness
- उदिता सूर्यस्य (uditā sūryasya)
- Literal: when the sun is risen. Symbolic: illumined mind; truth-light established
- दिवा नक्तम् (divā naktam)
- Literal: by day and by night. Symbolic: in waking and in inner/subconscious states
- शंतमेन अवसा (śaṃtamena avasā)
- Literal: with most peace-giving help. Symbolic: harmonizing force that quiets turbulence and heals division
- पीतिः (pītiḥ)
- Literal: draught, drinking. Symbolic: soma-like enjoyment; sustaining delight/energy in sadhana
- ततान (tatāna)
- Literal: has stretched/spread. Symbolic: make the delight continuous and pervasive
All-times accessibility of Aśvins; morning and other savanas as inner ‘junctions’
At junctions of ritual time; also as a general prayer for uninterrupted offering/refreshment
Invocation for presence at morning and midday; petition for continuous libation/refreshment
Use as a ‘day-cycle’ mantra: chant at morning start, midday reset, and before sleep to keep continuity of aspiration and peace.
: saṃ + √/√? ‘coming together’; junction time (morning/midday transitions). : ud + √ ‘go up’ / √?; standard ud-ita ‘risen’. : √ ‘stretch, extend’ (perfect/aorist), here ‘let it be spread out/continue’. : from √ ‘drink’—inner assimilation of Soma-like delight.
Continuity of divine help, Soma/intake (pīti) as Ananda, Transitions (saṃgava) as yogic/psychic openings
Junction-times are nodes of ṛta; aligning with them invites smoother evolution rather than friction.
Midday sun symbolizes satya-prakāśa—truth-illumination that should govern action.
Sustaining creation: stretching the nectar through all cycles, making consciousness continuous.
Vedic integralism: spirituality must pervade waking, transitional, and nocturnal layers.
morning and midday explicitly; day/night cycle
Time-cycle = movement of consciousness states; sun at zenith = peak clarity; night = subconscient/inner worlds; nectar = sustaining joy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins’ all-time journey—arriving at morning, midday, day and night—ensuring the uninterrupted ‘draught’ (pīti). Inner sense: the twin powers can be invoked at every transition of consciousness; they keep the stream of delight and right force extended through all states.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ ‘drink’ (pīti) < PIE *peh₃- ‘drink’ (cf. Latin pōtus, English potable). √ ‘stretch’ (tatan-) < PIE *ten- ‘stretch’ (cf. Latin tendō, English tend).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks a stable rhythm of assistance across the whole cycle of experience (day/night; morning/midday). The gods’ response is conceived as maintaining an inner continuity—an unbroken extension of pīti (delight/intake) that supports the aspirant’s progress.
Call for help at transitions; maintain continuous delight-energy through the whole cycle of states.
Ājñā (sun/clarity) and Sahasrāra (widening continuity)
Three checkpoints: 3 deep breaths at morning, noon, night while repeating mentally ‘divā naktam…’; optional bhrāmarī (humming) 5 rounds to ‘spread’ pīti through the system.
Even, continuous awareness; quiet joy.
Set reminders at morning and midday: chant once, then pause 60 seconds feeling peace descend. Before sleep, chant once and offer the night to inner working; intend continuity of delight rather than effort.
Maintain even accenting through the enumerations (prātaḥ…madhyaṃdine…divā…naktam) to preserve cyclic feel; treat ‘aśvinā’ as a stable anchor-word.
Slightly mark each time-point with a micro-pause; emphasize ‘śaṃtamena’ and ‘pītiḥ’ as the core petition.
saṃgave: anusvāra before g; keep ‘ga’ voiced, madhyaṃdine: clear ‘dhya’ cluster; nasal ṃ, uditā: long ā, nedānīm: sandhi—pronounce as ne-dā-nīm, keep long īm
Soothing, continuous, with minimal force; like a steady protective recitation.
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