Rig Veda 7.69.4: Mandala 7, Sukta 69, Mantra 4
Sukta 7.69
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
युवोः श्रियं परि योषावृणीत सूरो दुहिता परितक्म्यायाम् । यद्देवयन्तमवथः शचीभिः परि घ्रंसमोमना वां वयो गात् ॥
yuvóḥ śríyaṃ pári yóṣāvṛṇīta sū́ro duhitā́ pári-takmyāyām | yád deva-yántam ávathaḥ śacī́bhiḥ pári ghraṃsám omanā́ vām váyo gāt ||
حولَ بهائِكما اختارتِ الفتاةُ لنفسِها—ابنةُ سُوريا—في حركتِها الدائرة. وحينَ أعنتُما طالبَ الإلهِ بقُدَرِكما الفاعلة (شَچِي śacī)، فبفكرِكما المُنْعِمِ دارَت قوّتُكما الحيويّةُ حولَ الحرِّ المُحْرِقِ وتجاوزتْه.
Word by Word
- युवोः
- of you twoPronounषष्ठी/सम्बन्ध, द्विवचन (Gen. du.)Role सम्बन्ध (Genitival relation)Root युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
- श्रियम्
- splendour, gloryNounद्वितीया, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Acc. sg.)Role कर्मRoot श्री (स्त्री.)
- परि
- around, aboutIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)उपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि
- योषा
- the maiden/young womanNounप्रथमा, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Nom. sg.)Role कर्तृRoot योषा (स्त्री.)
- अवृणीत
- chose, selectedVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRoot √वृ (वृणोति ‘choose’)
- सूरः
- the SunNounप्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (Nom. sg.)Role कर्तृ (of implied/copular sense) / appositionRoot सूर (पुं.)
- दुहिता
- the daughterNounप्रथमा, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Nom. sg.)Role कर्तृ (appositional)Root दुहितृ (स्त्री.)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)अव्ययRoot परि
- तक्म्यायाम्
- in the roaming/dark night (locative setting)Nounसप्तमी, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Loc. sg.)Role अधिकरणRoot तक्म्या (स्त्री.; ‘night/going about’, Vedic)
- यत्
- when; thatPronoun (relative) / conjunctionalनपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया/प्रथमा (here: ‘when/that’ as relative)Root यद् (सर्वनाम)
- देवयन्तम्
- the god-seeking (one)Adjective/Participleद्वितीया, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (Acc. sg.)Role कर्मRoot देवयन्त् (देव + √यम्/यत्?; desiderative/denominative adj. ‘seeking the gods’, Vedic)
- अवथः
- you two helped/protectedVerbलिट्/लट्? (Vedic injunctive/perfect-like usage); 2 पुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √अव् (अवति ‘help, protect’)
- शचीभिः
- with (your) powers/skillsNounतृतीया, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Instr. pl.)Role करणRoot शची (स्त्री.; ‘might, power, skill’)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableअव्ययRoot परि
- घ्रंसम्
- the burning heat/glowNounद्वितीया, एकवचन (Acc. sg.)Role कर्म/अधिकरण (as object of ‘go/come around’)Root घ्रंस (पुं./नपुं.; ‘heat, glow; burning’ Vedic) অথবা √घृष्/घ्रंस् (etym. uncertain in Vedic)
- ओमना
- by favour, with gracious helpNounतृतीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Instr. sg.)Role करणRoot ओमन (नपुं.; ‘favour, help, grace’ Vedic)
- वाम्
- of you two / to you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, द्विवचन (Gen./Dat. du., enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध/सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद् (enclitic pronoun)
- वयः
- the bird (or: vital strength)Nounप्रथमा, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Nom. sg.)Role कर्तृRoot वयस् (नपुं.; ‘bird; vitality/strength’, Vedic polysemy)
- गात्
- went, cameVerbलुङ् (aorist/injunctive), 3 एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √गा (गच्छति/गाति ‘go’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: युवोः श्रियम् परि योषा अवृणीत (योषा॑वृणीत = योषा + अवृणीत)
- सूरः दुहिता परि तक्म्यायाम् (परि॑तक्म्यायाम् = परि + तक्म्यायाम्)
- यत् देवयन्तम् अवथः शचीभिः
- परि घ्रंसम् ओमना वाम् वयः गात्
- Accent marks are retained from the Saṃhitā text but do not change the pada segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
A maiden—daughter of the Sun—moves in a circling course around the splendor of the Aśvins. When the Aśvins help the god-seeking one with their powers, his vital force by their favor passes around and beyond the burning heat.
Inner meaning
The “daughter of the Sun” (illumined perception) chooses and encircles the Aśvins’ śrī (radiant perfection): the twin powers of swift right action and luminous healing become the chosen support for the seeker’s ascent. Their śacī (effective force) aids the devayant (one turning toward the Divine), so that the prāṇic being (vayaḥ) does not get scorched by ghraṃsa (inner heat of tapas, ordeal, friction of transformation) but moves around it—integrating the fire without being consumed—and goes beyond it into a clearer, sunlit poise.
Universal truth
True progress is not mere intensity; it is guided intensity. When aspiration is allied to higher effective powers, the energies of life can pass through transformative heat without distortion, emerging wider, purer, and more capable.
Themes
solar imagery, aid to the god-seeker, passing beyond burning trial, śacī efficacies
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha Maitrāvaruṇi)
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1 (Agni as inner priest), RV 7.2, RV 7.3, RV 7.60–7.66 (solar and ṛta motifs), RV 7.67–7.71 (Aśvin cycle vicinity)
Family tradition
Seer-family of Maṇḍala 7; custodians of mantric clarity linking Varuṇa-Mitra order with inner sacrifice.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s vision repeatedly emphasizes ṛta (right order) and the safe passage through inner trials by alignment with higher powers; here the Aśvins are the rescuing and harmonizing forces that help life-energy survive tapas and emerge illumined.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nā́satyā)
- Epithets
- Aśvinā, Nā́satyā, yuvānā (the young ones), daṃsanā (masters of wondrous skill)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Agni, Indra
Cosmic role
Twin divine helpers who arrive swiftly at dawn; restorers of wholeness, rescuers from peril, bringers of auspicious transitions between night and day.
Inner power
Dual force of swift right movement and luminous healing: they harmonize the vital nature, save the seeker from collapse in the ‘ocean’ of unconsciousness, and carry consciousness across critical thresholds.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin morning invocation within Soma-yajña sequences (general Aśvin praise/invitation context)
यु॒वोः श्रियं॒ परि॒ योषा॑वृणीत॒ सूरो॑ दुहि॒ता परि॑तक्म्यायाम् । यद्दे॑व॒यन्त॒मव॑थ॒: शची॑भि॒: परि॑ घ्रं॒समो॒मना॑ वां॒ वयो॑ गात् ॥
यु॒वोः । श्रिय॑म् परि॑ । योषा॑ । अ॒वृ॒णी॒त॒ । सूरः॑ । दु॒हि॒ता । परि॑ऽतक्म्यायाम् । यत् । दे॒व॒ऽयन्त॑म् । अव॑थः । शची॑भिः । परि॑ । घ्रं॒सम् । ओ॒मना॑ । वा॒म् । वयः॑ । गा॒त् ॥
yuvoḥ | śriyam pari | yoṣā | avṛṇīta | sūraḥ | duhitā | pari-takmyāyām | yat | deva-yantam | avathaḥ | śacībhiḥ | pari | ghraṃsam | omanā | vām | vayaḥ | gāt
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each (flexible Vedic cadence)
Forward-driving, expansive; suited to movement, rescue, and overcoming ordeal.
Builds inner momentum and confidence; the listener feels guided through intensity toward a wider, clearer breath of being.
- श्रियम् (śriyam)
- Literal: splendor, beauty, fortune. Symbolic: radiant perfection; harmony and luminous order in the being
- योषा (yoṣā)
- Literal: maiden, young woman. Symbolic: receptive soul-nature; awakened sensitivity that chooses the higher help
- सूरोः दुहिता (sūroḥ duhitā)
- Literal: daughter of the Sun. Symbolic: illumined perception; dawn-born discernment from the solar consciousness
- परितक्म्यायाम् (paritakmyāyām)
- Literal: in a circling/winding movement. Symbolic: spiral ascent; progressive approach around obstacles rather than frontal collision
- देवयन्तम् (devayantam)
- Literal: one who seeks the gods. Symbolic: aspirant turning upward toward the Divine powers
- शचीभिः (śacībhiḥ)
- Literal: with efficacies, effective powers. Symbolic: operative spiritual force; skill of right means (dakṣa in action)
- घ्रंसम् (ghraṃsam)
- Literal: burning heat, blaze. Symbolic: inner ordeal of transformation; heat of tapas and resistance-friction
- ओमना (omanā)
- Literal: favor, gracious thought. Symbolic: benevolent higher intention supporting the seeker’s passage
- वयः (vayaḥ)
- Literal: vital power, vigor. Symbolic: life-energy (prāṇa) uplifted and disciplined for the journey
Verse of protective aid through ordeals (‘ghraṃsa’): used to invoke Aśvin protection through heat/danger and to secure favor (oman) and vitality (vayas).
At dawn or early pressing contexts; hymnic calling of the Aśvins as swift helpers
Stotra/śastra-style praise and invitation; aligning the rite with auspicious transition into light
Use at the start of sādhanā to invoke help for passing through ‘heat’—stress, purification, intense practice—without burnout.
śrī from √śri ‘lean on, rest on’ → ‘supporting splendor/prosperity’. √av ‘help, protect’ → avathaḥ. ghraṃsa ‘heat’ linked with glare/burning (possibly from √ghṛ/√ghr ‘to shine/burn’ semantic field). oman ‘favoring thought’ from √man ‘think’ with o- prefixing nuance in Vedic. takmyā is rare; likely from √tak/√taṅk ‘to move/roam’—denoting circling motion (outer: solar course; inner: movement of consciousness around a center).
śrī as luminous fullness, crossing the ordeal of heat as tapas/transformation, divine favor (oman) sustaining life-force
The ‘circling movement’ suggests ordered progression—growth that obeys a law of right becoming rather than impulsive force.
Omanā (favoring intention) implies a truth-will that protects and directs the aspirant’s energies.
Emergence of solar-derived illumination (Sūrya’s ‘daughter’) organizing life-force around ordeal into a higher poise.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo-Kashyap line): deities as powers of consciousness.
Dawn-to-sunrise transition
Solar illumination awakens and organizes the vital being; the ‘heat’ is tapas/ordeal; the ‘circling’ is spiral ascent that integrates resistance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A solar-linked scene: the Sun’s daughter and the encircling movement, and the Aśvins helping the god-seeker to pass around/through the burning heat. Inner myth: the soul’s receptivity chooses splendor; divine aid carries the life-force beyond the scorching ordeals of transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √av ‘help’ is an Indo-Iranian hallmark (Avestan aoiβi- related aid forms), expressing the reciprocal protector role. The kinship term duhitā ‘daughter’ continues PIE *dʰugh₂tḗr (cf. English ‘daughter’, Greek thugátēr), showing deep inherited diction in mythic framing.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi depicts the Aśvins as protectors of the devayant (god-seeker) through intense trials (ghraṃsa), granting not merely survival but a preserved and circulating vitality (vayas) under their goodwill (oman).
Invoke twin powers of swift right action and healing discernment; visualize life-energy safely passing through inner heat.
Maṇipūra (transformative heat) regulated by Anāhata (benevolent guidance) and Ājñā (solar discernment)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana for balance; then steady ujjāyī-like soft constriction to ‘carry through heat’ without agitation.
Tapas held in śānti—ardor without strain; alert calm.
When intensity rises, do not force; ‘circle’ the resistance: widen awareness, call the Aśvin help, let the right means appear, then proceed.
Vedic svara varies by śākhā; chant with preserved udātta peaks on marked accents, anudātta lows, and svarita falls—keep the tri-tone contour steady across each pāda.
Maintain triṣṭubh breaks after ~11 syllables; slightly lift on udātta syllables, let svarita glide down without stress; avoid flattening the cadence at pāda-end.
śr in śriyam: cluster cleanly (ś + r + i)., ghraṃsam: nasalized ‘ṃ’ before ‘s’—keep it light, not a full ‘m’., aśvinau: ‘śv’ conjunct is crisp; do not insert a vowel., devayantam: ‘ya’ is consonantal; keep flow (de-va-yan-tam).
Clear, bright, forward-placed tone; controlled intensity on ‘ghraṃsam’ without harshness.
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