Rig Veda 7.69.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 69, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.69
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shringara (love)
स्वश्वा यशसा यातमर्वाग्दस्रा निधिं मधुमन्तं पिबाथः । वि वां रथो वध्वा यादमानोऽन्तान्दिवो बाधते वर्तनिभ्याम् ॥
sváśvā yaśásā yātam arvā́g dasrā nidʰíṃ mádhumantaṃ pibāthaḥ | ví vām rátho vadhvā́ yā́damāno’ntā́n divó bādhate vartaníbhyām ||
হে দস্ৰা অশ্বিনদ্বয়, সু-অশ্বসহ যশস্বী হৈ ইয়ালৈ আহক; মধুমন্ত নিধি পান কৰক। আপোনালোকৰ ৰথ, বধূ—সংযোগ-শক্তিৰ সৈতে গতি কৰি, নিজৰ দুটা বৰ্তনী-পথে দ্যৌৰ অন্তসমূহ ভাঙি মাৰ্গ উন্মোচন কৰে—উত্থানৰ পথ কৰি তোলে।
Word by Word
- सु-अश्वाः
- (you two) having good horsesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; द्विवचन (बहुव्रीहिः/कर्मधारय-समासः: ‘सु-अश्व’)Role सम्बोधन/विशेषण (यातम् इत्यस्य कर्तृ-सम्बन्धि)Root सु (उपसर्ग/विशेषण-पूर्वपद) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- यशसा
- with glory, by fameNoun (used adjectivally)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करण (यातम्—‘यशसा’ = ‘यशसा सह/यशसा’)Root यशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यातम्
- come (you two)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे); मध्यमपुरुष; द्विवचन; परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot या (धातु)
- अर्वाक्
- hither, towards usIndeclinableदिशावाचक-अव्ययRole अधिकारण (दिशा/गति-निर्देशः)Root अर्वाक् (अव्यय)
- दस्रा
- O wondrous/skillful ones (Aśvins)Noun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; द्विवचनRole सम्बोधन (अश्विनौ)Root दस्र (प्रातिपदिक; अश्विनोः विशेषणम्)
- निधिम्
- treasure, storeNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (पिबाथः इत्यस्य)Root निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुमन्तम्
- honeyed, sweetAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (निधिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot मधुमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिबाथः
- drink (you two)Verbलट् (वेदे आज्ञार्थ-प्रयोगोऽपि); मध्यमपुरुष; द्विवचन; परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot पा (धातु)
- वि
- apart, widely, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः/क्रियाविशेषणम्Role क्रिया-विशेषण (बाधते इत्यस्य)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वाम्
- of you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी; द्विवचन (वेदे ‘वाम्’ = ‘युवयोः/युवाभ्याम्’ सन्दर्भानुसारम्; अत्र ‘युवयोः’)Role सम्बन्ध (रथः—‘वाम् रथः’ = ‘your chariot’)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रथः
- the chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (बाधते)Root रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वध्वा
- with a bride/young womanNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करण/सहकारि (यादमानः इत्यस्य—‘with a bride/young woman’)Root वधू (प्रातिपदिक)
- यादमानः
- going, moving alongParticipleवर्तमान-कर्तरि शतृ; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (रथः इति विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्तृ-विशेषण (रथः)Root याद्/यात् (धातु; वेद. ‘याद’ = ‘यात्/याम्’ गत्यर्थे) अथवा ‘या’ धातोः देशीय/वेदिक-प्रयोगः; वर्तमान-कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक
- अन्तान्
- ends, boundariesNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्म (बाधते)Root अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवः
- of heaven, of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (वेदे ‘दिव्’); षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (अन्तान्—‘ends of heaven’)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- बाधते
- presses away, drives off, thrusts asideVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्Role क्रियाRoot बाध् (धातु)
- वर्तनिभ्याम्
- with (its) two tracks/pathsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; द्विवचनRole करण (बाधते—‘by/with (its) two tracks/paths’)Root वर्तनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- मुख्य-सन्धि-विच्छेदः: स्वश्वाः → सु + अश्वाः (समास/स्वर-सन्धिः)
- यशसा यातम् अर्वाक् → पदसीमा-स्थाने विसर्ग/स्वर-परिवर्तनं न
- अर्वाग्दस्रा → अर्वाक् + दस्रा (क् + द् → ग्द्)
- पिबाथः । वि वाम् → पदान्त-विरामः
- वध्वा३ यादमानः → वध्वा + यादमानः (पदविरामे सन्ध्यभावः; ‘यादमान’ वेदिक-रूपम्)
- यादमानोऽन्तान् → यादमानः + अन्तान् (अः + अ → ओऽ)
- दिवो बाधते → दिवः + बाधते (ः + ब् → ओ ब्, वेदिक-प्रयोगः)
- वर्तनिभ्याम् अपरिवर्तितम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come with good horses, O mighty ones, in glory; drink the honeyed treasure. Your chariot, moving with the bride, breaks open the ends of heaven by its two tracks.
Inner meaning
Svaśvā: the Aśvins arrive with well-governed life-energies. Yaśas is the radiance of realized power. The honeyed treasure (madhumantam nidhim) is the concentrated sweetness of delight—Soma-like bliss or the nectar of fulfilled consciousness—which the divine powers ‘drink’ by accepting the offering and intensifying it within us. The ‘bride’ (vadhū) is the joining power—often the soul’s consenting nature, or the luminous force that weds human aspiration to divine movement. As the chariot moves with this vadhū, it ‘breaks open the ends of heaven’: it pierces limiting ceilings of mind, creating passage for ascent. The two tracks can be read as the dual currents (ida/pingala; or knowledge and force) that, when harmonized, open the boundary of the higher plane.
Universal truth
When aspiration is joined with consenting receptivity, higher powers turn inner sweetness into strength and open the mental limits, creating a path for ascent through balanced dual energies.
Themes
Soma delight, breakthrough, divine arrival, opening the heavens
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.69.1, RV 7.69.2
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s Aśvin hymns frequently turn rescue into ascent: divine help not only heals but opens the ‘heaven-limit’ for higher realization.
Significance
Emphasizes the integrative ‘marriage’ of human nature with divine movement as the key to breaking mental ceilings.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Dasrā, Nāsatyā, Yaśasvin (glorious; functional)
- Related deities
- Soma, Uṣas, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Bearers of honeyed delight and openers of passages; pioneers who make the ascent practicable.
Inner power
Transmutation of delight into dynamic progress; harmonizing dual currents to pierce limitation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn invitation and offering of madhu/Soma-like sweetness to Aśvins; celebratory arrival motif.
स्वश्वा॑ य॒शसा या॑तम॒र्वाग्दस्रा॑ नि॒धिं मधु॑मन्तं पिबाथः । वि वां॒ रथो॑ व॒ध्वा॒३॒॑ याद॑मा॒नोऽन्ता॑न्दि॒वो बा॑धते वर्त॒निभ्या॑म् ॥
सु॒ऽअश्वा॑ । य॒शसा॑ । आ । या॒त॒म् । अ॒र्वाक् । दस्रा॑ । नि॒ऽधिम् । मधु॑ऽमन्तम् । पि॒बा॒थः॒ । वि । वा॒म् । रथः॑ । व॒ध्वा॑ । याद॑मानः । अन्ता॑न् । दि॒वः । बा॒ध॒ते॒ । व॒र्त॒निऽभ्या॑म् ॥
su-aśvā | yaśasā | ā | yātam | arvāk | dasrā | ni-dhim | madhu-mantam | pibāthaḥ | vi | vām | rathaḥ | vadhvā | yādamānaḥ | antān | divaḥ | bādhate | vartani-bhyām
44
4 × ~11
Energetic invitation followed by a striking breakthrough image; strong closing cadence on the ‘two tracks’.
Energizes and then ‘opens’—many feel a lift at the end, like a passage clearing above the head.
- स्वश्व (svaśvā)
- Literal: having good horses. Symbolic: well-disciplined vital energies supporting the journey
- दस्र (dasra)
- Literal: wondrous/skillful. Symbolic: divine efficacy in action and healing
- निधि (nidhi)
- Literal: treasure. Symbolic: stored spiritual wealth—concentrated delight/realization
- मधुमन्त (madhumant)
- Literal: honeyed. Symbolic: sweetness of bliss (Soma-quality)
- वधू (vadhū)
- Literal: bride. Symbolic: joining/consenting power; nature wedded to the Divine
- अन्तान् दिवः (antān divaḥ)
- Literal: ends/boundaries of heaven. Symbolic: limits of mind; upper thresholds to be opened
- वर्तनिभ्याम् (vartanibhyām)
- Literal: by the two tracks/paths. Symbolic: dual currents (knowledge-force; ida-piṅgalā) enabling passage
Invitation to partake of madhu (Soma/sweet offering) and to open the ‘heavenly limits’—used to invoke breakthrough and wideness in the rite and practitioner.
Morning soma context; also in praise sequences describing Aśvin approach and acceptance.
Call to arrive and ‘drink’ the offering; descriptive praise of their chariot’s breakthrough power.
Chant when stuck under mental ceilings; pair with a visualization of a path opening above the brow/crown as dual currents balance.
: epithet ‘wonder-working’ (possibly from √das ‘to accomplish’). madhu: ‘honey’ also ‘sweetness/delight’ (Soma-delight, ananda-like). √bādh ‘press, drive away, break through’. vartanī ‘track, course’ from √vṛt ‘turn, roll’—the regulated pathways of movement; dual suggests twofold ascent/descent or two channels of advance.
breakthrough to heaven (divo antān bādhate) as opening higher consciousness, madhu as delight-nourishment, two tracks (vartanī) as ordered paths under Ṛta
The ‘two tracks’ are right paths—ordered currents that safely conduct ascent.
Breakthrough is not violent ego-force but truth-guided passage enabled by joining power (vadhū).
Opening of upper boundaries—expanding the heaven within; release of higher space.
Yoga-oriented Vedic symbolism: dual channels and ascent through harmonized forces (compatible with Aurobindo’s ascent/descent model).
Dawn (Aśvin arrival)
At dawn of consciousness, sweetness (delight) fuels progress; balanced currents carve a track that opens the ‘sky’ of mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins arrive to drink the honeyed treasure and their chariot breaks open the boundaries of heaven. Inner myth: delight (madhu) empowers a breakthrough beyond limiting ceilings of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘drink’ and madhu ‘honey’ sit within an IE soma/mead complex (cf. Old English medu ‘mead’, Proto-Germanic *meduz), showing inherited sacral-poetic diction for intoxicating delight. √vṛt in vartanī reflects PIE *wert- ‘turn’ (Latin vertere).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi offers madhu and asks for an inner opening: the exchange is delight for deliverance—by accepting the sweetness, the Aśvins widen the paths and break limiting boundaries for the sacrificer.
Balance dual currents; invite honeyed delight to fill the heart; then feel an opening above the head as limits dissolve.
Anāhata (madhu sweetness) rising toward Sahasrāra (opening the ‘heaven-limit’)
Nāḍī-śodhana (alternate nostril) 6–8 rounds, then chant once; sit and feel the ‘two tracks’ become one ascent-current.
Sweetly energized, uplifted, breakthrough-ready.
First evoke gratitude (madhu); next offer your consenting nature (vadhū) to the divine movement; finally rest in stillness, sensing the ‘upper boundary’ widen.
Tri-svara; exact udatta/anudātta/svarita needs RV svara text for 7.69.3.
Keep ‘pibāthaḥ’ clear and firm (invitation to drink); build intensity toward the final pāda describing the breakthrough; let the last word land decisively.
svaśvā: ś palatal; long ā, arvāg: final g audible, not dropped, madhumantam: dh aspirated; keep ‘mantam’ crisp, vadhvā: dhv conjunct; long ā, bādhate: retroflex ḍ? (here dh), aspirate properly
Bright and confident, with a sweet undertone on ‘madhu’.
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