Rig Veda 2.39.6: Mandala 2, Sukta 39, Mantra 6
Sukta 2.39
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
ओष्ठाविव मध्वास्ने वदन्ता स्तनाविव पिप्यतं जीवसे नः । नासेव नस्तन्वो रक्षितारा कर्णाविव सुश्रुता भूतमस्मे ॥
óṣṭhāviva mádhvā āsné vádantā stánāviva pipyataṃ jīváse naḥ | nā́sēva nas tanvò rakṣitā́rā karṇā́viva su-śrutā́ bhūtam asmé ||
মুখে মধুর মতো কথা বলা দুই ঠোঁটের ন্যায়, আমাদের জন্য মধুর বাক্য হও; দুই স্তনের ন্যায়, আমাদের জীবনধারণের জন্য আমাদের পুষ্ট করো। দুই নাসারন্ধ্রের ন্যায়, আমাদের দেহগত স্বভাবের রক্ষক হও; আর দুই কানের ন্যায়, আমাদের জন্য সু-শ্রোতা হও—সত্য শ্রবণ গ্রহণকারী ও দানকারী।
Word by Word
- ओष्ठा
- (you two) lipsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-द्विवचनRole KartāRoot ओष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- मध्वा
- with honey / with sweetnessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- आस्ने
- in the mouthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot आस्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- वदन्ता
- speaking (you two)Verbवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); प्रथमा-द्विवचन; परस्मैपदीRole KartāRoot वद् (धातु)
- स्तनौ
- (you two) breastsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-द्विवचनRole KartāRoot स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- पिप्यतम्
- swell, become full; nourish (yourselves/for us)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; द्विवचन; परस्मैपदीRoot प्यै/पि (धातु; ‘प्यायते/पिप्यति’)
- जीवसे
- for living; to liveVerbतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); चतुर्थी-एकवचन-रूप (दातिवाचक)Role SampradānaRoot जीव् (धातु)
- नः
- for us / of usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी; बहुवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- नासे
- (you two) nostrilsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-द्विवचनRole KartāRoot नास (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- नः
- ourPronounषष्ठी; बहुवचन (enclitic)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- तन्वः
- of the body; of (our) personNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: तन्वः = तन्वाः)Root तनू (प्रातिपदिक)
- रक्षितारौ
- two protectorsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-द्विवचनRole KartāRoot रक्षितृ (प्रातिपदिक; √रक्ष्)
- कर्णौ
- (you two) earsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-द्विवचनRole KartāRoot कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- सुश्रुता
- well-hearing; attentiveAdjectiveभूतकृदन्त/कृत (PPP-like adjective); प्रथमा-द्विवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole KartāRoot सु-श्रुत (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रु ‘hear’ with सु-)
- भूतम्
- become; beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; द्विवचन; परस्मैपदीRoot भू (धातु)
- अस्मे
- among us; in usPronounसप्तमी; बहुवचन (वैदिक: अस्मे = अस्मासु/अस्मिन्-समूह)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक संधि-विग्रह): ओष्ठा॑विव → ओष्ठा + इव
- मध्वा॒स्ने → मध्वा + आस्ने
- वद॑न्ता॒ → वदन्ता
- स्तना॑विव → स्तनौ + इव
- नासे॑व → नासे + इव
- नस्त॒न्वो॑ → नः + तन्वः (विसर्ग-लोप/संधि)
- रक्षि॒तारा॒ → रक्षितारौ
- कर्णा॑विव → कर्णौ + इव
- सु॒श्रुता॑ → सुश्रुता
- भूतम॒स्मे → भूतम् + अस्मे. उच्चारणचिह्न (॑/॒) मूलपाठानुसार रखे गए हैं
The meaning
Outer meaning
Aśvins are invoked through intimate bodily similes: like sweet-speaking lips, life-nourishing breasts, protective nostrils, and well-hearing ears—may they grant sweetness, nourishment, protection, and true hearing.
Inner meaning
The Aśvins (twin powers of swift right functioning) are asked to harmonize the inner instruments: speech that carries honeyed truth (vāṇī purified), a sustaining psychic nourishment (inner milk of growth), prāṇa that guards embodiment from disharmony, and śruti—subtle receptivity that can hear the guidance of the Truth. The verse maps spiritual progress onto the refinement of the senses: speech becomes mantra, nourishment becomes ojas, breath becomes protective rhythm, hearing becomes intuitive obedience to the inner Teacher.
Universal truth
When the human faculties are brought into right rhythm—truthful speech, sustaining energy, regulated breath, and deep listening—life becomes protected and guided; sweetness and clarity arise naturally as signs of inner alignment.
Themes
Healing, Purification of speech and senses, Nourishment of life, Receptivity to revelation
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.1, RV 2.3, RV 2.12, RV 2.39, RV 2.40
Family tradition
Gṛtsamada lineage of the Bhṛgus, noted for hymns of inner rectitude, protection, and the right forming of speech (brahman).
Significance
Gṛtsamada’s vision often stresses the crafting of effective mantra and the safeguarding of the seeker’s embodied instrument; here he prays for a complete harmonization of expression, vitality, and receptivity.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā, Dasrā, narā (heroic pair), yuvānā (ever-young)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Indra, Sarasvatī
Cosmic role
Twin divine physicians and rescuers; restorers of harmony, health, and right functioning; bring swift aid at the dawn of progress.
Inner power
The paired energies that reconcile opposites in the being (mind–life, inner–outer), quickly correcting imbalance and enabling integral growth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvina-śastra / morning invocations in Soma context (general Aśvin praise)
ओष्ठा॑विव॒ मध्वा॒स्ने वद॑न्ता॒ स्तना॑विव पिप्यतं जी॒वसे॑ नः । नासे॑व नस्त॒न्वो॑ रक्षि॒तारा॒ कर्णा॑विव सु॒श्रुता॑ भूतम॒स्मे ॥
ओष्ठौ॑ऽइव । मधु॑ । आ॒स्ने । वद॑न्ता । स्तनौ॑ऽइव । पि॒प्य॒त॒म् । जी॒वसे॑ । नः॒ । नासा॑ऽइव । नः॒ । त॒न्वः॑ । र॒क्षि॒तारा॑ । कर्णौ॑ऽइव । सु॒ऽश्रुता॑ । भू॒त॒म् । अ॒स्मे इति॑ ॥
oṣṭhau-iva | madhu | āsne | vadantā | stanau-iva | pipyatam | jīvase | naḥ | nāsāiva | naḥ | tanvaḥ | rakṣitārā | karṇau-iva | su-śrutā | bhūtam | asme iti
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (with Vedic resolutions/variations)
Forward-driving, balanced, and declarative; suited to invocatory petitions with vivid imagery.
Builds a steady inner momentum; the repeated ‘iva’ similes create a meditative linking of outer organ to inner function.
- ओष्ठौ (oṣṭhau)
- Literal: two lips. Symbolic: purified speech; mantra-utterance that carries truth and sweetness
- मधु (madhu)
- Literal: honey/sweetness. Symbolic: delight of truth; harmonious vāṇī; soma-like sweetness in speech
- आस्ने (āsne)
- Literal: in the mouth. Symbolic: seat of expression; channel where thought becomes word
- स्तनौ (stanau)
- Literal: two breasts. Symbolic: nourishing powers; sustaining ojas; the Mother-force that feeds the soul-life
- पिप्यतम् (pipyatam)
- Literal: make full, nourish. Symbolic: increase of inner strength and growth of consciousness
- जीवसे (jīvase)
- Literal: for living. Symbolic: for the true life (jīvana) that supports spiritual becoming
- नासा (nāsā)
- Literal: nostrils. Symbolic: prāṇa-channels; protection through right breath and discrimination
- तन्वः (tanvoḥ)
- Literal: of the body/embodiment. Symbolic: the psycho-physical instrument to be safeguarded for sādhanā
- रक्षितारा (rakṣitārā)
- Literal: protectors. Symbolic: guardians of the path; prevent distortion and loss of force
- कर्णौ (karṇau)
- Literal: ears. Symbolic: receptivity; inner hearing (śruti) and obedience to truth
- सुश्रुता (suśrutā)
- Literal: good-hearing, well-listening. Symbolic: intuitive audition; capacity to receive true inspiration and guidance
Healing and harmonizing invocation: aligns speech, nourishment, breath, and hearing—key supports for mantra-practice and sacrificial efficacy.
At dawn or early morning recitations; also as protective prayer before undertaking works
Invitation (āvāhana) and praise to draw the Aśvins’ harmonizing aid
Use as a daily ‘faculty-alignment’ chant: sweet speech, nourishment of life-force, protected breath, deep listening before study, teaching, or healing work.
mádhu: sweetness and also the ‘honey’ of truth/Ananda in Vedic symbolism. √pyā (pipyatam) ‘swell, thrive’ → increase of life-force and fullness. su-śrutá: su- ‘good’ + √śru ‘hear’ (PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear’, cf. Greek klúō, English loud via *ḱleu-) → right hearing as receptivity to mantra-truth.
Madhu as delight/essence of truth-consciousness, Right hearing (śruti) as channel of revelation
Aśvins restore ṛta in the bodily-vital system; right hearing and right speech are marks of ṛta established.
Madhu-speech implies satya expressed with harmony rather than harshness.
Refinement of the human instrument as a microcosmic re-creation—organs become channels of the gods.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo–Kashyap): faculties as powers of consciousness.
dawn (Aśvin hour)
Honey→delightful truth; milk→ojas and growth; breath→prāṇa regulation; dawn-sun→awakening of inner light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins as restorers of the sensory and vital instrument: they become lips, breasts, nostrils, ears—perfecting speech, nourishment, breath, and hearing. Psychologically, it is the divinization of the sense-nature so revelation (śruti) and delight-truth (madhu) can be received and expressed.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ is PIE *ḱleu- (broadly attested). The body-part duals emphasize an archaic grammatical feature (productive dual number) shared with early Indo-European stages.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks the twins to inhabit and rectify the human instrument—suggesting that the divine-human exchange is functional: the gods do not merely ‘grant’ from afar, they re-form the faculties that can hold and utter the truth.
Unify speech–breath–listening: let words arise only from a quiet truth-sense; receive inner guidance through subtle hearing.
Viśuddha (speech) and Ājñā (inner hearing/intuition)
Nādi-śodhana (gentle alternate-nostril breathing) before chanting; then chant on a long, even exhale.
Pratyāhāra moving into dhāraṇā—senses turned inward and refined.
Before speaking or studying, chant once slowly; pause after each simile (lips/breasts/nostrils/ears) and feel the corresponding inner faculty soften, fill, protect, and open.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita per Śākala tradition; notable accents on oṣṭhā́-, madhvā́sne, vádantā, p,,.
Keep the accented syllable bright and slightly raised; do not over-stress unaccented syllables—maintain a flowing Triṣṭubh cadence.
oṣṭhāv iva: pronounce ṣṭh cluster clearly (oṣ-ṭhā), madhv āsne: keep ‘madhv’ with v, then open ‘āsne’, pipyataṃ: short ‘pi’ then doubled ‘py’ glide, tanvo: nasal-less ‘tan-vo’ (not ‘tan-no’), suśrutā: śru as ‘shru’ with clear r-flap
Warm, intimate, inward-directed; aim for sweetness (madhu) in tone.
3
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
