Shloka 13
The Horse’s Journey
to Cyavana’s Hermitage
सोमेनायाजयद्वीरं ग्रहं सोमस्य चाग्रहीत् । असोमपोरप्यश्विनोश्च्यवनः स्वेन तेजसा
somenāyājayadvīraṃ grahaṃ somasya cāgrahīt | asomaporapyaśvinoścyavanaḥ svena tejasā
Er ließ den Helden ein Soma-Opfer vollziehen und nahm auch die Soma-Gabe entgegen. Selbst ohne Soma siegte Cyavana durch sein eigenes inneres Strahlen über die Aśvins.
Unspecified (verse occurs within a narrative frame; speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Tapas and inner tejas can accomplish what external ritual substances cannot; spiritual authority is grounded in brahminical restraint and realization, not merely in material means.
Application: Cultivate disciplined practice (niyama, japa, self-control) so that your integrity does not depend on external supports; let inner steadiness guide action even amid competition.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a secluded forest hermitage, the aged sage Cyavana sits like a living flame, his matted locks haloed by inner radiance. Before him, a heroic patron is guided into a Soma-sacrifice, while the Aśvins—bright twin physicians—hover at the edge of the ritual space, astonished that the sage’s tejas prevails even when Soma seems absent.","primary_figures":["Cyavana Ṛṣi","Aśvinīkumāras (the Aśvins)","yajamāna (heroic patron)","ṛtvijas (priests)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama with a consecrated yajña-vedi, kusa grass, ladles, soma-press stones, and a quiet ring of trees; distant deer and ascetics witnessing.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["saffron ochre","smoke gray","lotus pink","emerald green","golden amber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Cyavana enthroned on a low wooden pīṭha beside a richly ornamented yajña-vedi, gold leaf radiating from his aura, the Aśvins as twin youthful deities with jeweled crowns and physician’s attributes, priests holding sruk and camasa, dense red-green drapery, gem-studded ornaments, intricate floral borders, sacred fire rendered with embossed gold.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical Himalayan-forest hermitage with delicate trees and pale sky wash, Cyavana as an austere elder with luminous face, the Aśvins as graceful twins in pastel garments, subtle ritual implements and soma-press stones, refined facial features, gentle narrative spacing and cool greens/blues.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Cyavana’s tejas as a circular mandala, the Aśvins symmetrically posed, yajña fire stylized with red-yellow tongues, temple-wall aesthetic, characteristic large eyes, natural pigment palette dominated by red, yellow, green, and deep indigo accents.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral borders with lotus and tulasi-like foliage motifs, central yajña-vedi framed by peacocks, Cyavana seated in stillness, twin Aśvins hovering like divine attendants, deep blue background with gold highlights, intricate textile patterning and devotional symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling sacred fire","soft mantra undertone","forest birds","wooden ladles clinking","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सोमेन + आयाजयत् → सोमेनायाजयत्; सोमस्य + च + अग्रहीत् → सोमस्य चाग्रहीत्; अश्विनोः + च्यवनः → अश्विनोश्च्यवनः; असोमपः + अपि → असोमपोऽपि (पाठे असोमपोरपि इति दृश्यते)
FAQs
The Aśvins are the twin Vedic deities associated with healing, swift aid, and divine medicine, often appearing in Vedic and Purāṇic narratives as benefactors of sages and kings.
In Soma-ritual language, a ‘graha’ is a specific “taking” or measured portion of Soma—i.e., a designated libation/serving offered and received according to the rite.
It highlights that inner spiritual potency (tejas) and tapas can be presented as superior to external ritual supports—ritual is honored, yet true power is rooted in disciplined spiritual attainment.