Rig Veda 7.67.5: Mandala 7, Sukta 67, Mantra 5
Sukta 7.67
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
प्राचीमु देवाश्विना धियं मेऽमृध्रां सातये कृतं वसूयुम् । विश्वा अविष्टं वाज आ पुरंधीस्ता नः शक्तं शचीपती शचीभिः ॥
prā́cīm u devāśvinā dhíyaṃ mé'mṛ́dhrāṃ sātáye kṛtaṃ vasūyúm | víśvā aviṣṭaṃ vā́ja ā́ púraṃdhīs tā́ naḥ śaktaṃ śacīpatī śácībhiḥ ||
Sendet voran, o göttliche Aśvins, meinen Gedanken – unversehrt, gerade – zum Gewinn, zum Sieg, auf Fülle ausgerichtet. Behütet all unsere Zunahmen an Kraft, all unsere Vāja‑Mächte und die Fülle der Gaben; dann seid uns gewachsen, o Herren wirksamer Energie, durch eure Śakti‑Kräfte.
Word by Word
- प्राचीम्
- eastward (directional), forwardAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot प्राच् (प्राञ्च्)
- उ
- indeed, andIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root उ (निपात)
- देव
- O godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRoot देव
- अश्विना
- O Aśvins (the twin horsemen)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRoot अश्विन्
- धियम्
- thought, prayer, hymnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot धी
- मे
- my, of mePronounषष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनRoot अस्मद्
- अमृध्राम्
- unfailing, not to be thwartedAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अमृध्र (a- + मृध्र)
- सातये
- for winning, for attainmentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot साति
- कृतम्
- made, fashionedVerbकृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः)Root कृ
- वसूयुम्
- seeking wealth, desiring richesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वसूयु (वसु + यु)
- विश्वाः
- all (things/boons)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot विश्व
- अविष्टम्
- you two helped, you two favoredVerbलुङ् (आगमयुक्त-अorist), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRoot अव् + इष् (इष् ‘to seek/impel’ with अव-)
- वाजः
- prize, strength, victory, bootyNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वाज
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- पुरंधीः
- bounty, liberality; (personified) BounteousnessNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वैदिकः रूपभेदः; -धीः)Role कर्तृRoot पुरंधि
- ताः
- those (boons/helps)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद्
- नः
- for us / of usPronounषष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) / चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) बहुवचन (वैदिके ‘नः’)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्
- शक्तम्
- be able, grant power; accomplish!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRoot शक्
- शचीपती
- O lords of might/skill (epithet of the Aśvins)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRoot शचीपति
- शचीभिः
- with powers, with skills, with efficaciesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot शची
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: मेऽमृध्रां → मे अमृध्राम् (अ + अ = ’ avagraha). Other padas largely already in pada-form
- vocatives देव अश्विना and शचीपती are addressed to the Aśvins. Accent marks retained from Saṃhitā text but not re-assigned per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
O divine Aśvins, send forward my thought, unharmed, for winning, made eager for wealth. Guard all (our) powers of increase in the force of plenitude; then be able for us, O lords of effective power, by your efficacies.
Inner meaning
The rishi asks that the dhī (inspired thought) move ‘eastward/forward’ (prācīm): toward the dawn of illumination. It must be amṛdhrā—unwounded by falsehood, doubt, or hostile forces. The ‘winning’ (sātaye) is the conquest of inner truth and capacity. Vāja and puraṃdhī are not merely food and riches: they are dynamic force and the fullness that supports right action. The Aśvins, as śacīpatī (masters of efficacious energy), are asked to guard and empower all our growth-powers and make their śacīs (effective workings) active in us.
Universal truth
Progress depends on protected, straight thought and on powers that increase harmoniously. True success is secured when higher efficacies guard growth and make action effective.
Themes
Inner victory (sāti), Protection and increase, Aśvin efficacies
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇi lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.18, RV 7.33, RV 7.82, RV 7.88
Family tradition
Known for hymns that protect the dhī and establish right order; a tradition of mantra as a force of effective becoming.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s ‘straight thought’ is a hallmark: the dhī must be protected and oriented toward dawn so that divine efficacies can act without obstruction.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- devā aśvinā, śacīpatī (lords of efficacies)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind-force), Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Uṣas (dawn)
Cosmic role
Guardians of safe progress; bringers of increase and effective accomplishment in the human journey toward light.
Inner power
Protection of the inspired mind; strengthening of capacities of growth; swift efficacious adjustment of what is crooked or wounded.
In ritual
Where it is used
General Aśvin praise within soma and non-soma rites; protective invocation for successful ‘winning’
प्राची॑मु देवाश्विना॒ धियं॒ मेऽमृ॑ध्रां सा॒तये॑ कृतं वसू॒युम् । विश्वा॑ अविष्टं॒ वाज॒ आ पुरं॑धी॒स्ता न॑: शक्तं शचीपती॒ शची॑भिः ॥
प्राची॑म् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । दे॒वा॒ । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । धिय॑म् । मे॒ । अमृ॑ध्राम् । सा॒तये॑ । कृ॒त॒म् । व॒सु॒ऽयुम् । विश्वाः॑ । अ॒वि॒ष्ट॒म् । वाजे॑ । आ । पुर॑म्ऽधीः । ता । नः॒ । श॒क्त॒म् । श॒ची॒प॒ती॒ इति॑ शचीऽपती । शची॑भिः ॥
prācīm | oṃ iti | devā | aśvinā | dhiyam | me | amṛdhrām | sātaye | kṛtam | vasu-yum | viśvāḥ | aviṣṭam | vāje | ā | puram-dhīḥ | tā | naḥ | śaktam | śacīpatī itiśacī-patī | śacībhiḥ
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4×11
Firm and directive; suited to prayer for protection and empowerment.
Stabilizes thought; gives a ‘straightening’ feeling—like aligning the mind forward.
- धियं (dhiyam)
- Literal: thought, vision. Symbolic: inspired intelligence moving toward illumination
- प्राचीम् (prācīm)
- Literal: eastward/forward. Symbolic: toward dawn—toward higher light and right direction
- अमृध्राम् (amṛdhrām)
- Literal: unharmed, uninjured. Symbolic: free from distortion, doubt, and hostile suggestions
- सातये (sātaye)
- Literal: for winning. Symbolic: inner conquest—attainment of truth-force and capacity
- वाज (vāja)
- Literal: strength, prize, food. Symbolic: dynamic force/energy of accomplishment
- पुरंधीः (puraṃdhīḥ)
- Literal: plenitudes, bounties. Symbolic: fullness that sustains right action; integrative abundance
- शची (śacī)
- Literal: power, effective working. Symbolic: the divine efficacy that makes results inevitable
Prayer for successful attainment in Soma rite and in life: to keep the inspired thought unobstructed and to secure vāja (victorious plenitude) and purandhi (increasing fullness).
At moments of setting intention (saṅkalpa-like) and before main offerings
Recitation to secure protection of dhī and increase of vāja/puraṃdhī
Use before study, creative work, or important decisions to align thought and invite effective action.
dhī- ‘thought/vision’ from √dhī ‘to think, perceive’ (seer-intelligence). amṛdhra from a- + √mṛdh ‘to harm, obstruct, defeat’—thus unobstructed. sāti from √san/√sā ‘to win, gain’. vāja: Vedic term spanning ‘prize, food, strength’; from √vaj/√vāj ‘be strong, drive’—here ‘plenitude of force’. purandhi- (puram-dhī) literally ‘filling thought’ from √dhā/√dhī complex: the intelligence that fills/augments; hence ‘abundance-bringing capacity’. śacī ‘power, skill, efficacy’ (often Indra’s); śacī-pati ‘lord of efficacy’ applied here to Aśvins as effective helpers.
Dhī (inspired intelligence), Vāja (plenitude of force), Śacī (effective divine power), Protection/integration of the being (viśvā aviṣṭam)
Prācīm dhiyam: thought aligned to the dawn-direction of ṛta.
Amṛdhrā dhī is satya-bearing intelligence.
From protected dhī arises vāja (force) and puraṃdhī (fullness) in manifestation.
Aurobindonian: dhī as illumined mind seeking higher light; śacī as operative shakti.
dawn (implied by prācīm)
Turning the mind toward the inner dawn; shielding the subtle intelligence from dispersion and negativity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘sending forward’ of inspired thought toward the dawn-front under Aśvin protection: mythically the divine twins grant success and increase; psychologically they propel the dhī toward illumination, guard the whole being, and establish vāja (victorious force) and purandhi (fullness of capacities).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mṛdh ‘harm/obstruct’ in amṛdhra has Indo-Iranian parallels in adversarial semantics; √san/√sā ‘win’ is part of a common IE attainment register. The ‘east/forward’ (prācī) orientation reflects archaic ritual-cosmic mapping found across IE traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi asks the Aśvins to actively shape his inner instrument: not merely to grant external goods, but to make his dhī unobstructed and forward-moving, to protect all inner powers, and to act through śacī—concrete efficacies that effect transformation and victory in consciousness.
Send the thought forward toward light; feel a straight current from heart to brow, protected and steady.
viśuddha–ājñā axis (purified expression to illumined mind)
inhale up the central line (suṣumnā visualization), exhale steady; keep breath smooth
collected, aligned, quietly powerful
Chant once slowly; pause; then repeat 3 times with the intention ‘may my thought be unwounded and straight’; afterward, write or contemplate from that aligned state.
Tri-svara; keep ‘prācīm’ and ‘dhiyam’ clearly articulated with proper vowel length; avoid compressing ‘amṛdhrām’.
Let the first pāda be steady and slightly rising; emphasize the imperative/request verbs (aviṣṭam/avīṣṭam, śaktam).
prācīm: long ā, long īm, amṛdhrām: syllabify a-mṛ-dhrām; keep ‘dhr’ cluster clear, puraṃdhīḥ: anusvāra before dh; long īḥ, śacīpatī: long ī at end; ‘ś’ palatal
steady, protective, centered
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