Sukta 184
Sukta 10.184
Viṣṇu, Tvaṣṭṛ, Prajāpati, Dhātṛ (collective generative powers)
RV 10.184 is a brief but potent generative hymn invoking multiple divine artisans of creation to establish and protect a pregnancy. It asks Viṣṇu to “prepare the womb,” Tvaṣṭṛ to fashion the form, Prajāpati and Dhātṛ to infuse and place the embryo, and then calls on Sinīvālī, Sarasvatī, and the Aśvins to secure conception and bring the child to full-term birth in the tenth month.
Mantras
Mantra 1
विष्णुर्योनिं कल्पयतु त्वष्टा रूपाणि पिंशतु । आ सिञ्चतु प्रजापतिर्धाता गर्भं दधातु ते ॥
May Viṣṇu prepare the womb of wideness; may Tvaṣṭṛ shape the forms. May Prajāpati pour in the life-force; may Dhātṛ place for thee the embryo—so the new being may be founded in right order and vastness.
Mantra 2
गर्भं धेहि सिनीवालि गर्भं धेहि सरस्वति । गर्भं ते अश्विनौ देवावा धत्तां पुष्करस्रजा ॥
Plant within us the luminous seed of becoming, O Sinīvālī; plant the same seed, O Sarasvatī. Let the two Aśvins, the divine powers of swift right action, set that seed in us—wreathed with the lotus of pure unfolding—so the inner birth may be secured.
Mantra 3
हिरण्ययी अरणी यं निर्मन्थतो अश्विना । तं ते गर्भं हवामहे दशमे मासि सूतवे ॥
That golden Aranī—out of which the Aśvins churn forth the hidden power—we invoke that very formed seed, that it may be brought to birth in the tenth month: the right ripening and release of what has been truly fashioned within.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a short hymn praying for conception, secure implantation of the embryo (garbha), protection during pregnancy, and a safe, timely birth.
Each deity represents a different part of creation: Viṣṇu prepares the space (womb), Tvaṣṭṛ shapes the form, Prajāpati brings generative vitality, and Dhātṛ firmly establishes and supports the embryo; the Aśvins, Sinīvālī, and Sarasvatī add protection, fertility, and nourishing order.
It is a Vedic way of praying for full-term, proper maturation and a safe delivery—symbolizing that what is conceived should ripen completely and emerge at the right time.