Sukta 40

Mantra 1

रथं यान्तं कुह को ह वां नरा प्रति द्युमन्तं सुविताय भूषति । प्रातर्यावाणं विभ्वं विशेविशे वस्तोर्वस्तोर्वहमानं धिया शमि ॥

Where is the one who will welcome your moving chariot, O two Heroes, your radiant force for the happy going? You who come at dawn, all-pervading, visiting each clan, bearing onward at every dawn and every evening—may we make you peaceful in our thought, and may your coming settle peace within us.

Mantra 2

कुह स्विद्दोषा कुह वस्तोरश्विना कुहाभिपित्वं करतः कुहोषतुः । को वां शयुत्रा विधवेव देवरं मर्यं न योषा कृणुते सधस्थ आ ॥

Where indeed are you at night, where at dawn, O Aśvins? Where do you make your close union, where do you rest? Who prepares your seat of companionship—as a widow seeks her brother-in-law, as a maiden makes ready her beloved—so that you may come to the common dwelling-place?

Mantra 3

प्रातर्जरेथे जरणेव कापया वस्तोर्वस्तोर्यजता गच्छथो गृहम् । कस्य ध्वस्रा भवथः कस्य वा नरा राजपुत्रेव सवनाव गच्छथः ॥

At dawn you awaken like an aged woman with her trembling; at each evening and each dawn you, worthy of worship, go to the house. Whose are you as the close companions, whose indeed, O heroes—like princes you go down to the pressings (the savanas).

Mantra 4

युवां मृगेव वारणा मृगण्यवो दोषा वस्तोर्हविषा नि ह्वयामहे । युवं होत्रामृतुथा जुह्वते नरेषं जनाय वहथः शुभस्पती ॥

You two, like eager seekers of the wild, we call with the offering at night and at dawn. You two, lords of beauty, carry to the people the ‘nareṣa’—the man-strength/heroic essence—when the Hotṛ offers in due season and right order.

Mantra 5

युवां ह घोषा पर्यश्विना यती राज्ञ ऊचे दुहिता पृच्छे वां नरा । भूतं मे अह्न उत भूतमक्तवेऽश्वावते रथिने शक्तमर्वते ॥

Ghoṣā, the king’s daughter, wandering in quest, spoke to you, O Aśvins; she asked you, O heroes: ‘Be present for my day, and be present for my night; give power to the one with horses, to the charioteer, to the runner—strength for the forward-moving life.’

Mantra 6

युवं कवी ष्ठः पर्यश्विना रथं विशो न कुत्सो जरितुर्नशायथः । युवोर्ह मक्षा पर्यश्विना मध्वासा भरत निष्कृतं न योषणा ॥

You two are the seer-powers, O Ashvins: moving around the chariot, you make the peoples safe, as Kutsa saves the singer from perishing. Around you, O Ashvins, swiftly there is honeyed delight; bring it here—like a maiden bringing forth what is well-prepared and set free.

Mantra 7

युवं ह भुज्युं युवमश्विना वशं युवं शिञ्जारमुशनामुपारथुः । युवो ररावा परि सख्यमासते युवोरहमवसा सुम्नमा चके ॥

You indeed brought Bhujyu back; you, O Ashvins, brought Vasha; you brought Shinjāra, longing, near. Around you the resonant ones take their seat in friendship; in your help I fashion for myself the grace of happy plenitude.

Mantra 8

युवं ह कृशं युवमश्विना शयुं युवं विधन्तं विधवामुरुष्यथः । युवं सनिभ्यः स्तनयन्तमश्विनाप व्रजमूर्णुथः सप्तास्यम् ॥

You aided the weak; you, O Ashvins, aided Śayu; you protected the worshipper from the widowhood that would consume her. You, O Ashvins, opened out the thunderous enclosure for the gain-seekers—the seven-mouthed (release of many streams of force).

Mantra 9

जनिष्ट योषा पतयत्कनीनको वि चारुहन्वीरुधो दंसना अनु । आस्मै रीयन्ते निवनेव सिन्धवोऽस्मा अह्ने भवति तत्पतित्वनम् ॥

The maiden is born; the young boy flies toward her; the fair-jawed powers follow the skill of works. To him the streams flow as to a downward slope; for him, on that day, the state of mastery (husbandhood) comes into being.

Mantra 10

जीवं रुदन्ति वि मयन्ते अध्वरे दीर्घामनु प्रसितिं दीधियुर्नरः । वामं पितृभ्यो य इदं समेरिरे मयः पतिभ्यो जनयः परिष्वजे ॥

They weep for the living, and in the sacrifice they are transformed; the men set their thought along the long out-going path. A dear thing to the Fathers are those who thus impel this movement; the wives embrace their lords in joy.

Mantra 11

न तस्य विद्म तदु षु प्र वोचत युवा ह यद्युवत्याः क्षेति योनिषु । प्रियोस्रियस्य वृषभस्य रेतिनो गृहं गमेमाश्विना तदुश्मसि ॥

We do not know that—tell it forth clearly: how the youthful power dwells in the wombs of the young woman. To the home of the beloved bull, rich in seed of light, O Ashvins, we would go; that indeed we desire.

Mantra 12

आ वामगन्त्सुमतिर्वाजिनीवसू न्यश्विना हृत्सु कामा अयंसत । अभूतं गोपा मिथुना शुभस्पती प्रिया अर्यम्णो दुर्याँ अशीमहि ॥

To you has come the right-mindedness, O lords of plenitude; O Ashvins, the heart’s desires have been set within. Become protectors—twin lords of beauty; may we attain the dear doors of Aryaman (the power of harmonious right relation).

Mantra 13

ता मन्दसाना मनुषो दुरोण आ धत्तं रयिं सहवीरं वचस्यवे । कृतं तीर्थं सुप्रपाणं शुभस्पती स्थाणुं पथेष्ठामप दुर्मतिं हतम् ॥

You two, rejoicing in the human house, place for the speaker a rayi—fullness with heroic powers. O lords of beauty, make the crossing-place well-watered; strike away the evil mind that stands like a stump blocking the path.

Mantra 14

क्व स्विदद्य कतमास्वश्विना विक्षु दस्रा मादयेते शुभस्पती । क ईं नि येमे कतमस्य जग्मतुर्विप्रस्य वा यजमानस्य वा गृहम् ॥

Where indeed today, and among which peoples, do you two mighty ones take delight, O lords of beauty? Who has held you down here—whose house have you gone to, the seer’s or the sacrificer’s?