Sukta 8

Mantra 2

आ नूनं यातमश्विना रथेन सूर्यत्वचा । भुजी हिरण्यपेशसा कवी गम्भीरचेतसा ॥

Come now, O Aśvins, in your chariot clad with the sun’s radiance—O strong-armed ones of golden form, seer-powers of deep consciousness—arrive to awaken in us the swift harmonies of the journey.

Mantra 3

आ यातं नहुषस्पर्यान्तरिक्षात्सुवृक्तिभिः । पिबाथो अश्विना मधु कण्वानां सवने सुतम् ॥

Come, O Aśvins, from beyond the human reach, from the mid-world, drawn by well-shaped utterances; drink the honeyed delight pressed out in the Kaṇvas’ offering—take into you the sweetness that increases the inner light.

Mantra 4

आ नो यातं दिवस्पर्यान्तरिक्षादधप्रिया । पुत्रः कण्वस्य वामिह सुषाव सोम्यं मधु ॥

Come to us from heaven and from the mid-world, O lovers of the offering; here the son of Kaṇva has pressed for you the soma’s honey—may that delight enter and set right our inner currents.

Mantra 5

आ नो यातमुपश्रुत्यश्विना सोमपीतये । स्वाहा स्तोमस्य वर्धना प्र कवी धीतिभिर्नरा ॥

Come to us, O Aśvins, having listened near, for the drinking of soma; svāhā—O increasers of the hymn—press forward, O seer-twins, with your inspired thoughts, O heroes.

Mantra 6

यच्चिद्धि वां पुर ऋषयो जुहूरेऽवसे नरा । आ यातमश्विना गतमुपेमां सुष्टुतिं मम ॥

For whatever help the seers of old invoked you, O heroes, for that too come now, O Aśvins—come near to this my well-made praise; let the ancient response awaken again in us.

Mantra 7

दिवश्चिद्रोचनादध्या नो गन्तं स्वर्विदा । धीभिर्वत्सप्रचेतसा स्तोमेभिर्हवनश्रुता ॥

Even from the luminous heaven’s wide shining come to us, O finders of the Sun-world; with inspired thoughts—O clear-minded as a beloved child—by our hymns, O hearers of the call, arrive.

Mantra 8

किमन्ये पर्यासतेऽस्मत्स्तोमेभिरश्विना । पुत्रः कण्वस्य वामृषिर्गीर्भिर्वत्सो अवीवृधत् ॥

Why should others seek to surpass us with hymns, O Aśvins? For the seer Vatsa, the son of Kaṇva, has increased you with his uttered words—he has made your powers grow in our field by the force of inspired speech.

Mantra 9

आ वां विप्र इहावसेऽह्वत्स्तोमेभिरश्विना । अरिप्रा वृत्रहन्तमा ता नो भूतं मयोभुवा ॥

O Aśvins, the illumined seer has called you here for our fostering help with hymns of aspiration. O you whom no hostile power can mar, most mighty in the slaying of the obstructer, become for us powers that bring delight and increase of inner sweetness.

Mantra 10

आ यद्वां योषणा रथमतिष्ठद्वाजिनीवसू । विश्वान्यश्विना युवं प्र धीतान्यगच्छतम् ॥

When the luminous Shakti set your chariot in motion, O lords of plenitudes of force, then, O Aśvins, you two went forward to all the right-held intentions of the mind, fulfilling and quickening them.

Mantra 11

अतः सहस्रनिर्णिजा रथेना यातमश्विना । वत्सो वां मधुमद्वचोऽशंसीत्काव्यः कविः ॥

Therefore come, O Aśvins, on your chariot clothed in a thousand radiances. Vatsa, the seer of the Kāvya inspiration, has uttered to you a honeyed word—speech that carries the sweetness of truth.

Mantra 12

पुरुमन्द्रा पुरूवसू मनोतरा रयीणाम् । स्तोमं मे अश्विनाविममभि वह्नी अनूषाताम् ॥

O Aśvins, wide-gladdening and rich in plenitudes, more intimate than the mind in the streams of inner wealth—toward this my hymn let your two carriers move, consenting and bearing it upward into fulfillment.

Mantra 13

आ नो विश्वान्यश्विना धत्तं राधांस्यह्रया । कृतं न ऋत्वियावतो मा नो रीरधतं निदे ॥

O Aśvins, bring to us all the boons without delay. Make effective for us the work of those who move in the right season and right order; do not abandon us to blame and the diminishing voice of negation.

Mantra 14

यन्नासत्या परावति यद्वा स्थो अध्यम्बरे । अतः सहस्रनिर्णिजा रथेना यातमश्विना ॥

Whether, O Nāsatyas, you are in the far distance or stationed above in the luminous ether, from here come on your chariot of a thousand radiances, O Aśvins, into our field of aspiration.

Mantra 15

यो वां नासत्यावृषिर्गीर्भिर्वत्सो अवीवृधत् । तस्मै सहस्रनिर्णिजमिषं धत्तं घृतश्चुतम् ॥

He who, the seer Vatsa, has increased you, O Nāsatyas, with songs—give to him that thousand-radiant nourishment, the flow that drips with clarified light and richness.

Mantra 16

प्रास्मा ऊर्जं घृतश्चुतमश्विना यच्छतं युवम् । यो वां सुम्नाय तुष्टवद्वसूयाद्दानुनस्पती ॥

Give to him the streaming energy that is rich with clarified light, O Aśvins. He who has praised you for your grace, seeking the inner riches—O lords of the giving power—let him be sustained by that force.

Mantra 17

आ नो गन्तं रिशादसेमं स्तोमं पुरुभुजा । कृतं नः सुश्रियो नरेमा दातमभिष्टये ॥

Come to us, O slayers of the harmful, enjoyers of many fulfillments; accept this hymn fashioned by us. O glorious heroes, give us these boons for our victorious aim and inner conquest.

Mantra 18

आ वां विश्वाभिरूतिभिः प्रियमेधा अहूषत । राजन्तावध्वराणामश्विना यामहूतिषु ॥

With all your powers of help, the Priyamedhas have called you hither. O Aśvins, you who shine as kings of the offerings, come in the appointed invocations and right approaches of the sacrifice—and rule in us as guiding powers.

Mantra 19

आ नो गन्तं मयोभुवाश्विना शम्भुवा युवम् । यो वां विपन्यू धीतिभिर्गीर्भिर्वत्सो अवीवृधत् ॥

Come to us, O Ashvins, you who bring delight and who bring peace—come, you two. For the seeking soul, Vatsa, has increased your power by his inspired thoughts and by his words of affirmation.

Mantra 20

याभिः कण्वं मेधातिथिं याभिर्वशं दशव्रजम् । याभिर्गोशर्यमावतं ताभिर्नोऽवतं नरा ॥

By those powers with which you helped Kaṇva and Medhātithi, with which you helped Vaśa of the tenfold enclosure, and with which you helped Gośarya—by those same powers, protect us too, O strong ones.

Mantra 21

याभिर्नरा त्रसदस्युमावतं कृत्व्ये धने । ताभिः ष्वस्माँ अश्विना प्रावतं वाजसातये ॥

By those powers with which you protected Trasadasyu in the decisive winning of the wealth, by those same powers, O Ashvins, strongly protect us forward, for the gaining of plenitude of force.

Mantra 22

प्र वां स्तोमाः सुवृक्तयो गिरो वर्धन्त्वश्विना । पुरुत्रा वृत्रहन्तमा ता नो भूतं पुरुस्पृहा ॥

May our hymns and well-fashioned words increase you, O Ashvins. O most slayers of the coverer in many places, become for us powers richly desired—present and effective in our being.

Mantra 23

त्रीणि पदान्यश्विनोराविः सान्ति गुहा परः । कवी ऋतस्य पत्मभिरर्वाग्जीवेभ्यस्परि ॥

Three are the steps of the Ashvins: they are manifest, yet hidden beyond. Those two seers of the Truth come near, by the paths of the R̥ta, to the living beings—unhindered and encompassing.