Rig Veda 1.116.23: Mandala 1, Sukta 116, Mantra 23
Sukta 1.116
- Rishi
- Dīrghatamas Āucathya
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अवस्यते स्तुवते कृष्णियाय ऋजूयते नासत्या शचीभिः । पशुं न नष्टमिव दर्शनाय विष्णाप्वं ददथुर्विश्वकाय ॥
avasyaté stuvaté kṛṣṇiyā́ya ṛjúyaté nāsatyā śácībhiḥ | paśúṁ na naṣṭám iva dárśanāya viṣṇā́pvaṁ dadathur víśvakāya ||
A Kṛṣṇiyā, que busca y alaba, al que marcha recto, oh Nāsatyas, por vuestros poderes eficaces disteis a Viṣṇā́pva a Viśvakā — como a una criatura perdida devuelta a la vista — trayendo de nuevo lo que había desaparecido.
Word by Word
- अवस्यते
- (he) seeks help/protectionVerbवर्त्तमान (लट्), आत्मनेपद, प्र. 3, एकवचनRole (सम्बन्ध-क्रिया) — ‘सहायता/रक्षा की कामना करता है’Root अवस् (अवस्- ‘सहायता/रक्षा’, प्रातिपदिक) → अवस्यति (Denom.)
- स्तुवते
- to the praising one / (he) praisesVerbवर्त्तमान (लट्), आत्मनेपद, प्र. 3, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (यजमान/स्तोतृ) — ‘स्तुति करता हुआ’Root √स्तु (स्तवने)
- कृष्णियाय
- for the Kṛṣṇiya (dark/black-associated)Adjectiveपुं., चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (दत्त/प्राप्ति का लक्ष्य) — ‘कृष्णिय (व्यक्ति/समूह) के लिए’Root कृष्णिय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘कृष्ण-सम्बन्धी/कृष्णवर्ण’)
- ऋजूयते
- (he) goes straight / acts uprightlyVerbवर्त्तमान (लट्), आत्मनेपद, प्र. 3, एकवचनRole कर्तृ — ‘सीधा/ऋजु होकर प्रयत्न करता है’Root ऋजूय (प्रातिपदिक/Denom. base ‘ऋजु-मार्ग से चलना/सीधा होना’) → ऋजूयति
- नासत्या
- O Nāsatyas (Aśvins)Nounपुं. (द्विवचन-देवता), सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot नासत्य (प्रातिपदिक; अश्विनौ का नाम)
- शचीभिः
- with powers/skillsNounस्त्री., तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot शची (प्रातिपदिक; ‘शक्ति/कौशल/उपाय’)
- पशुम्
- a beast/cattleNounपुं., द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like/asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न
- नष्टम्
- lostAdjectiveपुं., द्वितीया, एकवचन (पशुम् विशेषण)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root √नश् (नाशे) → नष्ट (कृदन्त, भूतकृदन्त/PPP)
- इव
- as if/likeIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot इव
- दर्शनाय
- for seeing / to be seenNounनपुं., चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (दर्शन-हेतु)Root दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दर्शन/दिखाई देना’)
- विष्णाप्वम्
- Viṣṇāpu (a person/one so named)Nounपुं., द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot विष्णापु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विष्णापु-’ = ‘विष्णु-सम्बद्ध/विष्णु-प्रदत्त (नाम/विशेषण)’; RV-विशिष्ट पद)
- ददथुः
- you two gaveVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्र. 3, द्विवचनRole क्रिया (मुख्य) — कर्ता: नासत्या (अश्विनौ)Root √दा (दाने)
- विश्वकाय
- to/for Viśvakāya (all-bodied / named Viśvakāya)Adjectiveपुं., चतुर्थी, एकवचन (विष्णाप्वम्/व्यक्ति के लिए)Role सम्प्रदानRoot विश्वकाय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विश्व-’ + ‘काय’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (संभाव्य): अवस्यते | स्तुवते | कृष्णियाय | ऋजूयते | नासत्या | शचीभिः || पशुम् | न | नष्टम् | इव | दर्शनाय | विष्णाप्वम् | ददथुः | विश्वकाय || 1) ‘नासत्या शचीभिः’ में सम्बोधन-द्विवचन + तृतीया बहुवचन। 2) ‘पशुं न नष्टमिव’ = पशुम् + न + नष्टम् + इव (अनुस्वार/विसर्ग-समायोजन)। 3) ‘विष्णाप्वं’ RV-विशिष्ट नाम/पद
- पाठान्तर/निरुक्त-व्युत्पत्ति परम्परानुसार विष्णु-सम्बद्ध प्रातिपदिक माना जाता है।
The meaning
Outer meaning
To Kṛṣṇiyā who seeks and praises, to the straight-going one, O Nāsatyas, by your powers you gave Viṣṇāpva to Viśvakā—like a lost creature restored to sight.
Inner meaning
For the aspirant who calls and praises (avasyate stuvate), and who chooses the straight movement (ṛjūyate), the Aśvins restore what has been ‘lost’ from the field of awareness: Viṣṇāpva symbolizes a wide-pervading step or power of expansion (Viṣṇu-principle) returning to the soul (Viśvakā: one who seeks the all). Like recovering a lost animal, the scattered life-force is gathered and made visible again—return of inner perception and capacity.
Universal truth
Sincere aspiration aligned with straightness invites a restoring grace: what vanished from our awareness—purpose, power, or clarity—can be recovered and reintegrated.
Themes
restoration of the lost, healing and guidance, inner sight
The seer
- Rishi
- Dīrghatamas Āucathya
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.164, Rig Veda 1.116
Family tradition
Visionary-poet lineage emphasizing inner rectitude (ṛju) and recovery of hidden powers through mantra.
Significance
His hymns repeatedly show that aspiration + straightness opens the way for divine agencies to restore lost parts of the being.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā, śacībhir (with effective powers)
- Related deities
- Viṣṇu (wideness/stride motif), Uṣas, Indra
Cosmic role
Guides and restorers who return the lost, heal the broken, and re-establish right functioning at the threshold of awakening.
Inner power
Reintegration: gathering dispersed vital energies and restoring the faculty of inner seeing (darśana).
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin stotra in Soma context; also used devotionally for recovery and guidance.
अ॒व॒स्य॒ते स्तु॑व॒ते कृ॑ष्णि॒याय॑ ऋजूय॒ते ना॑सत्या॒ शची॑भिः । प॒शुं न न॒ष्टमि॑व॒ दर्श॑नाय विष्णा॒प्वं॑ ददथु॒र्विश्व॑काय ॥
अ॒व॒स्य॒ते । स्तु॒व॒ते । कृ॒ष्णि॒याय॑ । ऋ॒जु॒ऽय॒ते । ना॒स॒त्या॒ । शची॑भिः । प॒शुम् । न । न॒ष्टम्ऽइ॑व । दर्श॑नाय । वि॒ष्णा॒प्व॑म् । द॒द॒थुः॒ । विश्व॑काय ॥
avasyate | stuvate | kṛṣṇiyāya | ṛju-yate | nāsatyā | śacībhiḥ | paśum | na | naṣṭam-iva | darśanāya | viṣṇāpvam | dadathuḥ | viśvakāya
44
4 × ~11
Clear, directive rhythm that supports the idea of ‘straight-going’ movement.
Encourages alignment and recollection; helpful when the mind feels scattered or directionless.
- अवस्यते (avasyate)
- Literal: to one who seeks help. Symbolic: aspiration; call for the higher aid
- स्तुवते (stuvate)
- Literal: to one who praises. Symbolic: affirmation that opens the consciousness
- ऋजूयते (ṛjūyate)
- Literal: to the straight-going. Symbolic: sincere alignment; non-twisted will
- शचीभिः (śacībhiḥ)
- Literal: by powers/skills. Symbolic: effective divine workings
- पशुं (paśum)
- Literal: animal/creature. Symbolic: life-force or instinct-energy that can be lost/strayed
- नष्टम् (naṣṭam)
- Literal: lost. Symbolic: lost capacities; obscured perception
- दर्शनाय (darśanāya)
- Literal: for seeing. Symbolic: restored vision/insight
- विष्णाप्वम् (viṣṇāpvaṃ)
- Literal: Viṣṇāpva (proper name). Symbolic: Viṣṇu-like expansive stride/power; recovered wideness
Supplicatory praise for recovery/restoration (lost powers, sight, direction); Aśvins as restorers
Dawn or before travel/decisions; periods of confusion or loss of purpose.
Invocation for restoration of what is lost and for right direction.
Meditate on recovering ‘lost parts’—attention, faith, purpose—especially after stress or distraction.
√av 'to favour, help, protect' (avasyate) expresses the seeker’s dependence on divine guardianship. ṛju-yate: 'straight-going' evokes alignment with ṛta (rightness). darśana- from √dṛś 'see' indicates restoration of vision/knowledge. The simile 'like a lost paśu restored to sight' supports an inner recovery motif: re-finding a missing vital or cognitive power. Viṣṇā́pva as a proper name can also be read symbolically via Viṣṇu’s 'wide stride' (urugāya) = expansion of consciousness.
alignment with ṛta (ṛju-), recovery of obscured knowledge, grace/help (√av)
ṛjūyate signals alignment with ṛta; restoration happens when one moves straight with the law.
Nāsatyā as unfailing truth in action; the ‘lost’ becomes visible again.
Re-finding and re-manifesting a capacity that had disappeared—microcosmic re-creation.
Integral yoga hermeneutic: deities as functional powers restoring wholeness.
Lost animal = strayed life-energy; ‘seeing’ = restored inner perception; straight path = alignment of will and mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins restore what is lost—like recovering a missing animal—by giving Viṣṇā́pva back for 'seeing.' This is the 'recovery' mythologem: the return of a missing power/possession from concealment.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dṛś 'see' connects to PIE *derk- 'see' (Greek dérkomai). paśu- has Indo-Iranian pastoral vocabulary parallels. The semantic pairing of 'lost' (naṣṭa-) and 'seeing' (darśana) reflects an inherited poetic logic: knowledge is visibility; ignorance is concealment.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions the human as avasyú (seeking help) and ṛju (aligned), implying that right orientation invites the Aśvins’ restorative action. The devatā responds not merely with gifts but with the return of perceptive capacity—making the seeker 'see again.'
Recollection: call back lost attention and life-force; rest in straightness and sincerity.
ajna
nadi-śodhana (6 rounds) then chant
From scattered search to unified inner seeing.
Before chanting, set an intention: ‘May what is lost be restored to vision.’ On ‘darśanāya’ pause briefly and feel a clear space opening behind the forehead.
Maintain clear udātta lifts on marked syllables; keep ‘ṛjūyate’ evenly articulated to embody straightness.
Do not rush the simile phrase ‘paśuṃ na naṣṭam iva’; let it land gently before ‘darśanāya’.
kṛṣṇiyāya: kṛṣ-ṇi-yā-ya (retroflex ṇ), ṛjūyate: vocalic ṛ + long ū, viṣṇāpvaṃ: viṣ-ṇā-pvaṃ (cluster pva), viśvakāya: viś-va-kā-ya
Soft, focused, ‘seeing’ tone; minimal force, more clarity.
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