Rig Veda 7.72.4: Mandala 7, Sukta 72, Mantra 4
Sukta 7.72
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वि चेदुच्छन्त्यश्विना उषासः प्र वां ब्रह्माणि कारवो भरन्ते । ऊर्ध्वं भानुं सविता देवो अश्रेद्बृहदग्नयः समिधा जरन्ते ॥
ví ced ucchánty aśvinā uṣā́saḥ prá vāṃ bráhmāṇi kā́ravo bharante | ūrdhvám bhā́nuṃ savitā́ devó aśred bṛhád agnáyaḥ samídhā jarante ||
Cuando resplandecen las Uṣās, oh Aśvins, los cantores os presentan las palabras sagradas, el brahman. Savitṛ ha alzado en lo alto el rayo de luz, y los grandes fuegos, alimentados por la samidhā (leña de encendido), arden hacia arriba.
Word by Word
- वि
- apart, forth (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषण)Root वि- (उपसर्ग)
- चेत्
- if indeed, ifIndeclinableनिपात/सम्भावना-अर्थेRoot चिद् (निपात)
- उच्छन्ति
- they shine forth, they dawnVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot उद्-√शि/श्यै (उच्छ्) ‘उदय/प्रकाशे’
- अश्विना
- the two AśvinsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (वैदिक: -ā = प्रथमा-द्विवचन)Role KartāRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उषासः
- the dawnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forward (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषणRoot प्र- (उपसर्ग)
- वाम्
- to/for you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, द्विवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- ब्रह्माणि
- hymns, sacred formulationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कारवः
- poets, singersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot कारु (प्रातिपदिक)
- भरन्ते
- they bring, they bearVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √भृ (भर) ‘धारण/आहरणे’
- ऊर्ध्वम्
- upward, aloftAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Root ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भानुम्
- beam, radianceNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सविता
- Savitṛ (the impeller, Sun)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्रेत्
- he has set/placed, he has raised (set in position)Verbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √श्रि (श्रय) ‘आश्रये/प्रापणे’
- बृहत्
- great, loftyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विशेषणम्)Root बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्नयः
- the firesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- समिधा
- with kindling, by fuel-stickNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot समिध् (प्रातिपदिक)
- जरन्ते
- they blaze/burn; (also) they are tended/cherishedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √जॄ/जर् (जर) ‘क्षये/वृद्धौ; वैदिके: जरणे/स्तुतौ’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वि | चेत् | उच्छन्ति | अश्विना | उषासः | प्र | वाम् | ब्रह्माणि | कारवः | भरन्ते || ऊर्ध्वम् | भानुम् | सविता | देवः | अश्रेत् | बृहत् | अग्नयः | समिधा | जरन्ते || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) वि चेदुच्छन्ति → वि + चेत् + उच्छन्ति (त् + उ = दु/दुच्छ्-प्रकारे वैदिक-सन्धि/पदपाठ-आधारे विच्छेद)
- (2) उषासः प्र → विसर्ग-सन्धि: उषासः + प्र (ः + प्)
- (3) देवोऽश्रेत् → देवः + अश्रेत् (विसर्गस्य ओऽ-आदेशः)
- (4) अश्रेद्बृहत् → अश्रेत् + बृहत् (त् + ब् → द्ब्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
When the Dawns shine out, O Aśvins, the singers bring you sacred words. Savitṛ lifts high the beam of light, and the great fires, fed with kindling, blaze upward.
Inner meaning
As illumination (Uṣas) spreads through the consciousness, the soul’s expressive powers (kāravaḥ) offer formulated truth (brahmāṇi) to the twin helpers. Savitṛ—the divine impeller—raises the ‘beam’ (bhānu) of discernment, establishing a higher direction in the mind. Then the inner fires (agnayaḥ)—multiple intensities of will and aspiration—are kindled by right fuel (samidh), rising upward: the whole being turns from horizontal dispersion to vertical ascent.
Universal truth
When awakening begins, offer your best understanding and aspiration; a higher impulsion lifts perception, and disciplined will-fires rise, transforming life into an upward movement.
Themes
Morning awakening, Light rising, Fire kindling, Mantra offering
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.2 (Agni), RV 7.63-66 (Sūrya/Savitṛ themes), RV 7.77 (Uṣas)
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭha corpus frequently links dawn, Savitṛ’s impulsion, and Agni’s kindling as a single ascent-process.
Significance
Here Vasiṣṭha presents a complete inner morning: illumination (Uṣas), right impulsion (Savitṛ), and the rising will (Agni) cooperating with the Aśvins’ harmonizing aid.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau with supporting powers (Uṣas, Savitṛ, Agni)
- Epithets
- Aśvinā, Nāsatyā, Swift ones, Helpers at dawn
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Savitṛ, Agni, Sūrya
Cosmic role
They preside over transitions from night to day, disorder to harmony; Savitṛ impels, Uṣas reveals, Agni executes.
Inner power
Integration of illumination, impulsion, and will: the ‘beam’ sets direction; the ‘fires’ carry transformation upward.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning stotra to Aśvins; dawn-linked recitations with Savitṛ/Agni imagery
वि चेदु॒च्छन्त्य॑श्विना उ॒षास॒: प्र वां॒ ब्रह्मा॑णि का॒रवो॑ भरन्ते । ऊ॒र्ध्वं भा॒नुं स॑वि॒ता दे॒वो अ॑श्रेद्बृ॒हद॒ग्नय॑: स॒मिधा॑ जरन्ते ॥
वि । च॒ । इत् । उ॒च्छन्ति॑ । अ॒श्वि॒नौ॒ । उ॒षसः॑ । प्र । वा॒म् । ब्रह्मा॑णि । का॒रवः॑ । भ॒र॒न्ते॒ । ऊ॒र्ध्वम् । भा॒नुम् । स॒वि॒ता । दे॒वः । अ॒श्रे॒त् । बृ॒हत् । अ॒ग्नयः॑ । स॒म्ऽइधा॑ । ज॒र॒न्ते॒ ॥
vi | ca | it | ucchanti | aśvinau | uṣasaḥ | pra | vām | brahmāṇi | kāravaḥ | bharante | ūrdhvam | bhānum | savitā | devaḥ | aśret | bṛhat | agnayaḥ | sam-idhā | jarante
48
4×12 (probable)
Expansive and luminous; strong upward momentum in the second half (ūrdhvam… jarante).
Encourages a felt ‘lifting’ in the breath and attention; good for energizing morning practice without agitation.
- उषासः (uṣāsaḥ)
- Literal: dawns. Symbolic: successive illuminations, progressive awakenings
- कāravः (kāravaḥ)
- Literal: singers/poets. Symbolic: powers of expression and formulation in the seeker
- ब्रह्माणि (brahmāṇi)
- Literal: sacred words/formulas. Symbolic: mantric thought-forms carrying truth-force
- सविता (savitā)
- Literal: Savitṛ, the impeller. Symbolic: divine impulsion that sets the being in right motion
- भानुम् (bhānum)
- Literal: beam of light. Symbolic: focused ray of discernment/illumined intelligence
- अग्नयः (agnayaḥ)
- Literal: fires. Symbolic: multiple flames of will, aspiration, purification
- समिधा (samidhā)
- Literal: with kindling. Symbolic: right disciplines, offerings, and attentions that feed the inner fire
Morning setting: dawning, Savitṛ’s uplifted light, kindled fires—maps to the ritual morning where Agni is fed and hymns are offered.
At dawn; also suitable as a pre-work invocation to align intention and energy.
Offer brahmāṇi (recited formulas), kindle fire, invite Aśvins’ aid.
Use as a ‘start-of-day alignment’: set intention (Savitṛ), kindle will (Agni), ask for harmonious effectiveness (Aśvins).
ucchánti: from ud-√śī/√chand? standard √ucch ‘rise, shine’ (Vedic). bhā́nu: ‘beam’ from √bhā ‘shine’ (PIE *bʰeh₂-). savitā́: from √sū/√sav ‘impel, vivify’. aśred: from √śri/√śr? here ‘raised’ (traditional reading as ‘aśret’ = ‘has lifted’). sam-idhā: from √idh ‘kindle’ (PIE *h₁eydʰ-).
impulsion (Savitṛ) as awakening force, Agni as will-force rising upward, mantric offering (brahman) synchronized with dawn
‘Upward blazing’ signifies conformity to ṛta—energies moving toward truth rather than scattering.
Brahmāṇi are satya-bearing forms when voiced from awakened consciousness.
Daily emergence of light; the cosmos re-ignites through Savitṛ’s raising of the beam and Agni’s rekindling.
Yoga of ascent: illumination → impulsion → energizing transformation.
dawn
Progressive insight dawns; a higher directive lifts perception; disciplined fuel feeds the inner will to rise.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The coordinated sunrise-rite: Dawns shine, Savitṛ lifts the beam, fires blaze, and hymns are offered to the Aśvins. Inner sense: as higher light rises in consciousness, the will-fire (Agni) intensifies and speech-offering (brahman) becomes effective—creating the right condition for the Aśvins’ harmonizing intervention.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- bhānu from √bhā ‘shine’ reflects PIE *bʰeh₂-. √idh ‘kindle’ is PIE *h₁eydʰ-. The verse’s parallelism (dawns shine / poets bring / Savitṛ lifts / fires blaze) is an inherited Indo-European poetic technique of stacked coordinated clauses.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi situates his act within a cosmic synchronization: the human offering of brahman mirrors the cosmic rising of light and fire. The Aśvins are invoked as beneficiaries of this alignment—divine aid is drawn when the sacrificer’s inner dawn and inner Agni are already kindled upward.
Feel the ‘beam’ rise in the forehead (clarity) and the ‘fires’ rise in the chest/navel (will). Offer speech/thought as brahmāṇi—precise, truthful intention.
Ājñā (bhānu/beam) + Maṇipūra (Agni/will)
Inhale 4–6 counts imagining Savitṛ lifting the beam; exhale 6 counts imagining Agni rising steadily; repeat through 4 pādas.
Energized clarity (sattvic activation)
Chant once, then sit: (1) notice the first dawn-light in mind, (2) set a single clear intention, (3) kindle a calm resolve to act; invoke Aśvins for harmony in execution.
Traditional Vedic accents with marked rises on uṣāsaḥ, savitā, bhānum; keep ūrdhvam strongly lifted in tone.
Make a clear pause at the caesura after bharante; then build intensity through ūrdhvam… aśred… jarante.
(ucchanti): double cch aspirated, (aśvinā): śv cluster clean, (bhānum): long ā; final m nasal, (savitā): short a in sa-, long ā at end, (samidhā): clear dh aspirate
Bright, upward-placing resonance; avoid heaviness on ‘agnayaḥ’.
3
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