Rig Veda 8.87.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 87, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.87
- Rishi
- Priyamedhas
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ नूनं यातमश्विनाश्वेभिः प्रुषितप्सुभिः । दस्रा हिरण्यवर्तनी शुभस्पती पातं सोममृतावृधा ॥
ā nūnaṃ yātam aśvinā aśvebhiḥ pruṣitapsu-bhiḥ | dasrā hiraṇyavartanī śubhaspatī pātaṃ somam ṛtāvṛdhā ||
Venid ahora, oh Aśvins, con vuestros caballos veloces, fulgurantes de fuego. Oh Dasra, de sendas de oro, señores de la belleza, bebed el Soma, vosotros que acrecentáis en nosotros el Ṛta.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (गत्यर्थकः)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- नूनम्
- now, indeedIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRoot नूनम् (अव्यय)
- यातम्
- come (you two)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root या (धातु) / yā ‘to go, come’
- अश्विना
- O Aśvins (Divine Twins)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्Role सम्बोधन (आह्वान)Root अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक) / Aśvin
- अश्वेभिः
- with horsesNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करण (instrument)Root अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) / horse
- प्रुषितप्सुभिः
- with (horses) sprinkled/wet in the waters (i.e., water-splashed, dewy)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम् (अश्वेभिः इति विशेषणम्)Role करण (instrument)Root प्रुषितप्सु (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समासः) < प्रुषित + अप्सु
- दस्रा
- O wondrous/skillful (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, द्विवचनम् (अश्विना इति विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot दस्र (प्रातिपदिक) / wondrous, skillful
- हिरण्यवर्तनी
- O having golden tracks/pathsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, द्विवचनम् (अश्विना इति विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot हिरण्यवर्तनी (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारयः) < हिरण्य + वर्तनī
- शुभस्पती
- O lords of splendourNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot शुभस्-पति (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) < शुभस् ‘splendour/beauty’ + पति
- पातम्
- drink (you two)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root पा (धातु) / pā ‘to drink’
- सोमम्
- Soma (the pressed drink)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (object)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक) / Soma
- ऋतावृधा
- O strengthened by ṛta (cosmic order), truth-growingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, द्विवचनम् (अश्विना इति विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot ऋतावृध (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारयः) < ऋत + वृध ‘growing/strengthened’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | नूनम् | यातम् | अश्विना | अश्वेभिः | प्रुषितप्सुभिः | दस्रा | हिरण्यवर्तनी | शुभस्पती | पातम् | सोमम् | ऋतावृधा । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) नूनं+यातम् → नूनं यातम् (अनुस्वारः परे य्; लेखे ‘नू॒नं या॑तम्’). (2) अश्विनाश्वेभिः → अश्विना अश्वेभिः (आ + अ = आ; पदसंयोगे दीर्घः). (3) प्रुषितप्सुभिः: प्रुषित + अप्सु + भिः
- ‘अप्सु’ (loc.pl.) समासे ‘-अप्सु-’ रूपेण, ततः तृतीया-बहुवचन-प्रत्ययः -भिः। (4) शुभस्पती: शुभस् + पती
- विसर्गस्य लोपः समासे। (5) सोममृतावृधा → सोमम् ऋतावृधा (म् + ऋ = म् ऋ; पदसंयोगः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come now, O Aśvins, with your horses swift and shining with fire. O wonder-workers with golden tracks, lords of beauty, drink the Soma, you who increase by Ṛta.
Inner meaning
The Aśvins are summoned ‘now’—the decisive moment of inner turning. Their ‘horses’ are the vital energies made swift and luminous (fire-splendid) when yoked to the divine movement. ‘Golden paths’ are channels of higher light (hiraṇya as supramental/illumined quality) along which help descends without distortion. As ‘lords of beauty’, they bring harmony and right proportion to life-force and mind. Drinking Soma means they take up and intensify the bliss-essence released by practice; ‘ṛtāvṛdhā’ indicates they increase the Ṛta in us—right order, right movement, right timing.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress accelerates when our energies become luminous and disciplined, moving on higher channels of truth; then delight nourishes the powers that establish right order within.
Themes
Rita-increase, Swift-arrival, Twin-wonder-workers, Soma-drinking
The seer
- Rishi
- Priyamedhas (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.87.3, RV 8.87.4, RV 8.87.6
Family tradition
Priyamedha invocations often stress swift movement (Aśvins) and the establishment of Ṛta through delight and right action.
Significance
The seer-vision here links tapas-charged energy (pruṣitapsu) with golden channels (hiraṇya) and Ṛta—integration of force, light, and truth-order.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Epithets
- Dasrā, Hiraṇyavartanī, Śubhas patī, Ṛtāvṛdhā
- Related deities
- Agni (tapas/fire), Soma (delight), Uṣas (dawn illumination)
Cosmic role
Swift movers on luminous tracks who restore harmony and bring timely aid; they embody effective skill in the world-process.
Inner power
Transforming vital dynamism into illumined action; establishing harmony/beauty and strengthening the law of truth-movement (Ṛta).
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin Soma offering (general)
आ नू॒नं या॑तमश्वि॒नाश्वे॑भिः प्रुषि॒तप्सु॑भिः । दस्रा॒ हिर॑ण्यवर्तनी शुभस्पती पा॒तं सोम॑मृतावृधा ॥
आ । नू॒नम् । या॒त॒म् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । अश्वे॑भिः । प्रु॒षि॒तप्सु॑ऽभिः । दस्रा॑ । हिर॑ण्यवर्तनी॒ इति॒ हिर॑ण्यऽवर्तनी । शु॒भः॒ । प॒ती॒ इति॑ । पा॒तम् । सोम॑म् । ऋ॒त॒ऽवृ॒धा॒ ॥
ā | nūnam | yātam | aśvinā | aśvebhiḥ | pruṣitapsu-bhiḥ | dasrā | hiraṇyavartanī itihiraṇya-vartanī | śubhaḥ | patī iti | pātam | somam | ṛta-vṛdhā
32
4 × ~8 syllables (approx.)
Urgent, forward-driving, ‘arrival’ rhythm.
Energizes the practitioner; evokes swift ascent and brightening of the life-force.
- aśvá (अश्व)
- Literal: horse. Symbolic: vital energy, force of action and movement
- pruṣitápsu (प्रुषितप्सु)
- Literal: sprinkled/gleaming, fiery-hot. Symbolic: energized forces made radiant by tapas (inner heat) and clarity
- dasrá (दस्र)
- Literal: wonder-worker, skillful. Symbolic: divine efficacy that solves knots and heals quickly
- hiraṇyavartanī (हिरण्यवर्तनी)
- Literal: having golden tracks/paths. Symbolic: luminous channels of descent/ascent; illumined law of movement
- śúbhas patī (शुभः पती)
- Literal: lords of beauty. Symbolic: powers that harmonize and perfect the form of life and mind
- ṛtāvṛdhā (ऋतावृधा)
- Literal: increasing Ṛta. Symbolic: augmenters of right order and truth-movement in consciousness
- sóma (सोम)
- Literal: Soma. Symbolic: Ananda that sustains transformation
Urgent invitation (ā nūnam) to the Aśvins in Soma service; emphasizes their ṛta-strengthening function, suitable where right order and auspiciousness are sought.
At the moment of inviting the Aśvins with their steeds and offering Soma for strengthening Ṛta.
Invocation + offering; visualization of divine approach.
Use when beginning active work: chant to align action-energy (aśva) with luminous truth-channels (hiraṇya-vartani).
dasra- ‘wonder-worker’ (often of Aśvins), linked to √dṛ/√daṃs ‘skill, wondrous power’ (puru-daṃsasā in 8.87.6). hiraṇya ‘gold’ symbolizes luminous substance (not materialism) + vartanī ‘track/turning’ from √vṛt ‘to turn/proceed’. ṛta-vṛdhā: compound of ṛta + √vṛdh ‘increase’—explicitly psychological: growth of truth-order in the being.
Rita (explicit: ṛtāvṛdhā), Shubha (auspicious beauty as harmony)
Explicit: ṛtāvṛdhā—these powers increase the right law of movement in the seeker.
Golden paths imply movement without falsehood or distortion—truth-bearing channels.
Transformation of raw force into illumined action; delight (Soma) feeds the gods who establish order.
Integral-psychological Vedic reading: Ṛta as dynamic truth in action.
dawn-transition (Aśvin motif)
Vital energies become swift and radiant under tapas; higher light opens clear channels; delight nourishes right order.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘golden-tracked swift Twins’ who increase ṛta: the Aśvins arrive with luminous horses and, by drinking Soma, strengthen Truth-Order. Mythically they traverse radiant paths; psychologically they bring swift luminous energies that organize and beautify the being according to ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The horse imagery (aśva) and twin divine riders resonate with pan-IE twin-horseman motifs. √vṛt (vartanī) is widely attested in IE as ‘turn/roll/proceed’, supporting the inherited formula of divine ‘tracks/ways’ as modes of manifestation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s urgency (nūnam) seeks immediate descent of the Aśvins’ dynamic energies. The Devatā’s return-gift is not only enjoyment of Soma but the strengthening of ṛta—stabilizing the seeker’s inner order and auspicious harmony (śubha).
Offer life-force to be made swift, luminous, and orderly; invoke harmony and beauty in action.
Maṇipūra (tapas/force) guided by Ājñā (luminous track)
3 rounds of bhastrikā-lite (gentle, not forceful), then chant once slowly; feel a golden channel along the spine.
Bright, energetic, ordered.
Before chanting, recall one area of confused action; after chanting, visualize ‘golden tracks’—a single clear next step aligned to truth.
Rigvedic accenting; emphasize ‘ā nūnaṃ yātam’ as a clear rising call; keep ‘ṛtāvṛdhā’ steady and weighty.
Let the first pāda be brisk-inviting, second pāda reverent; avoid rushing consonant clusters.
pruṣitapsubhiḥ: articulate ṣ + t (pru-ṣi-tap-su-bhiḥ), hiraṇyavartanī: roll ṛ lightly; keep ‘ṇy’ nasal-palatal clean, ṛtāvṛdhā: clear retroflex ṛ; do not soften to ‘rit’
Bright, forward, resonant chest tone with clear diction.
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