Rig Veda 1.116.8: Mandala 1, Sukta 116, Mantra 8
Sukta 1.116
- Rishi
- Kakṣīvant Dairghatamasa
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Shanta (peace)
हिमेनाग्निं घ्रंसमवारयेथां पितुमतीमूर्जमस्मा अधत्तम् । ऋबीसे अत्रिमश्विनावनीतमुन्निन्यथुः सर्वगणं स्वस्ति ॥
himénāgníṃ ghraṃsám avārayethāṃ pitu-mátīm ūrjáṃ asmā adhattam | ṛbī́se átrim aśvināv ava-nītám ún ninyathuḥ sárva-gaṇaṃ svastí ||
अश्विन भ्राताओं ने ठंडी से आग को रोका। उसने जलाया था, पर तुमने उसे शांत कर दिया। तुमने उसे नया बल और खाना दिया। रिशि अत्रि एक गड्ढे में फंसा हुआ था। तुमने उसे उठाया और बाहर निकाला। उसके सारे लोग सुरक्षित हो गए।
Word by Word
- हिमेना
- with snow / by coldNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करणRoot हिम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- fireNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- घ्रंसम्
- glow/heat; burning blazeNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot घ्रंस (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवारयेथाम्
- you two warded off / covered overVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट); मध्यम-पुरुष; द्विवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: अव-आRole (क्रिया)Root √वृ (वरणे/आवरणे)
- पितुमतीम्
- rich in nourishment (pitu)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पितुमत् (प्रातिपदिक; -मत् प्रत्यय)
- ऊर्जम्
- strength; refreshment; sapNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ऊर्ज्/ऊर्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मै
- to himPronounचतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अधत्तम्
- you two placed; bestowedVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट); मध्यम-पुरुष; द्विवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √धा (धारणे/स्थापने)
- ऋबीसे
- to Ṛbīsa (a hostile being)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचन (वेदिक रूप: -े)Role सम्प्रदानRoot ऋबीस (प्रातिपदिक; दैत्य/राक्षस-नाम)
- अत्रिम्
- AtriNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अत्रि (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषि-नाम)
- अश्विनौ
- the two AśvinsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक; देव-नाम)
- अनीतम्
- brought (hither)Participleभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole (कर्म-विशेषण)Root √नी (नयने) + उपसर्ग: आ; क्त (कृदन्त)
- उन्निन्यथुः
- you two led up/out; raisedVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट); मध्यम-पुरुष; द्विवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √नी (नयने) + उपसर्ग: उद्
- सर्वगणम्
- with all his company; whole troopAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole (कर्म-विशेषण)Root सर्व-गण (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वस्ति
- well-being; safelyIndeclinableअव्ययRole (आशीः/भाव)Root स्वस्ति (अव्यय/निपात)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): हिमेना अग्निम् घ्रंसम् अवारयेथाम् | पितुमतीम् ऊर्जम् अस्मै अधत्तम् | ऋबीसे अत्रिम् अश्विनौ अनीतम् | उत्-निन्यथुः सर्वगणम् स्वस्ति || 1) उन्निन्यथुः = उद् + निन्यथुः (उद्-उपसर्गेण ‘उन्नि-’ संधि/संयोग)
- 2) अनीतम् = आ + नीतम् (आगमनार्थ ‘आ-’)
- 3) ऋबीसे: वेदिक चतुर्थी-एकवचन -े (ऋबीसाय इत्यर्थः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
With cold you warded off the scorching fire and gave him nourishing strength. Atri, sunk in a pit, you lifted up with his whole company into well-being.
Inner meaning
The Aśvins apply the cooling, clarifying power that pacifies the burning of distressed vitality (ghraṃsa-agni). They restore ‘pitumatī ūrj’—a strength rich in sap/nourishment—so the being can endure and grow. Atri in the pit is the seer-consciousness fallen into the subconscient or a cramped formation; the Aśvins raise it (and all its ‘companions’—supporting faculties) back into svasti: integrated safety and harmony.
Universal truth
Spiritual healing often comes first as a cooling of inner fever (overstrain, anguish, passion), then as nourishment, then as an uplift from subconscious depression into wholeness.
Themes
Rescue of Atri, Healing and protection, Balance of energies, Deliverance from descent
The seer
- Rishi
- Kakṣīvant Dairghatamasa
- Lineage
- Dīrghatamasa lineage
- Other hymns
- RV 1.116.7, RV 1.116.9, RV 1.117.7
Family tradition
Aśvin hymns in this family preserve many rescue-healing legends that readily transpose into inner psychology: saving from pits, restoring heat/cold balance, renewing vitality.
Significance
Kakṣīvant speaks as one who knows that illumination requires a sound instrument; the divine helpers first heal and re-balance the energies so the seer-force can rise.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- Dasrā (wonder-workers), Nāsatyā (true helpers)
- Related deities
- Agni, Uṣas, Soma
Cosmic role
Physicians of the gods; restorers of balance (heat/cold), rescuers from peril, bringers of safe integration.
Inner power
They regulate extremes, heal the life-force, and lift consciousness from subconscious pits into coordinated harmony.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin praise recitations for protection and healing
हि॒मेना॒ग्निं घ्रं॒सम॑वारयेथां पितु॒मती॒मूर्ज॑मस्मा अधत्तम् । ऋ॒बीसे॒ अत्रि॑मश्वि॒नाव॑नीत॒मुन्नि॑न्यथु॒: सर्व॑गणं स्व॒स्ति ॥
हि॒मेन॑ । अ॒ग्निम् । घ्रं॒सम् । अ॒वा॒र॒ये॒था॒म् । पि॒तु॒ऽमती॒म् । ऊर्ज॑म् । अ॒स्मै॒ । अ॒ध॒त्त॒म् । ऋ॒बीसे॑ । अत्रि॑म् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । अव॑ऽनीतम् । उत् । नि॒न्य॒थुः॒ । सर्व॑ऽगणम् । स्व॒स्ति ॥
himena | agnim | ghraṃsam | avārayethām | pitu-matīm | ūrjam | asmai | adhattam | ṛbīse | atrim | aśvinā | ava-nītam | ut | ninyathuḥ | sarva-gaṇam | svasti
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4 × ~11
Balanced and corrective; the meter’s firmness matches the theme of restoration and uplift.
Soothes agitation while maintaining strength; good for stabilizing breath and nervous energy.
- हिमेन (himenā)
- Literal: with cold. Symbolic: cooling clarity; pacification that restores balance
- अग्निं घ्रंसम् (agniṃ ghraṃsam)
- Literal: scorching fire. Symbolic: burning distress in life-force; overheated passion or suffering
- पितुमतीम् ऊर्जम् (pitumatīm ūrjam)
- Literal: nourishing strength rich in food/sap. Symbolic: sustaining energy (ojas-like) that feeds the whole being
- ऋबीसे (ṛbīse)
- Literal: in a pit/cleft. Symbolic: subconscient confinement; fall into darkness or limitation
- अत्रिम् (atrim)
- Literal: Atri. Symbolic: seer-mind capable of illumination, temporarily obscured
- सर्वगणम् (sarvagaṇam)
- Literal: with all the company. Symbolic: the whole system of powers—mind, life, body and their sub-forces—lifted together
- स्वस्ति (svasti)
- Literal: well-being. Symbolic: integrated harmony and protection in consciousness
Invoked in healing/protection sequences within Soma liturgy; used as a paradigmatic rescue for restoring the sacrificer’s wholeness.
In rites or prayers seeking relief from affliction, safe recovery, and protection of the group/community.
Invocation with remembrance of rescues to invite similar aid now.
Chant during stress, burnout, or emotional ‘overheating’; use as a cooling-healing mantra before sleep or after intense practice.
from ava-√vṛ ‘to cover, restrain’: the Ashvins ‘cover over’ the ghraṃsa, preventing destructive excess—psychologically, they regulate tapas/ardor so it becomes constructive will. (ūrj) denotes sap/strength; linked to nourishment and growth. is su-asti ‘good existence’; a key Vedic term for integrative well-being.
R̥ta as right measure (cooling excess, restoring balance), Protection and restoration (svasti), Tapas regulated into constructive force (ūrj)
Restoring right measure—cooling excess heat—reinstates ṛta in the vital system.
Truth-acting help: not suppression but right substitution—cooling + nourishment + uplift.
Reconstitution of the being from collapse into wholeness; rescue as a microcosmic re-creation.
Integral yoga psychology: healing and integration as prerequisites for stable illumination.
Cold = calming clarity; scorching fire = distress-heat; pit = subconscious depression; uplift = ascent of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The rescue of Atri from a pit and the pacification of scorching fire by cold. Inner sense: when consciousness is ‘led down’ into a constricted state (ava-nīta), the Ashvins restore equilibrium—cooling destructive intensity and re-establishing nourishing strength (ūrj), lifting the whole being (sarva-gaṇa) into svasti.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- svasti (su-asti) parallels an old IE formation ‘good-being’ (cf. Av. hu-asti type compounds). agni is Indo-Iranian (Skt agní-, Av ātar is different lexeme but same fire-cultic domain); the verse preserves archaic dual verb morphology (avārayethām, adhattam, ninyathuḥ) characteristic of early Indo-European poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer remembers and re-enacts a saving action: by recitation he calls the Ashvins’ balancing power into the present. The Devata’s gift is not only rescue but reconstitution—placing ūrj ‘in him’, i.e., rebuilding the inner economy so the rishi’s vision and his ‘company’ of faculties can function in harmony.
Cooling the inner heat and lifting awareness out of a ‘pit’ of dullness or despair into safe harmony.
Anāhata (soothing) and Maṇipūra (regulated fire).
Śītali/śītkārī-inspired cooling breath (if appropriate), then gentle nāḍī-śodhana to balance; finish with quiet diaphragmatic breathing.
Restored equilibrium; calm strength; protected openness.
Name the ‘burning’ (ghraṃsa) without dramatizing; on exhale, offer it to the Aśvins; on inhale, receive pitumatī ūrj as a warm-but-not-hot nourishment; then feel consciousness rising above the subconscious weight.
Rigvedic accents; keep contrast between himenā (cool) and ghraṃsam (scorching) by clear pitch articulation on udātta syllables.
Sustain caesura after each pāda; let the second hemistich ‘lift’ in tone to match unninyathuḥ (raised up).
ghraṃsam: pronounce ‘ghr’ cluster carefully, nasal anusvāra before ‘s’, avārayethām: long ā and thām clearly, pitumatīm: dental ‘t’, long ī, unninyathuḥ: geminate ‘nn’ and aspirated ‘th’
Cooling, steady, compassionate.
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