Rig Veda 1.48.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 48, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.48
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अश्वावतीर्गोमतीर्विश्वसुविदो भूरि च्यवन्त वस्तवे । उदीरय प्रति मा सूनृता उषश्चोद राधो मघोनाम् ॥
aśvā́vatīr gómātīr viśva-suvído bhū́ri cyavanta vástave | udī́raya práti mā sūnṛ́tā uṣaś coda rā́dho maghónām ||
उषा देवी, तुम बहुत सारी दौलत लाती हो। घोड़े भी लाती हो और गायें भी। जो भी अच्छा होता है वो तुम्हारे साथ आता है। हमारे लिए अच्छी बातें लाओ और बड़े लोगों जैसी दौलत दो। तुम्हारी वजह से सब अच्छा होता है।
Word by Word
- अश्वावतीः
- having horsesAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अश्वावत् (अश्व + -वत्)
- गोमतीः
- having cowsAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गोमत् (गो + -मत्)
- विश्वसुविदः
- all-good-finding / finding every good thingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot विश्वसु-विद् (विश्वसु + √विद् ‘जान’)
- भूरि
- much, abundantlyAdjective (indeclinable use)अव्यय (परिमाण/बहुत्वार्थे)Role KarmaRoot भूरि
- च्यवन्त
- they move/come forthVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot √च्यु (च्यवते) ‘चल्/पत्/स्खल्’
- वस्तवे
- for dwelling, for abidingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचन (दातिव)Role SampradānaRoot वस्तु (from √वस् ‘वस्/निवासे’ → वस्तु ‘dwelling, abode’)
- उदीरय
- raise up, utter, set in motionVerbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot उद् + √ईर्/√ईरय् ‘प्रेरणे/उत्थापने’
- प्रति
- towards, in response toIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)अव्ययRole Upasarga/AdhikaraṇaRoot प्रति
- मा
- of me / for mePronounषष्ठी एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘मे/मा’ वैदिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (अहम्)
- सूनृता
- true/gentle speech, gracious utteranceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot सूनृता (सु- + नृ ‘नर/वाक्’ → ‘सु-नृता’)
- उषः
- O Dawn (Uṣas)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (वैदिक रूप)Role Sambodhana/KartāRoot उषस्
- चोद
- impel, stimulateVerbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √चुद् ‘प्रेरणे’
- राधः
- bounty, wealth, giftNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot राधस्
- मघोनाम्
- of the bountiful (patrons)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचनRole SambandhaRoot मघवन्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अश्वावतीः गोमतीः विश्वसुविदः भूरि च्यवन्त वस्तवे । उदीरय प्रति मा सूनृता उषः चोद राधः मघोनाम् ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) गोमतीः+विश्वसुविदः → गोमतीर्विश्वसुविदः (विसर्ग/रेफ-सन्धि: इः + व् → ईर्)
- (2) उषः+चोद → उषश्चोद (विसर्गः + च् → श्च)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Uṣas brings abundant gifts for our dwelling—rich in horses and cows, finding all good things. She is asked to raise up toward the singer words of happy truth and to urge the bounty of the generous.
Inner meaning
Dawn-illumination manifests inner resources: aśva (vital energies for right action) and go (rays of knowledge). ‘Viśvasuvid’ indicates the capacity to find every good—integral discernment. The seeker asks Uṣas to uplift sūnṛtā—true, happy, harmonious speech (truth-utterance from a clarified mind)—and to impel rādhas, the plenitude of inner powers (maghonām: the bountiful forces in us) into active offering and accomplishment.
Universal truth
When illumination rises, energy and knowledge increase together; truthful speech and effective action are born from the same awakened clarity.
Themes
awakening-of-speech, knowledge-rays, abundance-as-consciousness, inner-impulsion
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 1.48.1, RV 1.48.3, RV 1.48.4
Family tradition
Kaṇva dawn-hymns often translate outer ‘wealth’ into inner acquisition—light (go) and force (aśva) as spiritual resources.
Significance
Kaṇva frames awakening as practical transformation: illumination must yield energy, knowledge, and truthful speech that can ‘dwell’ steadily in life.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- aśvāvatī, gomatī, viśvasuvid, devī
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Agni, Sarasvatī (sūnṛtā/true speech resonance), Indra
Cosmic role
Bringer of gifts, awakener of beings, revealer of paths and right activities.
Inner power
She converts latent potential into manifest capacities—energizing the vital and enlightening the mind; she inspires truthful, harmonious expression.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning Uṣas praise; used to orient the sacrificer toward prosperity and right speech.
अश्वा॑वती॒र्गोम॑तीर्विश्वसु॒विदो॒ भूरि॑ च्यवन्त॒ वस्त॑वे । उदी॑रय॒ प्रति॑ मा सू॒नृता॑ उष॒श्चोद॒ राधो॑ म॒घोना॑म् ॥
अश्व॑ऽवतीः । गोऽम॑तीः । वि॒श्व॒ऽसु॒विदः॑ । भूरि॑ । च्य॒व॒न्त॒ । वस्त॑वे । उत् । ई॒र॒य॒ । प्रति॑ । मा॒ । सू॒नृताः॑ । उ॒षः॒ । चो॒द॒ । राधः॑ । म॒घोना॑म् ॥
aśva-vatīḥ | go--matīḥ | viśva-suvidaḥ | bhūri | cyavanta | vastave | ut | īraya | prati | mā | sūnṛtāḥ | uṣaḥ | coda | rādhaḥ | maghonām
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3 × 8
Brisk clarity; enumerative richness in compact form.
Energizes while keeping the mind ordered; good for morning activation without agitation.
- aśvāvatīḥ
- Literal: rich in horses. Symbolic: abundance of prāṇic energy and executive force
- gomatīḥ
- Literal: rich in cows. Symbolic: abundance of light-rays/knowledges (go = illumination)
- viśvasuvidaḥ
- Literal: finding all good things. Symbolic: integral discernment; capacity to discover right means and true values
- vastave
- Literal: for dwelling. Symbolic: stabilizing the awakened state as a ‘home’ in consciousness
- sūnṛtāḥ
- Literal: happy truths; pleasant true words. Symbolic: truth-speech arising from harmony of mind and heart
- ud īraya
- Literal: raise up. Symbolic: uplift consciousness from inertia to clarity
- rādhaḥ
- Literal: bounty, plenitude. Symbolic: inner riches—capacities, realizations, supports for sadhana
- maghonām
- Literal: of the bountiful. Symbolic: generous inner powers (gods/faculties) that give when invoked
Morning awakening hymn: requesting right speech and the descent of plenitudes for the human 'dwelling' (vástu)
At first light; before study/work; before speaking/teaching.
Recitation with intention for clarity of speech and right energies; optional offering of water/light.
Before important communication: chant to invoke sūnṛtā (truthful, benevolent speech) and balanced energy.
aśvá- 'horse' (force/energy). gó- 'cow' (inner: light-ray/knowledge; justified by go as 'ray' in Vedic usage and its link to illumination). √svid/vid in suvid- 'finding/knowing well'. ud-√īr 'raise, awaken'. sūnṛ́tā (su- + nṛtā/ṛta-linked 'right/true speech') → speech aligned with truth and sweetness. √cud 'impel'. rādhas 'bounty' (inner: plenitude of being-force).
go as light/knowledge, sūnṛtā (truth-speech), impulsion (coda)
Dawn impels the ordered unfolding of faculties—knowledge and force in right proportion.
sūnṛtā embodies satya in expression: truth that is also harmonious and life-giving.
Manifestation (cyavanta) of hidden riches into the dwelling of the being.
Vedic psychological symbolism (Aurobindo): external wealth terms encode inner realizations and powers.
Dawn
Horses = mobilized life-force; cows = released illuminations; dwelling = stabilized inner poise (home in the light).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Dawn as the revealer and distributor of riches—horses and cows—recast inwardly as energies and illuminations. Uṣas awakens sūnṛtā, truth-speech, and impels rādhas, the plenitude of the magnanimous soul-powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The Dawn-goddess complex is Indo-European; the cattle/wealth imagery is part of the inherited poetic economy, which Vedic internalizes as light/knowledge (go). The imperative chain (udīraya, coda) reflects performative hymn syntax.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks an inner discipline: awakened speech aligned with truth and an impelled abundance of powers. Uṣas is asked to transform the human instrument—speech and will—so the 'dwelling' of consciousness becomes stable and fruitful.
Receive dawn-force as a twofold gift: energy (aśva) and knowledge (go); cultivate sūnṛtā—truth that is benevolent.
Viśuddha (truthful speech) and Maṇipūra (right energy/action)
Kapalabhati-light (very gentle, 30 strokes) followed by calm nasal breathing; then chant to ‘stabilize’ the uplift.
Activated sattva—clear, ready, benevolent.
After chanting, speak one intention aloud as sūnṛtā (true and kind). Observe whether speech arises from light rather than impulse.
Vedic svara; keep articulation crisp through compound epithets (aśvāvatīr gomatīr…).
Do not rush the list of gifts; slightly emphasize ‘ud īraya’ as the turning point (uplift).
aśvāvatīḥ: long ā; visarga at end lightly, gomatīḥ: ‘go’ open o, viśvasuvidaḥ: ‘śv’ cluster; keep vowels clear, sūnṛtāḥ: long ū; retroflex ṛ, maghonām: ‘gh’ voiced aspirate
Bright, steady, slightly energizing; avoid strain.
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