Rig Veda 4.43.4: Mandala 4, Sukta 43, Mantra 4
Sukta 4.43
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
का वां भूदुपमातिः कया न आश्विना गमथो हूयमाना । को वां महश्चित्त्यजसो अभीक उरुष्यतं माध्वी दस्रा न ऊती ॥
kā́ vāṃ bhū́d upa-mātíḥ kayā́ na ā́śvinā gamatho hū́yamānā | kó vāṃ maháś cit tyájaso abhī́ka uruṣyátaṃ mādhvī dasrā na ūtī́ ||
अश्विन भाई, जब हम तुम्हे बुलाते हैं तो तुम कैसे आते हो? तुम्हारी बड़ाई के सामने कोई नहीं आ सकता। तुम्हारा रंग कितना बड़ा है। हमें मदद दो, तुम्हारी मदद मीठी है।
Word by Word
- का
- which? (what kind of?)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot किम्
- वाम्
- of/for you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, द्विवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद्
- भूत्
- was / becameVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole (copular/finite verb)Root भू
- उपमा
- likeness; comparison; (a) simileNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot उपमा (उप-मा)
- अतिः
- beyond; exceedinglyIndeclinableअव्ययRole (modifier)Root अति
- कया
- by which? (by what means?)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot किम्
- नः
- of/for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- आश्विना
- O AśvinsNoun (dual deity-epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole (addressed)Root आश्विन्
- गमथः
- you two comeVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot गम्
- हूयमानाः
- being invoked/calledParticipleवर्तमान कर्मणि कृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (of participial clause)Root ह्वे
- कः
- who?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot किम्
- वाम्
- of/for you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, द्विवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद्
- महः
- of greatness; of the great (deed)Adjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole (genitive qualifier)Root महत्
- चित्
- even; indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRole (emphatic particle)Root चित्
- त्यजसः
- of swiftness/impetuosity; of driving forceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole (genitive qualifier)Root त्यजस्
- अभीक
- near; towards; in proximityIndeclinableअव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अभीक
- उरुष्यतम्
- protect (widely), give broad protectionVerbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot उरुष्य (उरु-स्य)
- माध्वी
- O honey-sweet (ones)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole (addressed)Root माध्वी
- दस्रा
- O wondrous/skillful (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole (addressed)Root दस्र
- नः
- of/for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- ऊती
- in (your) help; in protectionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot ऊति
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): वां॑ भू॒दुप॑माति॒: → वाम् + भूत् + उपमा + अतिः
- न॒ आश्वि॑ना → नः + आश्विना
- गमथो → गमथः (visarga lost before following sound in saṃhitā)
- हू॒यमा॑ना → हूयमानाः (nom. pl. participle; saṃhitā shows vowel coalescence/ending)
- म॒हश्चि॒त्त्यज॑सो → महः + चित् + त्यजसः
- उरु॒ष्यतं॑ → उरुष्यतम्
- ऊ॒ती → ऊतौ/ऊती: here taken as सप्तमी एकवचन ‘in help’ (Vedic locative usage)
The meaning
Outer meaning
What was your nearest measure? By what way do you come to us, O Aśvins, when called? Who comes close to your great splendor? Protect us widely, O wonder-workers, with honeyed help.
Inner meaning
‘Nearest measure’ (upamāti) is the right proportion and right approach—how the seeker should tune the call so the divine response is immediate. The rishi asks for the practical key of invocation. The vast splendor (mahas/tyajas) is the Aśvins’ luminous power; few can ‘come close’ to it—meaning few human movements can sustain that frequency. The prayer is for wide protection: an all-around guarding of the consciousness from distortion while the sweet (mādhvī) help descends—sweetness as blissful harmony that heals and integrates.
Universal truth
Approach to the Divine requires right measure: too little intensity yields no response, too much unprepared force destabilizes; when measure is found, protection and sweetness accompany growth.
Themes
Mode of divine descent, Protection as widening, Honeyed help (delight-force)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.5 (measure/order themes), RV 4.43
Family tradition
A Vāmadeva hallmark is the insistence on ‘right measure’—precision of inner call and formation of receptivity.
Significance
He teaches that invocation is an art: the divine responds to exactness (upamā) and sincerity, not to noise.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Aśvinā, Dasrā, Mādhvī-ūtī (honeyed helpers, implied)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Soma (honey/bliss resonance), Varuṇa (wide protection, later resonance)
Cosmic role
Guardians of safe passage and restorers of harmony; their help is ‘wide’—covering many planes of the being.
Inner power
Protective wideness (peace-field) plus sweet harmonization (ānanda-like ease) that prevents the seeker from being overwhelmed by force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invocation for protection and beneficence within Soma rites; also suitable for journey-protection prayers
का वां॑ भू॒दुप॑माति॒: कया॑ न॒ आश्वि॑ना गमथो हू॒यमा॑ना । को वां॑ म॒हश्चि॒त्त्यज॑सो अ॒भीक॑ उरु॒ष्यतं॑ माध्वी दस्रा न ऊ॒ती ॥
का । वा॒म् । भू॒त् । उप॑ऽमातिः । कया॑ । नः॒ । आ । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । ग॒म॒थः॒ । हू॒यमा॑ना । कः । वा॒म् । म॒हः । चि॒त् । त्यज॑सः । अ॒भीके॑ । उ॒रु॒ष्यत॑म् । मा॒ध्वी॒ इति॑ । द॒स्रा॒ । नः॒ । ऊ॒ती ॥
kā | vām | bhūt | upa-mātiḥ | kayā | naḥ | ā | aśvinā | gamathaḥ | hūyamānā | kaḥ | vām | mahaḥ | cit | tyajasaḥ | abhīke | uruṣyatam | mādhvī iti | dasrā | naḥ | ūtī
44
4 x ~11
Alternation of questions and a concluding imperative prayer; balances inquiry and surrender.
Creates a spacious, guarded feeling; the final request ‘uruṣyatam’ naturally slows and widens the breath.
- उपमातिः (upamātiḥ)
- Literal: nearest measure/approach. Symbolic: right inner proportion, the exact attunement that opens response
- हूयमानाः (hūyamānā)
- Literal: being called/invoked. Symbolic: active aspiration and invocation from below
- महः (mahaḥ)
- Literal: greatness, vastness. Symbolic: wide consciousness, largeness of being
- त्यजसः (tyajasaḥ)
- Literal: splendor, brilliance. Symbolic: luminous force that transforms
- अभीक (abhīka)
- Literal: near, close. Symbolic: intimate contact with higher power
- उरुष्यतम् (uruṣyatam)
- Literal: protect widely. Symbolic: establish a wide guarding peace around the being
- माध्वी (mādhvī)
- Literal: honeyed. Symbolic: blissful harmony, sweetness of divine help
- दस्रा (dasrā)
- Literal: wonder-workers. Symbolic: powers that accomplish what seems impossible in the human nature
- ऊती (ūtī)
- Literal: help, succor. Symbolic: supporting grace that carries through transitions
Protective invocation; aligns with Aśvin role of rescue and safeguarding the journey of the sacrificer
Dawn; before movement/transition; when seeking protection
Calling and praising; concluding with protective petition.
Chant as a protective invocation before meditation, travel, or difficult conversations; use the last pāda as a ‘shield’ mantra.
uru ‘wide’ is a key Vedic psychological term: widening of consciousness as protection. mādhvī ‘honeyed’ relates to madhu ‘sweetness’—symbol of delight and soma-essence. dasra ‘wonder-worker’ emphasizes effective miraculous action, not abstract divinity.
widening (urū) as liberation from constriction, grace responding to call (hūyamānā)
Upamāti implies ṛta-measure: right proportion in approach and action.
Closeness to splendor requires truth-alignment; falsehood cannot sustain tyajas.
Widening (mahas) and sweet descent (madhū) as twin movements of growth.
Integral/psychological Vedism: wideness and sweetness as signs of true descent.
dawn (Aśvin context)
Honey = blissful integration; wideness = protective peace-field; dawn = opening of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins as rescuers who come when called, bringing ‘honeyed help’. Innerly, the myth becomes the descent of delight and widening protection that removes constriction and danger.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- uru ‘wide’ reflects a widespread IE semantic field of expansion (cf. Greek eurús ‘wide’). madhu ‘honey/sweet’ has IE cognates (cf. English mead < Proto-Germanic *meduz < PIE *médʰu).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks the practical ‘approach’ (upamāti) and ‘way’ (kayā) of the gods’ coming—an experiential mapping of invocation. The devatā’s gift is protection conceived as inner widening, a direct transformation of the sacrificer’s state.
Find the ‘right measure’ of aspiration; invoke wide protection and sweetness.
Anāhata (widening)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 while softly repeating ‘uruṣyatam… ūtī’.
Widened peace with receptive sweetness.
If agitation arises, reduce intensity and increase wideness; let the call be simple, then feel a protective circumference around the body and mind.
Rigvedic accents; concluding imperative typically carries decisive udātta emphasis per recensional marking.
Let questions be clear but not rushed; broaden tone on ‘uruṣyatam’ and soften on ‘mādhvī’.
upamātiḥ: keep short ‘iḥ’ ending distinct., hūyamānā: long ā’s sustained., tyajasaḥ: palatal ‘ty’ clean, not ‘ch’., uruṣyatam: ṣy cluster clear.
Warm, protective, slightly hushed.
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