Rig Veda 4.44.6: Mandala 4, Sukta 44, Mantra 6
Sukta 4.44
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
नू नो रयिं पुरुवीरं बृहन्तं दस्रा मिमाथामुभयेष्वस्मे । नरो यद्वामश्विना स्तोममावन्त्सधस्तुतिमाजमीळ्हासो अग्मन् ॥
nū́ no rayíṁ puru-vī́raṁ bṛhántam dasrā́ mimāthām ubháyeṣv asmḗ | náro yád vām aśvinā stómam ā́van sadhá-stutim ā́ja-mīḷhāso agman ||
अश्विन भाई, अब हमारे लिए बड़ा धन बनाओ। इसमें बहुत ताकत होनी चाहिए। जो लोग तुम्हारे लिए गाना गाते हैं, वो तुम्हारे पास आ गए हैं। उनकी प्रार्थना सीधी है।
Word by Word
- नू
- now; indeedIndeclinableकाल/निश्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot नु (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) / नूनम्
- नः
- to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? (एन्क्लिटिक) बहुवचन; here = चतुर्थी बहुवचन (अस्मभ्यम्) ‘to us’Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- रयिम्
- wealthNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रयि-
- पुरुवीरम्
- rich in heroes; having many menAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रयिम् विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot पुरु-वीर- (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)
- बृहन्तम्
- great; abundantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रयिम् विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘great’)
- दस्रा
- O wondrous ones (Aśvins)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (अश्विनौ)Role KartāRoot दस्र-
- मिमाथाम्
- apportion; grantVerbलोट्/विधिलिङ्?; here imperative sense: 2nd person द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRoot मा (मिमाति/मिमेते; ‘to measure out, apportion, grant’)
- उभयेषु
- in both (kinds/places)Adjective/Pronounपुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot उभय-
- अस्मे
- in us; among usPronounसप्तमी, एकवचन (वेदिक रूप) ‘in us/among us’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अस्मद्
- नरः
- menNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot नर-
- यत्
- when; thatPronoun/Conjunctionनपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here = ‘when/that’ introducing clauseRoot यद्
- वाम्
- of you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया द्विवचन; here = षष्ठी ‘of you two’Root युष्मद् (द्विवचन) / enclitic
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNoun (vocative) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRoot अश्विन्-
- स्तोमम्
- hymn of praiseNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot स्तोम-
- आवन्त्
- helping; favoringAdjective (present participle) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (qualifying implied agent of coming: ‘helping/favoring’)Role KartāRoot आ-वन् (वन् ‘to win/like’; ‘helping, favoring’)
- सधस्तुतिम्
- the joint/common praiseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सध-स्तुति- (समास; ‘common/assembly-praise’)
- आजमीळ्हासः
- the eager praisers/pressers (singers)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot आजमीळ्ह- (प्रातिपदिक; epithet of singers/priests, ‘pressing/striving, praising’)
- अग्मन्
- came; have comeVerbलुङ् (aorist), 3rd person बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRoot गम्
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: नू | नः | रयिम् | पुरुवीरम् | बृहन्तम् | दस्रा | मिमाथाम् | उभयेषु | अस्मे || नरः | यत् | वाम् | अश्विना | स्तोमम् | आवन्त् | सधस्तुतिम् | आजमीळ्हासः | अग्मन् । Key junctions: नो॑ = नः
- मिमा॑थामु॒भये॑षु = मिमाथाम् + उभयेषु
- यद्वा॑म = यत् + वाम्
- स्तोम॒माव॑न्त् = स्तोमम् + आवन्त्
- स॒धस्तु॑तिमाजमी॒ळ्हासो॑ = सधस्तुतिम् + आजमीळ्हासः
The meaning
Outer meaning
A request to the wondrous Aśvins to fashion for the worshipper a vast wealth (rayi) full of many heroic powers, on both sides; men who brought the chant and praise have come to them.
Inner meaning
Rayi is not mere material wealth but a plenitude of capacities—energies, lights, and effective powers for the journey. ‘Puruvīram’ indicates many ‘heroes’: strong formations of will, courage, and illumined faculties. ‘On both sides of our being’ suggests the double nature—inner and outer, subjective and active life, or the two hemispheres of consciousness (mental-vital and physical). The Aśvins are asked to shape (mimāthām) a large, stable force of progress that supports both realization and works. The chant and immediate praise are the awakened vibrations of aspiration that call them near.
Universal truth
True prosperity is the growth of many-sided strength and clarity in the whole being; when aspiration becomes articulate and immediate, higher harmonizing powers can organize our energies for integral progress.
Themes
boon-request, spiritual-wealth, expansion, power-multiplicity
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.31 (Indra and luminous strength), RV 4.44 (Aśvin sequence)
Family tradition
Vāmadeva’s hymns frequently ask for ‘rayi’ as a spiritual-energetic fullness supporting realization and right action.
Significance
He frames the human journey as an increase of capacities—many ‘heroes’ within—so the divine life can be lived with breadth and power.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Dasrā, Aśvinā, Naro (manly/strong ones, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra (heroic illumination), Soma (delight that supports growth), Agni (will that organizes yajña)
Cosmic role
Restorers and increasers: they bring health, vitality, and skill, enabling the human to move forward in both inner and outer domains.
Inner power
Formation of integrated strength: healing splits in the being; converting raw vital force into capable, disciplined energy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin praise within offerings; request for boons/strength as part of yajña reciprocity.
नू नो॑ र॒यिं पु॑रु॒वीरं॑ बृ॒हन्तं॒ दस्रा॒ मिमा॑थामु॒भये॑ष्व॒स्मे । नरो॒ यद्वा॑मश्विना॒ स्तोम॒माव॑न्त्स॒धस्तु॑तिमाजमी॒ळ्हासो॑ अग्मन् ॥
नु । नः॒ । र॒यिम् । पु॒रु॒ऽवीर॑म् । बृ॒हन्त॑म् । द॒स्रा॒ । मिमा॑थाम् । उ॒भये॑षु । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । नरः॑ । यत् । वा॒म् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । स्तोम॑म् । आव॑न् । स॒धऽस्तु॑तिम् । आ॒ज॒ऽमी॒ळ्हासः॑ । अ॒ग्म॒न् ॥
nu | naḥ | rayim | puru-vīram | bṛhantam | dasrā | mimāthām | ubhayeṣu | asme iti | naraḥ | yat | vām | aśvinā | stomam | āvan | sadha-stutim | āja-mīḷhāsaḥ | agman
44
4×~11; strong caesura supports the ‘fashion for us’ imperative.
Robust and expansive; suited to asking for ‘bṛhant’ (vastness).
Energizes the will; gives a feeling of widening and strengthening the whole system.
- रयि (rayi)
- Literal: wealth, abundance. Symbolic: inner plenitude—resources of light, force, harmony
- पुरुवीर (puruvīra)
- Literal: having many heroes. Symbolic: many strong powers/faculties formed in consciousness
- बृहन्त (bṛhanta)
- Literal: vast, great. Symbolic: wide capacity; large consciousness not cramped by fear/ego
- दस्रा (dasrā)
- Literal: wondrous, skillful. Symbolic: marvel-working intelligence in life-processes
- उभयेषु अस्मे (ubhayesu asme)
- Literal: in both (sides) in us. Symbolic: integration of inner realization with outer action; mind-life and body
- स्तोम (stoma)
- Literal: chant, hymn. Symbolic: formed aspiration; mantric vibration that opens channels
- सधस्तुति (sadhastuti)
- Literal: immediate praise. Symbolic: direct sincerity; praise from present experience
- आजमीळ्हास (ājamīḻhāsaḥ)
- Literal: forward-driving call/praise. Symbolic: impulsion toward progress; dynamic invocation
Boon-request in the Soma hymn sequence: asking for rayi as reward of successful invocation and right praise.
After invitation, when asking for increase (rayi) and protection of the sacrificer.
Stuti (praise) and yācñā (request) accompanying offerings.
Chant before demanding tasks or healing periods: ask for integrated strength ‘on both sides’—inner steadiness and outer effectiveness.
rayí- ‘wealth’ (innerly: fullness) frequently paired with bṛhánt ‘vast’ → spiritual amplitude. puru-vī́ra ‘many-heroed’ indicates multiplicity of effective powers (vīra from √vīr/√vī ‘to be strong’). mimāthām from √mā ‘measure’ (intensive/reduplicated) → ‘apportion, shape’ (not mere counting but forming). āja-mīḷhāsaḥ: compound suggesting ‘those who praise (mīḷh-) in the drive/advance (āja-)’—invocation as a forward movement of will.
rayi as plenitude, bṛhat as wideness of consciousness, twofold being (ubhayesu): inner/outer, heaven/earth, mind/life
The Aśvins ‘shape’ (mimāthām) the energies into right order—ṛta as formation, not mere rule.
Heroic powers are true powers when aligned with truth, not egoic assertion.
Evolution by enlargement (bṛhat) and multiplication of right capacities (puruvīra).
Integral Yoga resonance: transformation requires both inner realization and outer competence.
Increase of prāṇic and mental ‘forces’ into a stable, wide field of action and understanding.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of ‘gifted wealth’ as the gods’ response to praise. Innerly, rayi is not commodity but a structured plenitude—many ‘heroes’ (powers) within the being—measured out and stabilized by the Aśvins.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- bṛhánt (from √bṛh ‘grow, expand’) corresponds to PIE *bʰerǵʰ- / *bʰreh₂- type expansion roots seen across IE (cf. Germanic *berg- ‘high’ is different but semantically adjacent; the Vedic root preserves the ‘swelling/expanding’ sense). √mā ‘measure’ reflects PIE *meh₁- (cf. Greek métron, Latin mēnsus).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi positions praise (stoma, sadhastuti) as a formative act that invites the gods to ‘measure out’ (mimāthām) inner plenitude. The Aśvins are not distant benefactors but artisans of the seeker’s integrated power.
Ask for ‘vast rayi’—integrated strength across inner and outer life.
Maṇipūra (strength/organization) and Viśuddha (stoma—truthful expression)
Kapalabhati light (30 strokes) then quiet breathing; avoid if contraindicated
Dynamic steadiness; widened field with forward impetus.
Chant once with full attention; then visualize two streams of force—inner calm and outer capacity—being harmonized by twin luminous helpers; conclude with a brief resolve of right action aligned with truth.
Rigvedic accenting with emphasis on imperatives and key nouns (rayim, bṛhantam, puruvīram).
Give weight to ‘nū no’ as a present urgency; keep long compounds flowing without chopping.
puruvīram: long ī; clear ‘vī’, bṛhantam: vocalic ṛ; ‘h’ audible, mimāthām: long ā; nasal ‘m’ clear, ājamīḻhāsaḥ: retroflex ḻh (as in mīḻh) carefully; final visarga soft
Energizing, resonant chest voice with controlled breath.
3
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