Rig Veda 4.44.7: Mandala 4, Sukta 44, Mantra 7
Sukta 4.44
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
इहेह यद्वां समना पपृक्षे सेयमस्मे सुमतिर्वाजरत्ना । उरुष्यतं जरितारं युवं ह श्रितः कामो नासत्या युवद्रिक् ॥
ihéhá yád vāṁ samanā́ papṛkṣé séyam asmḗ su-matír vā́ja-ratnā | uruṣyátam jaritā́raṁ yuváṁ ha śritáḥ kā́mo nāsatyā yuvadrík ||
जहाँ भी तुम हो, वहाँ हमारी भी अच्छी सोच होनी चाहिए। इसमें धन और खज़ाना दोनों होना चाहिए। जो लोग गाना गाते हैं, उनकी रक्षा करो। नसत्य भाई, लोग तुम्हारे ऊपर भरोसा रखते हैं।
Word by Word
- इह
- hereIndeclinableदेशवाचक-अव्यय (here)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableदेशवाचक-अव्यय (here)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय)
- यत्
- that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative: 'that/which')Role KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाम्
- you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (enclitic) = 'of you two / you two'Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- समाना
- common, sharedAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot समाना (प्रातिपदिक; सम + अना/अन)
- पपृक्षे
- I have joined / have been unitedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद-आत्मनेपद), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (perfect middle): 'I have joined/mingled'Root पृच् (धातु) ‘to mix, join’
- सा
- that (she/it)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इयम्
- thisPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मे
- for usPronounचतुर्थी/षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Vedic form) = 'for us / of us'Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुमतिः
- good thought; favorNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सु- + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजरत्ना
- bringing prize and treasureAdjective (epithet)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with सुमतिः)Role KartāRoot वाज- + रत्न (समास-प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-प्राय)
- उरुष्यतम्
- protect (you two)!Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRoot उरुष्य (denom. from उरु ‘wide, protecting’) / √उरुṣ् (Vedic) ‘to protect’
- जरितारम्
- the singer, praiserNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot जरितृ (प्रातिपदिक from √गॄ/√जर् ‘to sing/praise’)
- युवम्
- you twoPronounप्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ह
- indeedIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/asseverative)Root ह (निपात)
- श्रितः
- resorted to, dependent onParticipleभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with कामः)Role KartāRoot √श्रि (धातु) ‘to lean on, resort’
- कामः
- desire, wishNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot काम (प्रातिपदिक)
- नासत्या
- O Nāsatyas (Aśvins)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole SampradānaRoot नासत्य (प्रातिपदिक; dual deity-name)
- युवद्रिक्
- having your appearance; looking toward youAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with कामः)Role KartāRoot युवदृक् (समास-प्रातिपदिक: युव- + दृक् ‘sight/appearance’)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved sandhi: इहेह = इह + इह
- यद्वां = यत् + वाम्
- सेयमस्मे = सा + इयम् + अस्मे
- सुमतिर्वाजरत्ना = सुमतिः + वाजरत्ना (visarga before v)
- युवं ह = युवम् + ह (final -म् before h)
- कामो नासत्या = कामः + नासत्या (visarga → o before n)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Wherever the Aśvins are met together, may that good thought rich in strength and treasure be ours. Protect the singer; in you, O Nāsatyas, desire has taken refuge, looking toward you.
Inner meaning
The mantra asks for sumati—right, luminous thought and consenting mental attitude—carrying both vāja (effective force) and ratna (stable attainment). Wherever the twin powers are in mutual harmony (samanā), their meeting produces an inner alignment that can become ours. The singer (jaritā) is the expressive soul-force that calls; it needs protection from doubt, depression, and distraction. ‘Desire taking refuge’ is not craving but the purified longing/aspiration (kāma) that turns toward the Divine; it seeks shelter in the truth-powers (Nāsatyā) so it may become steadfast and rightly directed.
Universal truth
When aspiration is sheltered in truth and harmony, it becomes a luminous will: good thought arises, strength and inner wealth follow, and the voice of the soul is protected for the journey.
Themes
right-thought, aspiration, protection-of-singer, inner-orientation
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.44 (continuation), RV 4.20–4.24 (themes of right thought and divine support in struggle)
Family tradition
Emphasis on sumati (right mental formation) as a decisive condition for divine response; the rishi values protected expression (jaritā) as a channel of realization.
Significance
Vāmadeva links aspiration (kāma) with protection and right thought: the psychic call must be guarded so it can mature into steady illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā, Yuvam (you two)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspiration/word), Uṣas (illumination), Agni (will)
Cosmic role
Guardians of the transitional path; they safeguard the seeker and bring right-mindedness and effective force.
Inner power
They stabilize aspiration, protect the mantric voice, and generate sumati—clarity and benevolence in the mind that carries power and fruition.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and boon-seeking Aśvin verse within a hymn; supports the singer-priest and the efficacy of praise.
इ॒हेह॒ यद्वां॑ सम॒ना प॑पृ॒क्षे सेयम॒स्मे सु॑म॒तिर्वा॑जरत्ना । उ॒रु॒ष्यतं॑ जरि॒तारं॑ यु॒वं ह॑ श्रि॒तः कामो॑ नासत्या युव॒द्रिक् ॥
इ॒हऽइ॑ह । यत् । वा॒म् । स॒म॒ना । प॒पृ॒क्षे । सा । इ॒यम् । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । सु॒ऽम॒तिः । वा॒ज॒ऽर॒त्ना॒ । उ॒रु॒ष्यत॑म् । ज॒रि॒तार॑म् । यु॒वम् । ह॒ । श्रि॒तः । कामः॑ । ना॒स॒त्या॒ । यु॒व॒द्रिक् ॥
iha-iha | yat | vām | samanā | papṛkṣe | sā | iyam | asme iti | su-matiḥ | vāja-ratnā | uruṣyatam | jaritāram | yuvam | ha | śritaḥ | kāmaḥ | nāsatyā | yuvadrik
44
4×~11; with a softer opening (‘iheha’) and protective imperative mid-verse.
Alternates intimacy and firmness—invocation of presence, then protection.
Soothes anxiety and gathers aspiration; strengthens the feeling of being held by benevolent powers.
- समना (samanā)
- Literal: together, in union. Symbolic: harmonized dual powers; integration of complementary forces
- सुमति (sumati)
- Literal: good thought, right-mindedness. Symbolic: luminous consent; right attitude enabling receptivity
- वाजरत्ना (vājaratnā)
- Literal: having vāja and treasure. Symbolic: effective force + stable attainment; power and fruition
- उरुष्यतम् (uruṣyatam)
- Literal: protect widely, guard. Symbolic: create spacious protection; widen against constriction
- जरितार (jaritāra)
- Literal: singer, praiser. Symbolic: the expressing psychic being; mantric aspiration
- काम (kāma)
- Literal: desire. Symbolic: purified aspiration/longing for the divine realization
- युवद्रिक् (yuvadrik)
- Literal: looking toward you. Symbolic: one-pointed orientation of consciousness toward the help
Concluding protective request: securing sumati and protection of the jaritṛ during/after the offering; typical of hymns closing with protection and right mind.
During stuti sections where protection of the chanter and right thought are requested.
Stuti with protective prayer (rakṣā).
Use before chanting/prayer/creative work: ask for sumati and protection of speech; helpful for steadiness of aspiration.
su-matí ‘good thought’ (su- + matí from √man ‘think’)—not opinion but right formation of consciousness. vāja ‘force, plenitude, victory-substance’ (root field of strength/refreshment), hence ‘vāja-ratnā’ = force-plus-treasure as inner equipment. uruṣyátam relates to uru ‘wide’ → protection as widening (not merely shielding). śritáḥ from √śri ‘lean on/resort to’—aspiration taking refuge in the divine. yuvadrík ‘you-ward-seeing’ from √dṛś ‘to see’—orientation of inner vision.
sumati (right mind as vessel for Ṛta), kāma as aspiration (not mere craving), protection as widening (uru)
The ‘meeting together’ (samanā) signifies harmony—ṛta as concord of powers in the being.
Nāsatyā as truth-powers; aspiration becomes true when it takes refuge in them.
Right thought as a formative creative power that brings strength and treasure into manifestation.
Mantric psychology: thought (mati) as a force that shapes reality when aligned with truth.
Dawn-adjacent mood (Aśvin context)
Spacious protection around the expressive soul; aspiration oriented upward becomes luminous thought and effective power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘refuge in the gods’ mythologem: aspiration (kāma) takes shelter in the Aśvins and looks toward them. Innerly, it signals the turning of desire into upward will, supported by the twin powers who protect and widen the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √man ‘think’ (matí) reflects PIE *men- ‘to think’ (Latin mens, English mind). √dṛś ‘see’ aligns with PIE *derk- ‘to see’ (Greek dérkomai). The verse uses archaic IE psycholinguistic metaphors: thought as formation, seeing as orientation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi asks for sumati (right intelligence) and protection of the utterer, grounding the relationship in inner transformation: aspiration leans on the Aśvins, and the Aśvins respond by widening and safeguarding the channel of inspired speech.
Cultivate sumati: a clear, benevolent, truth-leaning mind; protect the inner voice of aspiration.
Viśuddha (speech/mantra) and Anāhata (aspiration)
Bhrāmarī (5 rounds) then silent listening in the throat-heart axis
Quietly joyful, protected, and one-pointed toward the Divine.
Chant softly; then pause and feel a wide protective space around the head and chest. Offer your desire/aspiration into that space; let it become a steady flame of intention rather than restless wanting.
Accent the deictic ‘iheha’ gently; lift on ‘sumatir’ and ‘uruṣyatam’; keep vocative ‘nāsatyā’ clear.
Make the protection imperative (‘uruṣyatam’) slightly more emphatic; allow the last pāda to soften into refuge.
iheha: separate lightly iha-iha, papṛkṣe: vocalic ṛ; ‘kṣ’ crisp, uruṣyatam: retroflex ṣ; ‘ya’ light, jaritāram: long ā; rolling ‘r’, yuvadrik: ‘dr’ cluster clean, short ‘i’
Warm, protective, slightly softer volume; clear articulation.
5
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