Rig Veda 7.73.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 73, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.73
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अहेम यज्ञं पथामुराणा इमां सुवृक्तिं वृषणा जुषेथाम् । श्रुष्टीवेव प्रेषितो वामबोधि प्रति स्तोमैर्जरमाणो वसिष्ठः ॥
áhema yajñáṃ pathā́m urāṇā́ imā́ṃ suvṛktíṃ vṛṣaṇā juṣethām | śruṣṭī́veva préṣito vām abodhi práti stómair jarámāṇo vásiṣṭhaḥ ||
हमने यज्ञ को आगे बढ़ा दिया है, उसकी राह पर चला दिया। अश्विनी कुमार, तुम दोनों बलवान हो, इस सही बोल को अपना लो। रिशि वशिष्ठ ने तुम्हे पुकारा है, जैसे कोई सारथी गाड़ी चलाता है। वो स्तोत्र के साथ जवाब दे रहे हैं, और उनका काम पक रहा है।
Word by Word
- अहेम्
- IPronounप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (वक्ता/ऋषि)Root अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrifice, riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पथा
- by the path, along the wayNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: पथा)Role करण (मार्ग-रूपेण)Root पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमुराणाः
- mighty/impetuous (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (देवयोः विशेषण)Root अमुर (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक विशेषण)
- इमाम्
- thisPronoun (demonstrative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेष्य-निर्देशः)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुवृक्तिम्
- well-turned hymn, good praiseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सु-वृक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सु’ उपसर्ग + वृक्ति)
- वृषणा
- O two bulls (vigorous ones)Noun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा द्विवचन (वैदिक: -आ द्विवचन)Role सम्बोधन (देवयोः)Root वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- जुषेथाम्
- may you two enjoy/acceptVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (आह्वान/आज्ञा)Root जुष् (धातु)
- श्रुष्टी
- a listening/obedient (one); attentive responseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उपमा-आधारः)Root श्रुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थक अव्ययRoot इव (अव्यय)
- प्रेषितः
- sent forth, impelledParticipleभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेषण (बोधि-सम्बद्धः)Root प्र-इष् (धातु) → प्रेषित (कृदन्त)
- वाम्
- to/for you two; of you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी द्विवचन (वैदिक एनक्लिटिक रूप)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (युवयोः)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अबोधि
- has awakened/has become awareVerbलुङ् (अorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot बुध् (धातु)
- प्रति
- towards, in response toIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (दिशा/प्रत्यभिमुख्ये)Root प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
- स्तोमैः
- with praises, with hymnsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करणRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- जरमाणः
- aging; growing oldParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (वसिष्ठस्य)Root जॄ/जर् (धातु) → जरमाण (कृदन्त)
- वसिष्ठः
- VasiṣṭhaProper Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषिनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्य): अहेम् | यज्ञम् | पथा | अमुराणाः | इमाम् | सुवृक्तिम् | वृषणा | जुषेथाम् || श्रुष्टी | इव | प्रेषितः | वाम् | अबोधि | प्रति | स्तोमैः | जरमाणः | वसिष्ठः || 1) पथामु॑रा॒णा = पथा + अमुराणाः (अ + अ → आ)
- 2) श्रु॒ष्टी॒वेव = श्रुष्टी + इव (ई + इ → ईव; संहितायां ‘ईव’)
- 3) प्रेषि॑तो वामबोधि = प्रेषितः + वाम् + अबोधि (ः + व → ओ; एनक्लिटिक ‘वाम्’ संहितायां ‘वाम’ इव, तथा वाम्+अबोधि संयोगः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The singers have carried the sacrifice forward along its proper paths and offer a well-crafted hymn to the two mighty Aśvins; Vasiṣṭha, like a charioteer urged onward, awakens to them and responds with praises as the work matures.
Inner meaning
The inner yajña is a progressive movement of consciousness along ordered paths (ṛtasya panthāḥ). The ‘well-shaped utterance’ is the rightly formed mantra-thought (inspired speech) that can be received by the twin Powers of swift help (Aśvins). Vasiṣṭha’s ‘awakening’ is the soul’s alertness to higher aid; the ‘ripening’ (jaramāṇa) is the maturation of sādhanā where aspiration becomes steady and effective.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress is not accidental: it advances by right method, right speech, and repeated turning of the will toward higher assistance; when the work ripens, help responds and the path becomes drivable, like a chariot-road.
Themes
sacrifice-as-journey, perfected-speech, seer-self-reference, awakening
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1, RV 7.2, RV 7.18, RV 7.33, RV 7.74
Family tradition
Seer-family of Book 7; associated with harmony of ṛta, wide peace, and the ‘right-ordered’ movement of the sacrifice.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha represents the steady, luminous will that perfects the inner offering through right speech (vāc) and right order (ṛta), making the human vessel fit for divine intervention.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā, Aśvinā, vṛṣaṇā, swift helpers, divine physicians
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Indra, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Twin powers that arrive quickly at dawn and in crises, restoring wholeness, guiding journeys, and mediating transitions from darkness to light.
Inner power
Rapid harmonizing force in the nerves and life-mind: they heal division, restore balance, and bring timely intuition and practical right action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvina invocation in soma and dawn-linked sequences
अहे॑म य॒ज्ञं प॒थामु॑रा॒णा इ॒मां सु॑वृ॒क्तिं वृ॑षणा जुषेथाम् । श्रु॒ष्टी॒वेव॒ प्रेषि॑तो वामबोधि॒ प्रति॒ स्तोमै॒र्जर॑माणो॒ वसि॑ष्ठः ॥
अहे॑म । य॒ज्ञम् । प॒थाम् । उ॒रा॒णाः । इ॒माम् । सु॒ऽवृ॒क्तिम् । वृ॒ष॒णा॒ । जु॒षे॒था॒म् । श्रु॒ष्टी॒वाऽइ॑व । प्रऽइ॑षितः । वा॒म् । अ॒बो॒धि॒ । प्रति॑ । स्तोमैः॑ । जर॑माणः । वसि॑ष्ठः ॥
ahema | yajñam | pathām | urāṇāḥ | imām | su-vṛktim | vṛṣaṇā | juṣethām | śruṣṭīvāiva | pra-iṣitaḥ | vām | abodhi | prati | stomaiḥ | jaramāṇaḥ | vasiṣṭhaḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, expansive cadence suited to ‘carrying’ the work onward.
Builds momentum and resolve; supports a sense of guided movement and confident invocation.
- yajñam
- Literal: sacrifice, offering. Symbolic: inner consecration; the disciplined offering of mind, life, and body to the Divine
- pathām
- Literal: paths. Symbolic: ordered stages of practice; channels of right movement (ṛta) in consciousness
- suvṛktim
- Literal: well-turned praise, good hymn. Symbolic: true-formulated mantra; harmonized thought-speech that can carry force
- vṛṣaṇā
- Literal: two mighty/virile ones. Symbolic: the Aśvins as strong twin powers of swift effective action and healing
- juṣethām
- Literal: may you enjoy/accept. Symbolic: may the higher powers consent to inhabit and energize the offering
- śruṣṭīva
- Literal: like a charioteer/driver. Symbolic: the guided will steering energies on the path of the work
- abodhi
- Literal: awakened, became aware. Symbolic: opening of inner perception; turning of consciousness to the gods
- stomaiḥ
- Literal: with hymns/praises. Symbolic: rhythmic formations of thought-force that call down response
- jaramāṇaḥ
- Literal: growing old/ripening. Symbolic: maturing of the sacrifice; deepening stability and fruition of effort
Self-referential priestly verse within Soma praise: positioning the hymn as a perfected offering (suvṛkti) to be accepted.
Morning pressing / early invocation; also as an opening call for swift aid
Recitation to invite the Aśvins to accept praise and approach the offering
Use as a ‘beginning the practice’ mantra: set the intention, align with the path, and invoke swift harmonizing help before meditation or healing work.
: from √ī/√aj? (Vedic ‘to impel/drive’)—context favors ‘drive forward’ the yajña. : ‘path’ (PIE *pent(h)₂-). : su- + √vṛj/√vṛt ‘to turn, shape’ → well-fashioned speech. : √juṣ ‘to enjoy, accept favorably’. : √budh ‘to awaken’ (aorist). : from √jṛ ‘to grow old/ripen’—not decay but maturation of the work. : superlative formation from vasu/√vas ‘to dwell, be excellent’—‘most settled/excellent’.
ṛta-paths of yajña, awakening (bodha) to divine powers, maturation (jaramāṇa) of practice
The ‘paths’ indicate movement in ṛta—right sequence and right law of progress.
Suvṛkti as true-formed speech that matches the truth seen.
Progressive manifestation: the work ‘ripens’ into effective form through ordered effort.
Proto-Vedāntic / Integral (Aurobindonian) psychological reading of deities as powers of consciousness.
dawn/early morning (Aśvin hour)
The road is the channel of sādhana; the charioteer is the directed will; dawn is the first opening of illumination enabling swift divine response.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The yajña as a chariot-journey on established paths: the ritual and inner discipline are a guided movement. The Aśvins, as swift helpers, are asked to ‘accept’ the well-formed speech that steers the movement beyond disorder.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘path’ lexeme (pathā́m) reflects PIE *pent(h)₂- (cf. Greek póntos ‘sea’ as a ‘path’, Latin pons ‘bridge’). The awakening verb √budh has wide IE connections (cf. English ‘bid’ in older sense, German bieten; more securely PIE *bheudh- ‘be aware, wake’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi is both driver and instrument: he propels the yajña and simultaneously ‘awakens’ to the Aśvins through responsive stomas. The devatā are not distant recipients; their acceptance (juṣ-) is what makes the well-shaped speech efficacious in transformation.
Align the will with the right path; offer speech/thought as a clear formation; invoke swift harmonizing assistance.
viśuddha (speech/clarity) with support to ājñā (right guidance)
4-part rhythmic breathing (inhale-hold-exhale-hold) matching 4 pādas; keep exhale slightly longer to ‘drive forward’ the offering.
Wakeful, poised, forward-moving concentration (saṃkalpa + śraddhā).
Begin practice by inwardly stating the ‘suvṛkti’—one precise aspiration. Feel the Aśvins as twin currents balancing effort and ease; let the mind become a clear road.
Follow Rigvedic udātta/anudātta/svarita as marked in the saṃhitā text; maintain clear udātta lift on accented syllables (e.g.,,, ).
Let udātta be a gentle raise, svarita a falling glide, anudātta level/low; avoid melodic invention beyond svara.
Keep retroflex ṭ/ḍ/ṇ clear: pathām, stomaiḥ., Distinguish ś/ṣ/s: śruṣṭīva (śr-), vasiṣṭha (ṣṭh)., Juṣethām: pronounce ‘thām’ with aspirated th, not English ‘th’., Vṛṣaṇā: vocalic ṛ as brief ‘ri’ (vri-), not ‘ar’.
steady, forward-moving, bright tone; slight emphasis at pāda ends.
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