Rig Veda 7.78.4: Mandala 7, Sukta 78, Mantra 4
Sukta 7.78
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अचेति दिवो दुहिता मघोनी विश्वे पश्यन्त्युषसं विभातीम् । आस्थाद्रथं स्वधया युज्यमानमा यमश्वासः सुयुजो वहन्ति ॥
áceti divó duhitā́ maghónī víśve paśyanty uṣásaṃ vibhātī́m | ā́sthād ráthaṃ svadháyā yujyámānam ā́ yám áśvāsaḥ suyújo váhanti ||
आसमान की बेटी उषा जाग उठी है। सब लोग चमकती हुई सुबह को देख रहे हैं। उसने अपना रथ लिया है। अपनी शक्ति से उस्से जोड़ा है। उसके घोड़े उसे आगे ले जा रहे हैं।
Word by Word
- अचेति
- has appeared / has become manifestVerbPerfect (Vedic), 3rd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole Kartā (with subject ‘उषा/दिवो दुहिता’)Root √चित् (citi ‘to perceive/notice; to appear as noticed’)
- दिवः
- of heavenNounFeminine, Genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (genitive relation) to ‘दुहिता’Root दिव् (prātipadika: दिव्/द्यौ ‘sky, heaven’)
- दुहिता
- daughterNounFeminine, Nominative singularRole Kartā (subject of अचेति) / also of विभातीम् (as Uṣas)Root दुहितृ (prātipadika ‘daughter’)
- मघोनी
- the bountiful (one)Adjective (epithet)Feminine, Nominative singular (agreeing with दुहिता/उषा)Role Viśeṣaṇa of KartāRoot मघोनी (prātipadika; epithet ‘bountiful, rich in gifts’)
- विश्वे
- all (beings/people)Pronoun/Adjective used substantivelyMasculine, Nominative pluralRole Kartā (subject of पश्यन्ति)Root विश्व (prātipadika ‘all’)
- पश्यन्ति
- seeVerbPresent, 3rd person plural, ParasmaipadaRole Kriyā (with kartā ‘विश्वे’ and karma ‘उषसम्’)Root √पश् (to see)
- उषसम्
- Dawn (Uṣas)NounFeminine, Accusative singularRole Karma (object of पश्यन्ति)Root उषस् (prātipadika ‘Dawn, Uṣas’)
- विभातीम्
- shining forthKṛdanta (present participle)Feminine, Accusative singular, Present active participle (शतृ), agreeing with उषसम्Role Karma-viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of the object) / also indicates action ‘shining forth’Root √भा (to shine) with vi-
- आस्थात्
- mounted / stood uponVerbAorist (root-aorist), 3rd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole Kriyā (kartā = Uṣas implied)Root √स्था (to stand) with ā-
- रथम्
- chariotNounMasculine, Accusative singularRole Karma (object of आस्थात्: ‘mounted the chariot’)Root रथ (prātipadika ‘chariot’)
- स्वधया
- by her own powerNounFeminine, Instrumental singularRole Karaṇa (means: ‘by/with her own power/impulse’)Root स्वधा (prātipadika ‘own power/impulse; inherent might; (also) ritual ‘svadhā’)
- युज्यमानम्
- being yoked / being harnessedKṛdanta (present passive participle)Masculine, Accusative singular, Present passive participle (युज्यमान), agreeing with रथम्Role Karma-viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of ‘रथम्’: ‘being yoked/being harnessed’)Root √युज् (to yoke) (passive/ātmanepada participial formation)
- आ
- hither / towardsIndeclinableUpasarga / direction particleRole (modifies verb वहन्ति: ‘hither/unto’)Root आ (preverb/indeclinable)
- यम्
- whichPronounMasculine, Accusative singularRole Karma (relative object of वहन्ति; refers to रथम्)Root यद् (relative pronoun)
- अश्वासः
- horsesNounMasculine, Nominative pluralRole Kartā (subject of वहन्ति)Root अश्व (prātipadika ‘horse’)
- सुयुजः
- well-yokedAdjectiveMasculine, Nominative plural (agreeing with अश्वासः)Role Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of the subject)Root सु- + युज् (prātipadika ‘well-yoked, well-harnessed’)
- वहन्ति
- carry / conveyVerbPresent, 3rd person plural, ParasmaipadaRole Kriyā (kartā = अश्वासः; karma = यम्/रथम्)Root √वह् (to carry, convey)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved as: पश्यन्ति + उषसम् → पश्यन्त्युषसम् (y-sandhi)
- आस्थात् + रथम् → आस्थाद्रथम् (final -t before r becomes -d)
- युज्यमानम् + आ → युज्यमानमा (m + ā with avagraha-less writing)
- यम् + अश्वासः → यमश्वासः (m + a coalescence). Accent marks retained as in Saṃhitā
- pada-forms given without accent for analysis
The meaning
Outer meaning
The bountiful Daughter of Heaven has awakened; all see the shining Dawn. She has mounted her chariot, yoking it by her own power; the well-yoked horses carry her.
Inner meaning
Illumination awakens as a generous power from the higher consciousness (divo duhitā). It becomes universally perceptible to the faculties of the being (‘all behold’). By svadhā—innate law and self-power—Dawn harnesses the chariot: the organized movement of progress. The horses are the well-yoked vital energies that, when harmonized, carry the light forward rather than scattering it.
Universal truth
When awakening is authentic, it self-organizes: it brings its own law of action and yokes the life-energies into a harmonious movement that supports clarity.
Themes
Dawn as universal object of vision, Harnessing energies, Orderly progress
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.77.2-4, RV 7.78.1-3, RV 7.79.1-2
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s hymns often emphasize svadhā/ṛta: the self-law by which divine powers act rightly and harmonize the human instruments.
Significance
The verse teaches a practical inner psychology: illumination must be carried by well-yoked energies; otherwise light remains a vision without embodied movement.
The deity
- Devata
- Uṣas
- Epithets
- divo duhitā (daughter of Heaven), maghonī (bountiful), vibhātī (shining)
- Related deities
- Aśvins (helpers of dawn), Sūrya, Agni
Cosmic role
She makes the world visible and sets the rhythms of right activity; she inaugurates the day’s movement.
Inner power
Self-arranging illumination (svadhā) that harmonizes energies and makes progress possible.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning Uṣas praise; suitable near the time of yoking imagery in dawn recitations.
अचे॑ति दि॒वो दु॑हि॒ता म॒घोनी॒ विश्वे॑ पश्यन्त्यु॒षसं॑ विभा॒तीम् । आस्था॒द्रथं॑ स्व॒धया॑ यु॒ज्यमा॑न॒मा यमश्वा॑सः सु॒युजो॒ वह॑न्ति ॥
अचे॑ति । दि॒वः । दु॒हि॒ता । म॒घोनी॑ । विश्वे॑ । प॒श्य॒न्ति॒ । उ॒षस॑म् । वि॒ऽभा॒तीम् । आ । अ॒स्था॒त् । रथ॑म् । स्व॒धया॑ । यु॒ज्यमा॑नम् । आ । यम् । अश्वा॑सः । सु॒ऽयुजः॑ । वह॑न्ति ॥
aceti | divaḥ | duhitā | maghonī | viśve | paśyanti | uṣasam | vi-bhātīm | ā | asthāt | ratham | svadhayā | yujyamānam | ā | yam | aśvāsaḥ | su-yujaḥ | vahanti
44
4 × ~11
Balanced and pictorial; the third and fourth pādas give a smooth ‘yoking → carrying’ motion.
Stabilizing; encourages coordination and calm forward momentum.
- divo duhitā
- Literal: daughter of Heaven. Symbolic: illumination descending from higher consciousness; light born of the vast
- maghonī
- Literal: bountiful. Symbolic: giver of inner riches: clarity, joy, right impulse
- aceti
- Literal: has awakened, has become manifest. Symbolic: consciousness becomes aware; the light rises into notice
- viśve paśyanti
- Literal: all see. Symbolic: integral perception: mind, life, body begin to recognize the light
- svadhayā
- Literal: by her own power/nature-law. Symbolic: self-existent truth-force; spontaneous right arrangement
- ratham
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: vehicle of progress; organized movement of consciousness
- yujyamānam
- Literal: being yoked. Symbolic: harmonizing instruments/energies for the journey
- aśvāsaḥ suyujaḥ
- Literal: horses well-yoked. Symbolic: vital forces disciplined and aligned to the light
Dawn visualization used for aligning one’s energies (‘horses’) into right yoking for the day’s sacrifice/work (general).
At dawn; before beginning travel/work; before commencing disciplined practice.
Stuti with visualization of chariot/horses; dedication of energies to right action.
Use when you need alignment: chant, then consciously ‘yoke’ attention, breath, and intention before acting.
from √cit ‘to perceive, become conscious’: Dawn as awakening of awareness. ā (svadhā) su- + √dhā/√dhā ‘to place/establish’ with sense of ‘one’s own established power/law’ (distinct from ṛta as universal law): indicates autonomous divine capacity. √yuj ‘yoke’ (PIE *yeug-): harmonizing forces; su-yuj emphasizes right integration of energies.
awakening of cit (consciousness), right yoking (yoga) of forces, svadhā as innate divine law/power
Suyujaḥ aśvāsaḥ embodies ṛta: energies placed under right yoke.
The shining dawn becomes universally evident—truth as shared visibility in the being.
Order arising from light: the day’s world is ‘re-assembled’ by dawn’s svadhā.
Yoga-psychological: integration of instruments under a higher light.
dawn
Awakening light organizes and harnesses life-energies, enabling steady progress.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The goddess mounts her chariot and is borne by well-yoked horses: a standard Indo-European dawn-chariot motif. Psychologically it is the awakening power organizing the vital energies into harmonious motion.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj ‘yoke’ reflects PIE *yeug- (cf. Latin iugum, English yoke). The verse preserves the inherited metaphor: spiritual progress requires ‘yoking’ dispersed forces into a single forward movement.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi is a witness to an inner event that becomes universally perceptible (‘all see’). The Devatā demonstrates the method: by svadhā she yokes the movement; the human seeker is invited to imitate this right yoking within their own energies.
Integrate: let the light be seen by ‘all’ parts—mind, heart, body. Then ‘yoke’ energies to one intention.
Anāhata (harmonization) supporting Ājñā (clear seeing).
Coherent breathing ~5–6 breaths/min for 5 minutes, then chant once per exhale.
Integrated wakefulness; sattvic coordination.
After chanting, name the ‘horses’ (attention, speech, desire, action) and yoke them to the day’s dharma; proceed only when the movement feels suyuja (well-aligned).
Keep a gentle rise on ‘uṣásaṃ’ and ‘svadháyā’; allow the final pāda to ‘carry’ forward smoothly.
Avoid hard breaks between ‘svadhayā yujyamānam’; treat it as a single action phrase leading into the horses’ carrying.
aceti: ‘c’ palatal; short ‘e’, duhitā: dental ‘t’; long ‘ā’, maghonī: aspirated ‘gh’, āsthād: long ‘ā’; conjunct ‘sth’ clear, suyujo: ‘yu’ clean; ‘j’ soft palatal
Even, clear, harmonizing tone.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
