Rig Veda 8.35.1: Mandala 8, Sukta 35, Mantra 1
Sukta 8.35
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अग्निनेन्द्रेण वरुणेन विष्णुनादित्यै रुद्रैर्वसुभिः सचाभुवा । सजोषसा उषसा सूर्येण च सोमं पिबतमश्विना ॥
agnínendreṇa váruṇena víṣṇunādityái rudráir vásubhiḥ sacābhúvā | sajóṣasā uṣásā sū́ryeṇa ca sómaṃ pibatam aśvinā ||
अग्नि और इन्द्र के साथ, वरुण और विष्णु के साथ, आदित्य, रुद्र और वसु सब के साथ मिलकर। सुबह और सूरज के साथ मिलके, अश्विन भाई, सोम पियो। यह खुशी अन्दर उतर के हमारे ज़िन्दगी में फैल जाए।
Word by Word
- अग्नये
- to AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (दत्तिव) एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अग्नि-
- इन्द्रेण
- with IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot इन्द्र-
- वरुणेन
- with VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot वरुण-
- विष्णुना
- with ViṣṇuNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot विष्णु-
- आदित्यै
- to ĀdityaNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot आदित्य-
- रुद्रैः
- with the RudrasNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot रुद्र-
- वसुभिः
- with the VasusNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot वसु-
- सचाभुवा
- being together/associated (with them)Adjectiveबहुव्रीहि/विशेषण; प्रथमा एकवचन (अश्विनौ इति द्विवचन-विषयकं विशेषणं—वेदे एकवचन-रूपेणापि प्रयोगः) ; ‘सह-भव’ अर्थेRole विशेषण (कर्तृ-सम्बन्धी)Root सचा (अव्यय) + भू (धातु) → भुव (कृदन्त) / अथवा सचा-भू (समास/योग)
- सजोषसा
- in concord, with shared delightAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/अव्ययवत् विशेषण; तृतीया एकवचन (सजोषसा = ‘एकस्मिन् जोषे/सह प्रीत्या’)Role करण (भाव-करणम्)Root स- (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + जोषस्-
- उषसा
- with Uṣas (Dawn)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot उषस्-
- सूर्येण
- with SūryaNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot सूर्य-
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRole समुच्चयRoot च
- सोमम्
- Soma (the pressed drink)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सोम-
- पिबतम्
- drink (you two)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; द्विवचन; परस्मैपदRole (अश्विनौ) कर्ताRoot पा (पिब-)
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन द्विवचन (हे अश्विनौ) — वैदिके ‘अश्विना’ इति रूपम्Role सम्बोधनRoot अश्विन्-
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): अग्नये | इन्द्रेण | वरुणेन | विष्णुना | आदित्यै | रुद्रैः | वसुभिः | सचा-भुवा | सजोषसा | उषसा | सूर्येण | च | सोमम् | पिबतम् | अश्विना । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) अग्नि-इन्द्रेण → अग्निनेन्द्रेण (इ + इ → ई, तथा न्-संयोग). (2) विष्णुना-आदित्यै → विष्णुनादित्यै (आ-आ संधि; दीर्घ/सवर्णदीर्घ). (3) रुद्रैः-वसुभिः → रुद्रैर्वसुभिः (विसर्गस्य ‘र्’ आदेशः, परे व्). (4) च-सोमम् → च सोमम् (सन्ध्यभावः/पदविराम). (5) पिबतम्-अश्विना → पिबतमश्विना (म् + अ → म्-अ, पदसंयोगे लेखनम्). स्वर-टिप्पणी (संक्षेप): मन्त्रपाठे दीर्घ/स्वरित-चिह्नाः (॒/॑) पदानां वैदिक-उच्चारणं सूचयन्ति
- पदच्छेदे मूल-रूपाणि (उदा. अग्नये, विष्णुना, आदित्यै) स्वीकृतानि।
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Aśvins, in companionship with Agni, Indra, Varuṇa, Viṣṇu, the Ādityas, Rudras, and Vasus—together with Dawn and the Sun—drink the Soma.
Inner meaning
The twin divine healers and swift bringers (Aśvins) are invited to take the Soma-delight in the presence of the full divine host: Will (Agni), Illumined Mind (Indra), Vast Law (Varuṇa), all-pervading stride (Viṣṇu), the Truth-guardians (Ādityas), the transforming intensities (Rudras), and the foundational powers (Vasus), harmonized with awakening illumination (Uṣas) and revealed consciousness (Sūrya). Psychologically, this is an integral invocation: let the powers of transformation and right functioning in the system drink the bliss-essence (Soma) so it can circulate through all parts of being, healing division and establishing a coordinated ascent.
Universal truth
Spiritual fulfillment becomes stable when all faculties—will, mind, law, expansion, energies, foundations—are harmonized and nourished by a deeper delight of consciousness.
Themes
Aśvin-invocation, Soma-ritual, Harmony-of-gods, Dawn-to-sun transition
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.35 (Aśvin hymn), RV 1.3 (Aśvins invited to Soma, thematic)
Family tradition
Kāṇva-influenced integrative invocations: multiple deities named to indicate coordinated cosmic action.
Significance
The seer expresses an ‘integral yoga’ principle avant la lettre: the delight (Soma) must be received by all divine functions together, producing harmony rather than partial illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Epithets
- nāsatyā (true, helpers; implied traditional epithet), dasrā (wondrous, implied), śubhaspatī (lords of splendor, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Varuṇa, Viṣṇu, Ādityas, Rudras, Vasus, Uṣas, Sūrya, Soma
Cosmic role
Twin powers of swift aid, healing, and right arrangement; bring the dawned energies into effective action; mediators between higher light and embodied life.
Inner power
Rapid harmonization of divided parts; healing of the nervous-vital system; practical guidance that makes illumination workable.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin Soma-invitation (Aśvina-graha / morning pressing context, general)
अ॒ग्निनेन्द्रे॑ण॒ वरु॑णेन॒ विष्णु॑नादि॒त्यै रु॒द्रैर्वसु॑भिः सचा॒भुवा॑ । स॒जोष॑सा उ॒षसा॒ सूर्ये॑ण च॒ सोमं॑ पिबतमश्विना ॥
अ॒ग्निना॑ । इन्द्रे॑ण । वरु॑णेन । विष्णु॑ना । आ॒दि॒त्यैः । रु॒द्रैः । वसु॑ऽभिः । स॒चा॒ऽभुवा॑ । स॒ऽजोष॑सौ । उ॒षसा॑ । सूर्ये॑ण । च॒ । सोम॑म् । पि॒ब॒त॒म् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ ॥
agninā | indreṇa | varuṇena | viṣṇunā | ādityaiḥ | rudraiḥ | vasu-bhiḥ | sacābhuvā | sa-joṣasau | uṣasā | sūryeṇa | ca | somam | pibatam | aśvinā
Likely Jagatī (longer invocatory line with many deity-compounds)
48
4×12 (probable)
Processional, enumerative, ceremonial; builds a grand collective invocation.
Creates a sense of gathering the whole inner pantheon; expands awareness and induces integrative calm with uplift.
- aśvinā
- Literal: O Aśvins (twin horsemen). Symbolic: swift divine helpers; harmonizers of mind-life; healers bringing right functioning
- agninā
- Literal: with Agni. Symbolic: aspiring will; inner fire that leads the sacrifice
- indreṇa
- Literal: with Indra. Symbolic: illumined mind; victorious clarity
- varuṇena
- Literal: with Varuṇa. Symbolic: vastness and truth-law; purity and right order
- viṣṇunā
- Literal: with Viṣṇu. Symbolic: all-pervading expansion; three strides of consciousness
- ādityaiḥ
- Literal: with the Ādityas. Symbolic: powers of truth and harmony; guardians of ṛta
- rudraiḥ
- Literal: with the Rudras. Symbolic: purifying intensities; forces that break and heal
- vasubhiḥ
- Literal: with the Vasus. Symbolic: foundational energies; stable supports of manifestation
- sajoṣasā
- Literal: in mutual harmony, together-minded. Symbolic: integrated functioning; concord of faculties
- uṣasā
- Literal: with Dawn. Symbolic: awakening illumination; opening of the consciousness
- sūryeṇa
- Literal: with the Sun. Symbolic: revealed truth; full light of awareness
- somam pibatam
- Literal: drink the Soma. Symbolic: take in the delight-essence; assimilate bliss to energize transformation
Aśvinic Soma invitation: typical of morning pressing (prātaḥ-savana) where Aśvins are invited to drink Soma alongside Dawn/Sun; inwardly, an opening for swift harmonizing powers at the beginning of the ascent.
Morning Soma pressing and Aśvin-related offerings; also as a general opening invocation to harmonize powers before a rite.
Invitation to drink Soma; accompaniment to offering and libation.
A ‘whole-being alignment’ mantra before meditation: invoke will, mind, law, expansion, energies, foundations, dawning, and full light—then receive inner delight.
aśvin- from aśva ‘horse’ (swiftness, dynamic aid). soma: from √su ‘to press’ (suta ‘pressed’), then Soma as the pressed essence; psychologically, extracted delight. sacā-bhū: sacā ‘together’ + √bhū ‘to be/become’. joṣa: from √juṣ ‘to enjoy, be pleased’ → consent/delight. viṣṇu: from √viṣ ‘to pervade’ (traditional), linked to ‘wide stride’. varuṇa: often connected with √vṛ ‘cover/encompass’ → cosmic containment/right order.
ṛta as coordinated divine order (sacābhuvā, sajoṣasā), Aditi/Infinity (ādityāḥ)
The named host represents ṛta’s total administration—truth-law, right energy, stable supports, and illumined action.
Sajoṣasā (harmonized) indicates truth as concord, not fragmentation.
Dawn-to-Sun progression: awakening illumination (Uṣas) leading to full revelation (Sūrya), nourished by Soma.
Integral psychological synthesis aligning with Sri Aurobindo’s interpretation of Soma as Ananda and deities as powers of consciousness.
dawn/morning (Aśvin and Uṣas/Sūrya alignment)
Fire = will; dawn = awakening; sun = full awareness; soma = bliss-substance; twin riders = swift harmonizers in the nervous-vital.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘divine caravan’ accompanying the Aśvins to the Soma: a collective epiphany of powers at dawn. Psychologically it depicts the integrated descent of multiple faculties—will, force, law, wideness, truth, and healing—so the Soma-delight can be assimilated.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśvin- is built on aśva (horse), a pan-IE inheritance (cf. equus/ech). The dual imperatives (pibatam, aśvinā) preserve an archaic grammatical category (dual) prominent in early Indo-European poetic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi stages an inner liturgy of consent: he invites the Aśvins not alone but in harmony with the whole order of powers. The exchange is: the human offers Soma (pressed delight); the gods enter, harmonize, and distribute its force through the being.
Integral invocation: silently name the powers (will, mind, law, expansion, energies, foundations, dawn, sun) and feel them gather; then ‘drink Soma’—receive a subtle sweetness in the heart and brow.
Hṛdaya (psychic sweetness) with Sahasrāra/Ājñā (descent of light)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana (alternate nostril) 6–12 rounds, then recite once and sit in receptive stillness.
Harmonized wholeness; quiet delight; luminous integration.
After chanting, pause and sense which faculty is out of tune (will, mind, vital); invite the Aśvins to ‘set it right’ and let Soma-delight circulate there.
Not fully determinable from excerpt; as a long enumerative line, keep a steady udātta rise on marked accents and avoid rushing deity-compounds.
Group the list in breath-units: (agninendreṇa varuṇena viṣṇunā) | (ādityai rudrair vasubhiḥ sacābhuvā) | (sajoṣasā uṣasā sūryeṇa ca) | (somam pibatam aśvinā).
Maintain conjunct clarity: ‘agninendreṇa’ (agni-n- indreṇa) without swallowing n, ‘sacābhuvā’—long ā; bhv cluster: bhu-vā, ‘pibatam’—short i; dental t crisp, ‘aśvinā’—śv clear; long ā at end
Devotional, expansive, well-supported breath; slightly softer on ‘somam pibatam’.
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