Rig Veda 8.5.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 5, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.5
- Rishi
- Kaṇva lineage
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
नृवद्दस्रा मनोयुजा रथेन पृथुपाजसा । सचेथे अश्विनोषसम् ॥
nṛvád dasrā manoyújā ráthena pṛthupā́jasā | sácethe aśvinóṣásam ||
अश्विन भाई, तुम्हारी चमक वाली रथ है। तुम अपने मन से उसे चलाते हो। यह रथ बहुत चमकदार है। तुम सुभह के साथ आते हो। लोगों की तरफ देख के ताकत चलाते हो।
Word by Word
- नृवत्
- manly, in a manly wayAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विशेषणरूपेण)Role विशेषण (सम्बोधनस्य/कर्तृपदस्य)Root नृ (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित) → नृवत्
- दस्रा
- O wondrous/skillful ones (Aśvins)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot दस्र (प्रातिपदिक; अश्विनोः विशेषणम्) → दस्र
- मनोजुजा
- O mind-yoked (swift as thought)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole सम्बोधन-विशेषणRoot मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + युज् (धातु ‘युज्’/प्रातिपदिक ‘युज्/युज्-’) → मनो-युज् (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष) → मनोयुज्; तस्य सम्बोधन-द्विवचनम्
- रथेन
- with a chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथुपाजसा
- with broad/abundant mightAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-विशेषणरूपेण, तृतीया, एकवचन (करणविशेषणम्)Role करण-विशेषणRoot पृथु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाजस् (प्रातिपदिक ‘strength/might’) → पृथु-पाजस् (बहुव्रीहि) → पृथुपाजस्; तस्य तृतीया-एकवचनम्
- सचेथे
- you two accompany / are joined withVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: अश्विनौ)Root सच् (धातु; ‘to accompany, be associated’)
- अश्विनो
- O AśvinsNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक; देवता-नाम)
- उषसम्
- Uṣas (Dawn)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot उषस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘dawn’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: नृवत् | दस्रा | मनोयुजा | रथेन | पृथुपाजसा | सचेथे | अश्विनो | उषसम् । 1) मनो॒युजा॒ = मनः + युजा (समास/सन्ध्यन्तर-रूप; ‘मनस्’ का ओ-आदेश समासे) → मनोयुजा (सम्बोधन-द्विवचन). 2) अश्विनो॒षस॑म् = अश्विनो + उषसम् : अ + उ → ओ (गुण/सवर्णदीर्घ-सन्धि-प्रकारेण ‘ओ’), अतः ‘अश्विनोषसम्’। 3) नृवत्: ‘नृ’ + ‘वत्’ तद्धितान्त
- पदरूपेण अव्ययवत्/विशेषणवत् प्रयोगः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Aśvins, wonder-workers, yoked by the mind, with your wide-radiant chariot you accompany Uṣas (Dawn).
Inner meaning
The Aśvins are the twin powers of swift, harmonious action and healing in the sadhana. “Yoked by the mind” indicates that the seeker’s mental aspiration can harness these divine Life-forces to move with the Dawn-illumination. Their “wide-radiant chariot” is the luminous, many-sided movement of prāṇa and will that carries consciousness forward as awakening begins.
Universal truth
When the mind consents to a higher guidance, swift assisting forces arise that synchronize our life-movement with the arriving light; awakening is not solitary—helping powers accompany the dawn of consciousness.
Themes
Aśvins as helpers, Awakening and healing, Mind-directed divine movement
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva lineage (Kāṇvas)
- Lineage
- Kaṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.5 (Aśvin hymn, Kāṇva milieu), RV 8.1–8.10 (many Kāṇva hymns in Maṇḍala 8)
Family tradition
Kāṇva seers are noted for pragmatic, experiential hymns—invoking swift helpers (Aśvins) to bridge human limitation and divine illumination.
Significance
The Kāṇva vision often emphasizes the journey from obscurity to light through effective divine assistance—especially at the ‘dawn’ moments of transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (the Aśvins), with Uṣas as associated power
- Epithets
- dasrā (wonder-workers), manoyujā (mind-yoked), pṛthupājasā (wide-radiant)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Twin physicians and rescuers of the worlds; mediators between Night and Dawn; bringers of swift remedies, right timing, and safe passage.
Inner power
Rapid harmonization of mind-life-body; restoration of right functioning; quickening of the aspirant’s movement toward illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvinaśastra / Aśvin invocation in Soma-related sequences (general Aśvin praise)
नृ॒वद्द॑स्रा मनो॒युजा॒ रथे॑न पृथु॒पाज॑सा । सचे॑थे अश्विनो॒षस॑म् ॥
नृ॒ऽवत् । द॒स्रा॒ । म॒नः॒ऽयुजा॑ । रथे॑न । पृ॒थु॒ऽपाज॑सा । सचे॑थे॒ इति॑ । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । उ॒षस॑म् ॥
nṛ-vat | dasrā | manaḥ-yujā | rathena | pṛthu-pājasā | sacetheiti | aśvinā | uṣasam
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3 pādas × 8 syllables (typical Gāyatrī cadence)
Bright, swift, forward-driving; suited to invocation and movement.
Creates a quickening in attention and prāṇa, aligning the listener with the ‘arriving dawn’ impulse.
- दस्रा (dasrā)
- Literal: wonder-working, skillful. Symbolic: infallible helping powers that effect rapid inner cures and right adjustments
- मन॒युजा (manoyujā / manaḥ-yujā)
- Literal: yoked by the mind. Symbolic: inner forces harnessed by aspiration, attention, and right resolve
- रथ (ratha)
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: organized movement of consciousness/energy carrying the sadhaka forward
- पृथुपाजस् (pṛthu-pājas)
- Literal: wide-radiant, broad-shining. Symbolic: vast luminous efficacy—light spread through many parts of the being
- उषस् (uṣas)
- Literal: dawn. Symbolic: spiritual awakening; first light of higher consciousness
- नृवत् (nṛ-vat)
- Literal: man-like / human-facing. Symbolic: powers that meet the human being where they are and uplift the embodied nature
Prātaḥ-savana invocations to Aśvins; aids awakening, healing, right movement at the start of the inner day.
At dawn or early pressing contexts; hymns to invite swift helpers at the beginning of a rite.
Calling the Aśvins to ‘come with the Dawn’ and participate in the offering.
Morning meditation/chant to invoke swift inner help at the start of the day or before sadhana.
mano-yuj ‘mind-yoked’ shows the inner technology: the divine powers are harnessed by awakened intention (manas). √sac ‘accompany’ indicates synchrony—Aśvins as dynamic helpers arriving with the dawn-illumination. pājas ‘radiance/strength’ bridges physical light and inner potency.
Mind as yoke (manoyujā), Synchrony of helper-powers with illumination (sac)
The Aśvins’ accompaniment of Uṣas signifies the lawful, rhythmic emergence of Light according to Ṛta.
Dawn as the unveiling of truth-vision; the ‘wide radiance’ as diffusion of satya through the being.
Daily re-creation: the world renewed by dawn; inner re-creation as ignorance gives way to illumination.
Proto-Vedāntic / Integral-Vedic (psychological symbolism in the Aurobindo–Kashyap line)
dawn
The first opening of higher awareness, supported by swift harmonizing forces that carry the life-movement into light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins’ dawn-journey: they come with their chariot to accompany Uṣas. Inwardly, the twin powers of right action and right enjoyment/healing arrive when the mind yokes itself to the truth of awakening.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj ‘yoke’ is PIE *yeug- (yoke, join). The expression manoyujā encodes an archaic Indo-European chariot/horse metaphor repurposed as a psychology of disciplined attention.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi invokes the Aśvins as powers responsive to mental harnessing: when the human being offers a rightly directed manas, the Aśvins ‘accompany’ the dawn-force, making awakening practical and effective in life.
Invite swift harmonizing help to align prāṇa and mind with the first light of awareness.
ājñā (for illumination) and anāhata (for harmonizing life-forces)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or 6-6 breathing to ‘yoke the mind’ before chanting.
Waking-to-awakening threshold (uṣas-bhāva): alert, receptive, luminous.
Chant at daybreak; feel the ‘chariot’ as a steady inner movement; let the Aśvins coordinate scattered energies into one forward aspiration.
Use the Ṛgvedic three-tone contour (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā tradition; this verse is typically bright and rising in feel.
Keep natural udātta lifts on key invocatory words (dasrā, aśvinā, uṣasam); avoid flattening compound accents (manaḥ-yujā, pṛthu-pājasā).
(nṛ-vad): clear vocalic ṛ (as in ‘ri’ but tighter), (aśvinoṣasam): sandhi—do not insert extra vowel; keep ‘oṣa’ smooth, (pṛthu-pājasā): aspirate ‘th’ in pṛthu; long ā in pājasā
Clear, luminous, slightly forward placement; avoid heaviness.
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