Rig Veda 8.73.17: Mandala 8, Sukta 73, Mantra 17
Sukta 8.73
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अश्विना सु विचाकशद्वृक्षं परशुमाँ इव । अन्ति षद्भूतु वामवः ॥
aśvinā sú vicā́kaśad vṛkṣáṃ paraśumā́m iva | ánti ṣádbhūtu vāmávaḥ ||
अश्विन भइयों, सब साफ साफ दिख जाए। जैसे पेड़ को काटने से देख सकते हैं, वैसे ही सब क्लियर हो जाए। तुम्हारी मदद हमारे पास हो, सच में हमारे काम आए।
Word by Word
- अश्विना
- O Aśvins (the twin horsemen)Noun (dual vocative, divine name)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; द्विवचनRole सम्बोधन (address)Root अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक) / अश्व (PIE *h₁éḱwos ‘horse’)
- सु
- well, thoroughlyIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root सु (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- विचाकशत्
- shone forth / became clearly visibleVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √कश्/कास् (दीप्तौ/प्रकाशने) + वि- (उपसर्ग); ‘विचाकश’ (प्रातिपदिक ‘bright, clear-seeing’) → क्रियापद-रूप
- वृक्षम्
- a treeNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- परशुमान्
- one bearing an axeAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्ता (उपमान-कर्ता, ‘like one who has an axe’)Root परशु-मत् (प्रातिपदिक; -मत् ‘possessing’)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपमान-निर्देशकRoot इव
- अन्ति
- near, close byIndeclinable (preverb/adverb)अव्ययRole अधिकरण (स्थान/सामीप्य)Root अन्ति
- सत्
- sit!Verbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद; मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रिया (आज्ञार्थ)Root √सद् (उपवेशने/आसने)
- भूतु
- let it be / may it becomeVerbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रिया (विध्यर्थ/आशीर्लिङ्ग-सदृश आज्ञा)Root √भू (सत्तायाम्/भवने)
- वाम्
- to you two / of you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी-द्विवचन (Vedic enclitic form ‘वाम्’ = ‘of you two / to you two’)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (context-dependent)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अवः
- help, aid, favorNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (Vedic usage often n.); प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्ता (with भूतु: ‘let (your) help be…’)Root अवस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘help, favor, protection’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): अश्विना | सु | विचाकशत् | वृक्षम् | परशुमान् | इव | अन्ति | सत् | भूतु | वाम् | अवः । Notes: (1) ‘अश्विना’ is vocative dual of अश्विन्. (2) ‘विचाकशद्’ in saṃhitā reflects final -t before following voiced/soft environment
- normalized pada here as ‘विचाकशत्’. (3) ‘षद्’ is Vedic spelling for imperative ‘सत्’ (from √सद्), with retroflexion/orthographic tradition in saṃhitā. (4) ‘वामवः’ = वाम् + अवः (enclitic pronoun + noun) with sandhi of final -म् before vowel
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Aśvins, may it shine out clearly—like a tree made manifest by an axe-bearer; may your help be near and truly present.
Inner meaning
The prayer is for clear manifestation (vi-cākaśat): as an axe reveals the hidden form of a tree by cutting away coverings, so the Aśvins’ swift, precise action reveals the soul’s truth by removing obscurity and resistance. The image is psychological: cutting through confusion, habits, and subconscient knots so that the inner being stands visible. The refrain asks that this revealing help be immediate and real.
Universal truth
Clarity often comes not by adding more ideas, but by removing what covers—decisive inner action unveils what is already there.
Themes
clarity, inner discernment, removal of obstruction
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.73.13, Rig Veda 8.73.14, Rig Veda 8.73.15, Rig Veda 8.73.16
Significance
The verse encodes a method: revelation through removal. In Aurobindo’s psychology, the gods often ‘break’ or ‘cut’ the coverers so the hidden light can appear—here expressed with a vivid artisan image.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Dasrā (skillful wonder-workers), Suvicakṣaṇā (clear-seeing; thematic), Nā́satyā
- Related deities
- Indra (breaker of cover), Agni (purifier), Uṣas (revealer)
Cosmic role
They bring swift, skillful interventions—especially in crises or transitions—restoring function and revealing the right way.
Inner power
Surgical clarity: quick discernment, healing cuts, removal of confusion; practical illumination that makes the path visible.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invocation for clarity and effective aid; suitable in rites seeking healing/removal of obstacles
अ॒श्विना॒ सु वि॒चाक॑शद्वृ॒क्षं प॑रशु॒माँ इ॑व । अन्ति॒ षद्भू॑तु वा॒मव॑: ॥
अ॒श्विना॑ । सु । वि॒ऽचाक॑शत् । वृ॒क्षम् । प॒र॒शु॒मान्ऽइ॑व । अन्ति॑ । सत् । भू॒तु॒ । वा॒म् । अवः॑ ॥
aśvinā | su | vi-cākaśat | vṛkṣam | paraśumān-iva | anti | sat | bhūtu | vām | avaḥ
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4×8 (approx.)
Bright imperative with a sharp metaphor; refrain provides closure
Produces a ‘cutting through’ feel—mental crispness—followed by soothing assurance of near support.
- वि-चाकशत् (vi-cākaśat)
- Literal: may it shine forth/appear clearly. Symbolic: clear revelation; unobstructed perception in consciousness
- वृक्षम् (vṛkṣam)
- Literal: tree. Symbolic: the embodied being/life-structure; the growth of nature that must be shaped
- परशुमान् (paraśumān)
- Literal: axe-bearer. Symbolic: the power of discernment and decisive will that cuts coverings
- इव (iva)
- Literal: like. Symbolic: explicit symbolic comparison—invites inner reading
- अवः (avaḥ)
- Literal: help. Symbolic: effective intervention that removes obstruction
Prayer for clear manifestation/revelation; can accompany moments seeking discernment and healing clarity
At dawn or before undertaking difficult action; also in healing intentions
Invocation with intent of obstacle-removal; offering and praise
Use before problem-solving: chant, then identify one ‘covering’ (distraction, fear, indecision) to cut away with a single disciplined action.
√kāś ‘shine, appear’ (vicākaśat) expresses revelation/clarity. paraśu ‘axe’ is a tool-image for decisive discrimination: what is obscuring is cut so the ‘tree’ (life-structure) becomes evident. vṛkṣa ‘tree’ from √vṛkṣ/√vṛj complex ‘to cut/tear’ is itself linked to ‘wood’ and ‘cutting’; the simile intensifies the theme of revelation through division.
discernment (cutting through obscurity), revelation (shining out), transformative help
Clarity (vi-cākaśat) is the unveiling of ṛta in the mind and life.
The refrain’s ‘sat’ indicates revelation must become stable being, not momentary insight.
Revelation by separation: form disclosed through cutting—akin to Vedic ‘opening’ of the hidden light.
Yogic-psychological hermeneutics: obstacles as coverers; gods as powers that remove them.
Tree = life-structure/personality; axe = discriminative will; shining forth = unveiled consciousness; the act is purification through removal.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘revelation by cutting’ motif: as an axe-bearer makes a tree’s form evident, so the Aśvins’ power makes truth shine distinctly by removing obstruction. It echoes the broader Vedic theme of opening what is closed (darkness/covering) to release light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √kāś ‘shine’ participates in an IE ‘shine/appear’ semantic field (cf. Slavic *kas- ‘shine’ is debated; direct cognates are uncertain). The optative nuance (‘may it shine out’) preserves archaic wish-syntax typical of early IE poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks for an operative clarity, not mere knowledge: the gods’ help is to act as a discriminating force that cuts through confusion so the inner life-structure becomes luminous and workable.
Ask for decisive discernment that removes coverings; let the true form of your path become visible.
Ājñā (discernment) with Maṇipūra (decisive will)
Kapalabhāti light (if appropriate) 30 strokes × 2 rounds, then calm breathing and chant
Clear, incisive, steady
After chanting, practice ‘one-cut’ discipline: choose one unnecessary input (scrolling, rumination) and remove it for the day; observe the resulting clarity as the mantra’s fruit.
Svara not supplied; articulate the metaphor crisply; slight pause after ‘aśvinā’ and before the refrain for emphasis.
Emphasize: aśvinā / su / vi-cākaśat / vṛkṣam / paraśumān iva / ánti sát bhūtu.
vi-cākaśat: keep ‘cā’ long; ‘ś’ distinct, vṛkṣam: vocalic ṛ; conjunct kṣ clear, paraśumān: retroflex ṣ; long ā in mān, iva: short, light ‘iva’
Crisp, bright, and confident; soften slightly on the refrain.
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