Rig Veda 8.8.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 8, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.8
- Rishi
- Kaṇva lineage
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
आ नो यातमुपश्रुत्यश्विना सोमपीतये । स्वाहा स्तोमस्य वर्धना प्र कवी धीतिभिर्नरा ॥
ā nó yātam úpa-śruty aśvinā sóma-pītaye | svā́hā stómasya vardhanā prá kavī dhītíbhiḥ narā ||
अश्विन भाई, हमारी सुन के यहाँ आ जाओ। सोम पीने का टाइम हो गया है। हमारी स्तुति बढ़ाओ, आगे बढ़ो। तुम दोनों रिशि हो, तुम्हारे विचार बहुत तेज़ हैं, तुम वीर हो।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (directional: ‘towards, hither’)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी?—here: षष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic) ‘of us/our’ (Vedic usage often overlaps with dative sense in prayers)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary: ‘for us’)Root अस्मद् (pronoun stem)
- यातम्
- come (you two)Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRoot या (धातु) ‘to go’
- उपश्रुत्य
- having listened, heedingVerbal indeclinable (gerund)अव्यय (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त): ‘having heard/heedfully listening’Root श्रु (धातु) ‘to hear’ + उप (उपसर्ग)
- अश्विना
- O Aśvins (you two)Noun (dual deity name)प्रथमा द्विवचन (Vedic: dual nominative; addressed pair)Role Kartā (addressees/agents of ‘come’)Root अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘the Aśvins’
- सोमपीतये
- for Soma-drinkingNoun (purpose)चतुर्थी एकवचन (दатив: purpose)Role Sampradāna / Prayojana-dativeRoot सोमपीति (प्रातिपदिक) ‘Soma-drinking’ (सोम + पीति < पा ‘drink’)
- स्वाहा
- svāhā (hail!; offering-call)Indeclinableयज्ञीय उद्गार (exclamation used with offerings)Root स्वाहा (निपात/उद्गार)
- स्तोमस्य
- of the hymn/praiseNounषष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक) ‘hymn, praise’
- वर्धना
- (you) two increasers (of the praise)Noun/Adjective (epithet)प्रथमा द्विवचन (agreeing with dual addressees: Aśvins)Role Kartā (as epithets of the addressed pair)Root वर्धन (प्रातिपदिक) ‘increaser, enhancer’ (< वर्ध् ‘to grow/increase’)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableनिपात: intensifier/forward ‘forth’Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- कवी
- (you) two sages/poetsNoun/Adjectiveप्रथमा द्विवचन (epithet of Aśvins)Role Kartā (as epithets of the addressed pair)Root कवि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘seer, poet, wise’
- धीतिभिः
- with thoughts/insights (hymns)Nounतृतीया बहुवचनRole Karaṇa (instrument: ‘with insights/hymns’)Root धीति (प्रातिपदिक) ‘thought, insight, hymn’ (< धी ‘to think’)
- नरा
- O two heroesNoun (vocative/nominal address)सम्बोधन द्विवचन (Vedic vocative dual; address to the two gods as ‘heroes’)Role Sambodhana (address)Root नर (प्रातिपदिक) ‘man, hero’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: आ + नः (enclitic) kept separate
- यातम् is independent
- उपश्रुत्य is a gerund (उप- + श्रु + ल्यप्) ‘having listened’
- अश्विना is dual nominative used in address
- सोमपीतये is dative singular of compound सोम-पीति ‘for Soma-drinking’
- स्वाहा is an indeclinable ritual exclamation
- स्तोमस्य (gen. sg.) + वर्धना (nom. du.) are in loose apposition to the addressed pair
- प्र is particle
- कवी (nom. du.) and नरा (voc. du.) are epithets of the Aśvins
- धीतिभिः is instr. pl. ‘with insights’. Accent marks (॑ etc.) are preserved from Saṃhitā but not re-assigned per pada
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Aśvins are invited to come near, having heard the call, to drink Soma; with “svāhā” the hymn is offered, and the twin seers are urged to advance with inspired thoughts.
Inner meaning
The twin divine powers of swift help (Aśvins) are summoned to the inner sacrifice. “Listening near” signals receptivity of the subtle faculties to the soul’s aspiration. Soma-drinking is the descent of Ananda (divine delight) into the nervous-vital and mental being. “Increasers of the hymn” means these powers amplify the seeker’s mantra-force (stoma) and turn inspired thought (dhī) into effective inner action; the ‘seer-twins’ indicate illumined intuition working in a dual mode—discernment and swift execution.
Universal truth
When aspiration becomes sincere and attentive, higher helping forces respond; delight (Soma/Ananda) is not an escape but a power that strengthens the inner word and clarifies intuition, accelerating transformation.
Themes
hymn empowerment, soma-ritual, invocation through hearing
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva lineage (Kāṇvas; hymn-voice within the family tradition)
- Lineage
- Kaṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 1.47 (Aśvins, Kāṇva), RV 1.46 (Aśvins, Kāṇva), RV 8.8 (Aśvins, Vatsa/Kaṇva context)
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns often emphasize effective invocation, swift divine help, and the psychology of inspiration (dhī) as a force that ‘builds’ the inner sacrifice.
Significance
The Kāṇva current is strongly mantra-yogic: the seer’s task is to intensify stoma (mantric utterance) until higher powers ‘hear near’ and enter the human vessel.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā (true/beneficent), kavī (seer-twins), narā (heroes), havanaśrutā (hearers of the call)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Indra, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Divine physicians and rescuers who traverse between heaven and earth, restoring wholeness, youth, and right functioning; mediators of swift transitions (night→dawn; inertia→movement).
Inner power
Rapid help to the aspirant: harmonizing prāṇa and mind, awakening intuitive discernment, and bringing Ananda (Soma) into the active nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering / morning pressing context (general Aśvin invocation)
आ नो॑ यात॒मुप॑श्रु॒त्यश्वि॑ना॒ सोम॑पीतये । स्वाहा॒ स्तोम॑स्य वर्धना॒ प्र क॑वी धी॒तिभि॑र्नरा ॥
आ । नः॒ । या॒त॒म् । उप॑ऽश्रुति । अश्वि॑ना । सोम॑ऽपीतये । स्वाहा॑ । स्तोम॑स्य । व॒र्ध॒ना॒ । प्र । क॒वी॒ इति॑ । धी॒तिऽभिः॑ । न॒रा॒ ॥
ā | naḥ | yātam | upa-śruti | aśvinā | soma-pītaye | svāhā | stomasya | vardhanā | pra | kavī iti | dhīti-bhiḥ | narā
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4 pādas × ~8 syllables (probable)
Compact, invitational, with quick turns suited to calling and arrival.
Creates a brisk inward ‘summons’—good for invoking responsiveness and sharpening attentive receptivity (upaśruti).
- आ नो यातम् (ā no yātam)
- Literal: come to us. Symbolic: descent/approach of higher aid into the embodied consciousness
- उपश्रुति (upaśruti)
- Literal: having listened near. Symbolic: inner hearing; receptive attention that draws grace
- अश्विना (aśvinā)
- Literal: the Aśvin twins. Symbolic: twin powers of swift illumination and healing action in the seeker
- सोमपीतये (somapītaye)
- Literal: for Soma-drinking. Symbolic: receiving Ananda; delight that purifies and empowers mind-life
- स्वाहा (svāhā)
- Literal: well-offered!. Symbolic: act of self-giving; consent of the lower nature to the offering
- स्तोमस्य वर्धना (stomasya vardhanā)
- Literal: increasers of the hymn. Symbolic: powers that magnify mantra-force and aspiration
- कवी (kavī)
- Literal: two seers/poets. Symbolic: intuitive seeing consciousness in a dual (twin) operation
- धीतिभिः (dhītibhiḥ)
- Literal: with thoughts/insights. Symbolic: inspired formations of consciousness (illumined thought)
Soma offering with svāhā-formula; invitation to partake and empower the stoma.
Often associated with dawn or early rites where Aśvins are invited before other deities; preparatory invocation for Soma reception.
Āhvāna (invitation) and offering (svāhā) accompanying stoma recitation; welcoming the deities to partake.
Use as a pre-meditation invocation: ‘listening near’—settle attention, then invite delight (Soma/Ananda) to permeate the system.
: upa- + √śru ‘hear’ (PIE *ḱlew- ‘hear’, cf. Greek klýō, English ‘loud’ via fame semantics). : traditionally from su-āhā ‘well spoken’ or ‘well carried’; in ritual also marks offering; innerly, a seal of consecration. from √dhī ‘thought/vision’—not discursive thinking but inspired seeing.
mantra efficacy (stoma-vardhana), inspiration (dhīti) as channel of higher knowledge, consecration (svāhā) as alignment with R̥ta
The Aśvins’ ‘arrival’ enacts ṛta: higher powers answer true call and set the being in right movement.
Kavī/dhī indicate truth-seeing thought; the mantra asks that such truth-thought advance in us.
Descent of Ananda (Soma) as a creative power that increases the Word and builds the inner sacrifice.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral (Aurobindo-Kashyap) reading: ascent by aspiration, descent by grace, transformation by Ananda and illumined mind.
Dawn/early morning (Aśvin hour)
Dawn-like opening in consciousness where intuitive twins arrive; Soma as delight flooding mind-life, turning mantra into effective force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘gods who hear and come’ mythologem: divine powers are invoked as attentive listeners who approach to drink soma and strengthen the hymn—innerly, receptivity of higher forces to the rightly tuned call.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ reflects PIE *ḱlew- (fame/hearing semantics widespread in IE). √dhī (dhīti) relates to cognitive/visionary vocabulary in Indo-Iranian; the collocation of hearing (śru) and inspiration (dhī) shows an IE poetics of ‘heard truth’ becoming ‘seen thought’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers consecrated speech (svāhā, stoma) and asks the Aśvins to amplify it; the devatā reciprocate by arriving with their dhītis—injecting inspired force into the human hymn and thereby into the seeker’s progress.
Invoke swift harmonizing help; cultivate ‘inner hearing’ and receive Ananda into the system.
Ājñā (intuition/dhī) with support to Anāhata (delight, openness).
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana for 3–5 rounds, then chant on a smooth exhale; pause briefly after ‘svāhā’ to feel offering-release.
Receptive, luminous attention with a subtle joy-current.
1) Sit at dawn. 2) Establish listening (upaśruti) by relaxing jaw/ears/temples. 3) Chant 9 or 27 times. 4) After chanting, feel a twin movement: clarity in mind + ease in prāṇa; let delight spread without excitement.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita per Ṛgvedic accent; key lifts often on invocatory particles (ā, yātam) and deity-name (aśvinā). Exact svara requires a pada-accented saṃhitā source.
Keep ‘ā’ long and open; give clear stress to the udatta syllables in ‘ā nó yātam’ and ‘aśvinā́’. Do not over-accent enclitics like ‘naḥ’.
aśvinā: ‘śv’ cluster clean; short ‘i’, upaśruty: ‘śru’ with retroflex-free ‘r’ (alveolar flap), and ‘ty’ crisp, somapītaye: keep long ‘ī’ in ‘pī’, svāhā: long ‘ā’ twice; light ‘h’
Clear, inviting, slightly bright tone; avoid force—aim for ‘calling’ plus receptivity.
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