Rig Veda 8.8.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 8, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.8
- Rishi
- Kaṇva lineage
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
दिवश्चिद्रोचनादध्या नो गन्तं स्वर्विदा । धीभिर्वत्सप्रचेतसा स्तोमेभिर्हवनश्रुता ॥
diváś cid rocanā́d adhyā́ nó gantaṃ svar-vidā | dhī́bhir vatsa-pracetasā stómebhir havana-śrutā ||
आसमान से भी आओ, जहाँ रोशनी है वहाँ से। तुम सूरज की दुनिया जानते हो, तुम्हे पता है रोशनी कहाँ है। अपने विचार से आओ, तुम्हारा दिमाग साफ है जैसे कोई अपना बच्चा हो। हमारी स्तुति सुन के आओ, हमारी आवाज़ सुनो।
Word by Word
- दिवः
- from heavenNounपुंलिङ्ग (Vedic), षष्ठी एकवचनRole अपादान (स्रोत/उद्गम: ‘from heaven’)Root दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ ‘स्वर्ग/दिव’)
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (अव्यय)
- रोचनात्
- from the shining region (radiance)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचनRole अपादान (स्रोत/उद्गम: ‘from the shining realm’)Root रोचन (प्रातिपदिक; √रुच् ‘to shine’)
- अधि
- upon, over, untoIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकारण (locative sense: ‘over/unto’)Root अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableअव्ययRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- नः
- to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन (enclitic ‘us/our’)Role सम्प्रदान (to us)Root अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- गन्तम्
- come (you two)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRoot √गम् ‘to go/come’
- स्वर्विदा
- with/ as the finders of heaven (light)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया द्विवचन (instrumental/associative)Role करण (as/with the heaven-finders)Root स्वर् + विद् (प्रातिपदिक: स्वर्विद् ‘finder/knower of heaven/light’)
- धीभिः
- with prayers/insightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot धी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘thought, prayer, insight’)
- वत्सप्रचेतसा
- you two, of tender (calf-like) wisdomAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया द्विवचन (agreeing with the invoked dual)Role विशेषण (of the two deities)Root वत्स-प्रचेतस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘having calf-like/affectionate insight’ / epithet)
- स्तोमेभिः
- with praisesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘hymn of praise’)
- हवनश्रुता
- you two, hearers of the call (invocation)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया द्विवचन (agreeing with the invoked dual)Role विशेषण (of the two deities)Root हवन-श्रुत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘hearing the invocation/call’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: दिवश्चित् → दिवः + चित्
- रोचनादध्या → रोचनात् + अधि + आ (अधि + आ with vowel coalescence in saṃhitā)
- नो गन्तम् → नः + गन्तम् (enclitic pronoun)
- स्वर्विदा → स्वर् + विदा (tṛtīyā-dvivacana of compound)
- धीभिर्वत्सप्रचेतसा → धीभिः + वत्सप्रचेतसा
- स्तोमेभिर्हवनश्रुता → स्तोमेभिः + हवनश्रुता. Accent marks are preserved from the given saṃhitā text
- pada-forms shown are sandhi-resolved
The meaning
Outer meaning
Even from the shining realm of heaven come to us, O finders of the Sun-world; with inspired thoughts and with hymns, O hearers of the call, arrive.
Inner meaning
The Aśvins are invoked not merely from a physical sky but from the ‘rocanā’—the luminous planes of consciousness. As ‘svarvidā’ they open the supramental/sunlit domain (svar) in the seeker. ‘Vatsapracetasā’ suggests tender, intimate clarity—like the trust of a beloved child—indicating that the higher help comes close when the consciousness is simple, sincere, and luminous. Hymn (stoma) and inspired thought (dhī) together form the bridge by which these powers descend.
Universal truth
Higher illumination is accessible: when aspiration and insight unite, the ‘sun-world’ of truth can be found and made operative in ordinary life.
Themes
descent from heaven, illumination, responsive divinity
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva lineage (hymn context)
- Lineage
- Kaṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 1.46, RV 1.47, RV 8.8.5-9
Family tradition
Kāṇva Aśvin hymns frequently stress swift descent from luminous worlds and the psychology of invocation (havana) as an effective call.
Significance
The seer’s vision spans planes: he knows the gods’ ‘address’ in rocanā and calls them to act in the human field through dhī and stoma.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- svarvidā (finders of the sun-world), havanaśrutā (hearers of the call), vatsapracetasā (tender-clear minded)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Uṣas, Indra
Cosmic role
Guides of the passage from luminous heaven to earthly life; bring the sun’s truth into the mortal condition.
Inner power
Illumination that is practical and healing—clarity that descends into nerves, senses, and action; restores childlike openness without naivety.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invocation in dawn-related Soma sequence (general)
दि॒वश्चि॑द्रोच॒नादध्या नो॑ गन्तं स्वर्विदा । धी॒भिर्व॑त्सप्रचेतसा॒ स्तोमे॑भिर्हवनश्रुता ॥
दि॒वः । चि॒त् । रो॒च॒नात् । अधि॑ । आ । नः॒ । ग॒न्त॒म् । स्वः॒ऽवि॒दा॒ । धी॒भिः । व॒त्स॒ऽप्र॒चे॒त॒सा॒ । स्तोमे॑भिः । ह॒व॒न॒ऽश्रु॒ता॒ ॥
divaḥ | cit | rocanāt | adhi | ā | naḥ | gantam | svaḥ-vidā | dhībhiḥ | vatsa-pracetasā | stomebhiḥ | havana-śrutā
Triṣṭubh (probable; many ‘divaḥ… rocanāt’ invocations in RV are triṣṭubh)
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables (probable)
Expansive, sky-opening cadence; a long reach from heaven to earth.
Creates an uplifted verticality—felt ‘descent’ from above; supports spacious mind and luminous aspiration.
- दिवः रोचनात् (divaḥ rocanāt)
- Literal: from heaven’s shining. Symbolic: from luminous planes of mind/spirit; higher consciousness
- स्वर्विदा (svarvidā)
- Literal: finders of svar (sun-world). Symbolic: powers that discover and reveal truth-illumination
- धीभिः (dhībhiḥ)
- Literal: with inspired thoughts. Symbolic: illumined intelligence shaping the inner movement
- वत्सप्रचेतसा (vatsapracetasā)
- Literal: clear-minded like a calf/child. Symbolic: tender, trusting, intimate clarity; unforced receptivity
- हवनश्रुता (havanaśrutā)
- Literal: hearers of the invocation. Symbolic: responsive divine powers that answer the soul-call
Invocation to descend from luminous realms to the soma rite; emphasizes ‘havana-śruta’ responsiveness.
At dawn or early recitations emphasizing descent from heavenly radiance.
Calling the deities from rocanā to the offering through hymns.
Use before study/creative work: invoke ‘svarvidā’ for clear insight; then sit quietly to receive a descending clarity.
: from √ruc ‘shine’ (PIE *lewk- ‘light’, cf. Latin lūx). /: from PIE *s(w)el-? Vedic svar is the luminous world (often solar). : havana ‘invocation’ (< √hu) + śruta ‘heard’ (< √śru). pracetas: pra- + cetas (√cit ‘perceive’) ‘clear-conscious’.
svar as truth-plane of illumination, inspiration (dhī) as vehicle of descent, call-and-response as law of R̥ta
The gods move along ṛta from rocanā to the human altar when called rightly.
Svar is the domain of truth-illumination; ‘finding’ it is awakening satya in mind.
Descent of solar knowledge into the mortal; bridging worlds by Word (stoma) and insight (dhī).
Vedic integralism: multiple planes (earth/antarikṣa/dyauḥ) as gradations of consciousness.
Dawn / early light
A downward flow of luminosity into the mind; childlike clarity that makes the call effective.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘descent from the rocanā/svar’ mythologem: divine helpers come from the luminous world as ‘finders of svar’. Innerly, higher illumination is invited to enter the human field through inspiration and hymn.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ruc ‘shine’ aligns with PIE *lewk- ‘light’ (broad IE light vocabulary). √śru ‘hear’ again reflects PIE *ḱlew-. The formulaic epithets (svar-vid, havana-śrut) show inherited IE poetic compounding for divine functions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi appeals to the Aśvins’ identity as ‘hearers of invocation’ and ‘finders of svar’: he offers stomas and dhīs; they respond by bringing the solar truth-plane into the seeker’s consciousness.
Receive descending light from ‘rocanā’; stabilize tender clarity (vatsapracetas).
Sahasrāra/Ājñā axis (descent of light) with grounding in Anāhata (tender openness).
Inhale imagining light above the crown; exhale letting it descend to the brow and heart; then chant once per exhale for 9 rounds.
Luminous, spacious, gently receptive.
After chanting, keep eyes half-closed and ‘listen upward’ for 2 minutes; allow insight to form as a quiet certainty (dhī), not discursive thought.
Accented in Ṛgvedic style; likely udatta prominence on ‘divaḥ’, ‘rocanāt’, ‘svarvidā’, ‘havanaśrutā’. Exact requires accent-text.
Sustain the long vowels in ‘rocanāt’ and ‘svarvidā’; keep compound words clear (do not blur consonant clusters).
rocanāt: ‘c’ as ‘ch’ (unaspirated palatal), long ‘ā’ at end, svarvidā: ‘sv’ cluster; short ‘i’, vatsapracetasā: articulate ‘ts’ and ‘pr’; long final ‘ā’, havanaśrutā: ‘śru’ crisp; long final ‘ā’
Open-throated, slightly elevated tone as if calling upward; soften on ‘vatsapracetasā’.
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