Rig Veda 1.116.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 116, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.116
वीळुपत्मभिराशुहेमभिर्वा देवानां वा जूतिभिः शाशदाना । तद्रासभो नासत्या सहस्रमाजा यमस्य प्रधने जिगाय ॥
vīḷupátmabhir āśuhémabhir vā devā́nāṃ vā jūtíbhiḥ śā́śadānā | tád rāsábho nāsatyā sahásram ā́jā yámasya pradháne jigāya ||
Dengan langkah-langkah yang teguh-melaju, atau dengan dorongan emas yang cepat, atau dengan derap kecepatan para dewa sendiri—senantiasa mendesak maju; demikianlah, wahai Nāsatya, si keledai memenangkan seribu dalam gelanggang Yama. Demikian pula, biarlah daya-daya kalian dalam diri kami meraih kelimpahan kekuatan, menaklukkan batasan dan kebiasaan yang menuju maut.
Aśvin praise highlighting victorious aid; applicable in rites seeking overcoming of danger/illness and attainment of vāja-like abundance.
overcoming limitation (Yama as boundary), vājá-like abundance (sahasra as plenitude), right energy and victory (ji)
Right movement (ṛta) is restored when energies move in divine rhythm rather than deathward repetition.
Truth-force expresses as victorious advance, not mere aspiration.
Transmutation of the lower instrument into a carrier of higher force.
Integral Yoga psychology: vital nature can be purified and illuminated rather than rejected.
dawn-to-morning transition (Aśvin sphere)
Luminous energy replacing tamasic drag; the ‘beast of burden’ becomes steady tapas in action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A contest in Yama’s domain where an unlikely figure (rāsabha) wins abundance—an emblem of the Aśvins’ power to reverse limitation. Inner sense: endurance and right impulsion, supported by the divine twins, can win plenitude even from the conditions that seem death-bound.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The victory verb √ji (PIE *gʷeyh₃- ‘live/conquer’ proposed; cognate patterns vary) and the ‘race/contest’ framing are common Indo-European heroic-poetic features. The divine twins aiding victory aligns with the Indo-European Dioscuri-type pattern.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi cites a paradigmatic deed as a warrant for present help: ‘as you enabled victory there, enable it here.’ The exchange is exemplar → invocation: myth becomes a lever for inner conquest over Yama-like constriction.
Offer the stubborn vital habits to the Aśvins; visualise them becoming ‘swift-golden’ impulses under higher guidance.
manipura (will, disciplined energy)
kapālabhāti-light (if suitable) or 4-4-6 breathing to build steady force without agitation
from tamasic repetition to energetic, illumined striving
Repeat while feeling the navel-centre steady. On each repetition, affirm: ‘My vital instrument serves the soul’s journey; deathward habit is conquered by right speed.’
Maintain udatta marks (॑) precisely; triṣṭubh allows a strong caesura—do not rush through it.
Emphasise forward-driving words: āśuhemá-, jūtíbhiḥ, śāśadānā; keep pitch steady on unmarked syllables.
vīḻu-: keep ḻ as retroflex lateral in scholarly transliteration; in practice, render as clear ‘ḍ/ḷ’-like lateral per tradition., śāśadānā: long ā’s sustained., pradhane: clear dha (aspirated)., jigāya: hard g, long ā.
firm, energising, not harsh
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