Rig Veda 8.73.1: Mandala 8, Sukta 73, Mantra 1
Sukta 8.73
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उदीराथामृतायते युञ्जाथामश्विना रथम् । अन्ति षद्भूतु वामवः ॥
udī́rāthām ṛtāyate yuñjā́thām aśvinā rátham | ánti ṣád bhūtu vām ávaḥ ||
Bangkitlah demi sang pencari ṛta (kebenaran–tatanan kosmis); wahai Aśvin, pasangkanlah kuk pada kereta kalian. Semoga pertolongan kalian, yang dekat di sini, bersemayam di dalam kami.
Word by Word
- उदीराथाम्
- raise up / set in motion (you two)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः: उद्-Role क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया); कर्ता: (युवाम्) अश्विनौRoot उद्-ईर् (ईर्/ईरय्) धातु
- अमृतायते
- (for the one) striving for immortality / seeking the immortalVerbवर्तमाने, तृतीयपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम् (denominative: ‘to seek/aim at immortality’); अर्थे: ‘अमृतत्वं कामयते’Role सम्प्रदाय/प्रयोजन (उद्देश्य-सम्बन्धः) — ‘अमृताय’ (for immortality) as goalRoot अमृताय (प्रातिपदिकम्: अमृत + -ाय; denom.)
- युञ्जाथाम्
- yoke (you two)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया); कर्ता: (युवाम्) अश्विनौRoot युज् धातु (युजँ समाधौ/योजने) + (वि)युज् ‘to yoke’
- अश्विना
- O Aśvins (you two)!Noun (dual vocative)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्Role सम्बोधन (addressed agents of the imperatives)Root अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिकम्)
- रथम्
- the chariotNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (object of युञ्जाथाम्)Root रथ (प्रातिपदिकम्)
- अन्ति
- near / closeIndeclinableअव्ययम्; अर्थे: ‘निकटे/समीपे’Role अधिकरण (स्थान-निर्देशः: ‘near/close by’)Root अन्ति (अव्ययम्)
- सत्
- sitting / seatedParticiple (verbal adjective)वर्तमानकृदन्तः, नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘sitting/being seated’Role विशेषण/क्रियाविशेषण-भावः (with भूतु: ‘let it be sitting/let it sit’)Root सद् धातु (षदँ विशरणे/उपवेशने) → सत् (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
- भूतु
- let it beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), तृतीयपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रिया (आशीर्वचन/विधिलिङ्गार्थः): ‘let it be’Root भू धातु (भू सत्तायाम्)
- वाम्
- of you two / for you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, द्विवचनम् (enclitic form)Role सम्बन्ध/सम्प्रदान (gen./dat. ‘of/for you two’)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अवः
- help / aidNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ता (of भूतु) — ‘your help’ as subjectRoot अवस् (प्रातिपदिकम्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: उदीराथाम् | अमृतायते | युञ्जाथाम् | अश्विना | रथम् | अन्ति | सत् | भूतु | वाम् | अवः । 1) उदीराथाम्: उद्- + ईराथाम् (लोट्, म.द्वि.)। 2) अमृतायते: ‘अमृताय’ इत्यस्य नामधातु-प्रयोगः
- ‘अमृतायते’ = अमृतत्वं कामयते/अमृताय प्रवर्तते। 3) षद्भूतु → सत् भूतु: संहितायां ‘सत्’ + ‘भूतु’ इत्यत्र तकारस्य परे भकारे ‘द्भ’ संयोगः (त् + भ → द्भ) तथा ‘सत्’ रूपं छन्दसि/पदपाठे ‘सद्/सत्’ इति व्यवह्रियते। 4) वा॒मव॑: → वाम् अवः: ‘वाम्’ (युष्मद्-द्विवचन-एन्क्लिटिक) + ‘अवः’ (अवस्, नपुं. प्रथ. एक.)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Rise forth for the seeker of ṛta; yoke your chariot, O Aśvins. Near at hand may your help be seated (with us/within us).
Inner meaning
The Aśvins—twin powers of swift, luminous aid—are invoked to ‘rise’ in the consciousness of the truth-seeker. Their chariot is the dynamic movement of prāṇa and mind harnessed to right direction. The prayer is intimate: let your rescuing force not remain distant but take its seat close within the being, becoming an active inner support for the pursuit of ṛta (the true law of life).
Universal truth
Help arrives when aspiration is aligned to truth. The forces of healing, integration, and swift progress become effective when we consciously ‘yoke’ our energies and invite guidance to dwell near—within our own awareness.
Themes
Aśvin rescue, Invocation, Truth-seeking, Divine swiftness
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (probable traditional association for Aśvin hymns in this cluster)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 5.73-5.78 (Ātreya Aśvin hymns—traditional), Rig Veda 8.73 (hymn sequence invoking Aśvins; attribution often linked to Ātreya tradition)
Family tradition
Ātreya seers are famed for hymns to the Aśvins and for the motif of rescue/healing—divine physicians aiding the human journey.
Significance
Atri’s line often represents the soul’s call for swift divine assistance—turning crisis and limitation into progress through luminous remedy.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā (true, not untrue—traditional), Dasrā (wondrous/helpers—traditional), Śubhaspatī (lords of splendour—common epithet class)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Twin dawn-riders/physicians who restore, rescue, and bring swift transitions—bridging night to morning, sickness to health, inertia to movement.
Inner power
Quick, practical grace: the capacity to rapidly realign prāṇa-mind, heal distortions, and carry the seeker toward the next step of truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning invocations to the Aśvins; associated with dawn offerings and transitional rites (general)
उदी॑राथामृताय॒ते यु॒ञ्जाथा॑मश्विना॒ रथ॑म् । अन्ति॒ षद्भू॑तु वा॒मव॑: ॥
उत् । ई॒रा॒था॒म् । ऋ॒त॒ऽय॒ते । यु॒ञ्जाथा॑म् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । रथ॑म् । अन्ति॑ । सत् । भू॒तु॒ । वा॒म् । अवः॑ ॥
ut | īrāthām | ṛta-yate | yuñjāthām | aśvinā | ratham | anti | sat | bhūtu | vām | avaḥ
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3 pādas × 8 syllables (typical gāyatrī)
Bright, swift, invocatory—well-suited to calling rapid divine aid.
Energises aspiration; produces a forward-moving, uplifting pulse that feels like ‘arrival’ and ‘nearness’.
- उदीराथाम् (ud īrāthām)
- Literal: rise up, come forth. Symbolic: awakening of higher helpful powers in consciousness
- ऋतायते (ṛtāyate)
- Literal: to the one who seeks ṛta. Symbolic: the aspirant oriented to truth-order, not desire-order
- युञ्जाथाम् (yuñjāthām)
- Literal: yoke (the chariot). Symbolic: harnessing life-forces and mind for the journey of transformation
- अश्विना (aśvinā)
- Literal: O Aśvins (horsemen). Symbolic: twin energies of swift vital-mental illumination and healing action
- रथम् (ratham)
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: vehicle of integrated faculties moving toward truth
- अन्ति षद् (anti ṣad)
- Literal: sit near. Symbolic: indwelling support; grace becoming intimate and operative
- अवः (avaḥ)
- Literal: help, protection. Symbolic: saving power that removes obstacles and restores right functioning
Aśvin invocation at dawn/early pressing: summons swift assistance, especially for healing, rescue, and right movement toward ṛta.
At dawn or at the start of a practice session; traditionally when calling Aśvins as first helpers before other gods.
Invitation (āvāhana) and symbolic yoking—preparing the inner ‘vehicle’ for the day’s truth-seeking.
A mantra for starting meditation, travel, healing work, or any new beginning requiring swift alignment and protection.
from √īr 'to set in motion, raise' (causative nuance). (ṛtāyate) denominative/verb-form 'to go toward ṛta, to practice ṛta'. from √yuj 'yoke, join' (PIE *yeug-). (aśvin-) from aśva 'horse' (swift forces of light/life). (ávaḥ) 'help' from √av 'to protect, favor'.
Ṛta as the path of truth, Divine aid as inner establishment (sat) rather than external intervention
They respond to the ṛta-seeker; their help establishes right functioning and right timing.
Nāsatyā quality: truthfulness that cures falsehood and confusion.
Twin powers mediate between planes—bringing higher order into embodied life.
Yoga of works/energy (yoking) aligned with truth; integral transformation motif.
dawn
Chariot = integrated psycho-physical instrument; horses = vital energies; dawn = awakening of consciousness to truth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The epiphany of the Aśvins: the twin horsemen are summoned to yoke their chariot and arrive near. Mythically they are the rescuers who come swiftly at the call; psychologically they are the dual powers (life-force and illumination, or swift discernment and right action) that carry the aspirant toward ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- yuj- 'yoke' is a transparent Indo-European inheritance (PIE *yeug-). The chariot-and-yoking formula is a shared IE poetic complex (also prominent in Greek and Indo-Iranian). The dual imperative forms (īrāthām, yuñjāthām) preserve the archaic Indo-European dual addressing paired deities.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions himself (or the sacrificer) as ṛtāyate—one who actively seeks ṛta—thus establishing eligibility. The Aśvins’ reciprocal gift is avaḥ that becomes 'seated near': an inward presence stabilizing the seeker’s movement on the truth-path.
Invite swift harmonising help; yoke energies to truth-seeking.
Maṇipūra (mobilisation) with support to Anāhata (help ‘seated near’ as inner assurance)
3 rounds of energising breath (kapālabhāti light) or brisk exhale emphasis, then settle into even breathing while repeating.
Alert, forward-moving, protected.
Stand or sit tall; on ‘ud īrāthām’ feel an upward surge; on ‘yuñjāthām’ gather scattered energies into one direction; on the refrain feel help settling close in the heart-mind. Repeat 9 or 21 times.
Rigvedic accenting with clear udātta on,,,; keep refrain consistent across repetitions.
Let each gāyatrī pāda land cleanly; slight pause after each pāda; keep ‘anti ṣad bhūtu vām avaḥ’ as a single petition.
: long ī and ā; do not swallow retroflex ṭh in -thām, : palatal ñj cluster (yun-jā-thām), : śv conjunct clear, : long ū
Clear, bright, calling tone; end with a warm, inward settling on ‘avaḥ’.
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