Rig Veda 1.116.11: Mandala 1, Sukta 116, Mantra 11
Sukta 1.116
- Rishi
- Kakṣīvant Dairghatamasa
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
तद्वां नरा शंस्यं राध्यं चाभिष्टिमन्नासत्या वरूथम् । यद्विद्वांसा निधिमिवापगूळ्हमुद्दर्शतादूपथुर्वन्दनाय ॥
tád vāṃ narā śáṃsyaṃ rā́dhyaṃ cābhiṣṭí-mannāsatyā varū́tham | yád vidvā́ṃsā nidhím ivā́pa-gūḷham úd darśatā́d ū́pathur vandanā́ya ||
勇士なる二柱よ、これぞ汝らの称えらるべき、成し遂げらるべき業—ナーサティヤ（Nāsatyā）よ、勝利をもたらす護りの楯。汝らは知れる者として、ヴァンダナ（Vandana）のために、宝のごとく深く隠され見えざるものを、不可視の領域より引き上げ顕した。
Word by Word
- तत्
- that (deed/boon)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाम्
- of you two / for you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- नरा
- O two men (Aśvins)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- शंस्यम्
- praiseworthyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot शंस्य (शंस् धातु से; ‘praised/commendable’)
- राध्यम्
- to be achieved / beneficialAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot राध्य (राध् धातु से; ‘to be accomplished/attained’)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRoot च
- अभिष्टिमत्
- possessing help; helpfulAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अभिष्टि-मत् (अभिष्टि ‘aid, succour’ + मतुप्)
- नासत्या
- O Nāsatyas (Aśvins)Noun (proper epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root नासत्य (अश्विन-विशेषण)
- वरूथम्
- protection, shelterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वरूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- which (that)Pronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- विद्वांसौ
- you two knowing onesAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot विद्वांस् (विद् ‘to know’ से; ‘knowing’)
- निधिम्
- a treasure, depositNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- अपगूळ्हम्
- hidden awayAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (निधिम् का विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot अप-गूळ्ह (गुह्/गूह् ‘to hide’ से; past passive participle)
- उत्
- up, forthPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्ग (उद्)Root उत्
- दर्शतात्
- show forth!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root दृश् (धातु)
- आ
- towards, untoPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ
- ऊपथुः
- you two came/approachedVerbलिट्/लुङ्-प्राय वेदिक परिप्रेक्ष्य; उत्तम/मध्यम नहीं—प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन (वेदिक रूप)Role (क्रिया)Root उप- (उपसर्ग) + √इ/अय्? (वेदिक रूप: ‘to come/approach’; 3rd du)
- वन्दनाय
- for praise/adorationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (दत्तिव), एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot वन्दन (वन्द् ‘to praise’ से; भाव/कर्म-नाम)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): तद्वाम् → तत् वाम्
- चाभिष्टिमन्नासत्या → च अभिष्टिमत् नासत्या
- यद्विद्वांसा → यत् विद्वांसौ
- निधिमिवापगूळ्हम् → निधिम् इव अपगूळ्हम्
- उद्दर्शतादू पथुर्वन्दनाय → उत् दर्शतात् आ ऊपथुः वन्दनाय. Accent marks are retained in the source but not encoded per-pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Aśvins’ deed is praised as worthy to proclaim and accomplish: their victorious protection. Knowing ones, they raised up Vandana from an unseen, hidden condition like a buried treasure.
Inner meaning
The Aśvins (swift twin powers of illumination and healing) rescue the aspiring soul (Vandana) from the subconscious obscurity where the true being lies “covered.” Their “protection that brings victory” is the guarding light that enables the inner sacrifice to continue when consciousness has sunk into invisibility (apragāḻha). The “treasure” is the concealed psychic truth and capacities; the Aśvins bring it up into the field of seeing (darśat).
Universal truth
When the seeker is inwardly lost or obscured, higher aiding powers can lift the hidden truth back into conscious life; what seems absent is often only veiled, like a treasure under earth—recoverable by knowledge and grace.
Themes
Treasure-revelation, Protection and victory, Hidden-to-manifest transition, Aid to the praiser
The seer
- Rishi
- Kakṣīvant Dairghatamasa
- Lineage
- Dīrghatamas (Āṅgirasa-related seer-line)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.18, Rig Veda 1.52, Rig Veda 1.116-1.120
Family tradition
A seer-poet associated with the Aṅgirasic current of illumination; hymns often emphasize rescue, right guidance, and the winning of light.
Significance
Kakṣīvant’s vision frequently turns mythic ‘rescues’ into paradigms of inner deliverance—recovering light, strength, and right movement from obstruction.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- नासत्या (Nāsatyā), नरा (Narā), पुरुभुजा (Purubhujā—wide-givers, in the surrounding verses)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Agni, Indra, Soma
Cosmic role
Twin powers who arrive swiftly at the dawn-moment of transition; restorers of health, fortune, and right functioning; mediators between darkness and emerging light.
Inner power
Rapid remedial illumination: they ‘set right’ the broken instrument—mind, life-force, or body—so the soul can continue its journey toward truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvinau śastra/stotra in Soma-yajña contexts; also invoked for protection and successful passage.
तद्वां॑ नरा॒ शंस्यं॒ राध्यं॑ चाभिष्टि॒मन्ना॑सत्या॒ वरू॑थम् । यद्वि॒द्वांसा॑ नि॒धिमि॒वाप॑गूळ्ह॒मुद्द॑र्श॒तादू॒पथु॒र्वन्द॑नाय ॥
तत् । वा॒म् । न॒रा॒ । शंस्य॑म् । राध्य॑म् । च॒ । अ॒भि॒ष्टि॒ऽमत् । ना॒स॒त्या॒ । वरू॑थम् । यत् । वि॒द्वांसा॑ । नि॒धिम्ऽइ॑व । अप॑ऽगूळ्हम् । उत् । द॒र्श॒तात् । ऊ॒पथुः॑ । वन्द॑नाय ॥
tat | vām | narā | śaṃsyam | rādhyam | ca | abhiṣṭi-mat | nāsatyā | varūtham | yat | v idvāṃsā | nidhim-iva | apa-gūḷham | ut | darśatāt | ūpathuḥ | vandanāya
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Strong, forward-driving, suited to narrative of decisive aid and uplift.
Builds confidence and upward momentum; supports a felt sense of ‘being lifted’ from heaviness into clarity.
- नरा (narā)
- Literal: heroic men/two heroes. Symbolic: twin divine helpers in the human journey; active powers that intervene in crisis
- नासत्या (nāsatyā)
- Literal: the Nāsatyas (Aśvins). Symbolic: truth-saving forces; swift rectifiers restoring wholeness
- वरूथम् (varūtham)
- Literal: protection, shelter, defense. Symbolic: psychic safeguard; luminous covering that prevents relapse into darkness
- अभिष्टिमत् (abhiṣṭi-mat)
- Literal: bringing victory/assistance. Symbolic: effective help that turns aspiration into attainment
- विद्वांसā (vidvāṃsā)
- Literal: knowing, wise. Symbolic: supramental/illuminated discernment acting through the divine powers
- निधिमिव (nidhim iva)
- Literal: like a treasure/store. Symbolic: latent inner riches (truth, delight, capacities) concealed in the depths
- अपगूळ्हम् (apagūḻham)
- Literal: hidden, covered over. Symbolic: subconscient veiling; forgotten soul-knowledge
- उद् दर्शतात् (ud darśatāt)
- Literal: up from invisibility/from the unseen. Symbolic: elevation from unconsciousness to conscious vision
- वन्दना (vandanā)
- Literal: Vandana (name), also ‘praise’. Symbolic: the aspiring being who calls and offers; the act of inner invocation
Protective invocation; used to call forth hidden ‘treasures’ (inner capacities) and secure victorious help (abhiṣṭi).
Invocations to the Aśvins, often at transitional ritual moments (pre-dawn/early offerings) and for securing help.
Recitation/praise to invite swift assistance and safeguarding.
Use as a protective invocation during periods of depression, confusion, or ‘invisibility’—to recover inner treasure (lost confidence, purpose, clarity).
-√ ‘to hide away’ frames the treasure motif. (Vandana) resonates with √vand ‘praise’; psychologically, the praising soul is the one for whom hidden riches are made manifest. (varūtha) ‘protection’ is a recurrent Vedic term for a shielding formation of the gods.
Satya/R̥ta as the knowledge that reveals the concealed, Protection (varūtha) as a divine formation, Manifestation (ud-) from the unseen
The Aśvins re-establish ṛta by lifting the being from disorder/obscurity into the field of right seeing.
Satya is ‘hidden like a treasure’ and becomes manifest through knowing action.
Emergence motif: the concealed becomes revealed; ascent from the hidden to the seen.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent of consciousness and manifestation of concealed truth.
Dawn-transition (Aśvin domain, implicit)
From subconscient night to the dawn of awareness; recovery of the psychic ‘gold’ from below the surface mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘hidden treasure’ raised from the unseen for Vandana. Inner sense: the Ashvins as ‘knowing ones’ reveal latent powers concealed in the subconscient (adṛśya/darśatāt), bringing them into manifest consciousness for the soul that praises and aspires.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘treasure hidden and found’ motif is widely IE in heroic and sacred poetry. Lexically, pati/varūtha are Indo-Aryan developments, while the compositional style—relative clause with yád + perfective action—matches archaic Indo-European hymn syntax.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi declares the Ashvins’ work as both ‘speakable’ and ‘doable’—a model for inner practice. Praise (vandana) is not flattery but alignment; once aligned, the Devata’s varūtha becomes active, and hidden capacities rise into the field of sight and use.
Invoke swift inner aid to bring up what is hidden—lost aspiration, faith, or clarity—into conscious seeing.
Ājñā (clarity/seeing) with support from Anāhata (protective shelter).
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana for 6–8 rounds, then silent repetition on exhale.
From tamasic obscurity to luminous recollection and steadiness.
Hold the sense of a ‘hidden treasure’ in the heart; on each repetition, imagine it rising into the brow as clear vision, protected by a golden sheath.
Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as marked; maintain clear udātta rises on accented syllables.
Follow padapāṭha breaks; keep ‘nāsatyā’ and ‘varūtham’ clean and steady; avoid swallowing consonant clusters in ‘apagūḻham’.
: long ā, dental t (not retroflex), : roll/light tap r; long ū, : gūḻh—articulate ḻh/ḍh-like cluster carefully; keep ‘ū’ long, : keep ud as separate with light stop before d-
Clear, uplifting, slightly bright tone; finish each pāda with calm firmness.
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