Rig Veda 10.39.10: Mandala 10, Sukta 39, Mantra 10
Sukta 10.39
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Jagati
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
युवं श्वेतं पेदवेऽश्विनाश्वं नवभिर्वाजैर्नवती च वाजिनम् । चर्कृत्यं ददथुर्द्रावयत्सखं भगं न नृभ्यो हव्यं मयोभुवम् ॥
yuváṃ śvetáṃ pédave’śvinā́śvaṃ navábhir vājáiḥ navatī́ ca vājínam | carkṛ́tyaṃ dadathur drāvayát-sakhaṃ bhágaṃ na nṛ́bhyo hávyaṃ mayobhúvam ||
汝ら二柱のアシュヴィンよ、ペードゥに白き駿馬を授けたまえり――九つの力により、また九十の力により勝利する走者、豊穣を運ぶものを。さらに汝らは、疾く動く助け手、前へと駆り立てる友を授けたまう。バガ（Bhaga）の分け前のごとく――人々のための供物、歓喜と安らぎを生む捧げものを。
Word by Word
- युवाम्
- you twoPronounद्वितीया/प्रथमा? द्विवचन (वैदिके प्रायः प्रथमा-द्विवचनः ‘युवाम्’ = ‘you two’)Role कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- श्वेतम्
- whiteAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन (अश्वम् इति कर्मपदस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
- पेदवे
- to PeduNoun (proper name)पुंलिङ्ग चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot पेदु (प्रातिपदिक; दत्तिवचन)
- अश्विना
- O Aśvins / the two AśvinsNoun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा द्विवचन (सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि वैदिके प्रथमा)Role कर्तृRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वम्
- a horseNounपुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- नवभिः
- with nineNumeralत्रिलिङ्ग तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot नवन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
- वाजैः
- with prizes / strengthsNounपुंलिङ्ग तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- नवती
- ninetyNumeralस्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन (गणनावाचक-प्रयोगः)Role विशेषण (संख्या)Root नवति (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRoot च
- वाजिनम्
- the prize-winning / swift oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन (अश्वस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- चर्कृत्यम्
- a well-prepared (gift)Participle/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन (ददथुः इत्यस्य कर्म)Role कर्मRoot कृ (धातु) → चर्कृत्य (कृदन्त; वैदिक-रूप, ‘well-made/ready’)
- ददथुः
- you two gaveVerbलिट् (परिप्रास/परोक्श) उत्तम? न; मध्यम? न; प्रथमा द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot दा (धातु)
- द्रावयत्
- driving / causing to runVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ) नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग? एकवचन; ‘द्रावयत्’ = ‘driving/causing to run’ (सखम् इति विशेषणवत्)Role विशेषणRoot द्रु/द्रावय् (णिजन्त; causative)
- सखम्
- a companionNounपुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
- भगम्
- fortune / shareNounपुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot भग (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot न
- नृभ्यः
- to menNounपुंलिङ्ग चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- हव्यम्
- an oblation / something to be offeredNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot हव्य (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘to offer’)
- मयोभुवम्
- bringing delight / beneficentAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन (हव्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot मयोभू (प्रातिपदिक; मयस् + भू)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): युवं → युवाम् (प्रथमा-द्विवचन-प्रयोगः)
- पेदवेऽश्विनाश्वम् = पेदवे + अश्विना + अश्वम् (ए/अ संधिः, तथा ‘अश्विना’ पश्चात् ‘अश्वम्’ इत्यत्र पदसंयोगः)
- नवभिर्वाजैः = नवभिः + वाजैः (विसर्ग-लोपः/रकारादेशः)
- नवती च = नवती + च
- चर्कृत्यं = चर्कृत्यम्
- ददथुर्द्रावयत्सखम् = ददथुः + द्रावयत् + सखम् (विसर्ग-लोपः; त् + स → त्स)
- सखं भगं = सखम् + भगम् (अनुस्वार/परसवर्ण)
- न नृभ्यो = न + नृभ्यः
- हव्यं मयोभुवम् = हव्यम् + मयोभुवम्
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Aśvins gave Pedu a white horse, victorious with nine and ninety powers; they bestowed a swift helper-companion, like Bhaga’s share, an offering that brings delight.
Inner meaning
The ‘white horse’ (śveta aśva) is purified vital energy—force of action made luminous—given to Pedu (the one who ‘drives/impels’, a symbol of the active seeker). ‘Nine’ and ‘ninety’ suggest multiplied powers and completeness of dynamic capacities. The Aśvins give also a ‘driving friend’ (drāvayatsakha): an inner ally-force that accelerates progress. Like Bhaga’s portion, it is the rightful share of delight (ānanda) that becomes an offering in human nature—joy as fuel for the yoga.
Universal truth
When the vital is purified and empowered, action becomes swift, luminous, and supported by an inner ally; joy is not a luxury but a rightful share that can be offered back as strength.
Themes
Aśvins, divine aid, right movement, gift of power, inner progress, delight/felicity
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.116, Rig Veda 1.117, Rig Veda 10.40
Family tradition
Late Maṇḍala exempla; emphasis on gifts as symbols of inner powers (horse/force, bhaga/delight).
Significance
Highlights the Aśvin function of empowering the vital instrument—essential for integral transformation, where energy must be made white (pure) rather than rejected.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Aśvinā (horsemen), Dasrā, Nāsatyā
- Related deities
- Bhaga, Sūrya, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Bestowers of swift powers and auspicious fortune; they make the human journey capable of victory and delight.
Inner power
Transmutation of vital energy into luminous force; bestowal of supportive inner companionship.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin praise for prosperity and successful movement; dawn offerings
यु॒वं श्वे॒तं पे॒दवे॑ऽश्वि॒नाश्वं॑ न॒वभि॒र्वाजै॑र्नव॒ती च॑ वा॒जिन॑म् । च॒र्कृत्यं॑ ददथुर्द्राव॒यत्स॑खं॒ भगं॒ न नृभ्यो॒ हव्यं॑ मयो॒भुव॑म् ॥
यु॒वम् । श्वे॒तम् । पे॒दवे॑ । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । अश्व॑म् । न॒वऽभिः॑ । वाजैः॑ । न॒व॒ती । च॒ । वा॒जिन॑म् । च॒र्कृत्य॑म् । द॒द॒थुः॒ । द्र॒व॒यत्ऽस॑खम् । भग॑म् । न । नृऽभ्यः॑ । हव्य॑म् । म॒यः॒ऽभुव॑म् ॥
yuvam | śvetam | pedave | aśvinā | aśvam | nava-bhiḥ | vājaiḥ | navatī | ca | vāji nam | carkṛtyam | dadathuḥ | dravayat-sakham | bhagam | na | nṛ-bhyaḥ | havyam | mayaḥ-bhuvam
44
4 × ~11 (probable)
Bright, gift-bestowing rhythm with enumerative numbers that add incantatory force.
Energizes; evokes confidence, speed, and ‘fortunate share’ consciousness.
- श्वेत अश्व (śveta aśva)
- Literal: white horse. Symbolic: purified vital energy; luminous force of action
- वाज (vāja)
- Literal: prize, strength, plenitude. Symbolic: substance-power; effective capacity and abundance
- नवभिः…नवती (navabhiḥ…navatī)
- Literal: with nine…with ninety. Symbolic: multiplication/completeness of powers; many-sided force
- द्रावयत्सख (drāvayatsakha)
- Literal: a companion that makes (one) run/drives forward. Symbolic: inner helper-force; catalytic will or guiding prāṇa
- भग (bhaga)
- Literal: share, fortune; deity Bhaga. Symbolic: right enjoyment/portion of delight granted by truth; auspicious distribution
General Aśvin invocation; suitable for morning/evening calls (prātaḥ-savana associations) and for rites seeking healing, right movement, and safe passage; not uniquely assignable from this verse alone.
Before journeys, competitions, major undertakings; dawn recitation for auspicious start
Invocation with offering intent (havyam) to attract mayobhu (delight-giving) support
Use before work sessions or difficult tasks: invoke ‘white horse’ energy—pure drive without agitation.
Key roots: aśva ‘steed’ is linked with the idea of swift movement/impulsion (√aś/ash ‘to move swiftly’ in Vedic usage); vāja denotes strength, vigor, winning-power and plenitude (connected with √vaj ‘to be strong/forceful’), hence not merely ‘food’ or ‘prize’ but a fullness of effective energy. dravayat- from √dru/drav ‘to run, flow, hasten’ indicates an impelling forward motion; sakhá ‘companion’ marks an assisting allied power. bhága is from √bhaj ‘to apportion, distribute, share’, hence the ‘right portion’ of delight/felicity. mayas from √mi ‘to gladden/soften’ (Vedic semantic field of delight, ease, bliss); -bhuvam from √bhū ‘to become’.
Ṛta (right order expressed as right movement and right distribution), Ananda/Mayaḥ (delight as a realized inner state), satyam-ritam-bṛhat (implicit: plenitude of force aligned to truth-order)
Right enjoyment (bhaga) follows right order; delight becomes a lawful power when aligned to ṛta.
True fortune is the portion that supports dharma and inner progress.
Empowerment of action-force as a step in manifestation of higher consciousness.
Aurobindonian: delight (ānanda) as a divine principle recoverable in life-energy.
dawn (Aśvin association)
Horse = prāṇic-vital dynamism; white = purification; speed = unobstructed progress under guidance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins’ benefaction to a mortal (Pedu) through the gift of a wondrous steed: a recurrent mythologem where the twin powers grant swift victorious movement. In inner terms, the gods confer a luminous, perfected life-energy (aśva) charged with vāja (plenitude of force) that carries the seeker forward in the path of ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- bhága (√bhaj ‘share’) aligns with the Indo-European theme of apportioning fortune (cf. Slavic *bogъ ‘god/fortune’ as a debated cognate line; and Iranian baga- ‘god, distributor’). The semantic complex of ‘share/portion/felicitous allotment’ is archaic Indo-Iranian. The emphasis on dynamic motion (dravayat-) and the ‘horse’ as vehicle of power also fits the wider Indo-European poetic register of the divine granting speed, victory, and radiance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The verse recalls a precedent of divine giving to establish confidence: the seer invokes the Aśvins as reliable bestowers of right-moving energy and blissful share (bhaga). The reciprocity is implicit: humans offer havya (inner oblation/aspiration), and the Aśvins respond by installing in the seeker a perfected, forward-driving companion-force that produces mayaḥ (delight).
Invoke ‘white horse’ energy: pure drive aligned with truth; offer the resulting joy back to the inner fire.
maṇipūra (drive) with sahasrāra orientation (purified force guided from above)
kapālabhāti (mild) or brisk exhale practice if suitable; then settle into calm breathing to ‘whiten’ the energy
dynamic clarity; delighted effortlessness.
Before action, chant once; visualize reins in the heart guiding the horse; act for 25 minutes with steady breath; end by offering gratitude (havyam) inwardly.
Apply pada-based Vedic accents; keep numbers clearly articulated for mantra-force.
Hold ‘śvetam’ cleanly; do not swallow ‘navatī ca’; emphasize ‘mayobhuvam’ at cadence end.
‘pédave’ with clear e, ‘vājinam’ with long ā, ‘drāvayatsakham’ keep yats as a junction, not ‘drāvayat sakham’ in sound
clear, bright, energizing
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