Rig Veda 7.70.7: Mandala 7, Sukta 70, Mantra 7
Sukta 7.70
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
इयं मनीषा इयमश्विना गीरिमां सुवृक्तिं वृषणा जुषेथाम् । इमा ब्रह्माणि युवयून्यग्मन्यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
iyáṃ manīṣā́ iyám aśvinā gī́r imā́ṃ suvṛktíṃ vṛṣaṇā juṣethām | imā́ bráhmāṇi yuvayū́ny agman yūyáṃ pāta svastíbhiḥ sádā naḥ ||
これが思惟、これが汝らのための歌、アシュヴィン双神よ。強き者たちよ、このよく織られた言葉を嘉せよ。これらの聖なる定式（ブラフマン）は、若き力の勢いをもって汝らに至った。汝らは常に、安寧をもたらす力によってわれらを護れ。
Word by Word
- इयम्
- this (she/this one)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मनीषा
- thought, insight, hymn-intentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मनीषा (प्रातिपदिक; √मन् ‘to think’ से)
- इयम्
- thisPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNoun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole SampradānaRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- गीः
- song, hymnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot गीर्/गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इमाम्
- this (her/this one)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुवृक्तिम्
- well-composed praise, good hymnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सु-वृक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; सु- + √वृज्/वृक् ‘to arrange/compose’ > ‘well-turned composition’)
- वृषणा
- O you two mighty/bull-like onesNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole SampradānaRoot वृषण (प्रातिपदिक)
- जुषेथाम्
- may you two accept/enjoyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root √जुष् (सेवने/प्रीतौ ‘to enjoy, accept, be pleased’)
- इमा
- thesePronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (वेदे ‘इमानि’ अर्थे), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्रह्माणि
- sacred formulations, prayersNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- युवयूनी
- O youthful pairAdjective (dual epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole SampradānaRoot युवयूनी (प्रातिपदिक; युव- ‘young’/युवन्- से, द्वयोर् ‘युगल’ अर्थे)
- अग्मन्
- came, have comeVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √गम् (गतौ ‘to go/come’)
- यूयम्
- you (all)Pronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पात
- protect!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √पा (रक्षणे ‘to protect’)
- स्वस्तिभिः
- with well-being(s), with blessingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableअव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सदा (अव्यय)
- नः
- of us / to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरास): इयम् मनीषा | इयम् अश्विना गीः इमाम् सुवृक्तिम् | वृषणा जुषेथाम् | इमा ब्रह्माणि युवयूनी अग्मन् | यूयम् पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः || 1) गीरि॒मां → गीः + इमाम् (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि; ऋग्वैदिक पाठे ‘गीरि’ रूपं)
- 2) युव॒यून्य॑ग्मन् → युवयूनी + अग्मन् (ई + अ → य्-आगमः: युवयूनीऽग्मन् > युवयून्यग्मन्)
- 3) स्व॒स्तिभि॒: → स्वस्तिभिः (विसर्गः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet offers a thought and song to the Aśvins, asking them to accept the well-woven hymn; the sacred formulations have come in youthful vigor, and the Aśvins are asked to protect the worshippers always with well-being.
Inner meaning
Manīṣā (illumined thought) and gīḥ (inspired utterance) are presented as an inner offering. The ‘well-woven’ (suvṛkti) mantra indicates a harmonized speech that carries right perception and right emotion together. The brahmāṇi come ‘youthful’—fresh, living formations of consciousness, not dead repetition. Protection (pāta) with svasti is the guarding of the seeker’s progress by establishing right-being: clarity, harmony, and safe passage through transitions.
Universal truth
When thought and speech are made beautiful, coherent, and sincere, they become a living channel of protection and well-being; freshness of aspiration keeps spiritual practice effective.
Themes
hymn offering, divine acceptance (juṣ), protection benediction, youthful vigor of mantra
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.60–7.71 (Aśvin hymns), RV 7.86 (Varuṇa: truth and confession)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s hymns often show the craft of ‘well-woven’ mantra as a means of establishing ṛta in the human system.
Significance
The rishi highlights the psychology of mantra: thought (manīṣā) and utterance (gīḥ) must be integrated; then protection becomes an inner law of harmony (svasti).
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Aśvinā, vṛṣaṇā (strong ones), Nā́satyā (truthful/beneficent)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Soma
Cosmic role
Bringers of swift aid, healers, restorers of wholeness; guardians of auspicious transitions (night→dawn, disorder→order).
Inner power
They stabilize the nervous-vital being, bring quick corrections, and establish ‘svasti’—a felt rightness and safety in the path.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invocation in Soma and dawn rites; also general protective/auspicious recitation
इ॒यं म॑नी॒षा इ॒यम॑श्विना॒ गीरि॒मां सु॑वृ॒क्तिं वृ॑षणा जुषेथाम् । इ॒मा ब्रह्मा॑णि युव॒यून्य॑ग्मन्यू॒यं पा॑त स्व॒स्तिभि॒: सदा॑ नः ॥
इ॒यम् । म॒नी॒षा । इ॒यम् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । गीः । इ॒माम् । सु॒ऽवृ॒क्तिम् । वृ॒ष॒णा॒ । जु॒षे॒था॒म् । इ॒मा । ब्रह्मा॑णि । यु॒व॒ऽयूनि॑ । अ॒ग्म॒न् । यू॒यम् । पा॒त॒ । स्व॒स्तिऽभिः॑ । सदा॑ । नः॒ ॥
iyam | manīṣā | iyam | aśvinā | gīḥ | imām | su-vṛktim | vṛṣaṇā | juṣethām | imā | brahmāṇi | yuva-yūni | agman | yūyam | pāta | svasti-bhiḥ | sadā | naḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Balanced and offering-like; a crafted, ‘woven’ feel matching suvṛkti.
Encourages mental coherence and calm confidence; supports a protective, auspicious atmosphere.
- manīṣā
- Literal: thought, intelligence, inspired insight. Symbolic: illumined mind; intuitive formulation of truth
- gīḥ
- Literal: song, hymn. Symbolic: vibration of the soul’s expression; mantra-force
- suvṛkti
- Literal: well-woven utterance. Symbolic: harmonized speech—rhythm + meaning + sincerity aligned
- vṛṣaṇā
- Literal: strong ones, virile. Symbolic: powers that energize and make effective; force that supports transformation
- brahmāṇi
- Literal: sacred formulations. Symbolic: mantric formations descending into mind-life
- yuvayūni
- Literal: youthful, in youthful vigor. Symbolic: fresh, living energies of aspiration; ever-renewed practice
- svastibhiḥ
- Literal: with well-beings, auspiciousnesses. Symbolic: states of right-being: harmony, safety, integrality
Concluding acceptance-request and protective benediction; typical hymn closure with svasti
At dawn or before undertaking a journey/transition; in ritual sequences seeking svasti
Praise + request for acceptance and protection; confirmation of mantra as offering
Use before daily work or travel: recite to align thought and speech and invoke ‘svasti’ (right-being) as a protective field.
Key terms: (1) manīṣā: from √man ‘think’ with īṣā/īṣ ‘impulsion’ nuance—thinking that is also a directed power. (2) gīr: from √gai/√gī ‘sing’; voiced formulation as force. (3) su-vṛkti: ‘well-turned/well-woven’ from √vṛt ‘turn, fashion’; indicates correct, effective mantra-craft. (4) vṛṣan: ‘bull, strong’ from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, be potent’; potency as force that ‘pours’ energy. (5) juṣ: √juṣ ‘to enjoy, favor’; divine acceptance. (6) svasti: su-asti ‘good being’.
manīṣā as inspired intelligence, suvṛkti as right formation of speech under ṛta, svasti as harmonizing protection
Suvṛkti implies right measure; protection comes by alignment with ṛta.
Nā́satyā as truth-powers: protection is strongest when speech is true.
Mantra as a formative weave shaping the field of experience.
Vedic psychological symbolism (Aurobindo/Kashyap line): gods as powers of consciousness responding to inner offerings.
Dawn context (Aśvin sphere)
‘Youth’ = renewed prāṇa and aspiration; ‘song’ = vibratory shaping of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The offering of ‘thought and song’ as a living power that ‘comes’ to the gods and must be accepted: a mythologem of mantra-as-entity. The closure returns to svasti, the stabilizing harmony that seals the work.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √man ‘think’ is PIE *men- (Eng. mind, Lat. mens). The emphasis on well-fashioned speech as efficacious reflects inherited IE poetics where the correctly made hymn mediates divine-human exchange.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Ṛṣi offers manīṣā and gīr as crafted suvṛkti; the Aśvins are asked to ‘enjoy/accept’ (juṣ) and reciprocate with continual protection (svasti). Speech is the bridge; svasti is the sustaining result.
Unify manīṣā (clear thought) and gīḥ (felt vibration). Offer the mantra as a ‘well-woven’ inner speech; then rest in svasti—an even, protected poise.
Vishuddha (mantra/speech) and Ajna (illumined thought)
Even nāḍī-śodhana for 3–5 rounds, then chant one full verse on a single calm exhale per pāda if possible.
Settled clarity with a gentle protective envelope.
Before chanting, silently form one sincere intention. While chanting, feel the words ‘weave’ a net of harmony around mind and nerves; end with a pause to receive svasti.
Maintain triṣṭubh cadence; emphasize udatta on key demonstratives and offerings (iyam… iyam…), and on names (aśvinā).
Mark the repeated iyam with clear opening lift; keep pāda endings gently resolved to avoid rushing.
Sustain long ī in iyam manīṣā., Articulate juṣethām with ṣ (retroflex) and aspirated th., Keep svastibhiḥ: clear sv- cluster; final ḥ audible but soft.
Smooth, ‘woven’ legato; soothing resonance.
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