Rig Veda 7.74.4: Mandala 7, Sukta 74, Mantra 4
Sukta 7.74
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अश्वासो ये वामुप दाशुषो गृहं युवां दीयन्ति बिभ्रतः । मक्षूयुभिर्नरा हयेभिरश्विना देवा यातमस्मयू ॥
aśvā́so yé vām úpa dāśúṣo gṛháṃ yuvā́ṃ dī́yanti bíbhrataḥ | makṣūyúbhir narā háyebhir aśvinā devā yātam asmayū́ ||
ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಹೊರುವ ಅಶ್ವಗಳು, ದಾನಿಯ ಮನೆಯ ಬಳಿಗೆ ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಸಮೀಪಕ್ಕೆ ತರುವವು—ಅವು ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ಕರೆದೊಯ್ಯುವವು. ಹೇ ನರರೇ, ಹೇ ಅಶ್ವಿನೌ, ಹೇ ದೇವರೇ, ಆ ತ್ವರಿತಗಾಮಿ ಕುದುರೆಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ—ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಬಯಸುವ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಸನ್ನಿಧಿಯನ್ನು ಹುಡುಕುವ ನಮ್ಮ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಬನ್ನಿರಿ.
Word by Word
- अश्वासः
- horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- ये
- who/whichPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (सम्बन्धक)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाम्
- of you two / you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया; द्विवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप)Role सम्प्रदान (लक्ष्य/प्राप्ति) / सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (सामीप्य/उपगमन-भाव)Root उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- दाशुषः
- of the worshipper/giverNoun (participle used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root दाशुष् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दाश्/दश् ‘to give, worship’)
- गृहम्
- houseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (गमनस्य लक्ष्य)Root गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
- युवाम्
- you twoPronounप्रथमा; द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- दीयन्ति
- are given / are offeredVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; कर्मणि (passive)Role क्रियाRoot √दा (ददाति) / √दा ‘to give’ (passive stem दीय-)
- बिभ्रतः
- bearing, carryingParticiple (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; द्विवचन; शतृ (वर्तमान)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot √भृ (बिभर्ति) (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- मक्षूयुभिः
- with the swift onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole करणRoot मक्षूयु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘swift/quick’)
- नरा
- O two men/heroesNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- हयेभिः
- with horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole करणRoot हय (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNoun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवा
- O two godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- यातम्
- come, drive (hither)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; द्विवचनRole क्रियाRoot √या (याति)
- अस्मयू
- O you two who are kindly to usAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अस्मयु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘friendly/affectionate to us’, from अस्मद् + यु)
Sandhi Notes
- मुख्य संधि-विच्छेद: वामुप → वाम् + उप
- दाशुषो गृहम् → दाशुषः + गृहम् (विसर्ग-लोप/पद-संहिता)
- मक्षूयुभिर्नरा → मक्षूयुभिः + नरा (विसर्गः → र्)
- हयेभिरश्विना → हयेभिः + अश्विना (विसर्गः → र्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Aśvins’ horses that carry them swiftly to the giver’s house are praised; with those quick steeds the Aśvins are asked to come to the longing worshippers.
Inner meaning
The ‘horses’ are vital energies disciplined to bear the divine powers into the seeker’s embodied life (the ‘house’). The giver (dāśuṣ) is the part of us that offers aspiration and surrender. The mantra asks that the Aśvins arrive through our purified prāṇa-vital currents—swift, accurate, and supportive—responding to the soul’s longing (asmayū).
Universal truth
The descent of help depends on prepared energies: when aspiration offers itself, life-forces become swift carriers for higher guidance.
Themes
divine-arrival, aspiration, swift-aid, hospitality
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.72–7.74 (Aśvins cycle context), RV 7.75–7.76 (Uṣas)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha hymns frequently invoke protective, harmonizing movements and emphasize right relationship between offering human and helping gods.
Significance
The seer frames spiritual progress as a journey: divine powers ride on disciplined energies to reach the inner home and transform it.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Aśvinā, Narā, Devā
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Soma
Cosmic role
Swift rescuers and restorers; bring the light of dawn-energies into human limitation.
Inner power
Harmonizing prāṇa and nervous system so intuition can act quickly and accurately.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invocation in morning/dawn rites; hospitality to the gods at the ‘house’ of sacrifice
अश्वा॑सो॒ ये वा॒मुप॑ दा॒शुषो॑ गृ॒हं यु॒वां दीय॑न्ति॒ बिभ्र॑तः । म॒क्षू॒युभि॑र्नरा॒ हये॑भिरश्वि॒ना दे॑वा यातमस्म॒यू ॥
अश्वा॑सः । ये । वा॒म् । उप॑ । दा॒शुषः॑ । गृ॒हम् । यु॒वाम् । दीय॑न्ति । बिभ्र॑तः । म॒क्षु॒युऽभिः॑ । न॒रा॒ । हये॑भिः । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । आ । दे॒वा॒ । या॒त॒म् । अ॒स्म॒यू इत्य॑स्म॒ऽयू ॥
aśvāsaḥ | ye | vām | upa | dāśuṣaḥ | gṛham | yuvām | dīyanti | bibhrataḥ | makṣuyu-bhiḥ | narā | hayebhiḥ | aśvinā | ā | devā | yātam | asmayū ity asma-yū
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3×8 (expected; confirm by scan)
fleet, trotting cadence—imitates horse-speed
stimulates energy and aspiration; useful when dullness or inertia blocks practice.
- अश्वासः (aśvāsaḥ)
- Literal: horses. Symbolic: vital energies and dynamic powers of action
- दा॒शुषः (dāśuṣaḥ)
- Literal: of the giver/offerer. Symbolic: the aspiring, offering part of the being that maintains sacrifice
- गृहं (gṛhaṃ)
- Literal: house. Symbolic: the embodied nature; the ‘home’ of consciousness (mind-life-body)
- मक्षुयुभिः (makṣūyubhiḥ)
- Literal: swift-moving. Symbolic: rapid responsiveness of purified prāṇa; quick execution of right impulse
- नरा (narā)
- Literal: heroes/men. Symbolic: divine manhood—courageous, effective forces in the seeker
- अस्मयू (asmayū)
- Literal: longing for us/for you; eager. Symbolic: intense aspiration calling the divine presence
Hospitality-invitation motif in Soma ritual: gods brought to the ‘house’ of the sacrificer by their steeds.
pre-dawn to sunrise sequences; also general Aśvin praises
calling the deities’ chariot/steeds; offering and welcoming
Before work or travel: align vital energy to carry higher intention; chant to convert restlessness into swift right action.
: horse (PIE *h₁éḱwos; cf. Latin equus). : ‘steed’ (Vedic synonym). : ‘swiftly’ (adverb), mākṣūyú ‘swift-running’. : from √dā ‘to give’—the sacrificer as giver; psychologically the offering-nature. as inner ‘house’ where the divine is hosted.
aspiration (asmayū) as attracting force, hospitality of the inner house (gṛha), divine movement as rapid help
The ‘swift horses’ ideally obey ṛta—speed without chaos.
Truth expresses as accurate arrival: guidance reaches the right ‘house’ (the prepared being).
The gods’ movement into manifestation through energies (aśvāḥ) that bridge worlds.
Integral-psychological reading: energies as instruments of consciousness.
dawn / early morning
horses = mobilized life-force; house = body-mind habitat; threshold = transition into awakened awareness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘divine horsemen arriving at the sacrificer’s house’ mythologem. Inwardly, the Aśvins’ swift forces (aśvāsaḥ/hayāḥ) are the rapid energies that bring illumination and healing into the embodied ‘house’ when aspiration (asmayū) is active.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśva is a prime PIE inheritance (*h₁éḱwos), strongly supporting the Indo-European continuity of horse symbolism and prestige diction. The poetic focus on speed and arrival is consistent with IE twin-horseman traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents himself as dāśuṣ (giver), establishing the condition of receptivity through offering; the Aśvins respond through their swift conveyance. Aspiration is the magnetic link: ‘to us who long for you’ (asmayū) is the inner call that draws the divine movement into the house of practice.
Offer aspiration; feel prāṇa as a steady team of ‘horses’ carrying the intention toward light.
Maṇipūra (dynamic will)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for steadiness, then chant
alert, uplifted, forward-moving
During ‘makṣūyubhir…hayebhiḥ’ visualize energies aligning into one direction; avoid forcing—aim for coordinated speed rather than strain.
Follow Rigvedic svara from a marked text/audio; maintain clear udātta peaks especially on deity names.
Keep ‘aśvāso’ clean: long ā; avoid swallowing final -so; articulate clusters in ‘makṣūyubhiḥ’.
makṣūyubhiḥ: kṣ (not ks), long ū, bibhṛtaḥ: retroflex ṛ; light aspiration on bh, aśvinā: ś clear, not s, asmayū: final ū long and resonant
bright, confident, summoning
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