Rig Veda 2.39.2: Mandala 2, Sukta 39, Mantra 2
Sukta 2.39
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
प्रातर्यावाणा रथ्येव वीराजेव यमा वरमा सचेथे । मेने इव तन्वा शुम्भमाने दम्पतीव क्रतुविदा जनेषु ॥
prātar-yā́vānā rathyéva vīrā́jéva yamā́ varámā́ sacethe | ménē iva tanvā́ śúmbhamāne dámpatīva kratu-vidā́ jáneṣu ||
प्रातःकाळी येणारे तुम्ही दोघे, रथातील दोन सहप्रवासी जसे एकत्र असतात तसे संयुक्त आहात; तेजस्वी जोडीप्रमाणे श्रेष्ठाचा वरण करणारे आहात. जशा दोन प्राज्ञ स्त्रिया देह अलंकृत करतात, तसेच—गृहस्थ दांपत्याप्रमाणे—मनुष्यांमध्ये ‘क्रतु’ (सद्बुद्धी/यज्ञ-प्रेरणा) जाणणारे आहात.
Word by Word
- प्रातर्
- in the morningIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्यय (समय: प्रातः)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot प्रातर् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) < प्रातः
- यावा॑णा
- the two who go/drive (together)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (युगल-देवता-विशेषण), प्रथमा द्विवचनRole KartāRoot यावन्/यावाण (प्रातिपदिक; द्विवचन-विशेषण)
- रथ्ये॑
- riding in a chariot / chariot-goingAdjectiveपुं/स्त्री, प्रथमा द्विवचन (यावा॑णा इत्यस्य विशेषण)Role KartāRoot रथ्य (प्रातिपदिक) < रथ
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- वीराजा
- two splendid/royal onesNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचनRole KartāRoot वीराज् (प्रातिपदिक) < वि + राज्
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- यमा
- like the two Yamas (a paired set)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचनRole KartāRoot यम (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरमा
- two excellent/choice onesAdjectiveपुं/स्त्री, प्रथमा द्विवचन (यमा इत्यस्य विशेषण)Role KartāRoot वरम (प्रातिपदिक) < वर
- सचेथे
- you two accompany/consort (together)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot सच् (धातु) ‘सह-गमन/सह-सेवन’
- मेने॑
- you two have thought/consideredVerbलिट्/परिपूर्ण-भूत (परफेक्ट), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, आत्मनेपद (वेदिक रूप)Root मना/मन् (धातु) ‘मन्यते/मन’
- इव
- as if, likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- तन्वा
- with (your) body/personNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot तनू (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुम्भ॑माने
- adorning yourselves / shiningParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमा द्विवचन (युवा॑णा इत्यस्य विशेषण)Role KartāRoot शुभ् (धातु) ‘शोभते/अलङ्करोति’
- दम्पती
- like a married couple (lord and lady of the house)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचनRole KartāRoot दम्पति (प्रातिपदिक) < दम + पति
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- क्रतुविदा
- two who know (right) resolve/ritual insightAdjectiveपुं/स्त्री, प्रथमा द्विवचनRole KartāRoot क्रतुविद् (प्रातिपदिक) < क्रतु + विद्
- जनेषु
- among the peoples/menNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): प्रातर् | यावा॑णा | रथ्ये॑व → रथ्ये इव | वी॒राजेव → वीराजा इव | य॒मा → यमा | वर॒मा → वरमा | सचेथे | मेने॑ | इव | तन्वा | शुम्भ॑माने | दम्प॑तीव → दम्पती इव | क्रतु॒विदा॒ | जने॑षु । (इव-समास/सन्धि: -एव = -ए + इव; दम्पतीव = दम्पती + इव)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Aśvins who come in the morning are joined like two chariot-companions; like a radiant pair choosing the best. Like two wise women adorning the body, like a married couple who know right discernment among people.
Inner meaning
The Aśvins are the paired powers that arrive at the threshold of awakening (prātar). They act as perfectly yoked companions in the chariot of the being—coordinating the two currents needed for progress (illumined perception and effective life-force). They ‘choose the best’ (varam): the higher preference in each moment. As ‘two wise women adorning the body’, they refine and purify the embodied nature, making the instrument fit for the soul. As ‘married couple’ they symbolize concord—knowledge and force, clarity and action—moving together with kratu-vidā: the intelligence of right will in human life.
Universal truth
Awakening is sustained by harmonious dual powers: discernment that chooses the higher, and skill in shaping the embodied life so it expresses that choice consistently among human circumstances.
Themes
Aśvin duality, Right choice of the best, Embodied refinement, Will-guidance
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu (Bhārgava)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.39–2.41 (Aśvin cycle), RV 2.1 (Agni as inner priest—complementary theme)
Family tradition
Bhṛgu-line emphasizes mastery of inner fire and effective formulation (brahman) that translates vision into lived order.
Significance
He presents the divine helpers as intimate companions of the embodied journey, not distant gods—key to integral transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Prātaryāvāṇā, Dasrā (wondrous), Nāsatyā (true)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Soma
Cosmic role
Dawn-linked twin powers who yoke the chariot of progress and bring swift aid, healing, and right choice.
Inner power
Harmonizing duality: pairing intuition with execution; refining the body-mind instrument; establishing right will among human interactions.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning Aśvin invocation (prātaḥ-savana associations)
प्रा॒त॒र्यावा॑णा र॒थ्ये॑व वी॒राजेव॑ य॒मा वर॒मा स॑चेथे । मेने॑ इव त॒न्वा॒३॒॑ शुम्भ॑माने॒ दम्प॑तीव क्रतु॒विदा॒ जने॑षु ॥
प्रा॒तः॒ऽयावा॑ना । र॒थ्या॑ऽइव । वी॒रा । अ॒जाऽइ॑व । य॒मा । वर॑म् । आ । स॒चे॒थे॒ इति॑ । मेने॑इ॒वेति॒ मेने॑ऽइव । त॒न्वा॑ । शुम्भ॑माने॒ इति॑ । दम्प॑तीइ॒वेति॒ दम्प॑तीऽइव । क्र॒तु॒ऽविदा॑ । जने॑षु ॥
prātaḥ-yāvānā | rathyāiva | vīrā | ajāiva | yamā | varam | ā | sacetheiti | meneivetimene--iva | tanvā | śumbhamāneiti | dampatīivetidampatī-iva | kratu-vidā | janeṣu
44
4×11 syllables (approx.)
Balanced and stately; well-suited to paired imagery and concord.
Creates a sense of yoking and alignment; steadies the mind into right preference (varam).
- प्रातर्यावा॑ण (prātaryāvāṇā)
- Literal: going/coming in the morning. Symbolic: powers that arrive at the first light of consciousness; early help in sadhana
- रथ्य (rathya)
- Literal: chariot-fellow, chariot-path. Symbolic: the life-journey and its disciplined movement
- यमा (yamā)
- Literal: a pair/twins (also ‘restrainers’ by root). Symbolic: twin harmonized forces; also the sense of right measure/restraint
- वर (vara)
- Literal: the best, the chosen. Symbolic: the higher selection aligned with truth
- मेने (mene)
- Literal: wise women/understanding ones. Symbolic: intuitive discernment that beautifies and orders the instrument
- तन्वा (tanvā)
- Literal: with the body. Symbolic: embodiment as field of transformation
- शुम्भमान (śumbhamāna)
- Literal: adorning, making splendid. Symbolic: purification and refinement of nature
- दम्पती (dampatī)
- Literal: lord and lady of the house (married couple). Symbolic: concord of complementary powers governing the ‘house’ of the being
- क्रतु॒विद (kratuvid)
- Literal: knowers of kratu (will/intelligence). Symbolic: masters of effective right will—practical discernment in action
Morning invitation to the Aśvins; appropriate at the dawn/offering threshold to secure right kratu (will-intelligence) for the rite and for life.
At dawn or before beginning daily works; invitatory praise
Calling the Aśvins to the sacrifice and to the ‘house’ (dampatī) of the sacrificer
Morning practice mantra for setting the day’s ‘best choice’ and harmonizing mind-body through refined intention.
krátu: from √kṛ ‘do/make’ with semantic development to ‘power of will, resolve, intelligence in action’—central for psychological reading as will-guidance. √sac ‘accompany’ marks the Aśvins’ twin-unity. ménē (dual) from √man ‘think’ underlines cognition embodied in action (tanvā).
Kratu as intelligent will, Complementarity and twin-unity as a mode of ṛta in action
Right measure (yama/pairing) and right choice (varam) express ṛta as practical order.
Nāsatyā quality: truth-active in daily human contexts (janeṣu).
Refinement of embodiment: consciousness adorns and perfects the instrument.
Integral yoga resonance: transformation of the body-life through harmonized higher powers.
dawn/morning
First light of awareness; yoking of energies; beautification = purification of the embodied nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The dawn-arriving twins as harmonizers of human life: they are the paired powers that choose the best (varámā) and know kratu among men. Psychologically, they represent the integrated dual faculties (discernment + execution) that beautify the embodied nature (tanū) and set it in right motion.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √man ‘think’ is PIE *men- (widely attested: Greek ménos, Latin mens). The social metaphor dámpatī ‘house-lords/spouses’ reflects inherited household ideology (PIE *dem- ‘house’, cf. Greek dómos; Sanskrit dama-).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks the Aśvins’ companionship (√sac) so that human kratu becomes rightly knowing; praise is a call for inner harmonization, not merely external aid.
At waking, invoke the ‘twin helpers’ to yoke breath and attention; choose one highest intention for the day (varam).
Anāhata (harmonizing) and Ājñā (choosing/discernment)
Gentle coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min) while repeating the mantra mentally
Harmonized, sattvic, ready for right action
Feel the Aśvins as inner companions: let them ‘adorn the body’ by relaxing tension, straightening posture, and aligning speech with truth among people (janeṣu).
Standard Ṛgvedic udatta/anudatta/svarita flow; keep paired phrases evenly balanced in delivery.
Slightly emphasize prātaryāvāṇā and varam; maintain even pacing to reflect ‘yoked’ harmony.
Pronounce prātar- with long ā; avoid shortening, Keep retroflex ṇ in yāvāṇā if your recitation tradition marks it; otherwise keep clear dental n, śumbhamāne: keep śu-mbha as two beats, not slurred
Smooth, even, unforced
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