Rig Veda 1.157.5: Mandala 1, Sukta 157, Mantra 5
Sukta 1.157
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
युवं ह गर्भं जगतीषु धत्थो युवं विश्वेषु भुवनेष्वन्तः । युवमग्निं च वृषणावपश्च वनस्पतीँरश्विनावैरयेथाम् ॥
yuváṃ ha gárbhaṃ jágatīṣu dhattho yuváṃ víśveṣu bhúvaneṣv antár | yuvám agníṃ ca vṛ́ṣaṇāv apáś ca vánaspatīṃr aśvināv áirayethām ||
Kamu berdua sesungguhnya menempatkan benih rahsia (garbha) dari ‘menjadi’ dalam dunia-dunia yang bergerak; kamu berdua berada di dalam segala alam. Kamu berdua, yang perkasa, menggerakkan Agni dan Perairan (Āpas) serta para tuan rimba (vanaspati)—membangkitkan kuasa yang membina dan menyembuhkan kehidupan yang berjasad.
Word by Word
- युवम्
- you twoPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सामान्य), प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ह
- indeed / surelyIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root ह (निपात)
- गर्भम्
- embryo / germ / foetusNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
- जगतीषु
- in the जगतीs (worlds/regions; lit. ‘moving realms’)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot जगती (प्रातिपदिक)
- धत्थः
- you two have placed / have setVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRoot धा (धातु)
- युवम्
- you twoPronounप्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वेषु
- in allAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन (भुवनेषु इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)Role अधिकरणRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनेषु
- in the worlds / beings / realmsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तः
- within / insideIndeclinableअव्यय (स्थानवाचक)Role अधिकरणRoot अन्तः (अव्यय/उपसर्गीय-निपात)
- युवम्
- you twoPronounप्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- Agni / fireNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- वृषणौ
- the two vigorous/virile onesNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (अश्विनौ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot वृषण (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपः
- watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- वनस्पतीन्
- lords of the forest / treesNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वनस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्विनौ
- the AśvinsNoun (deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऐरयेथाम्
- you two set in motion / stirred / impelledVerbलङ् (आगम-रहितः ‘injunctive’/विधिलिङ्-सदृशः वैदिकप्रयोगः), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपद, causativeRoot ईर्/इर् (धातु; causative stem: ऐरय-)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): युवम् | ह | गर्भम् | जगतीषु | धत्थः || युवम् | विश्वेषु | भुवनेषु | अन्तः || युवम् | अग्निम् | च | वृषणौ | अपः | च | वनस्पतीन् | अश्विनौ | ऐरयेथाम् । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) भुवनेष्वन्तः = भुवनेषु + अन्तः (उकारस्य ‘व्’ आदेशः)
- (2) वनस्पतीँरश्विनावैरयेथाम् = वनस्पतीन् + अश्विनौ + ऐरयेथाम् (न् + अ → न् अ; पदसंयोगे दीर्घ/अनुस्वार-चिह्नः संहितायाम्; ‘आ’ दीर्घः संहितापाठ-प्रभावः)
- (3) वृषणावपश्च = वृषणौ + अपः + च (औ + अ → आव्; तथा च-समुच्चयः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Aśvins are praised as the twin powers present within all worlds: they place the hidden “embryo” in moving existences, and they set in motion Fire (Agni), the Waters, and the lords of the forest (trees/plants).
Inner meaning
In Sri Aurobindo’s line, the Aśvins are the twin divine powers of swift help and harmonious action (often read as Force and Light, or delight-bearing powers that “bring” the right functioning). They establish the garbha—the secret seed of spiritual becoming—within the moving field of life (jagatīṣu). Being “within all worlds” indicates an immanent guidance in every layer of our nature. They awaken (airayethām) Agni (divine will and aspiration), the Waters (clarifying, purifying currents of consciousness), and vanaspati (growth-powers that build the embodied life), so the whole psycho-physical being becomes a conscious instrument for healing and progress.
Universal truth
True transformation begins when the divine helpers awaken the inner will, the purifying flow of consciousness, and the organic growth-forces of life; then the ‘seed’ of a higher becoming can develop in every world of our experience.
Themes
Cosmogonic support, Immanence of divine twins, Awakening of elemental powers, Life-formation and healing
The seer
Significance
The anonymity fits the hymn’s archetypal psychology: the voice is that of the striving human (manuṣya) invoking the universal twin helpers who awaken the inner sacrifice across all planes.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Epithets
- वृषणौ (vṛṣaṇau) strong/virile, दस्रा (dasrā) wonder-workers (implicit in the hymn-cycle)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Agni, Soma, Indra
Cosmic role
Twin divine physicians and rescuers who restore right functioning, bring safe passage, and harmonize the movement of life in the worlds.
Inner power
Rapid intervention of Grace in the vital and physical nature; they quicken aspiration (Agni), cleanse and widen awareness (Waters), and regenerate embodied capacities (vanaspati).
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin-śastra / Aśvin praises within Soma-yajña sequences (general Aśvin invocation)
यु॒वं ह॒ गर्भं॒ जग॑तीषु धत्थो यु॒वं विश्वे॑षु॒ भुव॑नेष्व॒न्तः । यु॒वम॒ग्निं च॑ वृषणाव॒पश्च॒ वन॒स्पतीँ॑रश्विना॒वैर॑येथाम् ॥
यु॒वम् । ह॒ । गर्भ॑म् । जग॑तीषु । ध॒त्थः॒ । यु॒वम् । विश्वे॑षु । भुव॑नेषु । अ॒न्तरिति॑ । यु॒वम् । अ॒ग्निम् । च॒ । वृ॒ष॒णौ॒ । अ॒पः । च॒ । वन॒स्पती॑न् । अ॒श्वि॒नौ॒ । ऐर॑येथाम् ॥
yuvam | ha | garbham | jagatīṣu | dhatthaḥ | yuvam | viśveṣu | bhuvaneṣu | antariti | yuvam | agnim | ca | vṛṣaṇau | apaḥ | ca | vanaspatīn | aśvinau | airayethām
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, declarative cadence suited to invocation and affirmation
Builds a sense of inner mobilization—like a ‘starting’ of powers—especially on repeated ‘yuvam… yuvam… yuvam…’ openings.
- युवम् (yuvam)
- Literal: you two. Symbolic: the twin divine powers of swift aid and right functioning (Aśvins) active in the seeker
- गर्भम् (garbham)
- Literal: embryo, seed. Symbolic: hidden seed of spiritual becoming; the secret intention of the soul’s evolution
- जगतीषु (jagatīṣu)
- Literal: in the moving worlds. Symbolic: in life’s dynamism—mind, life-force, and body in motion
- भुवनेषु अन्तर् (bhuvaneṣu antaḥ)
- Literal: within the worlds. Symbolic: immanence of the divine in all planes of being
- अग्निम् (agnim)
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine will/aspiration, the priest of the inner sacrifice
- अपः (apaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: purifying streams of consciousness; clarity, wideness, and healing flow
- वनस्पतीन् (vanaspatīn)
- Literal: lords of the forest (trees). Symbolic: growth-powers of embodied nature; regenerative life-energies
- ऐरयेथाम् (airayethām)
- Literal: you set in motion, you awaken. Symbolic: quickening of dormant faculties into conscious, divine functioning
Cosmic praise of Aśvins as universal sustainers/quickening powers; can accompany healing rites and dawn offerings.
Dawn-linked offerings and invitations to the Aśvins; also as preparatory praise for swift aid
Recitation to invite the Aśvins to the offering; mentally ‘setting in motion’ inner Agni and purification
Use as a morning mantra for awakening aspiration and cleansing the day’s movement; suitable before healing practice, yoga, or beginning important work.
garbha from √gṛbh/√grabh 'seize, contain' → that which is held within as a formation. antar 'within' from PIE *h₁n̥tér. apas 'waters' is a central Vedic polyvalent symbol: physical waters and the flowing substance of consciousness. airayethām from causative of √īr 'to raise, set moving'—Aśvins as awakeners of latent powers.
immanence (antar in all worlds), seed of manifestation (garbha), animation/quickening (īr)
Aśvins restore ṛta by re-aligning the moving worlds (jagatī) and their powers.
The garbha is the Satya concealed in becoming—truth-seed that must be brought out.
Immanent divine seeding and quickening of life-forces; creation as an ongoing awakening within the worlds.
Proto-Vedāntic / Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: evolution of consciousness through awakened powers.
Dawn (Aśvins’ characteristic time, though not named here)
Fire = will/aspiration; Waters = purification and wideness; Forest growth = organic regeneration of the embodied being; all are ‘set in motion’ by divine twin help.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins as universal quickeners: they place the garbha (seed/embryo) in the worlds and set the elemental powers (Agni, Waters, growth-forces) into motion. This is a cosmogonic-healing motif where the same agents who bring dawn also awaken life’s hidden potential.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- antar ‘within’ continues PIE *h₁n̥tér. √bhū in bhuvaneṣu relates to PIE *bʰuH- ‘become’. The elemental lexicon (agni, apas) preserves archaic Indo-Iranian religious vocabulary with cognate structures across Avestan (ātar/fire; āpō/waters).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet recognizes the Aśvins as immanent operators within all planes; thus invocation is an appeal to awaken what they already placed as potential (garbha). The yajamāna’s work becomes cooperation with these inner quickeners of fire, flow, and growth.
Contemplate the ‘hidden seed’ of higher becoming within daily activity; invite the twin helpers to awaken will (Agni) and cleansing flow (Waters).
Anahata–Manipura axis (heart aspiration + will-fire)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana for 7–12 rounds, then soft internal repetition on exhale
Awakening and mobilization (from tamas to a clear, luminous movement)
Begin the day with this verse: feel a spark in the navel/heart (Agni), a cool wash of clarity through the mind (Waters), and a steady regenerative strength in the body (vanaspati).
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita per Rigvedic recitation; emphasize repeated ‘yuvám’ as the lift-point of each clause.
Keep ‘yuvám’ crisp; sustain the long vowels in ‘jagatīṣu’; do not flatten consonant clusters in ‘vanaspatīn’.
Aśvināv: pronounce ‘śv’ as palatal ‘shv’ cluster, vṛṣaṇāv: retroflex ‘ṣ’, and nasalization is minimal here, airayethām: clear ‘thām’ with aspirated ‘th’
Clear, invoking, slightly bright (dawn-quality)
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