Rig Veda 7.70.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 70, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.70
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
यानि स्थानान्यश्विना दधाथे दिवो यह्वीष्वोषधीषु विक्षु । नि पर्वतस्य मूर्धनि सदन्तेषं जनाय दाशुषे वहन्ता ॥
yā́ni sthā́nāny aśvinā dadhā́the divó yahvī́ṣv óṣadhīṣu vikṣú | ní párvatasya mū́rdhani sádantā íṣaṃ jánāya dāśúṣe váhantā ||
Apa pun tempat singgah yang kamu berdua tegakkan, wahai Aśvin—di ketinggian langit yang luas menjelajah, pada tumbuh-tumbuhan penyembuh, atau di tengah manusia—duduk di puncak gunung, kamu berdua membawa dorongan kelimpahan kepada insan yang mempersembahkan.
Word by Word
- यानि
- which (things)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- स्थानानि
- places, stationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot स्थान (प्रātipadika; from √स्था)
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNoun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole (Sambodhana)Root अश्विन् (प्रātipadika)
- दधाथे
- you two have placed/establishedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद-रूपेण आत्मनेपद-समाप्तिः), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot √धा (दधाति)
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (genitive of sphere) / SambandhaRoot दिव्/द्यौ (प्रātipadika)
- यह्वीषु
- in the mighty/swift (ones)Adjective (f.)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot यह्वी (प्रātipadika)
- ओषधीषु
- among the plants/herbsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot ओषधि (प्रātipadika)
- विक्षु
- in the settlements/clansNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot विश् (प्रātipadika)
- नि
- down, uponIndeclinableउपसर्गRole (verb-modifier)Root नि (upasarga/avyaya)
- पर्वतस्य
- of the mountainNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot पर्वत (प्रātipadika)
- मूर्धनि
- on the summit/headNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot मूर्धन् (प्रātipadika)
- सदन्ता
- sitting, being seatedParticiple (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole Kartā (agreeing with implied ‘you two’)Root √सद् (present participle) / सदन्त् (प्रātipadika)
- इषम्
- refreshment, nourishmentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इष्/इषा (प्रātipadika)
- जनाय
- for the peopleNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot जन (प्रātipadika)
- दाशुषे
- for the worshipper/giver (who offers)Participle (substantival)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot √दाश् (perf. participle) / दाशुष् (प्रātipadika)
- वहन्ता
- conveying, bringingParticiple (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole Kartā (agreeing with Aśvins)Root √वह् (present participle) / वहन्त् (प्रātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: स्थाना॑न्यश्विना → स्थानानि + अश्विना (i + a → ya)
- य॒ह्वीष्वोष॑धीषु → यह्वीषु + ओषधीषु (u + o → vo). Other padas are already in padapāṭha-like separation. Accent marks are not reproduced in the pada list but correspond to the saṃhitā text
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Aśvins establish stations in heaven, in healing plants, and among peoples. Seated on the mountain summit, they carry nourishment/impulsion (iṣam) to the offering human.
Inner meaning
The Aśvins work across all levels: higher mind (divo), life-healing forces (oṣadhīṣu), and collective human nature (vikṣu). From the summit of the ‘mountain’—the elevated consciousness—they transmit iṣa (impulsion, plenitude) to the seeker who offers (dāśuṣe): the one who gives aspiration, attention, and surrender.
Universal truth
True help operates simultaneously in the heights, in the healing energies of life, and in society. When consciousness takes a higher seat, it can feed the whole being with a steady impetus toward wholeness.
Themes
omnipresence of the Aśvins, healing, ascent imagery (mountain), bestowal of iṣ
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.47 (waters), RV 7.49 (waters), RV 7.88 (Varuṇa; heights and order)
Family tradition
A tradition skilled in mapping divine powers to planes of being (heaven/earth/waters) and making them operative through offering (yajña).
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s ‘stations’ doctrine is a yogic cartography: divine powers have seats in different layers and can be brought into human life by ascent to the summit and descent of force.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Yahvī (wide-ranging—here applied to heights), Dasrā, Nāsatyā
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati (impulsion/inspiration)
Cosmic role
Mediators across planes: from heaven to earth, from subtle healing to social functioning.
Inner power
Multi-level integration: they heal life, illumine mind, and harmonize collective movements; they deliver iṣa to sustain sādhanā.
In ritual
Where it is used
General Aśvin praise in Soma context; also healing-oriented invocations (oṣadhi imagery).
यानि॒ स्थाना॑न्यश्विना द॒धाथे॑ दि॒वो य॒ह्वीष्वोष॑धीषु वि॒क्षु । नि पर्व॑तस्य मू॒र्धनि॒ सद॒न्तेषं॒ जना॑य दा॒शुषे॒ वह॑न्ता ॥
यानि॑ । स्थाना॑नि । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । द॒धाथे॒ इति॑ । दि॒वः । य॒ह्वीषु॑ । ओष॑धीषु । वि॒क्षु । नि । पर्व॑तस्य । मू॒र्धनि॑ । सद॑न्ता । इष॑म् । जना॑य । दा॒शुषे॑ । वह॑न्ता ॥
yāni | sthānāni | aśvinā | dadhātheiti | divaḥ | yahvīṣu | oṣadhīṣu | vikṣu | ni | parvatasya | mūrdhani | sadantā | iṣam | janāya | dāśuṣe | vahantā
44
4×~11
Expansive enumeration (stations) followed by a strong culminating cadence (mountain summit → gift).
Gives a felt sense of ‘rising’ through levels and then ‘bringing down’ nourishment into the heart of practice.
- स्थानानि (sthānāni)
- Literal: stations, seats. Symbolic: levels/centers of operation in consciousness
- दिवः (divaḥ)
- Literal: heaven. Symbolic: higher mind, luminous plane
- ओषधीषु (oṣadhīṣu)
- Literal: in plants (medicinal). Symbolic: healing formations—life-forces that restore harmony
- विक्षु (vikṣu)
- Literal: among the clans/peoples. Symbolic: collective nature; social mind and shared life
- पर्वतस्य मूर्धनि (parvatasya mūrdhani)
- Literal: on the mountain’s head. Symbolic: summit-consciousness; the peak of awakened awareness
- इषम् (iṣam)
- Literal: refreshment, impulsion, nourishment. Symbolic: spiritual energy that propels and sustains progress
- दा॒शुषे (dāśuṣe)
- Literal: to the giver/offerer. Symbolic: the aspirant who offers self and effort into the inner sacrifice
Praise describing the Aśvins’ omnipresence (heaven, plants, peoples) and their bestowal of iṣ (invigoration) to the sacrificer
Dawn rites; also in contexts seeking restoration, safe passage, and right functioning across life domains.
Praise + invitation; symbolic ‘seating’ on the mountain (altar/uttara-vedi as elevated seat in some readings).
For holistic balance: chant while visualizing three domains—mind (heaven), life-body healing (herbs), relationships/community (peoples)—and invite harmonization.
Key terms: (1) sthāna from √sthā ‘to stand’; station as stabilized presence of a power. (2) oṣadhi: traditionally ‘plant/herb’ (healing), often linked to ‘burning/quickening’ life-powers; in inner sense, conscious forces that heal and restore. (3) parvata ‘mountain’ from √pṛ/√parv ‘joint, knot, ridge’; symbol of structured ascent. (4) iṣ: iṣám from √iṣ ‘to impel, set in motion, invigorate’; denotes the driving plenitude, not merely ‘food’.
multi-plane manifestation of divine powers (sthāna across realms), healing as restoration of right order (ṛta) in life-nature, iṣ as impulsion of fulfillment
Stations are ordered placements—ṛta as a structured cosmos mirrored in structured consciousness.
Summit-seat suggests access to the true standpoint (satya-dṛṣṭi) from which right aid flows.
Distribution of powers across planes; nourishment (iṣa) as the sustaining principle of manifested progress.
Integral/psychological interpretation of loka-traya as planes of consciousness.
Dawn
Heaven = higher mind; plants = healing life-formations; mountain = ascent of consciousness; iṣa = sustaining spiritual force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins as powers with many ‘stations’ across planes—heaven, life-nature (plants), and human society—who from the summit of ascent deliver iṣ (invigorating impulsion) to the offering human. Mythically, it is the gods’ mobility and seated mastery; psychologically, it is the descent of healing force into all layers of the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sthā ‘stand’ (sthāna) is PIE *steh₂- (Eng. stand, Lat. stare). The mountain/summit imagery with mūrdhan ‘head’ reflects a widespread IE metaphor of ‘head/top’ for highest point (cf. many IE languages’ shared body-top mapping).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Ṛṣi recognizes the Aśvins’ placement of powers in every domain; the offering (dāśuṣe) becomes the point of exchange where the Devatā ‘carries’ iṣ into the human vessel—linking cosmic stations to personal realization.
Ascend to the ‘mountain summit’ of witness consciousness; invite the Aśvins to send iṣa into body and life.
Sahasrāra/Ājñā (summit seat) with downward integration into Anāhata and the whole body
Inhale: sense ascent up the spine to the crown; exhale: feel nourishment (iṣa) descending through the torso into limbs.
Uplifted clarity with gentle restorative flow.
After chanting, hold a still peak-awareness for a minute, then consciously ‘carry’ that clarity into one concrete life-action (relationship, health, work)—the ‘vikṣu’ application.
Keep udātta clarity on enumerative nouns and key verbs (dadhā́the, sadánta); preserve Vedic pitch contours as per text tradition.
Mark the list-like flow in pāda 1–2; then give a slightly stronger cadence on ‘parvatasya mūrdhani’.
yāni: long ā, yahvīṣu: aspirate h; long ī, oṣadhīṣu: retroflex ṣ? here ś/ṣ per text: oṣa- with ṣ; keep long ī, mūrdhani: retroflex ṛ + dh, dāśuṣe: long ā; ś as palatal
Uplifted, clear, slightly expansive; end with a grounded, giving tone on ‘vahantā’.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
