Rig Veda 1.118.4: Mandala 1, Sukta 118, Mantra 4
Sukta 1.118
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ वां श्येनासो अश्विना वहन्तु रथे युक्तास आशवः पतंगाः । ये अप्तुरो दिव्यासो न गृध्रा अभि प्रयो नासत्या वहन्ति ॥
ā́ vāṁ śyēnā́so aśvinā vahantu ráthe yuktā́sa āśávaḥ pataṅgā́ḥ | yé aptúro divyā́so ná gṛ́dhrā abhí práyo nāsatyā vahanti ||
Niech sokoły was poniosą, o Aświnowie, szybkie skrzydlate istoty zaprzężone do rydwanu, jak promieniste ptaki nieba. Nieuomne w swym dążeniu, jak orły, niosą ku wam impuls ofiarny, o Nāsatyowie.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (directional: ‘towards, hither’)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- वाम्
- to/for you twoPronounद्वितीया/चतुर्थी द्विवचन (enclitic form of ‘you two’)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्येनासः
- falcons, hawksNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot श्येन (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNoun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन द्विवचनRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वहन्तु
- let (them) carry/bringVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष बहुवचनRoot वह्
- रथे
- on/in the chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- युक्तासः
- yoked, harnessedAdjective (past passive participle used adjectivally)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (as qualifier of the subject ‘patangāḥ’)Root युज् (PPP: युक्त) / युक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- आशवः
- swiftAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (as qualifier)Root आशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पतंगाः
- winged ones; (here) birds/steedsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot पतंग (प्रातिपदिक)
- ये
- who, whichRelative pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अप्तुरः
- active/efficient in waters (Vedic epithet: ‘water-skilled, water-speeding’)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (as qualifier)Root अप्तुर (प्रातिपदिक; Vedic epithet)
- दिव्यासः
- heavenly, celestialAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (as qualifier)Root दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपात (‘like, as’)Root न (निपात)
- गृध्राः
- vultures, greedy birdsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (in simile; predicate to ‘ye’)Root गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (‘towards, upon’)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- प्रयः
- refreshment, nourishmentNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Vedic: ‘refreshment/food, delight’)Role KarmaRoot प्रयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नासत्या
- O Nāsatyas (Aśvins)Noun (dual deity epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन द्विवचनRoot नासत्य (प्रातिपदिक; epithet of the Aśvins)
- वहन्ति
- they carry/bringVerbलट् (वर्त्तमान), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष बहुवचनRoot वह्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (resolved): आ | वाम् | श्येनासः | अश्विना | वहन्तु | रथे | युक्तासः | आशवः | पतंगाः | ये | अप्तुरः | दिव्यासः | न | गृध्राः | अभि | प्रयः | नासत्या | वहन्ति । प्रमुख संधि: (1) आ + वाम् → आ वाम् (no fusion; enclitic pronoun)
- (2) श्येनासो अश्विना → श्येनासः अश्विना (visarga before vowel in pada-text)
- (3) वहन्तु रथे (no change)
- (4) युक्तासो आशवः पतंगाः → युक्तासः आशवः पतंगाः (visarga restoration)
- (5) दिव्यासो न → दिव्यासः न
- (6) गृध्रा अभि → गृध्राः अभि
- (7) अभि प्रयो → अभि प्रयः (final -oḥ/-as alternation reflected as प्रयः in pada)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May the falcons carry you, O Ashvins, yoked to the chariot—swift, winged—like heavenly birds. Tireless in their reaching, like eagles, they bear the offering toward you, O Nāsatyas.
Inner meaning
The ‘falcons’ are upward-springing thought-forces and intuitive impulses that can carry the divine powers into the seeker when yoked (disciplined). ‘Heavenly birds’ indicate luminous movements of consciousness, not earth-bound cravings. ‘Tireless in reaching’ describes persistent aspiration that does not fatigue. The ‘offering’ (prayas) is the upward surge of will and devotion; it is carried by these purified dynamic movements toward the truth-powers (Nāsatyā).
Universal truth
Divine presence is drawn by disciplined, upward-moving energies; when aspiration becomes tireless and luminous, it carries the offering directly to truth and receives response.
Themes
vehicle imagery, swift transmission, linking offering and divine arrival
The seer
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.118
Family tradition
Āṅgirasa hymnic craft often uses vivid flight imagery to symbolize ascent of thought and release of light.
Significance
Kutsa here teaches the mechanics of invocation: not only the gods’ chariot, but the seeker’s own upward forces (birds) must be yoked and tireless to carry the offering.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā, Aśvinā
- Related deities
- Agni (carrier of offering), Uṣas, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Truth-bringers who respond to offerings and carry beings across transitions; associated with swift travel between realms.
Inner power
They enter through swift intuitions and purified energies; they accept the upward will and turn it into healing action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocation to bring the Aśvins to the offering; compatible with morning Aśvin recitations
आ वां॑ श्ये॒नासो॑ अश्विना वहन्तु॒ रथे॑ यु॒क्तास॑ आ॒शव॑: पतं॒गाः । ये अ॒प्तुरो॑ दि॒व्यासो॒ न गृध्रा॑ अ॒भि प्रयो॑ नासत्या॒ वह॑न्ति ॥
आ । वा॒म् । श्ये॒नासः॑ । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । व॒ह॒न्तु॒ । रथे॑ । यु॒क्तासः॑ । आ॒शवः॑ । प॒त॒ङ्गाः । ये । अ॒प्ऽतुरः॑ । दि॒व्यासः॑ । न । गृध्राः॑ । अ॒भि । प्रयः॑ । ना॒स॒त्या॒ । वह॑न्ति ॥
ā | vām | śyenāsaḥ | aśvinā | vahantu | rathe | yuktāsaḥ | āśavaḥ | pataṅgāḥ | ye | ap-turaḥ | divyāsaḥ | na | gṛdhrāḥ | abhi | prayaḥ | nāsatyā | vahanti
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4 x ~11 syllables
rapid, wing-beat-like phrasing; repeated motion verbs (vahantu/vahanti) reinforce carriage
Energizes prāṇa; gives a sensation of lift and forward flight when chanted with steady tempo.
- श्येन (śyena)
- Literal: falcon. Symbolic: keen, swift intuition; upward thought-force
- पतंग (pataṃga)
- Literal: winged flyer/bird. Symbolic: free movement of consciousness; prāṇic-thought energy made luminous
- युक्त (yukta)
- Literal: yoked. Symbolic: disciplined, harnessed energies serving the inner sacrifice
- अप्तुर (aptura)
- Literal: not failing in attainment/tireless. Symbolic: persistent aspiration, ceaseless effort without exhaustion
- गृध्र (gṛdhra)
- Literal: eagle/vulture (here eagle-like). Symbolic: high-ranging vision and power to seize the truth
- प्रयस् (prayas)
- Literal: offering, oblation, impulse. Symbolic: the will-to-give upward; aspiration-force
Imagistic āvāhana: birds as carriers of the gods; aligns with offering (prayaḥ) presentation
At the start of offering sequences; when ‘carrying’ the oblation is thematically foregrounded
Calling the carriers (symbolic steeds/birds) and directing the offering toward the deity
As a preparatory chant before japa/meditation: yoke wandering energies and let aspiration ‘carry’ attention upward.
√vah ‘carry’ is central: the carriers are bird-symbols of swift forces. pataṅga from √pat ‘fly’ + aṅga ‘limb’ → winged mover. āśu ‘swift’ is a common Vedic epithet of rapid energies. prayaḥ from pra- + √i/√yā? (semantic of ‘going forth’) in Vedic usage denotes offering/nourishment; inner sense: the will that goes forward as oblation.
offering as forward impulse (prayaḥ), divine descent via swift forces
Yoking is alignment with Ṛta; only rightly yoked forces can carry the offering straight.
Nāsatyā receive what is truth-aimed; crooked desire cannot ‘fly’ to them.
Ascent of offering-force and descent of divine aid—two-way traffic between earth and heaven.
Yoga of aspiration: transformation of prāṇa and thought into carriers of higher consciousness.
morning sky imagery
Bird-flight = uplift of mind and prāṇa; tireless reach = sustained sādhana; offering = concentrated will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The bird-carriers of the divine chariot: swift heavenly forces transport the Aśvins and simultaneously bear the offering-impulse toward them. Inner sense: uplifted, winged movements of consciousness mediate exchange between human aspiration and divine response.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pat ‘fly/fall’ reflects PIE *pet- ‘fly’ (cf. Gk. pétomai). √vah ‘carry’ reflects PIE *weǵʰ- ‘convey’ (cf. Eng. way, wagon as related semantic field though not direct).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi organizes the means of communion: he imagines (and thereby invokes) the subtle carriers that bring the gods, while also sending the prayaḥ (offering-will) toward them—two-way movement establishing reciprocity.
Yoke the ‘birds’—thought and prāṇa—into one upward movement; offer the day’s energies to truth.
vishuddha (mantric flight of Vāc) and ajna (keen śyena-intuition)
Brisk-then-settle: 12 light kapalabhati strokes (optional) followed by calm nasal breathing to ‘yoke’ energy
uplifted, keen, directed
Before chanting, gather scattered attention; on ‘vahantu’ feel energies harnessed; on ‘prayo’ offer a single, sincere intention upward.
Tri-svara; keep verb repetitions (vahantu/vahanti) rhythmically consistent; highlight udātta on nāsatyā.
Maintain a light ‘wing-beat’ cadence; avoid dragging consonant clusters that break the flight imagery.
pataṃgāḥ: nasal ‘ṃ’ before g, and long āḥ with visarga release., apturo: keep pt cluster crisp (ap-tu-ro)., divyāso: pronounce vy as a glide, not separated., nāsatyā: long ā; dental t.
light, bright, airborne; clear articulation
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