Rig Veda 5.73.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 73, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.73
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तदू षु वामेना कृतं विश्वा यद्वामनु ष्टवे । नाना जातावरेपसा समस्मे बन्धुमेयथुः ॥
tád ū́ ṣú vām enā́ kṛtáṃ viśvā́ yád vām ánu ṣṭáve | nā́nā jātā́v arepasā́ sám asmé bandhum éyathuḥ ||
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Word by Word
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (यद्-उपवाक्ये ‘कृतम्’ इत्यस्य) / सम्बन्धसूचकRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊँ
- indeed / surelyIndeclinableनिपात (उद्ग्रह/प्रत्यवमर्श)Root ऊँ (निपात)
- षु
- just / indeedIndeclinableनिपात (प्रबलार्थक)Root षु (निपात)
- वाम्
- of you twoPronounषष्ठी, द्विवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘वामेना’ इत्यस्यRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- एना
- by this / with thisPronounतृतीया, एकवचन (स्त्रीलिङ्ग/सामान्य-प्रयोग)Role KaraṇaRoot एना (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; ‘एतद्/इदम्’ इत्यस्य प्राचीनरूप)
- कृतम्
- done, madeParticiple (verbal adjective)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma-विशेषण / विधेयRoot कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
- विश्वा
- all (things)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (कृतम् इत्यस्य) / समुच्चयRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध/अन्वय (यद्-तद्) — ‘तत् … यत्’Root यद् (सर्वनाम)
- वाम्
- of you twoPronounषष्ठी, द्विवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अनु
- after, following; in accordance withIndeclinableअव्यय; ‘अनुगमन/अनुक्रम’ अर्थेRole (क्रियाविशेषण) / उपसर्गार्थRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ष्टवे
- is praised / is being praisedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole Kriyā (यद्-उपवाक्ये)Root स्तु (धातु) → स्तवे (आत्मनेपद)
- नाना
- variously, in many waysIndeclinableअव्यय; ‘विविधम्/पृथक्’Role (विशेषणार्थे)Root नाना (अव्यय)
- जातौ
- (you) two born ones / the two who are bornNoun (dual)स्त्रीलिङ्ग (जाति-भाव), प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole Kartā (मुख्यवाक्ये ‘… ईयथुः’ इत्यस्य) — ‘(युवाम्) जातौ’Root जात (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √जन् → जात)
- अरेपसा
- faultless, spotlessAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (विश्वा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma-विशेषणRoot अ-रेपस् (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास, ‘रेपस्’=दोष/कल्मष)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग; ‘सम्यक्/एकत्र’Role (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थ)Root सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अस्मे
- to us / for us (Vedic form)Pronounचतुर्थी/सप्तमी, एकवचन (वैदिके ‘अस्मे’ = ‘अस्मभ्यम्/अस्मिन्’)Role Sampradāna (दत्त्यर्थ) / Adhikaraṇa (स्थाने) — प्रसङ्गानुसारRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- बन्धुम्
- kin, ally, bondNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईयथुः
- you two have come / have gone (approached)Verbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट्; वैदिक प्रयोग), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole Kriyā (मुख्यवाक्ये); कर्ता = ‘(युवाम्) जातौ’Root इ (धातु ‘गम्/य’ अर्थे) → ईयथुः
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तत् ऊँ षु वाम् एना कृतम् विश्वा यत् वाम् अनु ष्टवे । नाना जातौ अरेपसा सम् अस्मे बन्धुम् ईयथुः ॥ 1) तदू॒ = तत् + ऊँ (निपात-संयोग)
- 2) वा॑मे॒ना = वाम् + एना (षष्ठी ‘वाम्’ + तृतीया ‘एना’)
- 3) यद्वा॒मनु॒ = यत् + वाम् + अनु
- 4) ष्टवे॑ = स्तवे (√स्तु), पदारम्भे ‘स्’ संयोग-लोप/संक्षेपः (वैदिक संधि/पदपाठ-परम्परा)
- 5) सम॒स्मे = सम् + अस्मे
- 6) बन्धु॒मेय॑थुः = बन्धुम् + ईयथुः (म् + ई → मे)
The meaning
Outer meaning
All this is your doing when one praises you; though born in different ways, O flawless ones, you come together to us as kin.
Inner meaning
The Aśvins represent complementary powers—often felt as paired movements (healing/illumining, swift action/right discernment). Though they arise through different inner ‘births’ (nānā jātau)—different experiences, faculties, or yogic openings—they unite in the seeker as a single helpful Presence. Praise (stuti) is not flattery but conscious alignment: when aspiration and recognition follow the divine working, the whole field of life begins to show their ‘doing’—coincidences become guidance, breakdowns become repair, darkness becomes passage.
Universal truth
When we consciously align with the higher Help, diverse powers within existence converge into supportive kinship; the divine becomes intimate to the human when invoked with sincerity.
Themes
Praise efficacy, Divine-human kinship, Purity, Unity of twins
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 5.73.1-7
Significance
The seer’s emphasis is relational yoga: the divine is not distant; it becomes ‘bandhu’—a living inner alliance—through conscious invocation.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Epithets
- Arepasā (flawless), Dasrā (wondrous doers), Nāsatyā (true ones)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūryā, Soma
Cosmic role
Mediators between heaven and earth who unite divided functions and bring timely succor.
Inner power
Integrative twin-force that reconciles opposites and establishes a supportive inner bond (bandhu) with the aspirant.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin praise in Soma and dawn-related recitations
तदू॒ षु वा॑मे॒ना कृ॒तं विश्वा॒ यद्वा॒मनु॒ ष्टवे॑ । नाना॑ जा॒ताव॑रे॒पसा॒ सम॒स्मे बन्धु॒मेय॑थुः ॥
तत् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । सु । वा॒म् । ए॒ना । कृ॒तम् । विश्वा॑ । यत् । वा॒म् । अनु॑ । स्तवे॑ । नाना॑ । जा॒तौ । अ॒रे॒पसा॑ । सम् । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । बन्धु॑म् । आ । ई॒य॒थुः॒ ॥
tat | oṃ iti | su | vām | enā | kṛtam | viśvā | yat | vām | anu | stave | nānā | jātau | arepasā | sam | asme iti | bandhum | ā | īyathuḥ
44
4×~11 (approx.)
Balanced and conciliatory cadence—mirrors the theme of convergence (‘sam’).
Creates trust and closeness; good for invoking protection and companionship in sādhanā.
- स्तव (stave/stuti)
- Literal: praise. Symbolic: aspiration and recognition that opens receptivity
- नाना जातौ (nānā jātau)
- Literal: born in various ways. Symbolic: diverse origins/modes of inner powers; multiple pathways of awakening
- अरेपसा (arepasā)
- Literal: spotless, flawless. Symbolic: pure forces not distorted by ego; unsullied help
- बन्धु (bandhu)
- Literal: kin, relation. Symbolic: intimate linkage between human consciousness and divine powers
Stotra/invocation logic: praise as the means of drawing the gods near; used in Aśvin hymnic sequences in Soma liturgy.
At openings/thresholds of rite; when inviting harmony and faultless help.
Stotra/śastra style recitation to draw the Aśvins near as allies of the sacrificer.
Use when feeling divided or inconsistent: chant to invite integration of mind-life-body and a ‘friendly’ nearness of the divine.
√stu ‘praise’ (PIE *stew- ‘praise’) in ṣṭave. bandhu ‘bond/kin’ from √bandh ‘bind’ (PIE *bʰendʰ-). arepas ‘unstained’ (a- privative + repas ‘stain/harm’). The verse marks a theology of response: praise aligns the human with divine action.
Reciprocity of praise and divine action, Bandhu (correspondence/kinship) as inner linkage, Purity (arepas) as condition of effective help
‘Sam … eyathuḥ’ (you come together) images Ṛta as integration—right relation among powers.
Their ‘doing’ becomes evident when consciousness cooperates; truth manifests as practical support.
From multiplicity (nānā) to unity (sam): a recurrent Vedic movement of integration.
Integral/psychological reading aligned with Aurobindonian symbolism (unity of powers in the seeker)
dawn (implied Aśvin hour)
At the ‘dawn’ of receptivity, disparate inner movements become a single supportive companionship.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘bandhu’ mythologem: gods become kin through the act of praise, collapsing distance between human and divine. The twins’ ‘different births’ yet unified coming suggests complementary powers converging to aid the seeker.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √stu (praise) has clear PIE cognacy (e.g., Greek stómos?; more securely Latin stupeo is different, but *stew- is well known). √bandh (bind) matches PIE *bʰendʰ-. The privative a- is inherited Indo-European morphology.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi asserts that divine works manifest ‘when one praises in accordance’—praise is not flattery but a tuning/attunement. The gods respond by forming bandhu, an intimate correspondence within the sacrificer, enabling their help to operate as an inner force.
Shift from complaint to recognition: review ‘all this’ as potential divine working; invite the twin-force to integrate conflicting impulses.
Heart center (Anāhata) for ‘bandhu’—inner relationship with the Divine
Coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min) while mentally repeating ‘sam … bandhum’.
Receptive calm with relational warmth.
After chanting, sit and name three life-events as possible ‘your doing’; offer them inwardly and ask for the flawless convergence of forces.
Not fully derivable here; maintain clear udātta emphasis on ‘viśvā’, ‘stave’, ‘arepasā’, ‘bandhum’.
Slight lift on ‘tad ū ṣu’ opening; keep ‘sam asme bandhum’ as a single flowing unit.
(tad ū ṣu): lengthen ū; keep ṣ retroflex, (viśvā): ‘śv’ cluster clean, (anu ṣṭave): retroflex ṣṭ; avoid inserting vowel, (arepasā): single r tap; long ā, (eyathuḥ): initial e clear; final ḥ soft
Gentle, inclusive, steady.
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