Rig Veda 7.71.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 71, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.71
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
आ वां रथमवमस्यां व्युष्टौ सुम्नायवो वृषणो वर्तयन्तु । स्यूमगभस्तिमृतयुग्भिरश्वैराश्विना वसुमन्तं वहेथाम् ॥
ā́ vāṃ rátham avamasyā́ṃ vyúṣṭau sumnā́yavo vṛ́ṣaṇo vartayantu | syū́magabhastim ṛtáyugbhir áśvair ā́śvinā vásumantaṃ vahethām ||
Przy ostatnim świcie niech silni wyprzedzą wasz rydwan dla naszego szczęścia; z końmi zaprzężonymi w Prawdę, z rękami dobrze trzymającymi cugle, o Aśvinowie, przywieźcie rydwan bogaty w wewnętrzną obfitość.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- वाम्
- of you two / you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया द्विवचन (enclitic form of yuṣmad)Role Sampradāna (recipient/goal) / संबन्धRoot युष्मद् (प्रonominal stem)
- रथम्
- chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रथ (prātipadika)
- अवमस्याम्
- in the lowest/last (i.e., latest)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (agreeing with व्युष्टौ)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अवम (superlative adj. stem)
- व्युष्टौ
- at dawn, in the dawningNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Vedic loc. ending -au)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot व्युष्टि (f. ‘dawning, dawn’)
- सुम्नायवः
- seekers of favor, favor-desiring (ones)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सुम्नायू (adj./agent-noun from सुम्न ‘favor’)
- वृषणः
- the mighty (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (used substantively)Role KartāRoot वृषन् (adj. ‘strong, virile, mighty’)
- वर्तयन्तु
- let (them) set in motion / make rollVerbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वृत्/वर्त् (to turn, set in motion) → causative वर्तयति
- स्यूमगभस्तिम्
- the chariot with well-joined hand-grips/shafts (lit. ‘well-yoked grasp’)Noun (compound)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot स्यूम-गभस्ति (compound; gábhasti ‘hand/beam, grasp’)
- ऋतयुग्भिः
- with rightly-yokedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (agreeing with अश्वैः)Role KaraṇaRoot ऋत-युग् (compound; ṛtá ‘right order’ + yug ‘yoking’)
- अश्वैः
- with horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अश्व (prātipadika)
- आश्विना
- O AśvinsAdjective (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचन (Vedic voc. dual -ā)Role (address)Root आश्विन (adj. ‘belonging to the Aśvins’)
- वसुमन्तम्
- wealth-bringing, richAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with रथम् understood / object)Role KarmaRoot वसुमन्त् (adj. ‘wealthy, rich in goods’)
- वहेथाम्
- carry/bring (you two)Verbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot वह् (to carry, convey)
Sandhi Notes
- Padaccheda (sandhi-resolved): आ | वाम् | रथम् | अवमस्याम् | व्युष्टौ | सुम्नायवः | वृषणः | वर्तयन्तु || स्यूमगभस्तिम् | ऋतयुग्भिः | अश्वैः | आश्विना | वसुमन्तम् | वहेथाम् । Notable: वां→वाम् (enclitic dual of युष्मद्)
- अवमस्यां व्युष्टौ (locative agreement; Vedic loc. sg. -au in व्युष्टौ)
- ऋतयुग्भिरश्वैः → ऋतयुग्भिः अश्वैः (visarga before vowel)
- आश्विना (Vedic voc. dual of आश्विन)
The meaning
Outer meaning
At the last breaking of dawn, may the strong bring forward the Aśvins’ chariot for our happiness; with well-held reins and horses yoked to ṛta (truth/order), O Aśvins, bring the chariot rich in wealth.
Inner meaning
At the culminating moment of awakening (avamasyāṃ vyuṣṭau), the seeker asks that the powers of strength (vṛṣaṇo) set the divine movement in front—so the inner journey proceeds for felicity (sumnāya). The Aśvins’ chariot is the coordinated descent of higher action into life. The horses ‘yoked to ṛta’ (ṛtayugbhir aśvaiḥ) are vital energies disciplined by truth and right order—not driven by desire. ‘Hands that hold the reins well’ (syūmagabhasti) indicates mastery and fine control of life-forces. The ‘wealth’ (vasumantam) is inner plenitude: peace, clarity, force, joy.
Universal truth
Real progress comes when energy is yoked to truth and governed with mastery; then the divine movement brings lasting inner wealth.
Themes
Dawn-invocation, Rita-yoked powers, Grace and plenitude, Aśvins
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.66–7.71 (Aśvin hymns around dawn), RV 7.87 (Varuṇa and ṛta themes, conceptual link)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s vision often culminates in ‘ṛta-yoking’: the life-energies become obedient to truth, enabling stable illumination rather than passing flashes.
Significance
He teaches that the decisive factor is governance of energy by truth—mastery (reins) plus right yoking (ṛta) yields plenitude.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Aśvinā, vṛṣaṇo (strong ones), sumnāyavaḥ (givers of felicity, implied by context)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Indra (illumination-force), Agni (will)
Cosmic role
They bring the dawn’s decisive movement, carrying the seeker toward wholeness and prosperity; they embody skilled guidance and timely arrival.
Inner power
They organize prāṇa into truthful action, enabling stable progress at the threshold of illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning/dawn Aśvin invocation; chariot imagery common in Aśvin śastras
आ वां॒ रथ॑मव॒मस्यां॒ व्यु॑ष्टौ सुम्ना॒यवो॒ वृष॑णो वर्तयन्तु । स्यूम॑गभस्तिमृत॒युग्भि॒रश्वै॒राश्वि॑ना॒ वसु॑मन्तं वहेथाम् ॥
आ । वा॒म् । रथ॑म् । अ॒व॒मस्या॑म् । विऽउ॑ष्टौ । सु॒म्न॒ऽयवः॑ । वृष॑णः । व॒र्त॒य॒न्तु॒ । स्यूम॑ऽगभस्तिम् । ऋ॒त॒युक्ऽभिः॑ । अश्वैः॑ । आ । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । वसु॑ऽमन्तम् । व॒हे॒था॒म् ॥
ā | vām | ratham | avamasyām | vi-uṣṭau | sumna-yavaḥ | vṛṣaṇaḥ | vartayantu | syūma-gabhastim | ṛtayuk-bhiḥ | aśvaiḥ | ā | aśvinā | vasu-mantam | vahethām
44
4 × 11 syllables
Steady and directive; images of yoking and steering give a controlled, onward rhythm.
Instills disciplined energy and confidence; supports ‘reining in’ scattered forces and aligning them to a higher order.
- vyuṣṭi
- Literal: dawn-breaking, shining forth. Symbolic: moment of inner illumination and opening
- avamasyāṃ
- Literal: at the last/lowest (often ‘last part’). Symbolic: the culminating edge of transition—when light stabilizes
- sumnāya
- Literal: for happiness/favor. Symbolic: for felicity: a settled gladness and grace in the being
- ratha
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: divine dynamism coordinating faculties; vehicle of transformation
- ṛtayuk
- Literal: yoked to ṛta. Symbolic: energies harnessed to truth-order; disciplined prāṇa
- aśva
- Literal: horse. Symbolic: vital force, power of action
- vasumantam
- Literal: wealthy, rich in goods. Symbolic: rich in inner treasures—peace, light, force, joy
- syūmagabhasti
- Literal: with well-joined/skillful hands holding (reins). Symbolic: mastery of the reins of life-force; skilled guidance of energies
Dawn-call to the Aśvins in Soma liturgy; emphasizes ṛta-yoked horses—apt for rites aiming at right ordering (ṛta) and well-being (sumná).
At dawn’s culmination; before undertaking action requiring right timing and control
Invitation for the chariot; request for ṛta-yoked energies and inner wealth
Before important work or sādhanā session: chant to align energy with truth and cultivate mastery over impulses.
vyúṣṭau: from vi- + √vas/√uṣ ‘shine, dawn’ → ‘dawning, unfolding of light’. sumná: ‘grace, favor, felicity’ (inner harmony), possibly from su- + √man ‘think/esteem’ → ‘good-mindedness/favor’. vṛ́ṣaṇaḥ: from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, be strong, be virile’ → ‘strong, potent’. vartayantu: caus./iter. from √vṛt ‘turn, roll’ → ‘set rolling/bring forward’. ṛtá-yug: ‘yoked to ṛta’ (ṛta from √ar ‘fit, set in order’). vahethām: √vah imperative dual. vásu-mant: possessive suffix -mant ‘endowed with’ + vásu ‘good, wealth (as substance of being)’.
R̥ta (truth-order) as the yoking principle, sumná (grace/felicity) as inner harmony, vasu (plenitude of being)
Explicit: ṛtayugbhir aśvaiḥ—energies must be harnessed to ṛta for the divine movement to function.
Truth governs action through the ‘reins’ of mastery; without satya, energy becomes disorder.
Order arises by yoking forces to ṛta; the chariot is a model of cosmic coordination.
Vedic psychological discipline: transformation by right governance of prāṇa and will under truth.
Late/culminating dawn
Dawn = stabilizing illumination; horses = vital energies; reins/hands = conscious mastery; chariot = integrated psycho-physical instrument.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins’ chariot-epiphany specifically at dawn’s opening, with ṛta-yoked horses. Mythically it is the regulated arrival of the divine helpers; psychologically it is the harnessing of life-energies (aśvāḥ) to ṛta so that the seeker’s movement becomes truth-governed and brings ‘vasu’—substantial fullness of being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The imagery is built on inherited motion/vehicle roots: √vṛt ‘turn/roll’ (PIE *wert-), √vah ‘carry’ (PIE *weǵh-), and the chariot lexicon (rátha-) central to Indo-Iranian poetics. The compound ṛtá-yug- parallels Indo-European formulae of ‘rightly yoked’ steeds (cf. Greek harmonia/yoking themes), pointing to an old poetic inheritance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi positions the community as sumnā́yavaḥ—seekers of divine grace—requesting that the Aśvins’ powers be activated in the dawn-consciousness. The devatā is not merely asked to ‘arrive’ but to arrive in a specific mode: horses yoked to ṛta, i.e., divine help that reorders the seeker’s energies rather than merely granting external goods.
‘Yoke the horses to ṛta’: bring breath and vital impulses under a single truthful intention; feel the Aśvins steering the inner vehicle toward clarity and plenitude.
Manipura (regulated force) guided by Ajna (truth-direction)
Box-breath 4-4-4-4 for 7 rounds, then chant; on each pāda, feel ‘reins’ gently tightening—attention gathering.
Collected, masterful, truth-aligned dynamism.
After chanting, sit 2 minutes sensing where energy is scattered. Name one truth (ṛta) you will obey today; feel the body align as if yoked to that truth.
Triṣṭubh with pronounced rhythmic steadiness; highlight ṛtayugbhir and aśvaiḥ; keep pāda breaks clean to mirror ‘yoking’ and ‘steering’.
Let the voice ‘tighten’ slightly on ṛtayugbhir (discipline), then open on vasumantam (plenitude).
vyuṣṭau: clear vyuṣ- with retroflex ṣ; do not simplify to ‘vyustau’., ṛtayugbhir: articulate ṛta-yug-bhir with clear ṛ; keep gbh cluster distinct., aśvaiḥ: preserve diphthong aiḥ at end.
Steady, controlled, slightly martial; avoid excessive softness—this is a steering mantra.
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