Rig Veda 5.73.5: Mandala 5, Sukta 73, Mantra 5
Sukta 5.73
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
आ यद्वां सूर्या रथं तिष्ठद्रघुष्यदं सदा । परि वामरुषा वयो घृणा वरन्त आतपः ॥
ā́ yád vāṃ sū́ryā ráthaṃ tíṣṭhad raghu-syádaṃ sádā | pári vām aruṣā́ váyo ghṛṇā́ váranta ātápaḥ ||
Quando Sūryā sobe ao vosso carro, sempre veloz no seu curso, ao vosso redor giram os corcéis ruivos do sopro vital; o fulgor e o calor se ajuntam em torno de vós.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (directional: ‘towards, hither’)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- यत्
- when; that (which)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative ‘when/that which’)Role Adhikaraṇa (काल-सम्बन्धे) / सम्बन्धकRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाम्
- of you two; you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (enclitic) ‘of you two / you two’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) / Karma (if taken as object)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सूर्याः
- of the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- रथम्
- chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- तिष्ठत्
- standing; being set/placedVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with implied subject such as रथः/रथम् as ‘standing/being set’ in Vedic usage)Role Kartā-विशेषण / क्रियाविशेषणRoot स्था (धातु)
- रघुष्यदम्
- swift-gliding; quickly runningAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रथम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma-विशेषणRoot रघु + स्यद (प्रातिपदिक; ‘swift’ + ‘gliding/running’)
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (काल)Root सदा (अव्यय)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात ‘around, all around’Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वाम्
- you twoPronounद्वितीया, द्विवचन (enclitic)Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अरुषाः
- the ruddy (ones); ruddy steeds/raysAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- वयः
- flight; winged speed (vigor)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Vedic: ‘bird/flight; strength/vigor’—contextually ‘flight/winged speed’)Role Karma (if ‘choose/seek’ takes it) / Kartā-सम्बन्धRoot वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- घृणा
- glow; heat; radianceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (with वयः as a coordinated subject in Vedic style) / हेतु-भावRoot घृणा (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरन्ते
- they choose; they seekVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot वृ (धातु; ‘to choose, prefer, seek’)
- आतपः
- heats; burning rays; sunshineNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (subject of वरन्ते) / or apposition to अरुषाःRoot आतप (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): आ | यत् | वाम् | सूर्याः | रथम् | तिष्ठत् | रघुष्यदम् | सदा | परि | वाम् | अरुषाः | वयः | घृणा | वरन्ते | आतपः । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) यद्वाम् = यत् + वाम् (त् + व् → द्व्)
- (2) तिष्ठ॑द्रघु॒ष्यदं॒ = तिष्ठत् + रघुष्यदम् (त् + र् → द्र्; Vedic external sandhi)
- (3) वामरु॒षा = वाम् + अरुषाः (म् + अ → म; anusvāra/मकार-लोप with vowel coalescence in saṃhitā)
The meaning
Outer meaning
When Sūryā mounts your ever-swift chariot, the ruddy steeds wheel around you; glow and heat gather about you.
Inner meaning
Sūryā is the solar illumination (truth-light) consenting to ride with the Aśvins’ swift powers—meaning: when the seeker’s awakening light joins the divine helpers, the whole being becomes charged. The ‘ruddy steeds’ (aruṣā vayo) are vital energies turned luminous—life-force no longer restless but orbiting the right movement. ‘Ghṛṇā’ (glow) and ‘ātapaḥ’ (heat) are the radiance and tapas generated by contact with truth-light: a warming transformative intensity that ripens consciousness.
Universal truth
When illumination joins right action, life-energy becomes orderly and radiant; true progress is accompanied by both light (clarity) and heat (transforming force).
Themes
Solar imagery, Divine chariot, Radiance and heat, Awakening
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 5.73.1-7
Significance
The verse encodes a psychological ‘wedding’ of illumination (Sūryā) with swift right functioning (Aśvins): a sign that the path is entering a more luminous, effective phase.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvins (with Sūryā as associated figure)
- Epithets
- Aśvinā (lords of horses), Dasrā (wondrous)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Uṣas, Agni
Cosmic role
Bring dawn’s swift transitions; escort solar illumination into the human field.
Inner power
They yoke life-force to light—turning raw vitality into a radiant, serviceable energy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn invocations to Aśvins; imagery linked to their mythic marriage/escort of Sūryā
आ यद्वां॑ सू॒र्या रथं॒ तिष्ठ॑द्रघु॒ष्यदं॒ सदा॑ । परि॑ वामरु॒षा वयो॑ घृ॒णा व॑रन्त आ॒तप॑: ॥
आ । यत् । वा॒म् । सू॒र्या । रथ॑म् । तिष्ठ॑त् । र॒घु॒ऽस्यद॑म् । सदा॑ । परि॑ । वा॒म् । अ॒रु॒षाः । वयः॑ । घृ॒णा । व॒र॒न्ते॒ । आ॒तपः॑ ॥
ā | yat | vām | sūryā | ratham | tiṣṭhat | raghu-syadam | sadā | pari | vām | aruṣāḥ | vayaḥ | ghṛṇā | varante | ātapaḥ
44
4×~11 (approx.)
Quick, bright cadence; imagery of speed and circling energy.
Energizes and warms; helpful to dispel tamas and invite clarity before practice.
- सूर्या (sūryā)
- Literal: Sūryā (solar maiden). Symbolic: illumination consenting to participate; truth-light in the seeker
- रथ (ratha)
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: vehicle of the yoga; coordinated faculties
- रघुस्यदं (raghuṣyadaṃ)
- Literal: swift-moving. Symbolic: rapid responsiveness of higher help; quickened progress
- अरुषाः (aruṣāḥ)
- Literal: ruddy, tawny. Symbolic: luminous vital energies; purified life-force
- घृणा (ghṛṇā)
- Literal: glow, brightness. Symbolic: radiant clarity, beneficent light
- आतपः (ātapaḥ)
- Literal: heat, sunshine. Symbolic: tapas—transforming warmth that burns obscurity
Mythic-epithetic description of the Aśvins’ chariot scene; supports invitatory and praise sections in Soma context.
Early morning; at transitions in the rite when invoking swift, luminous assistance.
Recitation accompanying offerings that invite the deities’ arrival on the chariot.
Morning chant to kindle tapas and clarity; useful before study, disciplined work, or a fresh start.
aruṣa ‘ruddy’ linked with dawn/fire coloration; ghṛṇā ‘glow/heat’ relates to shining warmth; ātapa ‘heat’ from ā+√tap ‘to heat, burn’ (tapas-field). varante from √vṛ ‘choose/cover/enclose’—here ‘enfold, gather around’.
Tapas (heat as transformative force), Illumination joining divine movement (Sūryā mounting the chariot)
The swift chariot under illumination suggests right-ordered progress—speed without disorder.
Sūryā indicates truth-light; when it ‘mounts’ the movement, actions align with Satya.
Light and heat as twin aspects of manifestation—illumination plus force.
Yoga of transformation (tapas) and illumination (sūrya) consistent with psychological Veda.
dawn to early sunrise
summer-like solar intensity (symbolic)
As inner sun rises, vital energies become tawny-luminous and tapas gathers for transformation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The solar bridal/chariot scene: Sūryā joining the Aśvins’ chariot, surrounded by ruddy energies and heat—mythically a radiant procession; inwardly the illumined consciousness (Sūryā) consenting to the swift divine movement that brings transformation (ātapa/tapas).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √tap (heat) is Indo-Iranian and reflects an old IE semantic of burning/ardor. √vṛ ‘cover/choose’ is widely Indo-European (cf. Latin velare ‘cover’ is different root; but PIE *wel- vs *wer-; still Indo-Iranian √vṛ is robust). The dual possessive vāṃ and scene-setting yád are archaic poetic features.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi contemplates the gods’ advent as a recognizable inner phenomenon: when the illumined power joins them, radiance and transformative heat gather. The hymn thus trains perception—teaching the seeker to read inner signs of the Aśvins’ approach.
Invite the ‘inner Sūryā’ (truth-light) to sit on the movement of practice; feel life-force orbiting calmly around the luminous center.
Maṇipūra (tapas/heat) with Ājñā (illumination) integration
Kapalabhati (gentle, 30–60 strokes) then quiet nasal breathing while visualizing golden light.
Luminous dynamism—clear, warm, ready to act rightly.
Chant at sunrise; then sit with attention at the navel-solar plexus, imagining a golden chariot-wheel turning steadily, warming and clarifying the whole system.
Not fully derivable; emphasize ‘sūryā’, ‘rathaṃ’, ‘raghuṣyadaṃ’, ‘aruṣā’, ‘ghṛṇā’, ‘ātapaḥ’.
Keep first hemistich brisk (arrival/mounting), second hemistich circling (pari … varante).
(sūryā): long ū; palatal y, (raghuṣyadaṃ): keep ṣy cluster; nasalize final ṃ, (aruṣāḥ): retroflex ṣ; long ā, (ghṛṇā): ‘ghṛ’ with vocalic ṛ; avoid ‘gri’, (ātapaḥ): long ā; final ḥ soft
Bright, ringing, slightly rising energy.
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