Rig Veda 7.72.5: Mandala 7, Sukta 72, Mantra 5
Sukta 7.72
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
आ पश्चातान्नासत्या पुरस्तादाश्विना यातमधरादुदक्तात् । आ विश्वतः पाञ्चजन्येन राया यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
ā́ paścā́tān nāsatyā purástād ā́śvinā yātam adharā́d údaktāt | ā́ viśvátáḥ pā́ñcajanyena rāyā́ yūyáṃ pāta svastíbhiḥ sádā naḥ ||
Por trás e pela frente, ó Nāsatyas; de baixo e de cima, ó Aśvins, vinde a nós. De todos os lados, com a riqueza que serve à humanidade de cinco ramos, guardai-nos sempre com benfazejas svastis.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग (गत्यर्थक/आह्वानार्थक)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- पश्चात्
- from behind, from the west/afterIndeclinableअव्यय (दिक्कालवाचक)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पश्चात् (अव्यय)
- आत्
- from, out ofIndeclinableअव्यय (अपादानार्थक निपात)Role ApādānaRoot आत् (अव्यय; ablatival particle)
- नासत्या
- O Nāsatyas (Aśvins)Nounपुंलिङ्ग (देवनाम), सम्बोधन/प्रथमा द्विवचन (Vedic: vocative = nominative form)Role SambodhanaRoot नासत्य (प्रातिपदिक; अश्विनौ)
- पुरस्तात्
- from the front, from the east/beforeIndeclinableअव्यय (दिक्वाचक)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पुरस्तात् (अव्यय)
- आ
- hitherIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNounपुंलिङ्ग (देवनाम), सम्बोधन/प्रथमा द्विवचन (Vedic: vocative = nominative form)Role SambodhanaRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक; अश्विनौ)
- यातम्
- come, drive (hither)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root या (धातु) / yā
- अधरात्
- from belowIndeclinableअव्ययीभाव/तसिलान्त (अपादानार्थक)Role ApādānaRoot अधर (प्रातिपदिक) + तसिल् (abl.)
- उदक्तात्
- from aboveIndeclinableतसिलान्त अव्यय (अपादानार्थक)Role ApādānaRoot उदक्/उदञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक ‘upper’) + तसिल् (abl.)
- आ
- hitherIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग)
- विश्वतः
- from all sides, on every sideIndeclinableतसिलान्त अव्यय (दिगर्थ/परितः)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तसिल्
- पाञ्चजन्येन
- with (wealth) belonging to the five peoplesAdjectiveपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot पाञ्चजन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- राया
- with wealth, by richesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (Vedic instr. sg. in -ā)Role KaraṇaRoot राय्/राय (प्रातिपदिक ‘wealth’)
- यूयम्
- you (all)Pronounप्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- पात
- protect!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root पा (धातु ‘to protect’) / pā
- स्वस्तिभिः
- with blessings, with well-beingNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableअव्यय (कालवाचक)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सदा (अव्यय)
- नः
- us, for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): प॒श्चाता॑न् + नास॒त्या → पश्चात् + आत् + नासत्या (आत् as ablatival particle ‘from’)
- पु॒रस्ता॒दाश्वि॑ना → पुरस्तात् + आ + अश्विना
- यातमध॒रादुद॑क्तात् → यातम् + अधरात् + उदक्तात्
- वि॒श्वत॒: पाञ्च॑जन्येन → विश्वतः + पाञ्चजन्येन
- रा॒या यू॒यं → राया + यूयम्
- स्व॒स्तिभि॒: सदा॑ नः → स्वस्तिभिः + सदा + नः. Accent marks in the saṃhitā are not repeated in the normalized pada forms above
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come to us from behind and before, O Nāsatyas; from below and above, O Aśvins. From every side with the wealth that serves the fivefold people, guard us always with well-being.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls the twin helpers to enter consciousness from all directions—past and future (behind/before), lower and higher (below/above), and every side—so no part of the nature remains unhelped. The ‘fivefold’ (pāñcajanya) points to the integral human instrument (body, life, mind, knowledge-will, delight or the five prāṇas/senses in a harmonized whole). The ‘wealth’ (rāyā) is not mere possession but plenitude of energies and capacities needed for integral growth. Their ‘svasti’ is the steady condition of right harmony and protection in all movements.
Universal truth
True healing and progress require total assistance: every layer and direction of the being must be touched by harmonizing powers, establishing enduring well-being.
Themes
All-direction protection, Integration of the fivefold nature, Blessing/closing verse, Aśvins
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.54 (protection), RV 7.60 (well-being), RV 7.88 (vastness and guarding)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s invocations often seek comprehensive protection and integral harmony—calling the gods into all planes of existence.
Significance
The mantra expresses integral yoga in seed-form: invite the divine help into every direction/level so the whole being is safeguarded and made prosperous in truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā, Aśvinā, Svastidā (givers of well-being, by function), Protectors in transitions
- Related deities
- Pūṣan (safe paths), Savitṛ (right impulsion), Agni (purifying will)
Cosmic role
Guardians and healers who move swiftly through the worlds, bringing safe passage, restoration, and auspicious order.
Inner power
All-sided harmonization—repairing splits between higher and lower, past and future tendencies; establishing svasti as a stable ground.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective Aśvin invocation; general auspiciousness (svasti) prayers
आ प॒श्चाता॑न्नास॒त्या पु॒रस्ता॒दाश्वि॑ना यातमध॒रादुद॑क्तात् । आ वि॒श्वत॒: पाञ्च॑जन्येन रा॒या यू॒यं पा॑त स्व॒स्तिभि॒: सदा॑ नः ॥
आ । प॒श्चाता॑त् । ना॒स॒त्या॒ । आ । पु॒रस्ता॑त् । आ । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । या॒त॒म् । अ॒ध॒रात् । उद॑क्तात् । आ । वि॒श्वतः॑ । पाञ्च॑ऽजन्येन । रा॒या । यू॒यम् । पा॒त॒ । स्व॒स्तिऽभिः॑ । सदा॑ । नः॒ ॥
ā | paścātāt | nāsatyā | ā | purastāt | ā | aśvinā | yātam | adharāt | udaktāt | ā | viśvataḥ | pāñca-janyena | rāyā | yūyam | pāta | svasti-bhiḥ | sadā | naḥ
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4×12 (probable)
Directional, encompassing, with repeated ā… ā… giving a ‘surrounding’ effect.
Builds a sense of being held on all sides; good for protection and centering.
- पश्चातात् / पुरस्तात् (paścātāt / purastāt)
- Literal: from behind / from before. Symbolic: from past formations and future possibilities; subconscious residues and forward aspiration
- अधरात् / उदक्तात् (adharāt / udaktāt)
- Literal: from below / from above. Symbolic: from vital/physical levels and from higher mind/spirit
- विश्वतः (viśvataḥ)
- Literal: from every side. Symbolic: totality of the being; no excluded part
- पाञ्चजन्य (pāñcajanya)
- Literal: belonging to the five peoples. Symbolic: fivefold human instrument; integrated faculties
- राय (rāya)
- Literal: wealth, abundance. Symbolic: plenitude of force, clarity, joy, capacity for right living
- स्वस्ति (svasti)
- Literal: well-being, auspiciousness. Symbolic: stable harmony of the nature under truth-guidance
Protective ‘all-directions’ formula; functions like a sealing prayer for comprehensive guarding, adaptable across rites as a benedictive close.
Morning or before travel/undertakings; also at transitions (new work, healing periods).
Āvāhana (invitation) + svasti-prārthanā (prayer for well-being).
Use as a ‘psychic protection’ mantra before sleep (past residues) and before action (future movement), asking for harmony above/below.
Directional tetrad (paścātāt/purastāt/adharāt/udaktāt) expresses totality. pā́ñca-janya: ‘five-born’ (pañca ‘five’ + janya from √jan ‘be born’), often ‘five peoples’; in inner sense, the fivefold human nature (senses/vital functions) to be harmonized. rāyí: ‘wealth’ from √rā ‘to give, bestow’ → fullness/plenitude. svastí as before.
totality/wholeness (sarvataḥ protection), fivefold human formation (pāñcajanya) as integrated nature, rāyí as plenitude of being; svasti as wideness
Calling from all directions seeks a complete alignment so no disordering force remains unaddressed.
Nāsatyā indicates truth-effective action operating on every plane.
Wholeness as the condition for prosperity; the cosmos supports the integral being through all-sided guardianship.
Integral/holistic Vedic psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap line): fivefold instrument perfected by divine aid.
Orientation of consciousness: gathering scattered energies from all sides into a protected center; vertical alignment with higher truth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of total guardianship: the divine twins are invoked from all directions and levels to encompass the sacrificer. Inner sense: the Aśvins are asked to enter and protect the whole field of the being—past and future (behind/before), lower and higher nature (below/above)—and to bring rāyí that integrates the fivefold human formation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The directional schema is a common archaic Indo-European rhetorical device for totality (enumeration of spatial opposites). √jan in pāñcajanya reflects PIE *ǵenh₁- ‘beget’. Such formulae are typical of early hymn traditions where cosmic completeness is invoked through paired oppositions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi seeks not a partial boon but a comprehensive enclosure of protection (svasti) and plenitude (rāyí). The Aśvins are treated as powers that can pervade the whole psycho-cosmic space of the seeker, suggesting an intimate, all-sided guardianship rather than occasional intervention.
All-sided invocation: feel help entering from behind/before, below/above; unify the fivefold instrument into a single poised being.
Sahasrāra (above) + Mūlādhāra (below) integration; protective field around the body
Four-direction breathing: inhale imagining light from above, exhale grounding below; then inhale from front, exhale to back; repeat, ending with ‘all sides’.
Centered equanimity with protective wideness
Chant while sensing a sphere of calm force around you. Offer the ‘fivefold’ parts (body-life-mind etc.) into that sphere; conclude with silent gratitude and a clear intention to act in svasti.
Accents emphasize repeated ā (invitation) and directional terms; keep each directional pair clearly articulated.
Make slight pauses after each directional phrase (paścātāt | purastāt | adharāt | udaktāt) to ‘map’ the invocation.
(paścātāt): śc cluster; long ā, (purastāt): clear r; long ā, (udaktāt): ud- + aktāt; keep kṭ crisp, (pāñcajanyena): ñc cluster; ja-ny- smooth, (svastibhiḥ): sv cluster; bh aspirated
Low, steady, protective timbre; even breath.
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