Rig Veda 8.7.27: Mandala 8, Sukta 7, Mantra 27
Sukta 8.7
- Rishi
- Kāṇva
- Devata
- Devāḥ
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
आ नो मखस्य दावनेऽश्वैर्हिरण्यपाणिभिः । देवास उप गन्तन ॥
ā nó makhásya dāváne 'śváiḥ híraṇyapāṇibhiḥ | devā́sa úpa gantana ||
Vinde a nós para conceder o deleite da oferenda sacrificial, com vossos corcéis, com mãos de fulgor dourado; ó deuses, aproximai-vos!
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (गत्यर्थे/आह्वाने)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- नः
- of us, ourPronounषष्ठी (gen.), बहुवचन (pl.)Role Sampradāna (हित/अधिकार-सम्बन्धः)Root अस्मद्
- मखस्य
- of the sacrifice/riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root मख (प्रातिपदिक)
- दावने
- for giving, to bestowVerbal noun (infinitival dative)चतुर्थी एकवचन (दातिव/उद्देश्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग-भावःRole Sampradāna/प्रयोजन (purpose: ‘for giving’)Root दा (धातु) → दावन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वैः
- with horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनRole Karaṇa (instrument/means)Root अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- हिरण्यपाणिभिः
- with golden handsAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (देवासः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karaṇa (along with/with the aid of) / विशेषणRoot हिरण्यपाणि (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समास; हिरण्य + पाणि)
- देवासः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (subject/agent)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- near, up toIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (सामीप्ये)Root उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- गन्तन
- come, approachVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; वैदिक-आदेशरूपम् (गन्तन = ‘गच्छत’)Role Kartā (आज्ञा—कर्ता: देवासः)Root गम् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | नः | मखस्य | दावने | अश्वैः | हिरण्यपाणिभिः | देवासः | उप | गन्तन । 1) दावनेऽश्वैः = दावने + अश्वैः (अ + अ → ’/अवग्रह)
- 2) अश्वै॒र्हिर॑ण्य- = अश्वैः + हिरण्य- (विसर्गः → र् before voiced consonant ‘ह’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come to us for the giving of the delight of the offering, with your horses, with hands of gold; O gods, draw near.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls the divine powers (devāsaḥ—here likely the Marut host with Indra’s companions) to approach the inner sacrifice. Makha is not merely ritual offering but the soul’s consecrated effort whose essence is delight (ānanda). The ‘horses’ are the vital energies disciplined to carry the gods’ movement; ‘golden hands’ are luminous executive powers—actions done in truth-light, not in ego impulse.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress is accelerated when action becomes a conscious offering and the energies of life are harnessed to a higher delight; then divine powers ‘draw near’ as living presences.
Themes
invocation, divine approach (upa), bestowal of luminous gifts
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.7 (Marut sequence), RV 8.2 (Kāṇva invocations to Indra)
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns frequently turn invocation into inner yoga: calling powers to participate in the yajña of consciousness.
Significance
The seer frames the divine-human relation as mutual giving: the offered aspiration/work invites a descent of luminous power and delight.
The deity
- Devata
- Devāḥ (contextually Maruts/Indra-allies)
- Epithets
- hiraṇya-pāṇi (golden-handed), aśvin (steed-borne; implied)
- Related deities
- Maruts, Indra, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Bearers of movements between worlds; they come to the sacrifice to strengthen ṛta and prosperity.
Inner power
Descent of luminous action-force—divine energies that transform work into joy and effectiveness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invitation (āvāhana) style verse within Soma/Indra-Marut rites (general)
आ नो॑ म॒खस्य॑ दा॒वनेऽश्वै॒र्हिर॑ण्यपाणिभिः । देवा॑स॒ उप॑ गन्तन ॥
आ । नः॒ । म॒खस्य॑ । दा॒वने॑ । अश्वैः॑ । हिर॑ण्यपाणिऽभिः । देवा॑सः । उप॑ । ग॒न्त॒न॒ ॥
ā | naḥ | makhasya | dāvane | aśvaiḥ | hiraṇyapāṇi-bhiḥ | devāsaḥ | upa | gantana
44
4 × ~11 (approx.)
Invocatory, forward-calling; balanced urgency.
Opens receptivity; steadies breath while building a sense of approach and presence.
- आ (ā)
- Literal: come!. Symbolic: invocation; opening to descent/approach of higher powers
- मख (makha)
- Literal: sacrifice, offering. Symbolic: consecrated work; inner yajña of transformation
- दावने (dāvane)
- Literal: for giving. Symbolic: bestowal of force, light, joy; exchange between human and divine
- अश्वैः (aśvaiḥ)
- Literal: with horses. Symbolic: vital energies; powers of movement and execution
- हिरण्यपाणिभिः (hiraṇyapāṇibhiḥ)
- Literal: with golden hands. Symbolic: actions guided by truth-light; luminous capacity to shape life
- देवासः (devāsaḥ)
- Literal: gods. Symbolic: powers of consciousness functioning in the being
General invitatory (āvāhana) for Soma/Indra-Marut rite: calling the gods to the offering for bestowal of force, light, and delight.
At the stage of calling deities to the offering and distribution of Soma/oblations.
Invite, welcome, and ‘seat’ the gods; mentally offer one’s energies (aśva) into the rite.
Use before beginning focused work/creative practice: a short invocation to consecrate action and invite clarity.
makhá- in RV often denotes ‘sacrificial festivity/energy’; psychologically, the offered ardor that becomes delight. dāvána from √dā ‘give’ indicates reciprocity: offering evokes divine giving. aśva from PIE *h₁éḱwos ‘horse’ (swift force). hiraṇya ‘golden’ = luminous/solar.
reciprocity of offering and grace (dāna), inner sacrifice (makha as consecrated ardor)
The gods come to establish right movement in the human field through consecrated work.
Golden hands symbolize truth-in-action (satya in karma).
Reciprocity: offering leads to descent; delight is both means and result.
Karma-yoga archetype in Vedic form; integral offering of life-energy.
Horses = prāṇic/vital currents; gold = solar mind/light; coming near = descent into the waking consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘coming of the gods to the sacrifice’: the devās are invited to approach and give. Innerly, the seeker calls the luminous powers to enter the field of effort (makha) and convert it into delight and effective giving (dāvana).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśva ‘horse’ reflects PIE *h₁éḱwos with broad IE cognates (Latin equus, Old Irish ech). The formula ‘come near’ (ā… upa… gam) is a common Indo-Iranian liturgical imperative pattern.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi establishes the exchange: human ardor offered as makha invites the gods’ descent; their ‘golden hands’ signify that what they give is essentially light—clarity, force, and harmony—rather than merely material wealth.
Consecrate work and invite luminous guidance into the hands and breath-driven energies.
Maṇipūra (force of action) guided by Ājñā (light)
Inhale on ‘ā no…’ (inviting), exhale on ‘upa gantana’ (settling the presence).
Receptive, centered, ready for right action.
Before action, feel the ‘golden hands’—let movements arise from a quiet luminous will rather than restlessness; offer the outcome inwardly.
Tri-svara; verify accent positions in a svara-marked recension.
Make ‘ā’ a clear upward call; keep ‘makhasya dāvane’ steady and devotional; close with a gentle but definite ‘upa gantana’.
makhasya: aspirate ‘kh’, dāvane: long ‘ā’, aśvaiḥ: diphthong ‘aiḥ’ clean, visarga/light aspiration as per tradition, hiraṇyapāṇibhiḥ: retroflex ‘ṇ’; long ‘ā’; keep ‘bh’ aspirated, devāsaḥ: long ‘ā’
Warm, inviting, steady resonance.
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