Rig Veda 1.34.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 34, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.34
- Rishi
- Gautama Rāhūgaṇa
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
त्रयः पवयो मधुवाहने रथे सोमस्य वेनामनु विश्व इद्विदुः । त्रयः स्कम्भासः स्कभितास आरभे त्रिर्नक्तं याथस्त्रिर्वश्विना दिवा ॥
tráyaḥ paváyo madhuvā́hane ráthe sómasya venā́m ánu víśva íd viduḥ | tráyaḥ skambhā́saḥ skabhitā́sa ārabhé trír náktaṃ yā́thas trír va aśvinā divā́ ||
Три обода на вашей медоносной колеснице; все следуют влечению Сомы. Три опорных столпа поставлены для восхождения; трижды ночью вы шествуете и трижды днём, о Ашвины.
Word by Word
- त्रयः
- threeAdjective/Numeralपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तृपदस्य)Root त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) → त्रय
- पवयः
- rims/metal bands (of a chariot wheel)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot पवि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धार/फलक/रिम्’)
- मधुवाहने
- on the honey-bearing (chariot)Noun (compound)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot मधु + √वह् (वाहन) → मधुवाहन
- रथे
- on/in the chariotNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमस्य
- of SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- वेनाम्
- the (inspiring) impulse/strainNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वेना (प्रातिपदिक; ‘कामना/प्रेरणा/धुनि/स्वर’—Vedic)
- अनु
- along, followingIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- विश्वः
- everyone, allAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot विश्व (सर्व/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (निपातः—बलवचनम्)Root इत्/इद् (निपात; emphatic particle)
- विदुः
- they have known / knowVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √विद् (जानने)
- त्रयः
- threeAdjective/Numeralपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root त्रि → त्रय
- स्कम्भासः
- props, supportsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot स्कम्भ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्तम्भ/आधार’)
- स्कभितासः
- propped, fixed, set firmAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root √स्कभ् (स्तम्भने/आधारे) → स्कभित (कृदन्त)
- आरभे
- at the taking-hold / at the startNoun (action/occasion; Vedic locative)पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot आ-√रभ् (आरम्भे/आलम्बने) → आरभ
- त्रिः
- thriceIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root त्रिः (अव्यय; distributive numeral)
- नक्तम्
- by nightIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role Adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरणम्)Root नक्तम् (अव्यय; ‘रात्रौ’)
- याथः
- you two goVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √या (गत्यर्थे)
- त्रिः
- thriceIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root त्रिः (अव्यय)
- वश्विना
- O you two mighty/wealthy ones (Aśvins)Noun/Epithetपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-द्विवचनम् (हे वश्विनौ)Role (सम्बोधनम्)Root वश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सम्पन्न/शक्तिमान्’—Vedic epithet)
- दिवा
- by dayIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role Adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरणम्)Root दिवा (अव्यय; ‘दिने’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic): त्रयः | पवयः | मधुवाहने | रथे | सोमस्य | वेनाम् | अनु | विश्वः | इत् | विदुः || त्रयः | स्कम्भासः | स्कभितासः | आरभे | त्रिः | नक्तम् | याथः | त्रिः | वश्विना | दिवा || 1) इद्विदुः = इत् + विदुः (निपात ‘इत्’ + लिट् ‘विदुः’)
- 2) त्रिर्नक्तम् = त्रिः + नक्तम् (विसर्ग/रेफ-सन्धिः: ः + न → र्न)
- 3) याथस्त्रिः = याथः + त्रिः (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ः + त → स्त)
- 4) मधुवाहने रथे: द्वे सप्तम्यौ—‘मधुवाहने’ विशेषणरूपेण ‘रथे’ इत्यस्य
The meaning
Outer meaning
Three are the fellies on your honey-bearing chariot; all follow Soma’s yearning. Three are the supporting pillars set for mounting; thrice by night you travel and thrice by day, O Aśvins.
Inner meaning
The Aśvins’ movement is rhythmic and law-like: ‘three’ repeats as a symbol of ordered completeness in action—often read as triple functioning across levels (body-life-mind) or triple time (past-present-future) brought into harmony. The honey-bearing chariot is the sweet, life-supporting movement of their aid; its ‘three fellies’ are the stable cycles/structures that keep the journey true. All follow Soma’s longing (venā): the soul’s aspiration toward bliss and immortality draws these powers into action. The three supports for mounting suggest that ascent requires stable bases—purity, right energy, right thought—so the seeker can ‘mount’ the divine movement. Their thrice-by-night and thrice-by-day travel indicates help in both obscurity and clarity: guidance through dark passages and bright openings alike.
Universal truth
Transformation is rhythmic: stable structures and repeated cycles carry us through both darkness and light when aspiration for bliss is sincere.
Themes
Aśvin-chariot, Ṛta-rhythm, Soma-delight, Transitions
The seer
- Rishi
- Gautama Rāhūgaṇa
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 1.34.1
Family tradition
Gautama’s Aśvin hymns highlight ordered rhythms and practical supports for ascent and renewal.
Significance
The seer encodes a discipline of rhythm: divine help is not random but arrives in patterned cycles responding to Soma-aspiration.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- madhuvāhana (honey-bearing—by chariot), dasrā, nāsatyā
- Related deities
- Soma, Uṣas, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Regulators of swift transitions and restorers of harmony; they move between night and day bringing remedies and right timing.
Inner power
Rhythmic assistance across changing states; structuring the seeker’s energies into stable cycles.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invocation in soma-related liturgy; also suitable for rites emphasizing regularity and safe passage (night/day).
त्रय॑: प॒वयो॑ मधु॒वाह॑ने॒ रथे॒ सोम॑स्य वे॒नामनु॒ विश्व॒ इद्वि॑दुः । त्रय॑: स्क॒म्भास॑: स्कभि॒तास॑ आ॒रभे॒ त्रिर्नक्तं॑ या॒थस्त्रिर्व॑श्विना॒ दिवा॑ ॥
त्रयः॑ । प॒वयः॑ । मधु॒ऽवाहे॑न । रथे॑ । सोम॑स्य । वे॒नाम् । अनु॑ । विश्वे॑ । इत् । वि॒दुः॒ । त्रयः॑ । स्क॒म्भासः॑ । स्क॒मि॒तासः॑ । आ॒ऽरभे॑ । त्रिः । नक्त॑म् । या॒थः । त्रिः । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । दिवा॑ ॥
trayaḥ | pavayaḥ | madhu-vāhena | rathe | somasya | venām | anu | viśve | it | viduḥ | trayaḥ | skambhāsaḥ | skamitāsaḥ | ārabhe | triḥ | naktam | yāthaḥ | triḥ | oṃ iti | aśvinā | divā
48
4 × ~12
Measured, cyclical flow mirroring the ‘threefold’ rhythm described.
Induces a sense of order and repetition; helpful for stabilizing daily practice cycles.
- त्रयः (trayaḥ)
- Literal: three. Symbolic: triple order/completeness; harmonized functioning across levels or times
- पवयः (pavayaḥ)
- Literal: fellies/segments of a wheel. Symbolic: supporting cycles that keep the movement of practice steady
- मधुवाहन (madhuvāhana)
- Literal: honey-bearing. Symbolic: sweetness of harmony; life-joy that sustains the path
- रथ (ratha)
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: vehicle of divine movement; coordinated instrument of action
- सोमस्य वेनाम् (somasya venām)
- Literal: Soma’s desire/longing. Symbolic: aspiration toward divine bliss that calls the help
- स्कम्भासः (skambhāsaḥ)
- Literal: pillars, supports. Symbolic: foundational stabilizers—ethical basis, prāṇic balance, clarity of mind
- नक्तम्/दिवा (naktam/divā)
- Literal: night/day. Symbolic: states of obscurity and illumination in sadhana
Aśvin praise connected with their chariot and movements; supports dawn/dusk transitional rites and the invocation of sweetness (madhu) in Soma
At transitional times (dawn, dusk) and in sequences inviting Aśvins’ chariot.
Invocation describing their chariot-structure to ‘seat’ their presence in the rite.
Use as a mantra for establishing a thrice-daily sadhana rhythm; anchors practice through ‘night’ phases (dullness) and ‘day’ phases (clarity).
paváyaḥ: chariot-wheel part; triadic structuring suggests ordered completeness. madhu ‘honey/sweetness’ is rasa/delight; soma’s venā indicates the seeking-impulse toward delight and illumination. skambha from √skabh ‘support’ (cosmic pillar motif). The repeated tríḥ marks rhythmic recurrence—Aśvins as regulators of transitions (night/day) in consciousness.
Rhythmic order (Ṛta as periodicity), Soma as delight-inspiration guiding movement, Support/pillar (skambha) as stability for ascent
Repeated ‘three’ and night/day travel express Ṛta as cosmic cadence.
Stable supports (skambha) uphold truth in the moving life.
Sustaining order in movement; bridging opposites (night/day).
Vedic symbolism of number and rhythm; integral discipline across states.
night and day cycles emphasized
Wheel = repeated practice; honey = sweetness of soma-bliss; pillars = stable foundations; night/day = alternating obscurity and illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins’ triadic chariot and their thrice-repeated journeys by night and day: a myth of regulated transition and timely rescue. Innerly, it encodes the rhythmic interventions that guide consciousness through alternating phases of obscurity and illumination.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The chariot lexicon (rátha, wheel parts) is part of the shared Indo-European poetic technology-complex. The night/day polarity (naktam/divā with dyu < PIE *dyew-) preserves a core IE cosmological opposition, here organized by tríḥ as a formula of completeness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns aspiration with the Aśvins’ rhythm: Soma’s venā (yearning for delight and truth) is what their chariot ‘all follow’. The twins respond by providing stable supports (skambha) and regular approach—help that is not random but ordered by Ṛta.
Establish triple supports (body, breath, mind) and a rhythmic schedule; let Soma-aspiration be the attractor.
Box-breath 3-3-3-3 (gentle) to embody ‘threefold’ steadiness; then silent witnessing of night/day states.
Rhythmic steadiness; equanimity across alternating clarity and dullness.
Define your three supports: (1) posture/health, (2) prāṇa regulation, (3) truthfulness of attention. Practice thrice daily; in ‘night’ moods, do not stop—reduce intensity but keep rhythm.
Tri-svara; keep rhythmic steadiness to mirror the mantra’s cyclic content.
Mark the repeated trayaḥ/trir with consistent emphasis; avoid rushing the enumerations.
pavayaḥ: pronounce va-yaḥ clearly (not ‘pavaih’)., skambhāsaḥ: keep sk cluster; nasal m before bh., trir naktaṃ yāthas: connect smoothly; keep naktaṃ with retroflex ṭ.
Even, cyclical, slightly resonant—like turning a wheel.
6
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
