Rig Veda 10.17.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 17, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.17
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Mythic complex: Saraṇyū, Vivasvat, Aśvins
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
अपागूहन्नमृतां मर्त्येभ्यः कृत्वी सवर्णामददुर्विवस्वते । उताश्विनावभरद्यत्तदासीदजहादु द्वा मिथुना सरण्यूः ॥
apāgūhann amṛtāṃ martyebhyaḥ kṛtvī sa-varṇām adadur vivasvate | utāśvināv abharad yat tad āsīd ajahād u dvā mithunā saraṇyūḥ ||
వారు అమృతాన్ని మర్త్యుల నుండి దాచారు; ఆమెకు సమానరూపాన్ని (సవర్ణా) చేసి వివస్వతునికి ఇచ్చారు. అశ్వినౌ నిజంగా ఉన్నదాన్నే తిరిగి తీసుకొచ్చారు; సరణ్యూ అయితే రెండు మిథునాలను—జంటను—వదిలి వెళ్లింది.
Word by Word
- अप
- away, offIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अप (उपसर्ग) / अप (अव्यय)
- अगूहन्
- they hid/concealedVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, 3rd person pluralRole Kriyā (verb); Kartā = implied ‘they’Root गूह् (गुह्) ‘to hide, conceal’
- अमृताम्
- the immortal one (woman)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (object) — ‘the immortal (woman)’Role KarmaRoot अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) < a- + मृ (to die)
- मर्त्येभ्यः
- from mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचनRole ApādānaRoot मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृत्वी
- having madeVerbal indeclinableक्त्वि-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Vedic gerund)Role (पूर्वक्रिया)Root कृ (धातु) → कृत्वी (absolutive/gerund, Vedic)
- सवर्णाम्
- of like form/appearanceAdjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with अमृताम्)Role Karma (as complement of ‘made’)Root सवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) = ‘of same appearance/colour’
- अददुः
- they gaveVerbलिट्/लुङ्? (Vedic perfect-like aoristic usage); परस्मैपद, 3rd person pluralRole Kriyā (verb); Kartā = implied ‘they’Root दा (धातु) ‘to give’
- विवस्वते
- to Vivasvat (the Sun)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक; सूर्य/विवस्वान्)
- उत
- and also / moreoverIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-अर्थRoot उत (अव्यय)
- अश्विनौ
- the two AśvinsNoun (dual deity)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभरत्
- brought/boreVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, 3rd person singularRole Kriyā (verb)Root भृ (धातु) ‘to bear, bring’
- यत्
- what/that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative)Role Karma (of ‘brought’) / correl. with तत्Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (of ‘was’) / predicate referenceRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आसीत्
- wasVerbलङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, 3rd person singularRole Kriyā (copula)Root अस् (धातु) ‘to be’
- अजहात्
- left/abandonedVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, 3rd person singularRole Kriyā (verb)Root हा (धातु) ‘to leave, abandon’ with preverb अ- (here as augment in aorist)
- उ
- indeed / thenIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/particle)Root उ (अव्यय)
- द्वा
- twoNumeralद्विवचनार्थे (Vedic form for ‘two’), used with dual nounRole (quantifier)Root द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- मिथुनौ
- the pair/coupleNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचनRole KarmaRoot मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
- सरण्यूः
- SaraṇyūNoun (proper)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (of ‘left’)Root सरण्यू (प्रातिपदिक; proper name Saraṇyū)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: अपा॑गूहन्न॒मृतां॒ मर्त्ये॑भ्यः कृ॒त्वी सव॑र्णामददु॒र्विव॑स्वते । उ॒ताश्विना॑वभर॒द्यत्तदासी॒दज॑हादु॒ द्वा मि॑थु॒ना स॑र॒ण्यूः ॥ Sandhi resolution (major): 1) अपा + अगूहन् → अपागूहन् (here written अपा॑गूहन् with accent). 2) सवर्णाम् + अददुः → सवर्णामददुः. 3) अददुः + विवस्वते → अददुर्विवस्वते. 4) उत + अश्विनौ → उताश्विनौ. 5) अश्विनौ + अभरत् → अश्विनावभरत्. 6) यत् + तत् → यत्तत्. 7) आसीत् + अजहात् → आसीदजहत् (with voicing: त् + अ → द + अ; and written आसीदज॑हाद् in saṃhitā with final -d before vowel). 8) अजहात् + उ → अजहादु. Accents are preserved from the given saṃhitā text
- pada-division here follows sandhi-splitting for morphological analysis
The meaning
Outer meaning
They hid the immortal from mortals; making a look-alike, they gave her to Vivasvat. And the Aśvins brought back what truly was; Saraṇyū left behind the two twins.
Inner meaning
A central Vedic motif: immortality is concealed from the mortal surface-consciousness. A ‘savarṇā’ (look-alike) stands in—symbol of substitute satisfactions, surface formations, or mental replicas that imitate the real but lack its essence. The Aśvins (divine healers and restorers) recover ‘what truly was’—the authentic truth-nature—and restore it to the solar consciousness (Vivasvat). The ‘two twins’ left behind signify dualities born in the mortal plane (paired forces in life and mind) when the true immortal principle is withdrawn; yoga aims to recover the original truth beyond the substitute.
Universal truth
Human life often lives with substitutes for the real (imitations of joy, truth, love). Grace and right action restore authenticity, revealing that immortality is not absent—only veiled.
Themes
concealment of immortality, substitution motif, Aśvins as restorers, twin emergence
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha (traditional)
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 7.67-7.69 (Aśvin hymns; healing and rescue motifs), RV 10.17.1 (Tvaṣṭṛ and concealment context)
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭha vision frequently treats truth as recoverable by right powers; here the Aśvins embody practical grace that restores authenticity.
Significance
The seer encodes an evolutionary psychology: immortality is veiled, substitutes rule, but restorative divine powers can bring back the real.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvins (with Saraṇyū, Vivasvat; theme of Amṛta)
- Epithets
- nāsatyā (true/unaltering; common epithet), dasrā (wondrous helpers), yuvānā (ever-young)
- Related deities
- Uṣas (dawn; their frequent companion), Sūrya/Vivasvat (solar truth), Soma (delight that confirms authenticity)
Cosmic role
Restorers and rescuers who bridge darkness to light, illness to health, loss to recovery; they retrieve the true form from concealment.
Inner power
Swift corrective intuition and healing action that replaces substitutes with authenticity; the capacity to ‘bring back what is real.’
In ritual
Where it is used
Mythic recitation in life-cycle contexts (marriage lineages; also reflective/funerary discussions on immortality and Yama’s lineage)
अपा॑गूहन्न॒मृतां॒ मर्त्ये॑भ्यः कृ॒त्वी सव॑र्णामददु॒र्विव॑स्वते । उ॒ताश्विना॑वभर॒द्यत्तदासी॒दज॑हादु॒ द्वा मि॑थु॒ना स॑र॒ण्यूः ॥
अप॑ । अ॒गू॒ह॒न् । अ॒मृता॑म् । मर्त्ये॑भ्यः । कृ॒त्वी । सऽव॑र्णाम् । अ॒द॒दुः॒ । विव॑स्वते । उ॒त । अ॒श्विनौ॑ । अ॒भ॒र॒त् । यत् । तत् । आसी॑त् । अज॑हात् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । द्वा । मि॒थु॒ना । स॒र॒ण्यूः ॥
apa | agūhan | amṛtām | martyebhyaḥ | kṛtvī | sa-varṇām | adaduḥ | vivasvate | uta | aśvinau | abharat | yat | tat | āsīt | ajahāt | oṃ iti | dvā | mithunā | saraṇyūḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables; narrative with strong caesurae
Dramatic alternation: concealment → substitution → restoration → consequence (twins left)
Builds tension and release; supports contemplation on discernment (real vs. replica) and the possibility of recovery.
- amṛtā
- Literal: the immortal (feminine). Symbolic: deathless truth-nature; immortal consciousness/principle hidden from the mortal surface
- apāgūhan
- Literal: they hid, concealed away. Symbolic: occultation of higher consciousness by ignorance/subconscient cover
- martyebhyaḥ
- Literal: from mortals. Symbolic: from the surface ego-bound being
- savarṇā
- Literal: same-colored, look-alike. Symbolic: substitute formation: mental/vital imitation of the true; semblance without essence
- Aśvinau
- Literal: the twin horsemen gods. Symbolic: powers of swift help, healing, and restoration; transitional forces that bridge night to dawn
- abharat
- Literal: brought, carried back. Symbolic: recovery of the lost truth; reintroduction of authenticity into consciousness
- yat tat āsīt
- Literal: what that truly was. Symbolic: the real being behind appearances; satya behind māyā’s substitute
- mithunā dvā
- Literal: two as a pair/twins. Symbolic: the dualities/paired forces of mortal nature that arise when unity is concealed (e.g., pleasure/pain, life/death)
Contemplative/funerary: teaching that immortality is veiled and must be recovered by divine helpers (Aśvins) through right transition
Recited where the Saraṇyū-Vivasvat-Aśvin myth is invoked; also as part of thematic clusters on amṛta and restoration
Narrative invocation; aligning participants with truthful union and divine protection
Discernment practice: identify ‘savarṇā’ substitutes in one’s life (false comforts, borrowed beliefs) and call for Aśvin-like restoration—swift corrective action and healing.
agūhan from √guh ‘hide’ (PIE *gʰewH-? uncertain; but archaic ‘conceal’ root). amṛta ‘not-death’ a- + mṛta (√mṛ ‘die’, PIE *mer-). sa-varṇa ‘same color/appearance’ (varṇa from √vṛ ‘cover/color/classify’). abharat from √bhṛ ‘bear, bring’ (PIE *bʰer-). saraṇyū from √sṛ ‘run, flow’ (PIE *ser- ‘flow’). The verse contrasts appearance/substitute vs. truth recovered.
amṛta vs. martya (immortal vs. mortal consciousness), māyā-like substitution (semblance vs. truth), recovery by divine aid
Restoration is a return to ṛta: the true arrangement where the real replaces the substitute.
Explicit: ‘what truly was’ indicates Satya as an objective reality recoverable by divine aid and right movement.
Occultation and recovery: evolution proceeds by concealment of the immortal and periodic restorations/descents.
Integral-Vedic: ignorance hides the immortal; grace and right powers re-open it.
pre-dawn to sunrise (Aśvin domain)
Pre-dawn = liminal consciousness where help arrives; sun = truth-illumination; horses = vital energies yoked to divine action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The concealment-and-recovery of immortality: the immortal reality is hidden from mortals and replaced by a ‘semblance’; the Aśvins restore the true. This encodes the psychological myth of the soul’s immortal truth veiled by surface nature, recoverable through divine twin powers (right action and right knowledge, or healing and guidance).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- amṛta (a- + √mṛ) directly reflects PIE *mer- ‘die’ with negation—an old IE way to name immortality (‘not-dying’). √bhṛ (bring) is a strong PIE *bʰer- cognate. The myth is carried by transparent morphology (negation, compounds) typical of archaic IE poetic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi uses myth as inner instruction: he points to the devatās (Aśvins) as necessary agents for recovering what is ‘truly’ (yad tad āsīt) behind the semblance. The relationship is one of reliance on higher helpers to restore the lost truth-consciousness.
Discern the ‘real’ (satya) from the ‘look-alike’ (savarṇā) in thoughts, motives, and desires; invite restorative intuition (Aśvins).
ajna (discernment) and manipura (decisive corrective action)
Alternate-nostril breathing (nāḍī-śodhana) to balance the ‘twins’ (dualities), then silent repetition of yat tat āsīt on the exhale.
Clear, discriminating, quietly heroic; readiness to replace imitation with authenticity.
Write one ‘substitute’ you rely on (e.g., distraction as joy). Chant once, then pause: ask for the Aśvin quality—swift, practical healing—and take one concrete step that restores the real (truthful conversation, rest, discipline, prayer).
Triṣṭubh with clear caesura; emphasize semantic pivots: apāgūhan… / kṛtvī savarṇām… / utāśvināv abharat… / yat tat āsīt.
Let ‘utā’ mark the turn from concealment to restoration; land ‘āsīt’ with firmness (the real).
apāgūhan: long ā; gūh- with long ū, amṛtām: retroflex ṛ; long āṃ nasal, savarṇām: v is soft; ṇ retroflex; long āṃ, aśvināv: ś palatal; long āv, saraṇyūḥ: retroflex ṇ; long ū; final ḥ light
Brightening through the verse: start mysterious/low, become clearer and more luminous at utā… abharat.
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