Rig Veda 4.43.3: Mandala 4, Sukta 43, Mantra 3
Sukta 4.43
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
मक्षू हि ष्मा गच्छथ ईवतो द्यूनिन्द्रो न शक्तिं परितक्म्यायाम् । दिव आजाता दिव्या सुपर्णा कया शचीनां भवथः शचिष्ठा ॥
makṣū́ hí ṣmā́ gácchatha ī́vato dyū́n índro ná śaktíṃ pári-takmyāyām | divá ājā́tā divyā́ suparṇā́ kayā́ śácīnām bhavathaḥ śáciṣṭhā ||
నిజంగా మీరు దినముల మధ్యగా వేగంగా వచ్చుచున్నారు—చుట్టుముట్టిన ప్రతిఘటనను చీల్చుకుంటూ శక్తితో సాగు ఇంద్రుని వలె. దివి నుండి జన్మించినవారు, దివ్యులు, సుపర్ణులు (శుభ్రపక్షులు)—శచీ (ప్రభావకర్మశక్తి)ల ఏ విధానంతో మీరు శచిష్ఠా, అనగా నైపుణ్యంలో అత్యంత సమర్థులు, అవుతారు?
Word by Word
- मक्षु
- quickly, at onceIndeclinableअव्यय (त्वरार्थे)Role Adhikaraṇa (काल/रीतिविशेषणम्)Root मक्षु (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) / PIE *mek̂s-? (त्वरार्थ) पारम्परिकः
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableअव्यय (हेतौ/निश्चये)Root हि (निपात)
- ष्मा
- surely, justIndeclinableअव्यय (प्रबलन/निश्चयार्थकः)Root ष्म (निपात; वैदिक-प्रयोगः)
- गच्छथः
- you two go / you two comeVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root गम् (गच्छ-)
- ईवतः
- of the swift one / of the impetuous (speed)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? षष्ठी एकवचनम् (वैदिक-रूप), विशेषणम्Role Adhikaraṇa (रीतिविशेषण-सम्बन्धः: ‘वेगस्य’)Root ईवत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वेगवान्/शीघ्रगामी’)
- द्यून्
- days (day-times)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (वैदिक)Role KarmaRoot द्युन्/द्यून् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दिन’/‘द्यौः’ सम्बन्धि)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Kartā (उपमान-वाक्ये)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableअव्यय (उपमायाम्)Root न (उपमा-निपात)
- शक्तिम्
- power, mightNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around, all aboutIndeclinableअव्यय/उपसर्गः (परितः/पर्यन्तम्)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- तक्म्यायाम्
- in/at the wasting fever (takmā)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot तक्म्या (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दौर्बल्य/ज्वर’ इत्यर्थे वैदिकः) अथवा ‘तक्मन्’ सम्बन्धि
- दिवः
- from heaven / of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role Apādāna (उत्पत्तिसम्बन्धः: ‘from heaven’)Root दिव्/द्यौः (प्रातिपदिक: दिव् ‘द्यौः/स्वर्गः’)
- आजाता
- born (arisen)Adjectiveभूतकृत् (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा द्विवचनम् (उभयोर् विशेषणम्)Role Kartā-विशेषणम्Root आ-√जन् (जन्) → आजात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- दिव्या
- heavenly, divineAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा द्विवचनम्Role Kartā-विशेषणम्Root दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुपर्णा
- two fair-winged ones (birds)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा द्विवचनम्Role Kartā (मुख्य-वाक्ये संबोधन/वर्णन)Root सुपर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- कया
- by what? how?Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot क (प्रश्न-प्रातिपदिक) → कया
- शचीनाम्
- of (your) powers/skillsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role Sambandha (सम्बन्ध-षष्ठी)Root शची (प्रातिपदिक; ‘कौशल/शक्ति/कर्मकौशल’)
- भवथः
- you two become / areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root भू (भव-)
- शचिष्ठा
- most powerful / most skillfulAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा द्विवचनम् (सुपर्णयोः विशेषणम्)Role Kartā-विशेषणम्Root शची + इष्ठ (तमप्/इष्ठ-प्रत्यय; अतिशय)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रहः): मक्षु | हि | ष्मा | गच्छथः | ईवतः | द्यून् | इन्द्रः | न | शक्तिम् | परि | तक्म्यायाम् || दिवः | आजाता | दिव्या | सुपर्णा | कया | शचीनाम् | भवथः | शचिष्ठा || 1) ‘द्यूनिन्द्रो’ = ‘द्यून् इन्द्रः’ (न् + इ → निन्द्रः, संहितायाम्)
- 2) ‘परितक्म्यायाम्’ = ‘परि तक्म्यायाम्’ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय-संयोगः)
- 3) ‘दिव आजाता’ = ‘दिवः आजाता’ (विसर्गलोपः पदान्ते)
- 4) ‘भवथ: शचिष्ठा’ = ‘भवथः शचिष्ठा’ (विसर्गः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Aśvins come swiftly through the days like Indra moving with power through encompassing resistance. Born of heaven, heavenly, fair-winged—by what effective workings do they become most skilled?
Inner meaning
The journey ‘through the days’ is the repeated cycle of practice and life-experience. The Aśvins’ swift coming indicates that the harmonizing powers can intervene at any moment. ‘Like Indra’ suggests they carry an illumined force capable of breaking resistance (paritakmyā). ‘Fair-winged’ points to uplifted movements—energies that can rise above heaviness. The rishi asks: by what inner method (kayā śacīnām) do these powers become maximally effective in us?—i.e., what alignment, what attitude, what receptivity makes their action perfect.
Universal truth
Divine help becomes potent according to the law of receptivity: when our workings align with higher skill (śacī), resistance is crossed and progress accelerates.
Themes
Swift divine arrival, Overcoming resistance, Secret of efficacy (kaya śacīnām)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.16 (Indra-related), RV 4.43
Family tradition
Vāmadeva often links multiple deities’ functions: here Aśvin swiftness is compared to Indra’s obstacle-breaking, showing integrated yogic psychology.
Significance
He articulates the ‘how’ of divine action—seeking the secret of effectiveness (śacī) rather than only praising results.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Divya (heavenly), Suparṇa (fair-winged), Śaciṣṭhā (most skilled/effective)
- Related deities
- Indra, Uṣas, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Swift mediators who traverse the mid-world between darkness and light, ensuring safe transition and functional harmony.
Inner power
Uplifting prāṇa and mind into a more winged, wide movement; enabling skillful execution of the divine intention in life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin praise within morning sequences; general stotra usage
म॒क्षू हि ष्मा॒ गच्छ॑थ॒ ईव॑तो॒ द्यूनिन्द्रो॒ न श॒क्तिं परि॑तक्म्यायाम् । दि॒व आजा॑ता दि॒व्या सु॑प॒र्णा कया॒ शची॑नां भवथ॒: शचि॑ष्ठा ॥
म॒क्षु । हि । स्म॒ । गच्छ॑थः । ईव॑तः । द्यून् । इन्द्रः॑ । न । श॒क्तिम् । परि॑ऽतक्म्यायाम् । दि॒वः । आऽजा॑ता । दि॒व्या । सु॒ऽप॒र्णा । कया॑ । शची॑नाम् । भ॒व॒थः॒ । शचि॑ष्ठा ॥
makṣu | hi | sma | gacchathaḥ | īvataḥ | dyūn | indraḥ | na | śaktim | pari-takmyāyām | divaḥ | ājātā | divyā | su-parṇā | kayā | śacīnām | bhavathaḥ | śaciṣṭhā
44
4 x ~11
Strong comparative simile (Indra-like) gives heroic thrust; later pādas turn reflective with ‘kayā’.
Combines energizing momentum with inquiry into method—good for transitioning from invocation to contemplation.
- मक्षु (makṣu)
- Literal: swiftly. Symbolic: immediacy of higher intervention when called
- द्यून् (dyūn)
- Literal: days. Symbolic: cycles of conscious effort and experience
- इन्द्रः… शक्तिम् (indraḥ… śaktim)
- Literal: Indra with power. Symbolic: illumined mind-force that breaks obstacles
- परितक्म्यायाम् (paritakmyāyām)
- Literal: in/through the encompassing resistance. Symbolic: the surround of inertia/obstruction in the subconscient nature
- दिवः आजाता (divaḥ ājātā)
- Literal: born of heaven. Symbolic: origin in higher consciousness, not in the lower vital
- दिव्या (divyā)
- Literal: divine, heavenly. Symbolic: belonging to the supraphysical order of truth
- सुपर्णा (suparṇā)
- Literal: fair-winged. Symbolic: energies capable of ascent and wide seeing
- शची (śacī) / शचिष्ठा (śaciṣṭhā)
- Literal: skill, effective power. Symbolic: right operation of consciousness-force; perfect executive wisdom
Invocation emphasizing speed and effective aid; suited to requests for rapid assistance and right functioning of energies
Morning/dawn; also when seeking swift aid in transitions
Recitation to hasten divine arrival and overcome resistance.
Use when stuck in inertia: chant to invite swift ‘winged’ energy and ask for the right method of action.
śacī denotes effective power/skill (often Indra’s śacī with wife Śacī/Indrāṇī as personification). su-parṇa ‘good-winged’ frames the Aśvins as swift, far-ranging powers. paritakmyāyām is difficult; taken as ‘in the encircling resistance/press’—a field of obstruction through which divine force moves, parallel to Indra’s overcoming.
śacī (effective power) as divine skill in action, heaven-origin (divaḥ) as descent of higher force
Progress through ‘days’ suggests ordered evolution; resistance is part of the field to be crossed in Ṛta.
‘Born of heaven’ implies origin in satya-consciousness rather than mixed lower motives.
Ascent imagery (wings) and obstacle-crossing: evolution as repeated overcoming of coverers.
Yoga of works and knowledge integrated: skill (śacī) as executive wisdom of higher consciousness.
day-cycle (dyūn)
Time as sadhana cycles; wings as uplifted prāṇa; Indra-force as illumined breakthrough.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the swift, winged arrival of the Aśvins, paralleled with Indra’s power moving through obstruction. Innerly, it is the descent of higher-born energies that traverse resistance in the nature and become maximally effective.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- div ‘shine/heaven’ ties to PIE *di̯ew- (sky/daylight). The superlative formation (-iṣṭha) in śaciṣṭhā is a common Indo-European intensification strategy preserved strongly in Vedic.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi does not only praise; he asks for the operative secret—‘by what mode’ do you become most effective? This frames the hymn as instruction for inner practice: aligning invocation so the divine powers manifest with maximal śacī (efficacy).
Ask for the ‘method of effectiveness’—the right inner alignment that makes help potent.
Viśuddha (right expression/skill) with Ajñā (right seeing)
Inhale on ‘makṣu… gacchathaḥ’, exhale on ‘kayā śacīnām’; pause after the question to listen.
Active inquiry leading to intuitive guidance.
After chanting, write or note the first clear ‘instruction’ that arises (a simple next act, a correction of attitude); implement it immediately to embody śacī.
Rigvedic accents; maintain udātta on key verbs and deity descriptors; svarita on compounded transitions.
Give weight to ‘makṣu’ and ‘indraḥ’; soften into inquiry at ‘kayā’.
paritakmyāyām: articulate ‘t-km’ cluster carefully., suparṇā: keep retroflex ṇ distinct., śaciṣṭhā: śa-ciṣ-ṭhā with clear ṣṭh cluster.
Energetic in first half, reflective in the last pāda.
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