Rig Veda 8.35.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 35, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.35
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
हारिद्रवेव पतथो वनेदुप सोमं सुतं महिषेवाव गच्छथः । सजोषसा उषसा सूर्येण च त्रिर्वर्तिर्यातमश्विना ॥
hāridravéva patatho váned úpa sómaṃ sutáṃ mahiṣéva vā́va gacchathaḥ | sajóṣasā uṣásā sū́ryeṇa ca trír-vartír yātam aśvinā ||
రెండు పసుపు పక్షుల్లా మీరు అడవినుంచి ఎగిరివస్తారు; రెండు మహాబల వృషభాల్లా పిష్టమైన సోమం వైపు దిగివస్తారు. ఉషా మరియు సూర్యునితో ఏకమనస్కులై, హే అశ్వినౌ, మీ మార్గంలోని త్రివర్తి (మూడుసార్లు మలుపు) ద్వారా మా వద్దకు రండి.
Word by Word
- हारिद्रवे
- O tawny/yellowish onesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचन (वेदिक सम्बोधन; अश्विनौ प्रति)Role सम्बोधनRoot हारिद्रव (प्रातिपदिक; ‘हरिद्रव’ = हरित्/हरि-वर्ण)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableअव्ययRoot इव
- पतथः
- you two flyVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (कर्तृ-सम्बन्धः: अश्विनौ)Root पत् (धातु)
- वनेत्
- (as) one seeks/desiresVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (वेदिक रूप; ‘वनेद्’ इति पदपाठे)Role क्रिया (उपमान-प्रयोगे)Root वन (धातु; ‘वनति’ = कामयते/इच्छति/प्राप्नोति—वेदिक प्रयोग)
- उप
- towards, nearIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot उप
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतम्
- pressed, expressedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सोमम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणत्वेन)Root सु (धातु) → सुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
- महिषा
- with/like a buffaloNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (उपमान-करणम्)Root महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableअव्ययRoot इव
- अव
- down, forth (intensifier with गम्)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अव
- गच्छथः
- you two go/comeVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: अश्विनौ)Root गम् (धातु)
- सजोषसा
- in companionship, togetherAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/अव्ययीभाववत्, तृतीया, एकवचन (सहभावार्थे)Role करण (सह/संगतिः)Root सजोषस् (प्रातिपदिक; sa-joṣas ‘in companionship/with delight’)
- उषसा
- with DawnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (सह)Root उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सूर्येण
- with the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (सह)Root सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च
- त्रिः
- thriceIndeclinableअव्यय (संख्यावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण)Root त्रिः
- वर्तिः
- a turning/courseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (यातम् इत्यस्य)Root वर्ति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘turn, course, circuit’)
- यातम्
- go/come (you two)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: अश्विनौ)Root या (धातु)
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: हारिद्रवेव पतथो वनेदुप सोमं सुतं महिषेवाव गच्छथः । सजोषसा उषसा सूर्येण च त्रिर्वर्तिर्यातमश्विना ॥ पदच्छेद (मुख्य): हारिद्रवे | इव | पतथः | वनेत् | उप | सोमम् | सुतम् | महिषा | इव | अव | गच्छथः | सजोषसा | उषसा | सूर्येण | च | त्रिः | वर्तिम्/वर्तिः (पदपाठे वर्तिः) | यातम् | अश्विना । सन्धि-निर्णय: 1) हारिद्रवेव = हारिद्रवे + इव (ए + इ → एव)
- 2) वनेदुप = वनेत् + उप (त् + उ → द् उ; पदपाठे ‘वनेद् उप’)
- 3) महिषेवाव = महिषा + इव + अव (आ + इ → ए; इव + अव → इवाव)
- 4) त्रिर्वर्तिर्यातम् = त्रिः + वर्तिः + यातम् (ः + व → र्व; वर्तिः + यातम् संहितायां)
- 5) यातमश्विना = यातम् + अश्विना (म् + अ → मऽ; संहिता-समाससदृश संयोगः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Aśvins are invoked to fly like two yellow birds from the forest and descend like two powerful bulls toward the pressed Soma; aligned with Dawn and Sun they are asked to arrive by the threefold turning of their path.
Inner meaning
The twin powers of swift help and harmonising action (Aśvins) are called to descend from the obscurer layers (“forest” of mixed growth) into the clarified offering of delight (Soma) prepared in the seeker. Their motion as “yellow birds” suggests luminous, quick, right-impulsed movements of prāṇa and mind; as “bulls” suggests strength that can bear and fertilise the inner field. Coming “in one accord with Dawn and Sun” indicates that their aid becomes effective when awakening illumination (Uṣas) and the sovereign truth-light (Sūrya) consent together. The “threefold turning” hints at a triple movement of the path—body-life-mind, or the three realms (earth-midworld-heaven)—through which the helpers arrive and set the sacrifice in rhythm.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress is accelerated when swift, practical divine helps and harmonising forces descend into our prepared joy, but they act fully only when awakening insight and stable truth-consciousness cooperate; the journey repeats in cycles across multiple layers of our nature until the whole being turns toward the Light.
Themes
Aśvin-epiphany, Animal-symbolism (birds/bulls), Triple-savana, Soma-approach
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.35.1-6, Rig Veda 8.35.8-11
Significance
Even when the personal name of the seer is lost, the mantra bears the mark of a collective Aśvin-realisation: calling swift divine helpers to bridge obscurity and illumination, converting prepared experience into a drink of delight.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā, Dasrā, divó napātā (often associated in Aśvin lore), yuvānā (the youthful twins)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Agni, Indra, Soma
Cosmic role
Twin deities of transition and swift succour: they traverse the worlds, rescue, heal, and bring the dawn-linked powers into effective manifestation.
Inner power
Rapid harmonising intelligence in action—restoring balance, opening passages, and translating illumination into workable movements of life and body.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvina Soma-invocation in the morning pressing (prātaḥ-savana) context (general Aśvin usage)
हा॒रि॒द्र॒वेव॑ पतथो॒ वनेदुप॒ सोमं॑ सु॒तं म॑हि॒षेवाव॑ गच्छथः । स॒जोष॑सा उ॒षसा॒ सूर्ये॑ण च॒ त्रिर्व॒र्तिर्या॑तमश्विना ॥
हा॒रि॒द्र॒वाऽइ॑व । प॒त॒थः॒ । वना॑ । इत् । उप॑ । सोम॑म् । सु॒तम् । म॒हि॒षाऽइ॑व । अव॑ । ग॒च्छ॒थः॒ । स॒ऽजोष॑सौ । उ॒षसा॑ । सूर्ये॑ण । च॒ । सोम॑म् । पि॒ब॒त॒म् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ ॥
hāridravāiva | patathaḥ | vanā | it | upa | somam | sutam | mahiṣāiva | ava | gacchathaḥ | sa-joṣasau | uṣasā | sūryeṇa | ca | somam | pibatam | aśvinā
Triṣṭubh (likely, given the cadence and common usage in RV 8)
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables (triṣṭubh-type)
Forward-driving, invocatory, with emphatic similes; suited to calling descent and movement.
Creates a sense of swift approach and brightening; the repeated refrain-like structure stabilizes attention and builds expectancy for inner help.
- अश्विना (aśvinā)
- Literal: the two Aśvins, divine horsemen/twins. Symbolic: twin powers of rapid assistance, healing, right enjoyment and effective action in the seeker
- हा॒रि॒द्र॒व (hāridrava)
- Literal: yellow/golden (bird). Symbolic: luminous prāṇic-mental movements; bright impulses carrying awakening
- वना (vanā)
- Literal: woods/forest. Symbolic: the tangled growth of the subconscient and mixed vital nature
- सोमं सुतम् (somaṃ sutam)
- Literal: Soma pressed. Symbolic: distilled delight/ānanda offered to the gods; clarified essence of experience
- महिषा (mahiṣā)
- Literal: buffalo/bull, mighty one. Symbolic: strong, steadfast force that can carry and fertilise consciousness
- सजोषसा (sajoṣasā)
- Literal: in one accord, together. Symbolic: harmonised consent of powers in the being; integrative alignment
- उषसा (uṣasā)
- Literal: Dawn. Symbolic: awakening illumination, first opening of inner light
- सूर्येण (sūryeṇa)
- Literal: with the Sun. Symbolic: truth-light, supramental clarity, steady seeing
- त्रिर्वर्तिः (trir-vartiḥ)
- Literal: threefold turning/course. Symbolic: triple cycle of ascent/descent across mind-life-body or the three worlds
Aśvin arrival imagery aligned with Soma pressing; ‘threefold turning’ naturally maps to the three savanas; inwardly, repeated descents across stages of awakening.
Morning invocation with Soma offerings; also suitable for dawn-time recitation
Invitation (āvāhana) to partake of Soma; alignment with Uṣas/Sūrya
Chant at dawn before meditation to invite swift inner assistance, clarity, and harmonised action; use as a ‘transition mantra’ when moving from inertia to practice.
pat: √pat ‘to fly’ (PIE *pet- ‘fly’). hāridra: ‘yellow/golden’ (hari- color field of tawny/golden/greenish); evokes luminous quickness. mahiṣa: ‘bull/mighty’; from mah- ‘great’ field (√mah ‘to be great’). vartí: from √vṛt ‘to turn, roll’ (PIE *wert-), hence ‘turning/cycle’; triḥ-vartiḥ suggests triple cycle (ritual savanas) and inner triple movement (awakening–illumination–fullness).
triple movement/cycle (triḥ-vartiḥ), descent of divine help into nature (ava)
The ‘threefold turning’ suggests ṛta as cyclical right movement across planes of being.
Sūrya as stabilised truth-consciousness consenting with the awakening of Uṣas.
Emergence of light and effective powers from the tangled ‘forest’ of obscurity; descent of helpers into prepared essence (Soma).
Proto-Vedāntic / integral yogic reading (Aurobindo): gods as powers of consciousness acting in the inner sacrifice.
dawn/morning
From subconscient thicket to luminous movement: the helpers descend into distilled delight, synchronised with awakening and truth-light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Aśvins’ swift approach in animal epiphanies—birds (speed/lightness) and bulls (power/protection)—to drink the pressed Soma, arriving by a triple course. Psychologically: quick luminous movements emerge out of the subconscient ‘forest’, then descend with strength to assimilate delight through the three stages of practice.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pat ‘fly’ corresponds to PIE *pet-. √vṛt ‘turn’ corresponds to PIE *wert-, underlying the ‘cycle/turning’ metaphor found widely in Indo-European languages. These inherited roots support a shared IE imagery of flight (swift divine arrival) and turning (cosmic/ritual cycles).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi calls the Aśvins to traverse the triple rhythm of the work and to enter the human field from the wild growth of nature. The gods’ role is to convert raw vital movement (forest) into luminous, strong assistance that can receive Soma and distribute its effect.
Invite the ‘twin helpers’ to harmonise mind-life-body and to carry the offering of delight upward.
Anahata (harmonisation) and Ajna (alignment with Sūrya-truth)
Gentle 3-part breath (dirgha) with a subtle pause at the ‘turning’ points; inhale on invocation, exhale on ‘come/arrive’.
Awakening-to-clarity transition: from tamas to a bright, workable sattva.
At dawn, feel a golden movement descending through the crown to heart; offer the day’s experiences as Soma; ask for swift correction and right rhythm across the three layers of nature.
Use Vedic svara as in śākala tradition (udātta/anudātta/svarita); refrain segments should keep consistent pitch contours across repetitions (exact svara requires accented saṃhitā text).
Lightly lift pitch on udātta syllables; allow svarita to glide down; keep ‘aśvinā’ clear and steady at cadence.
āśvinā: keep ‘śv’ cluster crisp (aś-vi-nā), uṣasā: retroflex-free ‘ṣ’ (u-ṣa-sā) with clear short ‘u’, sūryeṇa: long ‘ū’, palatal ‘ry’ smoothly, trir-vartiḥ: tap ‘r’ in trir; keep ‘vartiḥ’ with dental ‘t’
Bright, inviting, slightly upward-leading in the first simile; grounded and resonant on ‘mahiṣevāva’.
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