Rig Veda 10.39.14: Mandala 10, Sukta 39, Mantra 14
Sukta 10.39
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Jagati
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Shanta (peace)
एतं वां स्तोममश्विनावकर्मातक्षाम भृगवो न रथम् । न्यमृक्षाम योषणां न मर्ये नित्यं न सूनुं तनयं दधानाः ॥
etáṃ vāṃ stómam aśvināv akarmā́takṣāma bhṛ́gavo ná rátham | ny àmṛkṣāma yóṣaṇāṃ ná már ye nítyaṃ ná sūnúṃ tánayaṃ dádhānāḥ ||
This hymn to you, O Aśvins, we have fashioned—like the Bhṛgus a chariot. We have set it in order and made it bright, as a young woman adorns herself for her lover, as one holds ever a son, a cherished child within.
Word by Word
- एतम्
- this (acc.)Pronoun/Determinerपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग?; द्वितीया एकवचन (एतम्)Role कर्मRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाम्
- for you two / of you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी द्विवचन (enclitic) — ‘of you two/for you two’Role सम्प्रदान (intended recipients) / सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तोमम्
- hymn of praiseNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्विनौ
- O Aśvins (you two)Noun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा द्विवचनRole सम्बोधन/कर्तृ (addressed agents)Root अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अकर्मा
- active, skillfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (used predicatively/appositionally with speaker-group)Role कर्तृ (qualifier)Root अकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘not idle, active/skillful’)
- अतक्षाम
- we fashioned / we fashioned forthVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot तक्ष् (धातु)
- भृगवः
- the BhṛgusNoun (clan/ṛṣi name)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot भृगु (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- रथम्
- a chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, thoroughlyPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्ग (down, into; intensifier with verb)Root नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अमृक्षाम
- we polished / we cleansedVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot मृक्ष्/मृज् (धातु; ‘to wipe/clean/polish’)
- योषणाम्
- a young woman / brideNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Vedic: -ām as acc. sg. beside -ām/-ām)Role कर्मRoot योषणा (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- मर्ये
- for a young man / in a suitorNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (locative) — ‘in/for a young man’Role अधिकरण (locative sphere) / सम्प्रदान (for) (contextual)Root मर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- नित्यम्
- always, continuallyAdjective (used adverbially)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (adverbial acc.)Root नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- सूनुम्
- a sonNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- तनयम्
- offspringNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (apposition to सूनुम्)Role कर्मRoot तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधानाः
- placing, bestowing, holdingParticipleवर्तमान सक्रिय शतृ; पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot धा (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: स्तोम॑मश्विनावक॒र्मात॑क्षाम → स्तोमम् + अश्विनौ + अकर्मा + अतक्षाम. भृग॑वो॒ न रथ॑म् unchanged (न = upamā-nipāta). न्य॑मृक्षाम → नि + अमृक्षाम. योष॑णां॒ न मर्ये → योषणाम् + न + मर्ये (Vedic acc.sg. -ām). नित्यं॒ न सू॒नुं तन॑यं॒ दधा॑नाः unchanged (दधानाः = present active participle of √धा). Accents retained as in saṃhitā
- pada-forms given without explicit accent marks
The meaning
Outer meaning
The singers say they have fashioned this hymn for the Aśvins like the Bhṛgus fashion a chariot; they have set it in order and made it bright, like a woman adorning herself for her lover, and like one holding always a beloved son.
Inner meaning
The mantra reveals the inner craft of mantra-making: the hymn is itself a ‘chariot’—a consciously built vehicle for the descent of the Aśvin powers. The Bhṛgus symbolize a lineage of inner fire and skilled formation; likewise, the seeker shapes sound, meaning, and aspiration into a luminous form. ‘Making bright’ is purification: polishing the mind-substance until it reflects higher light. The imagery of the adorned woman indicates the soul’s beauty and sincerity in offering; the ‘ever-held son’ indicates cherished, protected inner realization—kept close, nurtured, never abandoned.
Universal truth
Spiritual speech is effective when it is crafted, purified, and loved—mantra becomes a vehicle that carries divine forces because it is formed with skill, beauty, and enduring care.
Themes
hymn-craft, purification, devotional offering, formation of the inner vehicle
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.39.1-14
Significance
A self-referential Vedic moment: the rishi-voice discloses mantra as a consciously fashioned luminous body—central to Sri Aurobindo’s view of the Veda as psychological yoga through inspired speech.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- aśvinā (lords of swift movement)
- Related deities
- Agni (as the formative fire behind mantra-craft), Bhṛgus (fire-seers)
Cosmic role
Arrive on the crafted ‘vehicle’ of the hymn; respond to well-formed invocation with healing and right action.
Inner power
They enter where aspiration is beautifully ordered—bringing harmony, freshness, and the joy of union.
In ritual
Where it is used
Stotra used as an offering within Aśvin praise; functions as a concluding self-offering of the hymn-craft
ए॒तं वां॒ स्तोम॑मश्विनावक॒र्मात॑क्षाम॒ भृग॑वो॒ न रथ॑म् । न्य॑मृक्षाम॒ योष॑णां॒ न मर्ये॒ नित्यं॒ न सू॒नुं तन॑यं॒ दधा॑नाः ॥
ए॒तम् । वा॒म् । स्तोम॑म् । अ॒श्वि॒नौ॒ । अ॒क॒र्म॒ । अत॑क्षाम । भृग॑वः । न । रथ॑म् । नि । अ॒मृ॒क्षा॒म॒ । योष॑णाम् । न । मर्ये॑ । नित्य॑म् । न । सू॒नुम् । तन॑यम् । दधा॑नाः ॥
etam | vām | stomam | aśvinau | akarma | aatakṣāma | bhṛgavaḥ | na | ratham | ni | amṛkṣāma | yoṣaṇām | na | marye | nityam | na | sūnum | tanayam | dadhānāḥ
44
4 × ~11
Balanced and artisanal—less ‘rush’, more crafted cadence.
Encourages careful, devotional enunciation; creates a sense of inner polishing and offering.
- स्तोम (stoma)
- Literal: hymn of praise. Symbolic: mantric formation that invokes and embodies divine powers
- अतक्षाम (atakṣāma)
- Literal: we have fashioned/carpentered. Symbolic: conscious crafting of inner expression and instrument
- भृगवः (bhṛgavaḥ)
- Literal: Bhṛgus. Symbolic: fire-lineage; skilled formers of inner sacrifice and mantra
- रथ (ratha)
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: vehicle of invocation; structured mantra-body
- नि अमृक्षाम (ny amṛkṣāma)
- Literal: we have set in order/made bright. Symbolic: purified, clarified, made luminous
- योषणाम् न (yoṣaṇām na)
- Literal: like a young woman. Symbolic: soul’s beauty, devotion, readiness to unite with the Divine
- मर्ये (marye)
- Literal: to the young man/lover. Symbolic: the sought divine presence; inner beloved
- सूनुं तनयं (sūnuṃ tanayaṃ)
- Literal: son/child. Symbolic: inner birth (realization) to be protected and continually cherished
Hymn as crafted offering (stoma) within soma/oblation contexts; emphasizes mantra as a perfected vehicle inviting divine descent.
At the completion of a hymn sequence; as a sealing verse of offering
Manasa/śabda-offering: presenting the hymn as a vehicle for the gods
A mantra for those who write/chant: set intention to craft speech ethically and beautifully; use before japa or kīrtan practice to ‘polish’ the inner instrument.
stoma from √stu ‘praise/affirm’—not flattery but formative utterance. takṣ from √takṣ ‘to fashion, carpent’ marks deliberate construction of mantra. amṛkṣ from √mṛj ‘to wipe, polish, cleanse’ indicates purification/refinement. tanaya from √tan ‘to stretch/extend’ → offspring as extension; psychologically, the extending growth of inner being.
mantra as instrument (vak/śabda shaping consciousness), purification (mṛj), inner birth/growth (tanaya)
The hymn becomes effective when ordered according to Ṛta—right rhythm, right meaning, right aspiration.
Brightness signifies truth-clarity in speech and intention.
Creation through Word: fashioned mantra as a formed body that can carry power.
Vāk-centered mysticism leading toward Upaniṣadic emphasis on inner formation through word and tapas.
Crafted chariot = structured sādhanā; polishing = purification; adornment = beauty of aspiration; child = protected inner birth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The hymn as a chariot: a meta-mythologem where speech itself is the crafted vehicle enabling the gods’ coming. Inner sense: the rishi fashions and polishes consciousness through mantra so it can carry and host the Aśvins’ action.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √stu ‘praise’ has broad IE parallels in the domain of laudatory/formative speech (cf. Greek stóma is unrelated, but the ritual-poetic act of praising is archaic). The artisan metaphor √takṣ aligns with Indo-Iranian *taš- ‘fashion’ (Avestan taša-), reflecting a shared sacral craft lexicon.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Reciprocity is explicit: the human side crafts a fit, purified stoma (vehicle), mirroring divine craftsmanship; the devatā are invited to ride/inhabit it. The rishi holds the formation steadily (dadhānāḥ), implying sustained practice, not momentary utterance.
Treat your recitation as building a ‘vehicle’: align posture, breath, intention; then chant as an act of beautifying consciousness for divine contact.
viśuddha (purified expression) with ājñā (clarity)
Slow 1:2 breathing (inhale 4, exhale 8) for 5 rounds; chant once per long exhale to ‘polish’ sound and mind.
Devotional refinement—quiet joy with precision.
After chanting, ask inwardly: ‘Is my speech ordered (ṛta), bright (satya), and kind?’ Hold the felt ‘child’ of aspiration at the heart for a minute.
Rigvedic accents; keep the self-referential verbs (akarma, atakṣāma, amṛkṣāma) clearly contoured.
Do not rush clusters: ‘aśvināv akarmātakṣāma’—separate gently; brighten tone on ‘stomam’.
bhṛgavo: aspirated ‘bh’, syllabic ‘ṛ’, ny amṛkṣāma: keep ‘kṣ’ crisp, tanayaṃ: dental ‘t’, and ‘y’ glide clear
Soft, polished, intimate; let consonants be precise without harshness.
1
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.
