Rig Veda 7.71.1: Mandala 7, Sukta 71, Mantra 1
Sukta 7.71
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
अप स्वसुरुषसो नग्जिहीते रिणक्ति कृष्णीररुषाय पन्थाम् । अश्वामघा गोमघा वां हुवेम दिवा नक्तं शरुमस्मद्युयोतम् ॥
ápa svásur uṣáso nák jihīte riṇákti kṛ́ṣṇīr aruṣā́ya pánthām | áśvām aghā gómaghā vāṃ huvema dívā náktaṃ śárum asmád yuyotam ||
رات اپنی بہن صبح سے پیچھے ہٹتی ہے اور سیاہ راستوں کو روشنی کے سرخ راستے کے لیے چھوڑ دیتی ہے۔ اے اشون، گھوڑے کی طاقت اور گائے کی روشنی دینے والے، ہم آپ کو دن اور رات پکارتے ہیں: ہم سے نقصان کے تیر کو دور بھگا دیں۔
Word by Word
- अप
- away, forthIndeclinableनिपात/उपसर्गRoot अप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- स्वसुः
- the sisterNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot स्वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- उषसः
- of Uṣas (Dawn)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नग्जिहीते
- lies down/settles (naked/bare)Verbआत्मनेपद; लट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRole KriyāRoot हिता/ही (√धा/√हि ‘to put, place’ > ‘to lie/settle’), with नङ्/नक्- (Vedic intensifier/particle in compound)
- रिणक्ति
- releases, lets goVerbपरस्मैपद; लट्; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √रिच्/√रिणक् (Vedic: ‘to leave, let go, set free’)
- कृष्णीः
- the black (ones), dark (nights)Adjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरुषाय
- for the ruddy (light), for the red oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- पन्थाम्
- path, wayNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पथिन्/पन्था (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वामघा
- O you two rich in horsesAdjective (epithet)(द्विवचन-सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-द्विवचनार्थे) पुंलिङ्ग; वाच्यं: वां (युवाम्) प्रतिRole Sambodhana (address)Root अश्व + मघ (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)
- गोमघा
- O you two rich in cowsAdjective (epithet)(द्विवचन-सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-द्विवचनार्थे) पुंलिङ्ग; वाच्यं: वां प्रतिRole Sambodhana (address)Root गो + मघ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
- वाम्
- you two (of you / you two)Pronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया द्विवचन (enclitic)Role Karma (object of invocation) / SambandhaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- हुवेम
- we would invoke/callVerbपरस्मैपद; विधिलिङ्/लोट्-प्राय (Vedic injunctive/optative usage); उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot √हू (आह्वाने)
- दिवा
- by day, in the daytimeIndeclinable (adverbial instrumental)अव्ययीभाव (इन्स्ट्रुमेण्टल-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण)Role Adhikaraṇa (time)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- नक्तम्
- by nightIndeclinable (adverb)अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (time)Root नक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- शरुम्
- harm, injuryNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot शरु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मत्
- from usPronounपञ्चमी बहुवचन (ablative) (Vedic: अस्मद् > अस्मत्)Role ApādānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- युयोतम्
- drive away, remove (you two)Verbपरस्मैपद; लोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष द्विवचनRole KriyāRoot √यु (वियोजने/अपसारणे)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): अप | स्वसुः | उषसः | नग्जिहीते | रिणक्ति | कृष्णीः | अरुषाय | पन्थाम् | अश्वामघा | गोमघा | वाम् | हुवेम | दिवा | नक्तम् | शरुम् | अस्मत् | युयोतम् । प्रमुख-सन्धि: (1) स्वसुरुषसो → स्वसुः + उषसः (visarga before vowel; RV pada-text keeps separation)
- (2) अस्मद्युयोतम् → अस्मत् + युयोतम् (द् + य् → द्य् in saṃhitā; pada restores अस्मत्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Night withdraws from her sister Dawn, yielding the dark paths to the ruddy path of light. The Aśvins, givers of horses and cows, are invoked by day and night to drive away the dart of harm.
Inner meaning
The verse describes the inner transition: the obscuring consciousness (Night) recedes before awakening illumination (Uṣas). The ‘dark ways’ are the habitual tracks of ignorance; the ‘ruddy path’ is the emerging luminous movement of the psyche. The Aśvins are invoked as swift harmonizers who bring aśva (vital force for right action) and go (rays of knowledge). The ‘dart’ (śaru) is the sudden sting of disorder—fear, illness, hostile suggestion—asked to be expelled from the being in both waking and subconscious states (day and night).
Universal truth
Spiritual awakening is a repeated transition from obscurity to light; help is needed both in conscious life and in the hidden layers where harm can arise suddenly.
Themes
dawn-night transition, protection from harm, invocation day and night, light over darkness
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.71 (Aśvins), RV 7.76–7.81 (Uṣas themes in other maṇḍalas; conceptual parallels)
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 7’s dawn-transition imagery often serves as a psychological map: moving from tamas to jyotis through right invocation.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha frames spiritual progress as rhythmic transition; the gods are invoked not for external fortune alone but for inner safety and illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- aśvāmaghā, gomaghā
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Agni
Cosmic role
Guardians of the liminal hour between night and dawn; restorers who bring light and force, averting harm.
Inner power
They convert the energies of transition into progress—turning darkness into a path for light; they repel sudden hostile movements in mind and life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dawn invocations to Aśvins; protective recitation
अप॒ स्वसु॑रु॒षसो॒ नग्जि॑हीते रि॒णक्ति॑ कृ॒ष्णीर॑रु॒षाय॒ पन्था॑म् । अश्वा॑मघा॒ गोम॑घा वां हुवेम॒ दिवा॒ नक्तं॒ शरु॑म॒स्मद्यु॑योतम् ॥
अप॑ । स्वसुः॑ । उ॒षसः॑ । नक् । जि॒ही॒ते॒ । रि॒णक्ति॑ । कृ॒ष्णीः । अ॒रु॒षाय॑ । पन्था॑म् । अश्व॑ऽमघा । गोऽम॑घा । वा॒म् । हु॒वे॒म॒ । दिवा॑ । नक्त॑म् । शरु॑म् । अ॒स्मत् । यु॒यो॒त॒म् ॥
apa | svasuḥ | uṣasaḥ | nak | jihīte | riṇakti | kṛṣṇīḥ | aruṣāya | panthām | aśva-maghā | go--maghā | vām | huvema | divā | naktam | śarum | asmat | yuyotam
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Vivid, pictorial; strong turn between first and second hemistich mirroring night→dawn transition.
Creates a felt shift from heaviness to brightness; energizes aspiration while maintaining vigilance against harm.
- nak (night)
- Literal: night. Symbolic: state of obscurity, subconscient cover
- uṣas (dawn)
- Literal: dawn. Symbolic: illumination, awakening consciousness
- kṛṣṇīḥ panthām
- Literal: dark paths. Symbolic: habitual grooves of ignorance and inertia
- aruṣāya panthām
- Literal: ruddy path. Symbolic: path of emerging light—dynamic illumination
- aśvāmaghā
- Literal: rich in horses / givers of horses. Symbolic: bestowers of vital energy and effective force for right action
- gomaghā
- Literal: rich in cows / givers of cows. Symbolic: bestowers of rays of knowledge, illuminations
- śaru
- Literal: dart, arrow. Symbolic: sudden impact of harm: hostile impulse, fear, disease, depression
Protective invocation across day/night; suited to transitional rites and general apotropaic usage within Soma and daily recitations
At dawn (transition), and also as a protective formula ‘by day and by night’
Invocation and apotropaic request (drive away harm)
Chant at waking and before sleep to guard both conscious and subconscious; use during anxiety/illness as a protective call.
Key terms: (1) uṣas ‘dawn’ from √uṣ ‘to shine, burn’; illumination emerging. (2) nak/naktam ‘night’ (PIE *nókʷts; cf. Lat. nox, Gk. nýx). (3) aruṣa ‘ruddy’ denotes dawn’s luminous redness—transition to light. (4) panthā ‘path’ (PIE *pent- ‘path’; cf. Eng. find? not direct; but ‘path’ lexeme is old). (5) aśva (PIE *h₁éḱwos) as dynamic life-force; go ‘cow’ as ‘ray/light’ in Vedic symbolism—recoverable illuminations. (6) śaru ‘dart’ from √śṛ/√śar ‘to hurt, pierce’; hostile impact to be repelled.
transition from darkness (ignorance) to light (knowledge), continuous protection in waking and in inner/night states, go as rays of knowledge; aśva as force for progress
The orderly withdrawal of night before dawn is ṛta’s emblem; inner life should follow this law—darkness yielding to illumination.
Aruṣa light symbolizes truth’s emergence in consciousness.
Daily re-creation of light from darkness; the cosmos mirrors inner evolution.
Vedic symbolism of dawn as awakening (developed in Aurobindo’s ‘Dawn’ interpretations).
Dawn transition
Night = subconscient cover; dawn = awakening insight; paths = habitual mental-vital tracks; dart = sudden disturbance/hostility.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The cosmic transition: Night withdraws and yields the path to Dawn. In the inner sense, obscurity recedes before illumination, and the Aśvins are invoked as helpers who grant force (aśva) and light (go) and who repel the ‘dart’ of hostile impulses.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nakt-/nak ‘night’ is a strong PIE inheritance (*nókʷts: Lat. nox, Gk. nýx). aśva ‘horse’ is PIE *h₁éḱwos (Lat. equus). The shared IE dawn/night poetic opposition is a hallmark of inherited Indo-European diction and mythic structure.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Ṛṣi invokes the Aśvins continuously (day/night), asking for two core reciprocities: bestowal of force and light (aśva/go) and active protection (driving away śaru). The Devatā is thus both increaser of capacities and remover of hostile impacts in all states of consciousness.
At waking: observe the ‘night’ of inertia receding; invite the Aśvins to bring aśva (right energy) and go (clear perceptions). Ask to remove the ‘dart’—any sudden negative impulse.
Ajna (dawn/illumination) with support from Manipura (aśva-force)
At dawn: 7 slow breaths, then chant; at night: 7 slow breaths, then chant softly to protect sleep-consciousness.
Transitional awareness—lucid, guarded, and receptive to light.
Use as a bridge mantra: chant once upon waking, once before sleep. During chanting, visualize a ruddy path opening in the mind, while dark tracks dissolve behind.
Follow Vedic accentuation; give a clear lift on uṣaso and aruṣāya; keep the night→dawn contrast audible through phrasing.
Make a slight pause after the first hemistich to mark the turning (night yields to dawn).
nag jihīte: articulate jihīte with clear hī; avoid swallowing consonants., kṛṣṇīr: retroflex ṣṇ cluster—slow slightly., yuyotam: distinct y-yo-tam, not yuyotam merged.
Bright, open tone; slightly more forceful on the protective imperative yuyotam.
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