Rig Veda 7.69.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 69, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.69
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
स पप्रथानो अभि पञ्च भूमा त्रिवन्धुरो मनसा यातु युक्तः । विशो येन गच्छथो देवयन्तीः कुत्रा चिद्याममश्विना दधाना ॥
sá paprathānó abhí páñca bhū́mā tri-vandhuró manasā́ yātú yuktáḥ | víśo yéna gácchatho deva-yántīḥ kútrā cid yā́mam aśvinā dádhānā ||
愿那战车广布于五方境域之上，三座并列，由心意系轭而行。凭此你们行至诸族——那些向神而求者；阿湿毗那啊，无论你们把行程安置何处，彼处你们即临在。
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पप्रथानः
- having spread out, expandedParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदी-परिप्रेक्ष्ये परिपूर्ण/परिणत-भावः (परफेक्ट-आधारित कृदन्तः)Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root √प्रथ् (प्रथँ विस्तारे) → पप्रथान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, over, uponIndeclinable (Preverb)अव्ययम्Role Adhikaraṇa (दिशा/व्याप्ति-सूचक) / क्रियाविशेषणRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- पञ्च
- fiveNumeral(सामान्यतः अव्ययवत्) बहुवचन-संख्या; यहाँ ‘भूमा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role Karma (परिमाण-विशेषण) / विशेषणRoot पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- भूमा
- lands, regions, earth-tractsNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (वेदिक-रूप: भूमा = भूम्नः/भूमीन् ‘भूमीन्/प्रदेशान्’)Role KarmaRoot भूमन्/भूम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘भूमि/प्रदेश’)
- त्रिवन्धुरः
- having three seats/benches (of the chariot)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root त्रि + वन्धुर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘रथस्य वन्धुर’)
- मनसा
- with (his/your) mind, by thoughtNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यातु
- let him go / may he comeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमा, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (मुख्य) क्रियाRoot √या (या प्रापणे/गत्यर्थे)
- युक्तः
- yoked, harnessed, joinedParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः (PPP)Role Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root √युज् (युजँ योगे) → युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- विशः
- the clans, peoplesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (वेदिक: विशः = ‘जनान्/प्रजाः’)Role KarmaRoot विश् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘जन/कुल/प्रजा’)
- येन
- by which, with whichPronounपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गच्छथः
- you two goVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यम, द्विवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (मुख्य) क्रियाRoot √गम् (गमॢँ गतौ)
- देवयन्तीः
- seeking the gods, god-devotedParticiple (Adjective used as Noun)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; वर्तमान-कृदन्तःRole Karma (विशेषणम् ‘विशः’)Root देवयन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √देवय्/देवयति ‘देवकाम/देवपूजक’)
- कुत्र
- where?Indeclinableअव्ययम्Role Adhikaraṇa (स्थान-प्रश्न) / क्रियाविशेषणRoot कुत्र (प्रश्न-अव्यय)
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (निपात)Root चित् (अव्यय; ‘अपि/एव’)
- यामम्
- a course/journey, a stage (of travel)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot याम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘यात्रा/मार्ग/अवसर/रात्रियाम’)
- अश्विना
- O Aśvins (you two)Noun (Dual deity name)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनम् (वेदिक: अश्विना = voc. du.)Role Sampradāna/संबोधन (आह्वान)Root अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अश्विनौ’)
- दधानाः
- bearing, holding, carryingParticipleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्; वर्तमान-कृदन्तःRole Kartā (विशेषणम् ‘अश्विना’)Root √धा (धा धारणे) → दधान (वर्तमान-कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): सः | पप्रथानः | अभि | पञ्च | भूमा | त्रिवन्धुरः | मनसा | यातु | युक्तः || विशः | येन | गच्छथः | देवयन्तीः | कुत्र | चित् | यामम् | अश्विना | दधानाः || मुख्य सन्धयः: (1) स पप्रथानः → सः पप्रथानः (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते)
- (3) देवयन्तीः कुत्र: विसर्गः + क् (कुत्र) पर पदपाठे पृथक्
- (4) चिद्यामम् → चित् यामम् (त् + य → द्य, जश्त्व/संयोग-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May that chariot, spread over the five realms, triple-seated, yoked by mind, move; by it you go to the god-seeking peoples; wherever you set your journey, there you are present.
Inner meaning
The chariot of the Aśvins is not limited to one plane: it expands over pañca bhūmā—five domains of experience (physical, vital, mental, and higher gradations, or five fields of embodied life). Trivandhura (triple-seated) indicates a threefold support: body-life-mind, or the triple world (earth-midregion-heaven) held together in one movement. ‘Yoked by mind’ means the movement becomes available when the mental being aligns—aspiration and intention harness the forces. The devayantī viśaḥ are parts of the collective nature that turn toward the Divine. Wherever the Aśvins place yāma (their course), the needed presence manifests—help becomes situationally immediate.
Universal truth
When the mind yokes itself to the Divine, higher help can operate across all layers of life; the Divine becomes present wherever the journey is consciously offered.
Themes
omnipresent aid, mind-yoked chariot, five domains, divine seekers (devayant-)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.69.1, RV 7.69.3
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha often universalizes the divine action: not only for one ritual site but across ‘domains’ of life and peoples (viśaḥ).
Significance
Shows the seer’s integral scope—divine movement must pervade the whole fivefold life, not a single compartment.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Dasrā, Nāsatyā
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
All-domain movers who bring timely presence to aspirants; mediators across worlds.
Inner power
Pervasive assistance across levels; mobilizing and coordinating the triple instrument through mental yoking.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invitation emphasizing their reach to all worshippers; communal invocation.
स प॑प्रथा॒नो अ॒भि पञ्च॒ भूमा॑ त्रिवन्धु॒रो मन॒सा या॑तु यु॒क्तः । विशो॒ येन॒ गच्छ॑थो देव॒यन्ती॒: कुत्रा॑ चि॒द्याम॑मश्विना॒ दधा॑ना ॥
सः । प॒प्र॒था॒नः । अ॒भि । पञ्च॑ । भूम॑ । त्रि॒ऽव॒न्धु॒रः । म॒न॒सा । या॒तु॒ । यु॒क्तः । विशः॑ । येन॑ । गच्छ॑थः । दे॒व॒ऽयन्तीः॑ । कुत्र॑ । चि॒त् । याम॑म् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । दधा॑ना ॥
saḥ | paprathānaḥ | abhi | pañca | bhūma | tri-vandhuraḥ | manasā | yātu | yuktaḥ | viśaḥ | yena | gacchathaḥ | deva-yantīḥ | kutra | cit | yāmam | aśvinā | dadhānā
44
4 × ~11
Expansive and roaming; phrases like pañca bhūmā and kutrā cid widen the auditory space.
Creates a sense of breadth and availability—help ‘everywhere’—reducing constriction in the listener.
- पञ्च भूम (pañca bhūmā)
- Literal: five grounds/domains. Symbolic: fivefold field of experience; totality of life-levels to be pervaded by the divine movement
- त्रिवन्धुर (trivandhura)
- Literal: three-seated/three-bench chariot. Symbolic: threefold foundation (body-life-mind) or triple world integrated
- मनसा युक्त (manasā yukta)
- Literal: yoked by mind. Symbolic: alignment of intention; harnessing forces through conscious will
- देवयन्तीः (devayantīḥ)
- Literal: seeking the gods. Symbolic: aspiring movements in the being/collectivity turning to the Divine
- याम (yāma)
- Literal: course/journey. Symbolic: directed movement of sadhana; chosen line of progress
- कुत्र चित् (kutrā cid)
- Literal: anywhere. Symbolic: universality of divine aid when invoked rightly
Invocation emphasizing omnipresence and accessibility of the Aśvins: they can be ‘placed’ (dadhānā) in any yāma by mental yoking—supports meditative/intentional aspect of ritual calling.
Dawn rites when calling Aśvins to multiple sacrificers/altars (symbolically ‘peoples’).
Invocation with emphasis on universality of access and presence.
Chant when feeling compartmentalized: offer all ‘five domains’ of life (work, body, emotions, mind, spirit) to a single divine movement.
√prath ‘spread, widen’ → paprathāna. √yuj ‘yoke’ → yukta. √gam ‘go’ → gacchathaḥ. yāma from √yā ‘to go’ signifies regulated movement/advance (often linked with Ṛta as right course). devayant- ‘seeking the gods’ from deva + √i/√yā desiderative formation in Vedic usage.
fivefold world (pañca bhūmā) as levels of manifestation, mind as yoker (manasā yukta), yāma as right course under Ṛta
Right movement is not local; it can traverse and harmonize multiple planes when yoked by mind.
Divine presence becomes concrete where the journey is truly placed (truth of offering).
Integration of fivefold life and threefold instrument into one advancing movement.
Bandhu-based Vedic psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap): correspondences between worlds and inner parts.
Dawn (implied continuity from 7.69.1)
The inner journey can be carried into every life-region once aspiration and intention harness the forces.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The divine vehicle spanning the ‘five domains’ and reaching any god-seeking community. Inner myth: the Aśvin powers can enter all levels of the being when yoked by the mind’s right intention.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj (yoke) is a classic IE root (PIE *yeug-) with wide cognates (Latin iugum, English yoke). The chariot-and-yoking complex is a pan-IE poetic technology, here interiorized (‘manasā’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi asserts a practical reciprocity: wherever seekers turn godward, the Aśvins can be ‘installed’ in that movement. The human mind’s yoking aligns the journey (yāma) to receive divine presence.
Offer the ‘five domains’ of your life; feel the triple instrument (body-life-mind) seated and aligned; invite the Aśvin movement to become present in today’s specific journey.
Ājñā (yoking by mind) with grounding in Mūlādhāra (domains of embodied life)
Five-cycle breath: 5 slow breaths dedicating each ‘domain’ (body, life-force, emotion, thought, soul-aspiration), then one breath to feel integration.
Wide, integrated, mobile; sense of divine availability.
Name your ‘yāma’ (the day’s line of progress) inwardly; then chant, and sit briefly to sense where help is already present.
Tri-svara; exact accents require RV svara text for 7.69.2.
Give breadth to pañca bhūmā; keep trivandhura articulated (tri-vandhura) without splitting too much; soften on kutrā cid for universality.
paprathānaḥ: aspirate th; keep long ā, trivandhuraḥ: retroflex ḍh? (here dh), conjunct ndh clear, devayantīḥ: y glide; long īḥ, yāmam: long ā
Open-throated, expansive, even.
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