Rig Veda 7.73.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 73, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.73
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Shanta (peace)
न्यु प्रियो मनुषः सादि होता नासत्या यो यजते वन्दते च । अश्नीतं मध्वो अश्विना उपाक आ वां वोचे विदथेषु प्रयस्वान् ॥
ny ù priyó mánuṣaḥ sā́di hótā nā́satyā yó yájate vándate ca | aśnī́taṃ mádhvo aśvinā upāká ā́ vāṃ vóce vidátheṣu práyasvān ||
愿那为人所亲爱的祭司今就座——那位向你们献祭并礼敬者，哦那萨提亚（Nāsatyas）。阿湿毗那（Aśvins）啊，请在近旁品尝这甘蜜的欢悦；而我这富于祭献之力者，将在诸求愿的集会中宣扬你们。
Word by Word
- न्यु
- down, forth; (emphatic particle)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (क्रियाविशेषणार्थे)Root नि (उपसर्ग) + उ
- प्रियः
- dear, belovedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (सादि का कर्ता) / विशेषणRoot प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा √प्री (to please) से निष्पन्न
- मनुषः
- of Manu; of the man/ancestor ManuNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root मनु (प्रातिपदिक) → मनुष्य/मनुष
- सादि
- sat down; took his seatVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √सद् (सीदति ‘to sit, take seat’)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priest; invokerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (सादि का कर्ता) / पद-सम्बन्धRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘to sacrifice, invoke’)
- नासत्या
- O Nāsatyas (Aśvins)Noun (dual name) / Vocativeपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot नासत्य (प्रातिपदिक; अश्विनौ)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (यजते/वन्दते का कर्ता)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यजते
- worships; sacrificesVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √यज् (to worship, sacrifice)
- वन्दते
- praises; pays homageVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √वन्द् (to praise, salute)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- अश्नीतम्
- may you two partake/eatVerbलोट्/विधिलिङ्-सम्भाव्य (वैदिक प्रयोग), मध्यम?; परन्तु पदरूपेण: लोट्, परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, द्विवचन (आशिष/आमन्त्रण)Root √अश् (to eat, partake)
- मध्वः
- of honey; of sweetness (mead)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (वैदिक: मध्वस्) अथवा पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-एकवचन रूपRole सम्बन्ध (genitive) / स्रोत-निर्देशRoot मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्विना
- O AśvinsNoun (dual) / Vocativeपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचन (वैदिक voc. du.)Role सम्बोधनRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक; अश्विनौ)
- उपाक
- near; close at handAdjective/Adverbialअव्ययवत् प्रयोग; (अर्थतः ‘निकटे/समीपे’)Role Adhikaraṇa (स्थान/निकटता)Root उपाक (प्रातिपदिक; ‘near, at hand’)
- आ
- to, hither; forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/आह्वानार्थक निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वाम्
- you twoPronounद्वितीया, द्विवचनRole Karma (वोचे का कर्म) / सम्बोधन-प्रत्ययRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- वोचे
- I have spoken / I will speak (solemn utterance)Verbलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, 1 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √वच् (to speak)
- विदथेषु
- in the assemblies; at the ritesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (स्थान/अवसर)Root विदथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रयस्वान्
- possessing refreshment/offerings; well-provisionedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā/विशेषण (वोचे के वक्ता का गुण)Root प्रयस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘refreshment, food, offering’) + वत्
Sandhi Notes
- पाठ-समाधान (मुख्य): न्यु (निपात) | प्रियः | मनुषः | सादि | होता | नासत्या | यः | यजते | वन्दते | च | अश्नीतम् | मध्वः | अश्विना | उपाक | आ | वाम् | वोचे | विदथेषु | प्रयस्वान् । विशेष: ‘न्यु’ वैदिक निपात (नि + उ) रूप
- ‘अश्नीतम्’ वैदिक आमन्त्रण/आशीर्लिङ्-लोट्-प्राय द्विवचन
- ‘मध्वः’ वैदिक षष्ठी-एकवचन (मध्वस्) का पदरूप
- ‘अश्विना’ voc. du. वैदिक
- ‘वोचे’ लिट् 1sg (solemn perfect)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Now may the dear priest of man sit down—he who sacrifices and adores you, O Nāsatyas. Taste the honey, O Aśvins, near at hand; and I, rich in offering, will speak of you in the assemblies.
Inner meaning
The ‘hotā’ is the inner priest—Agni-like will and discerning aspiration—taking its seat in the human being: the settled readiness to offer. The Nāsatyas are invoked not as distant but ‘upāka’ (near): the helping powers are accessible when the inner priest is established. ‘Honey’ (madhु) is the sweetness of delight and truth-essence; the seeker asks the Aśvins to partake—meaning: let the divine powers accept and inhabit the offered delight and make it effective in the life. ‘Prayasvān’ indicates abundance of offering-energy: concentrated will, sincerity, and substance of practice. In ‘vidatheṣu’ (gatherings), the seeker affirms the divine names—bringing remembrance into collective and inner assemblies of thought.
Universal truth
Transformation becomes possible when the inner will-priest is seated and steady; then higher help is near, and the sweetness of truth can be shared between human aspiration and divine action.
Themes
invocation, soma-delight, inner-ritual, speech-and-assembly
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1 (Agni/hotā themes), RV 7.2, RV 7.60, RV 7.73.1
Family tradition
The Vasiṣṭha line often internalizes ritual roles: hotā becomes the psychic function that seats itself and offers the being.
Significance
This verse shows the technique of sadhana: establish the inner priest (steady will), invite the helpers as near, offer the sweetness of consciousness, and affirm the divine in all inner/outer assemblies.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau (Nāsatyā)
- Epithets
- Nāsatyā, Aśvinā, Near ones (upāka, by function), Receivers of honeyed offering
- Related deities
- Agni (hotā principle), Soma (madhु/ananda affinity), Uṣas
Cosmic role
They attend the sacrifice at the threshold of dawn and accept offerings that enable healing and right functioning in the worlds.
Inner power
They make the sweetness of awakened consciousness operative—turning ananda into effective harmony and right action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin offering sequence; invitation to partake of sweet oblation (honey/soma-like)
न्यु॑ प्रि॒यो मनु॑षः सादि॒ होता॒ नास॑त्या॒ यो यज॑ते॒ वन्द॑ते च । अ॒श्नी॒तं मध्वो॑ अश्विना उपा॒क आ वां॑ वोचे वि॒दथे॑षु॒ प्रय॑स्वान् ॥
नि । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । प्रि॒यः । मनु॑षः । सा॒दि॒ । होता॑ । नास॑त्या । यः । यज॑ते । वन्द॑ते । च॒ । अ॒श्नी॒तम् । मध्वः॑ । अ॒श्वि॒नौ॒ । उ॒पा॒के । आ । वा॒म् । वो॒चे॒ । वि॒दथे॑षु । प्रय॑स्वान् ॥
ni | oṃ iti | priyaḥ | manuṣaḥ | sādi | hotā | nāsatyā | yaḥ | yajate | vandate | ca | aśnītam | madhvaḥ | aśvinau | upāke | ā | vām | voce | vidatheṣu | prayasvān
44
4×11 (probable)
Balanced and intimate; first half establishes, second half offers and voices—like a seated rite turning into communion.
Creates steadiness (seating) and closeness (upāka), then opens sweetness (madhु) in the heart-mind.
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: inner will and aspiration that offers and calls the divine
- सादि (sādi)
- Literal: may he sit. Symbolic: settling/establishing the inner priesthood—stability of practice
- यजते / वन्दते (yajate / vandate)
- Literal: sacrifices / adores. Symbolic: offering of energies and heartfelt reverence
- मध्वः (madhvaḥ)
- Literal: honey, sweetness. Symbolic: ananda/essence of delight and truth
- उपाके (upāke)
- Literal: near at hand. Symbolic: divine help is intimate when consciousness is prepared
- प्रयस्वान् (prayasvān)
- Literal: rich in offerings. Symbolic: full of consecrated energy, sincerity, and disciplined substance
- विदथेषु (vidatheṣu)
- Literal: in assemblies. Symbolic: inner gatherings of thought/will; also collective spaces where truth is affirmed
Soma offering and invitation to partake (madhu/soma); suitable for Aśvina-śastra style invocations in Soma rites.
Morning invocation; also when beginning recitation—‘seat the priest’ before chanting further.
Āsana/niṣadana (priest sits), offering, invitation to taste, public proclamation in vidatha.
Before meditation: sit, light a lamp, chant once to ‘seat the inner hotā’; offer a moment of gratitude (honey), then proceed with practice.
: √hu ‘to call, invoke’ → Hotṛ, the summoning power in speech. : √yaj ‘to sacrifice’—inner offering of energies. : √vand ‘to praise, reverence’. : √aś ‘to eat’ (imperative dual) → ‘taste/assimilate’ the madhu. : ‘honey/sweetness’ (PIE *médʰu, cf. English mead). : upa-√añc/āk? here ‘near, at hand’ (lexicalized). : from √vid ‘to know’—assembly as a field of knowing/ordering.
inner priesthood (hotṛ as will and speech), ananda (madhu) as assimilated delight, vidatha as field of knowledge-order
A properly seated hotā signifies orderly functioning (ṛta) in the human instrument.
Voicing the gods in assemblies is satya-remembrance: truth upheld by speech aligned with experience.
Communion as creative act: when delight is offered and accepted, new harmonies are born in life.
Mantra-yoga psychology: speech, will, and delight as instruments of transformation.
morning (Aśvin context)
Sweetness equals ananda; seated priest equals stable attention; assemblies equal movements of thought and collective mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘divine guests tasting the honey’ mythologem: the Aśvins are invited to partake of madhu (soma-delight) and thereby become present ‘near at hand’. Inwardly, it is the descent of luminous healing powers when the invoking will (hotṛ) is rightly seated.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu is a classic Indo-European inheritance (PIE *médʰu). The sacrificial verb √yaj is Indo-Iranian (Avestan yaz-), reflecting a shared ritual lexicon. The dual forms (aśnītam, vām) preserve archaic Indo-European dual address to paired deities.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions the human ‘hotṛ’ as mediator: when aspiration is rightly seated and acts (yajate, vandate), the Aśvins reciprocate by ‘tasting’—i.e., accepting and entering the prepared offering-substance (prayas), enabling their help to operate in the assemblies (vidathas) of collective and inner discernment.
Seat the inner hotā: feel the spine steady, attention gathered; then invite the ‘near helpers’ and let a subtle sweetness spread in the chest and throat.
Viśuddha (voicing/voce) + Anāhata (madhu sweetness)
Soft nasal breathing; on inhale feel ‘upāka’ (nearness), on exhale offer ‘madhu’ (gratitude/sweetness).
Intimate devotion with steady attention
1) Sit firmly (sādi). 2) Offer a clear intention and reverence (yajate, vandate). 3) Rest in a felt sweetness (madhu). 4) Speak inwardly the divine names with precision (voce) to stabilize the state.
Accents highlight ni/nyu and vocatives nāsatyā, aśvinā; keep ‘madhvaḥ’ gently emphasized to evoke sweetness.
Let the first half be stable and grounded; soften and warm tone on ‘aśnītam madhvaḥ’; brighten on ‘ā vāṃ voce’.
(nyu): palatal nasal + y glide, not ‘niu’, (manuṣaḥ): retroflex ṣ, (nāsatyā): long ā, (aśnītam): śn cluster clear; long ī, (madhvaḥ): dh aspirate; v lightly, (upāke): long ā
Warm, intimate, slightly softer volume; clear diction.
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