Hymn to the Aśvins
Rigveda VIII.5 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 8 of the Rigveda, one of the 1,028 hymns organized within the ten books of the oldest Veda. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in Vedic Sanskrit and preserved through oral transmission across millennia.
This is a Good Works Translation produced for the Good Works Library from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
1. As if truly from afar, the ruddy-formed one has gleamed hitherward; she has spread her light over all things.
2. Like heroes, O wondrous ones, with your mind-yoked chariot of broad build, you two keep company with Dawn, O Aśvins.
3. To you two, O rich in strength, our hymns of praise have turned and appeared, as a messenger carries a word.
4. Much-loved, much-gladdening, rich in much wealth — for our help I praise you, O Aśvins, I who am of the Kaṇvas.
5. Most bountiful, best winners of strength, bringing refreshment, lords of splendor — the two who go to the house of the one who offers.
6. For the pious giver, sprinkle with ghee the unfailing pastureland.
7. Hasten swiftly to our hymn of praise with swift falcons; come, O Aśvins, with your horses.
8. With which horses you fly around the three far realms, all the luminous regions of heaven, through three nights.
9. And grant us cattle-rich food, and gains, O knowers of the days; open the paths for our gain.
10. Bring to us, O Aśvins, wealth rich in cattle, rich in good men, rich in good chariots, and food rich in horses.
11. Grown mighty, lords of splendor, wondrous ones, with golden paths — drink the sweet soma.
12. To us, O rich in strength, and to our generous patrons, extend a broad, unfailing shelter.
13. Come down here well, O youngest ones, swiftly, to the prayer of men; do not turn aside to others.
14. Drink, O Aśvins, you two, of this lovely exhilarating draught, of the sweet gift that has been offered, O attentive ones.
15. Bring to us wealth counted in hundreds and in thousands, abundant in food, all-nourishing.
16. Indeed in many places the wise ones call out to you, O heroes; come, O Aśvins, with our singers.
17. The people, having strewn the sacred grass, with oblations made ready, call upon you two, O Aśvins.
18. Today let this hymn of ours, most carrying and nearest to you, be for you two, O Aśvins.
19. The skin of honey that is set for you two in the chariot-seat — from that, drink, O Aśvins.
20. With that, O rich in strength, bring us rich refreshments — well-being for our livestock, our offspring, our cattle.
21. And grant us heavenly refreshments, and the rivers, O knowers of the days; open them like doors.
22. When did the son of Tugra, abandoned in the sea, call on you two, O heroes — that time when your chariot flew with birds?
23. To Kaṇva, O Nāsatyas, smeared with affliction and shut in the house, you continually grant your aid.
24. Come with those aids of yours, the newest ones, well-praised, since I call on you, O lords of bounteous wealth.
25. Just as you helped Kaṇva, and Priyamedha the praised, Atri, and Śiñjāra, O Aśvins —
26. and as you helped Aṁśu in the decisive contest, Agastya in the contest for cattle, and Sobhari in the contests for strength —
27. this much from you, O bounteous ones, or even more than this, O Aśvins — praising you, we beg for your favor.
28. For you two mount your chariot with golden seat and golden reins, O Aśvins, the chariot that touches heaven.
29. Golden is your grasping-pole, golden the chariot-pole, golden the axle, and golden both wheels.
30. With that chariot, O rich in strength, come to us even from afar, to this fine hymn of mine.
31. Bring to us, from far away, many gift-given refreshments as you enjoy them yourselves, O immortal Aśvins.
32. Come to us with splendor, with fame, with wealth, O Aśvins, much-shining Nāsatyas.
33. Let the speckled, winged birds carry you two here, toward the people at their good sacrifice.
34. Your chariot, which moves along together with its swiftness, whose wheel presses against nothing —
35. with the golden chariot and swift-footed horses, O Nāsatyas, swift as thought —
36. you two delight in the watchful wild creature, O bounteous ones; join us with refreshment and wealth.
37. May you two, O Aśvins, grant me knowledge of gains, of old ones and of new — just as Kaśu of Cedi gave a hundred camels, ten thousand head of cattle.
38. He of golden aspect who bestowed on me the wealth of ten kings — the peoples all around are indeed subject underfoot to the lord of Cedi.
39. Let no one go by this path by which these Cedis go, lest another patron be reckoned a more generous giver [than he].
Translator's note: verses 34, 36, and 38 contain words whose sense is uncertain in Vedic Sanskrit scholarship (anugāyasam in 34, describing how the chariot "moves along"; mṛgaṁ jāgṛvāṁsam, "the watchful wild creature," in 36; and carmamnā in 38). These are rendered conservatively, staying close to the literal Sanskrit rather than filling the gap with a confident guess.
Colophon
Rigveda VIII.5 is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation rendered verse by verse from the Sanskrit text printed below. Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation.
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Source Text: ṛgveda VIII.5
Sanskrit source text from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
dūrād iheva yat saty aruṇapsur aśiśvitat |
vi bhānuṁ viśvadhātanat || 1 ||
nṛvad dasrā manoyujā rathena pṛthupājasā |
sacethe aśvinoṣasam || 2 ||
yuvābhyāṁ vājinīvasū prati stomā adṛkṣata |
vācaṁ dūto yathohiṣe || 3 ||
purupriyā ṇa ūtaye purumandrā purūvasū |
stuṣe kaṇvāso aśvinā || 4 ||
maṁhiṣṭhā vājasātameṣayantā śubhas patī |
gantārā dāśuṣo gṛham || 5 ||
tā sudevāya dāśuṣe sumedhām avitāriṇīm |
ghṛtair gavyūtim ukṣatam || 6 ||
ā naḥ stomam upa dravat tūyaṁ śyenebhir āśubhiḥ |
yātam aśvebhir aśvinā || 7 ||
yebhis tisraḥ parāvato divo viśvāni rocanā |
trīm̐r aktūn paridīyathaḥ || 8 ||
uta no gomatīr iṣa uta sātīr aharvidā |
vi pathaḥ sātaye sitam || 9 ||
ā no gomantam aśvinā suvīraṁ surathaṁ rayim |
voḻham aśvāvatīr iṣaḥ || 10 ||
vāvṛdhānā śubhas patī dasrā hiraṇyavartanī |
pibataṁ somyam madhu || 11 ||
asmabhyaṁ vājinīvasū maghavadbhyaś ca saprathaḥ |
chardir yantam adābhyam || 12 ||
ni ṣu brahma janānāṁ yāviṣṭaṁ tūyam ā gatam |
mo ṣv a1nyām̐ upāratam || 13 ||
asya pibatam aśvinā yuvam madasya cāruṇaḥ |
madhvo rātasya dhiṣṇyā || 14 ||
asme ā vahataṁ rayiṁ śatavantaṁ sahasriṇam |
purukṣuṁ viśvadhāyasam || 15 ||
purutrā cid dhi vāṁ narā vihvayante manīṣiṇaḥ |
vāghadbhir aśvinā gatam || 16 ||
janāso vṛktabarhiṣo haviṣmanto araṁkṛtaḥ |
yuvāṁ havante aśvinā || 17 ||
asmākam adya vām ayaṁ stomo vāhiṣṭho antamaḥ |
yuvābhyām bhūtv aśvinā || 18 ||
yo ha vām madhuno dṛtir āhito rathacarṣaṇe |
tataḥ pibatam aśvinā || 19 ||
tena no vājinīvasū paśve tokāya śaṁ gave |
vahatam pīvarīr iṣaḥ || 20 ||
uta no divyā iṣa uta sindhūm̐r aharvidā |
apa dvāreva varṣathaḥ || 21 ||
kadā vāṁ taugryo vidhat samudre jahito narā |
yad vāṁ ratho vibhiṣ patāt || 22 ||
yuvaṁ kaṇvāya nāsatyā ṛpiriptāya harmye |
śaśvad ūtīr daśasyathaḥ || 23 ||
tābhir ā yātam ūtibhir navyasībhiḥ suśastibhiḥ |
yad vāṁ vṛṣaṇvasū huve || 24 ||
yathā cit kaṇvam āvatam priyamedham upastutam |
atriṁ śiñjāram aśvinā || 25 ||
yathota kṛtvye dhane 'ṁśuṁ goṣv agastyam |
yathā vājeṣu sobharim || 26 ||
etāvad vāṁ vṛṣaṇvasū ato vā bhūyo aśvinā |
gṛṇantaḥ sumnam īmahe || 27 ||
rathaṁ hiraṇyavandhuraṁ hiraṇyābhīśum aśvinā |
ā hi sthātho divispṛśam || 28 ||
hiraṇyayī vāṁ rabhir īṣā akṣo hiraṇyayaḥ |
ubhā cakrā hiraṇyayā || 29 ||
tena no vājinīvasū parāvataś cid ā gatam |
upemāṁ suṣṭutim mama || 30 ||
ā vahethe parākāt pūrvīr aśnantāv aśvinā |
iṣo dāsīr amartyā || 31 ||
ā no dyumnair ā śravobhir ā rāyā yātam aśvinā |
puruścandrā nāsatyā || 32 ||
eha vām pruṣitapsavo vayo vahantu parṇinaḥ |
acchā svadhvaraṁ janam || 33 ||
rathaṁ vām anugāyasaṁ ya iṣā vartate saha |
na cakram abhi bādhate || 34 ||
hiraṇyayena rathena dravatpāṇibhir aśvaiḥ |
dhījavanā nāsatyā || 35 ||
yuvam mṛgaṁ jāgṛvāṁsaṁ svadatho vā vṛṣaṇvasū |
tā naḥ pṛṅktam iṣā rayim || 36 ||
tā me aśvinā sanīnāṁ vidyātaṁ navānām |
yathā cic caidyaḥ kaśuḥ śatam uṣṭrānāṁ dadat sahasrā daśa gonām || 37 ||
yo me hiraṇyasaṁdṛśo daśa rājño amaṁhata |
adhaspadā ic caidyasya kṛṣṭayaś carmamnā abhito janāḥ || 38 ||
mākir enā pathā gād yeneme yanti cedayaḥ |
anyo net sūrir ohate bhūridāvattaro janaḥ || 39 ||
Source Colophon
Sanskrit text of the Rigveda, Śākala recension. The standard scholarly edition is the Bombay Oriental (Vishva Bandhu, 5 vols., 1963–66). IAST transliteration available from GRETIL (Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages) and Vedaweb (University of Cologne). Both sources are open access. IAST transliteration from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).