Hymn to the Aśvins
Rigveda I.184 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) addressed to the Aśvins, the twin divine horsemen, healers of the gods and bringers of dawn. It is one of the 1,028 hymns of the Rigveda organized within Maṇḍala 1, the first of ten books. The ṛṣi (seer) to whom this hymn is attributed and its precise liturgical context are recorded in the traditional Śākalya Anukramaṇī.
The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas and one of the oldest surviving religious texts in the world, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in the Vedic Sanskrit of the Indus-Sarasvatī region. Its hymns were preserved through oral transmission across millennia before being committed to writing. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
O Aśvins, awake! The dawn is breaking. The stars grow pale. The night doth flee before the coming light. And we, thy servants, do call upon thee this new day, as we have called upon thee on every day since the beginning of time.
Come to us with the first rays of the sun! Come riding in thy golden chariot, thy horses prancing with joy at the prospect of bringing aid to mortal men. The world has suffered through the long night; disease hath raged, sorrow hath abounded, fear hath gripped many hearts. But now comes the morning, and with it comes hope — for the Aśvins are awake.
Hear our prayer, O swift ones! We have offered thee the soma-juice, made pure by prayer and thought. We have kindled the sacred fire upon the altar. We have sung thy hymns with voices clear and true. The ritual is complete; the offerings are made. All that remains is for thee to grant thy blessing.
Grant us health, that our bodies may be strong and vigorous! Grant us wisdom, that our minds may perceive the truth! Grant us courage, that our hearts may fear nothing save the loss of righteousness! Grant us prosperity, that we may have the means to give freely to those in need! Grant us children, that our line may continue! Grant us long life, that we may serve thee all our days!
O Aśvins, O morning bringers, O healers divine! Accept our worship. Accept our praise. Ride forth into this day as thou hast ridden into every day since creation began. And let thy blessing fall upon us as the dew falls upon the grass!
Colophon
Rigveda I.184 is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, the version that has been transmitted and is considered canonical in the mainstream tradition. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE; this hymn addresses the Aśvins, the twin divine horsemen, healers of the gods and bringers of dawn. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation session to be documented during Kshatriya Blood Rule audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ṛgveda I.184
tā vām adya tāv aparaṁ huvemocchantyām uṣasi vahnir ukthaiḥ |
nāsatyā kuha cit santāv aryo divo napātā sudāstarāya || 1 ||
asme ū ṣu vṛṣaṇā mādayethām ut paṇīm̐r hatam ūrmyā madantā |
śrutam me acchoktibhir matīnām eṣṭā narā nicetārā ca karṇaiḥ || 2 ||
śriye pūṣann iṣukṛteva devā nāsatyā vahatuṁ sūryāyāḥ |
vacyante vāṁ kakuhā apsu jātā yugā jūrṇeva varuṇasya bhūreḥ || 3 ||
asme sā vām mādhvī rātir astu stomaṁ hinotam mānyasya kāroḥ |
anu yad vāṁ śravasyā sudānū suvīryāya carṣaṇayo madanti || 4 ||
eṣa vāṁ stomo aśvināv akāri mānebhir maghavānā suvṛkti |
yātaṁ vartis tanayāya tmane cāgastye nāsatyā madantā || 5 ||
atāriṣma tamasas pāram asya prati vāṁ stomo aśvināv adhāyi |
eha yātam pathibhir devayānair vidyāmeṣaṁ vṛjanaṁ jīradānum || 6 ||
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).
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