Hymn to the Aśvins
Rigveda V.74 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 5 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 by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
Hark! Do ye hear the rumble of their chariot wheels? The Aśvins approach in their golden car, drawn by horses whose hooves strike fire from the heavens. The dawn breaketh before them; the night fleeth away like a frightened animal. All creation stirreth at their coming.
Their horses are not as the horses of men. These are celestial steeds, born of the ocean, fed on the ambrosia of heaven. Their manes flow like rivers of light; their eyes shine with divine intelligence. Fleet as thought they move, swift as the falcon's swoop, faster than the arrow from the bow.
The chariot itself is wrought from substances unknown to mortal smiths. The wheels turn without effort; the axles sing like harps. Gold and silver gleam in the light of the breaking dawn. The poles are carved with intricate designs that speak of cosmic mysteries. All the powers of heaven are contained within that wondrous vehicle.
As they ride, the earth trembleth beneath the wheels; the heavens resound with their passage. The clouds part before them; the stars dim at their approach. Yet when they descend to aid mortals in their distress, they come with gentleness and kindness, their terrible power restrained by infinite compassion.
O swift ones! O celestial horsemen! Ride swiftly to those who suffer! Let thy chariot bring succor to the afflicted. Thy speed is without measure; thy power is beyond comprehension. Yet to those who call upon thee in earnest prayer, thou comest as a friend and a savior. Blessed be thy coming; blessed be thy aid. Eternal glory to the Aśvins!
Colophon
This hymn is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation are to be documented during audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ṛgveda V.74
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.
kūṣṭho devāv aśvinādyā divo manāvasū |
tac chravatho vṛṣaṇvasū atrir vām ā vivāsati || 1 ||
kuha tyā kuha nu śrutā divi devā nāsatyā |
kasminn ā yatatho jane ko vāṁ nadīnāṁ sacā || 2 ||
kaṁ yāthaḥ kaṁ ha gacchathaḥ kam acchā yuñjāthe ratham |
kasya brahmāṇi raṇyatho vayaṁ vām uśmasīṣṭaye || 3 ||
pauraṁ cid dhy udaprutam paura paurāya jinvathaḥ |
yad īṁ gṛbhītatātaye siṁham iva druhas pade || 4 ||
pra cyavānāj jujuruṣo vavrim atkaṁ na muñcathaḥ |
yuvā yadī kṛthaḥ punar ā kāmam ṛṇve vadhvaḥ || 5 ||
asti hi vām iha stotā smasi vāṁ saṁdṛśi śriye |
nū śrutam ma ā gatam avobhir vājinīvasū || 6 ||
ko vām adya purūṇām ā vavne martyānām |
ko vipro vipravāhasā ko yajñair vājinīvasū || 7 ||
ā vāṁ ratho rathānāṁ yeṣṭho yātv aśvinā |
purū cid asmayus tira āṅgūṣo martyeṣv ā || 8 ||
śam ū ṣu vām madhūyuvāsmākam astu carkṛtiḥ |
arvācīnā vicetasā vibhiḥ śyeneva dīyatam || 9 ||
aśvinā yad dha karhi cic chuśrūyātam imaṁ havam |
vasvīr ū ṣu vām bhujaḥ pṛñcanti su vām pṛcaḥ || 10 ||
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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