Hymn to the Aśvins
Rigveda V.78 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.
O Aśvins, ye golden twins, ye riders of the morning, we make this final petition before thee. Hear us as thou hast heard the prayers of generations before us. Grant us what we ask with the fervor of true devotion.
Guard us from sickness and curse. Shield us from the malice of our enemies and the hatred of envious men. Let no poison touch our lips; let no weapon strike us down. Thy protection is our armor; thy presence our fortress.
Bring us prosperity—let our herds multiply, let our granaries overflow, let our children be healthy and strong. Give us the courage to face the perils of the world, the wisdom to know truth from falsehood, the strength to endure hardship without breaking.
Bless our priests as they pour the soma libation. Accept our offerings of ghee and grain. Let the fire consume them with pleasure, and carry our prayers upward to the gods who dwell in the heavens above.
When we journey, be thou our guides. When we battle, be thou our allies. When we grow old and weary, let the memory of thy kindness sustain us. O Aśvins, O noble pair, accept this hymn as a token of our love and gratitude.
May we meet thee again in the next life, in whatever form we are reborn. May we know thee always, whether in this world or in the realms beyond. We bow before thee now and forever. So be it. So be it.
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.78
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.
aśvināv eha gacchataṁ nāsatyā mā vi venatam |
haṁsāv iva patatam ā sutām̐ upa || 1 ||
aśvinā hariṇāv iva gaurāv ivānu yavasam |
haṁsāv iva patatam ā sutām̐ upa || 2 ||
aśvinā vājinīvasū juṣethāṁ yajñam iṣṭaye |
haṁsāv iva patatam ā sutām̐ upa || 3 ||
atrir yad vām avarohann ṛbīsam ajohavīn nādhamāneva yoṣā |
śyenasya cij javasā nūtanenāgacchatam aśvinā śaṁtamena || 4 ||
vi jihīṣva vanaspate yoniḥ sūṣyantyā iva |
śrutam me aśvinā havaṁ saptavadhriṁ ca muñcatam || 5 ||
bhītāya nādhamānāya ṛṣaye saptavadhraye |
māyābhir aśvinā yuvaṁ vṛkṣaṁ saṁ ca vi cācathaḥ || 6 ||
yathā vātaḥ puṣkariṇīṁ samiṅgayati sarvataḥ |
evā te garbha ejatu niraitu daśamāsyaḥ || 7 ||
yathā vāto yathā vanaṁ yathā samudra ejati |
evā tvaṁ daśamāsya sahāvehi jarāyuṇā || 8 ||
daśa māsāñ chaśayānaḥ kumāro adhi mātari |
niraitu jīvo akṣato jīvo jīvantyā adhi || 9 ||
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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