Hymn to the Aśvins
Rigveda VII.74 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 7 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 who ride swiftly through the heavens! Ye who are always moving, never resting, never tiring!
Ye are the pattern for all who would travel far from their homes. Ye show us how to endure hardship and overcome obstacles. Ye teach us the value of companionship and loyalty.
Ye are strong and brave; ye are clever and resourceful. Ye face every challenge with courage and wisdom!
Come to those who are traveling, O Aśvins! Come to those who are lost in the wilderness! Come to those who are far from home and afraid!
Guide them safely to their destination! Keep them from danger! Provide them with food and shelter! Bring them back to those who love them!
Ye are the protectors of all who journey; ye are the guardians of all who wander. We trust in your protection; we rely on your strength!
Accept our hymn of praise, O swift ones! Be gracious unto all who call upon your name!
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.
🌲
Source Text: ṛgveda VII.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.
imā u vāṁ diviṣṭaya usrā havante aśvinā |
ayaṁ vām ahve 'vase śacīvasū viśaṁ-viśaṁ hi gacchathaḥ || 1 ||
yuvaṁ citraṁ dadathur bhojanaṁ narā codethāṁ sūnṛtāvate |
arvāg rathaṁ samanasā ni yacchatam pibataṁ somyam madhu || 2 ||
ā yātam upa bhūṣatam madhvaḥ pibatam aśvinā |
dugdham payo vṛṣaṇā jenyāvasū mā no mardhiṣṭam ā gatam || 3 ||
aśvāso ye vām upa dāśuṣo gṛhaṁ yuvāṁ dīyanti bibhrataḥ |
makṣūyubhir narā hayebhir aśvinā devā yātam asmayū || 4 ||
adhā ha yanto aśvinā pṛkṣaḥ sacanta sūrayaḥ |
tā yaṁsato maghavadbhyo dhruvaṁ yaśaś chardir asmabhyaṁ nāsatyā || 5 ||
pra ye yayur avṛkāso rathā iva nṛpātāro janānām |
uta svena śavasā śūśuvur nara uta kṣiyanti sukṣitim || 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).
🌲