Hymn to the Aśvins
Rigveda VIII.26 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 by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
Ye Aśvins twain, swift-moving, golden-charioteed, who dwell in the house of riches vast, be pleased with us. Come hither, bring the splendid horses to our rite.
Ye Aśvins, lords of all the waters' gentle flow, ye who bear the weary and the faint unto their home, come ye with healing touch, lords of the golden morn.
We call on you who saved Bhujyu, set upon the rolling sea, when the good ship drave through the waters nine days long. Ye Aśvins wrought his rescue with your steadfast power.
Ye brought Atri forth from out the dark and sunless pit, when there he lay in deepest gloom, removed from all the light. Ye bore him up as fathers bear a child in arms.
And Rebha, whom ye saved from fiends who held him bound—his very bones had grown but thin from hunger long suppressed—to him ye gave both breath and bloom, and treasure unto his heart.
These are the deeds of glory told throughout the world: how ye restored the blind man's sight, gave vigor back to them that were made weak and worn. What god hath wrought such wonders with more charitable hand?
Ye bring the honey sweet to them that come to you, ye grant the precious gifts, the wealth, the golden beams. In every realm, O Aśvins, men do sing your praise.
The hero's horse that falleth in the rocky place, ye lift him up again, both steed and rider both. Ye are the lords of rescue, ever swift to aid.
O wide-eyed ones who journey in the golden car, who yoke the steeds of dawn to draw the sun across the sky, come hither to our worship, come to take your share.
The maiden whom no mortal dared to call his bride, to her ye gave both husband and a blessed home. Ye broke the chains that bound her and set free her soul.
And he whose foot was severed in the dreadful fray—the great Viśpala—ye restored him whole again with all his wonted strength and grace, that he might walk the field.
What man is there whose bounty, what god hath ever shown such grace as ye, O Aśvins twain? Ye heal the wounded body, ye restore the lost.
Come then and sit beside us at this soma feast, come share the drink prepared for you, the finest draught. Accept our hymn of honor, O ye lords of morn.
Rejoice with us, O Aśvins, in the sacred rite, and grant unto this people both the gold and kine. Swift-moving ones, ye dwellers in the heart of light, bear us unto the goal of wealth, the place of fame and glory eternal.
For ye do cross the heavens vast as eagles fly, your chariot rideth on the edge of night and day. The mothers of the earth look up unto you both, and all the gods do yield unto your shining power.
O Aśvins of the dawn, ye golden-wheeled divine, we fashion forth this hymn with humble heart and tongue. Accept these words of praise, and grant us all our prayer.
Come ye to drink the soma pressed with labor long, come ye and take your portion at the sacred fire. For you we set apart the choicest of the feast.
As birds that homeward fly to their beloved nest, so do we long to see your golden car draw near. Ye Aśvins twain, be gracious, be our guardians true, and lead us all to riches vast and glory bright.
Ye have but to desire, and all the earth obeys; ye have but to command, and heaven's gates fly wide. O lords of skill and prowess, hear our earnest prayer.
The waters all are flowing, and the dawn is breaking fast, the sacrifice is ready and the soma hath been pressed. Come ye without delay, come ye to take your share.
O Aśvins, grant us offspring, grant us length of days, grant us the highest blessing that the godly gain. Ye lords of all compassion, ye with hearts most kind, accept our humble worship and bestow on us your grace.
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 VIII.26
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.
yuvor u ṣū rathaṁ huve sadhastutyāya sūriṣu |
atūrtadakṣā vṛṣaṇā vṛṣaṇvasū || 1 ||
yuvaṁ varo suṣāmṇe mahe tane nāsatyā |
avobhir yātho vṛṣaṇā vṛṣaṇvasū || 2 ||
tā vām adya havāmahe havyebhir vājinīvasū |
pūrvīr iṣa iṣayantāv ati kṣapaḥ || 3 ||
ā vāṁ vāhiṣṭho aśvinā ratho yātu śruto narā |
upa stomān turasya darśathaḥ śriye || 4 ||
juhurāṇā cid aśvinā manyethāṁ vṛṣaṇvasū |
yuvaṁ hi rudrā parṣatho ati dviṣaḥ || 5 ||
dasrā hi viśvam ānuṣaṅ makṣūbhiḥ paridīyathaḥ |
dhiyaṁjinvā madhuvarṇā śubhas patī || 6 ||
upa no yātam aśvinā rāyā viśvapuṣā saha |
maghavānā suvīrāv anapacyutā || 7 ||
ā me asya pratīvya1m indranāsatyā gatam |
devā devebhir adya sacanastamā || 8 ||
vayaṁ hi vāṁ havāmaha ukṣaṇyanto vyaśvavat |
sumatibhir upa viprāv ihā gatam || 9 ||
aśvinā sv ṛṣe stuhi kuvit te śravato havam |
nedīyasaḥ kūḻayātaḥ paṇīm̐r uta || 10 ||
vaiyaśvasya śrutaṁ naroto me asya vedathaḥ |
sajoṣasā varuṇo mitro aryamā || 11 ||
yuvādattasya dhiṣṇyā yuvānītasya sūribhiḥ |
ahar-ahar vṛṣaṇa mahyaṁ śikṣatam || 12 ||
yo vāṁ yajñebhir āvṛto 'dhivastrā vadhūr iva |
saparyantā śubhe cakrāte aśvinā || 13 ||
yo vām uruvyacastamaṁ ciketati nṛpāyyam |
vartir aśvinā pari yātam asmayū || 14 ||
asmabhyaṁ su vṛṣaṇvasū yātaṁ vartir nṛpāyyam |
viṣudruheva yajñam ūhathur girā || 15 ||
vāhiṣṭho vāṁ havānāṁ stomo dūto huvan narā |
yuvābhyām bhūtv aśvinā || 16 ||
yad ado divo arṇava iṣo vā madatho gṛhe |
śrutam in me amartyā || 17 ||
uta syā śvetayāvarī vāhiṣṭhā vāṁ nadīnām |
sindhur hiraṇyavartaniḥ || 18 ||
smad etayā sukīrtyāśvinā śvetayā dhiyā |
vahethe śubhrayāvānā || 19 ||
yukṣvā hi tvaṁ rathāsahā yuvasva poṣyā vaso |
ān no vāyo madhu pibāsmākaṁ savanā gahi || 20 ||
tava vāyav ṛtaspate tvaṣṭur jāmātar adbhuta |
avāṁsy ā vṛṇīmahe || 21 ||
tvaṣṭur jāmātaraṁ vayam īśānaṁ rāya īmahe |
sutāvanto vāyuṁ dyumnā janāsaḥ || 22 ||
vāyo yāhi śivā divo vahasvā su svaśvyam |
vahasva mahaḥ pṛthupakṣasā rathe || 23 ||
tvāṁ hi supsarastamaṁ nṛṣadaneṣu hūmahe |
grāvāṇaṁ nāśvapṛṣṭham maṁhanā || 24 ||
sa tvaṁ no deva manasā vāyo mandāno agriyaḥ |
kṛdhi vājām̐ apo dhiyaḥ || 25 ||
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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