HYMN XL. Aśvins. – Rig Veda – Book 10

रथं यान्तं कुह को ह वां नरा परति दयुमन्तंसुविताय भूषति |
परातर्यावाणं विभ्वं विशे-विशेवस्तोर वस्तोर्वहमानं धिया शमि ||

कुह सविद दोषा कुह वस्तोरश्विना कुहाभिपित्वं करतःकुहोषतुः |
को वां शयुत्रा विधवेव देवरं मर्यं नयोषा कर्णुते सधस्थ आ ||

परातर्जरेथे जरणेव कापया वस्तोर-वस्तोर्यजता गछथोग्र्हम |
कस्य धवस्रा भवथः कस्य वा नरा राजपुत्रेवसवनाव गछथः ||

युवां मर्गेव वारणा मर्गण्यवो दोषा वस्तोर्हविषा निह्वयामहे |
युवं होत्रां रतुथा जुह्वते नरेषं जनायवहथः शुभस पती ||

युवां ह घोषा पर्यश्विना यती राज्ञ ऊचे दुहिताप्र्छे वां नरा |
भूतं मे अह्न उत भूतमक्तवेऽशवावते रथिने शक्तमर्वते ||

युवं कवी षठः पर्यश्विना रथं विशो न कुत्सोजरितुर्नशायथः |
युवोर्ह मक्षा पर्यश्विना मध्वासा भरत निष्क्र्तं न योषणा ||

युवं ह भुज्युं युवमश्विना वशं युवं शिञ्जारमुशनामुपारथुः |
युवो ररावा परि सख्यमासते युवोरहमवसा सुम्नमा चके ||

युवं ह कर्शं युवमश्विना शयुं युवं विधन्तंविधवामुरुष्यथः |
युवं सनिभ्य सतनयन्तमश्विनापव्रजमूर्णुथः सप्तास्यम ||

जनिष्ट योषा पतयत कनीनको वि चारुहन वीरुधोदंसना अनु |
आस्मै रीयन्ते निवनेव सिन्धवो.अस्मा अह्नेभवति तत पतित्वनम ||

जीवं रुदन्ति वि मयन्ते अध्वरे दीर्घामनु परसितिन्दीधियुर्नरः |
वामं पित्र्भ्यो य इदं समेरिरे मयःपतिभ्यो जनयः परिष्वजे ||

न तस्य विद्म तदु षु पर वोचत युवा ह यद युवत्याःक्षेति योनिषु |
परियोस्रियस्य वर्षभस्य रेतिनो गर्हंगमेमाश्विना तदुश्मसि ||

आ वामगन सुमतिर्वाजिनीवसू नयश्विना हर्त्सु कामायंसत |
अभूतं गोपा मिथुना शुभस पती परियार्यम्णो दुर्यानशीमहि ||

ता मन्दसाना मनुषो दुरोण आ धत्तं रयिं सहवीरंवचस्यवे |
कर्तं तीर्थं सुप्रपाणं शुभस पतीस्थाणुं पथेष्ठामप दुर्मतिं हतम ||

कव सविदद्य कतमास्वश्विना विक्षु दस्रा मादयेतेशुभस पती |
क ईं नि येमे कतमस्य जग्मतुर्विप्रस्य वायजमानस्य वा गर्हम ||

rathaṃ yāntaṃ kuha ko ha vāṃ narā prati dyumantaṃsuvitāya bhūṣati |
prātaryāvāṇaṃ vibhvaṃ viśe-viśevastor vastorvahamānaṃ dhiyā śami ||

kuha svid doṣā kuha vastoraśvinā kuhābhipitvaṃ karataḥkuhoṣatuḥ |
ko vāṃ śayutrā vidhaveva devaraṃ maryaṃ nayoṣā kṛṇute sadhastha ā ||

prātarjarethe jaraṇeva kāpayā vastor-vastoryajatā ghachathoghṛham |
kasya dhvasrā bhavathaḥ kasya vā narā rājaputrevasavanāva ghachathaḥ ||

yuvāṃ mṛgheva vāraṇā mṛghaṇyavo doṣā vastorhaviṣā nihvayāmahe |
yuvaṃ hotrāṃ ṛtuthā juhvate nareṣaṃ janāyavahathaḥ śubhas patī ||

yuvāṃ ha ghoṣā paryaśvinā yatī rājña ūce duhitāpṛche vāṃ narā |
bhūtaṃ me ahna uta bhūtamaktave’śvāvate rathine śaktamarvate ||

yuvaṃ kavī ṣṭhaḥ paryaśvinā rathaṃ viśo na kutsojariturnaśāyathaḥ |
yuvorha makṣā paryaśvinā madhvāsā bharata niṣkṛtaṃ na yoṣaṇā ||

yuvaṃ ha bhujyuṃ yuvamaśvinā vaśaṃ yuvaṃ śiñjāramuśanāmupārathuḥ |
yuvo rarāvā pari sakhyamāsate yuvorahamavasā sumnamā cake ||

yuvaṃ ha kṛśaṃ yuvamaśvinā śayuṃ yuvaṃ vidhantaṃvidhavāmuruṣyathaḥ |
yuvaṃ sanibhya stanayantamaśvināpavrajamūrṇuthaḥ saptāsyam ||

janiṣṭa yoṣā patayat kanīnako vi cāruhan vīrudhodaṃsanā anu |
āsmai rīyante nivaneva sindhavo.asmā ahnebhavati tat patitvanam ||

jīvaṃ rudanti vi mayante adhvare dīrghāmanu prasitindīdhiyurnaraḥ |
vāmaṃ pitṛbhyo ya idaṃ samerire mayaḥpatibhyo janayaḥ pariṣvaje ||

na tasya vidma tadu ṣu pra vocata yuvā ha yad yuvatyāḥkṣeti yoniṣu |
priyosriyasya vṛṣabhasya retino ghṛhaṃghamemāśvinā taduśmasi ||

ā vāmaghan sumatirvājinīvasū nyaśvinā hṛtsu kāmāayaṃsata |
abhūtaṃ ghopā mithunā śubhas patī priyāaryamṇo duryānaśīmahi ||

tā mandasānā manuṣo duroṇa ā dhattaṃ rayiṃ sahavīraṃvacasyave |
kṛtaṃ tīrthaṃ suprapāṇaṃ śubhas patīsthāṇuṃ patheṣṭhāmapa durmatiṃ hatam ||

kva svidadya katamāsvaśvinā vikṣu dasrā mādayeteśubhas patī |
ka īṃ ni yeme katamasya jaghmaturviprasya vāyajamānasya vā ghṛham ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. YOUR radiant Chariot-whither goes it on its way?-who decks it for you, Heroes, for its happy course,
Starting at daybreak, visiting each morning every house, borne hitherward through prayer unto the sacrifice?

2 Where are ye, Aśvins, in the evening, where at morn? Where is your haltingplace, where rest ye for the night?
Who brings you homeward, as the widow bedward draws her husband’s brother, as the bride attracts the groom?

3 Early ye sing forth praise as with a herald’s voice, and, meet for worship, go each morning to the house.
Whom do ye ever bring to ruin? Unto whose libations come ye, Heroes, like two Sons of Kings?

4 Even as hunters follow two wild elephants, we with oblations call you down at morn and eve.
To folk who pay you offierings at appointed times, Chiefs, Lords of splendour, ye bring food to strengthen them.

5 To you, O Aśvins, came the daughter of a King, Ghoṣā, and said, O Heroes, this I beg of you:
Be near me in the day, he near me in the night: help me to gain a car-borne chieftain rich in steeds.

6 O Aśvins, ye are wise: as Kutsa comes to men, bring your car nigh the folk of him who sings your praise.
The bee, O Aśvins, bears your honey in her mouth, as the maid carries it purified in her hand.

7 To Bhujyu and to Vaśa ye come near with help, O Aśvins, to Sinjara and to Uśanā.
Your worshipper secures your friendship for himself. Through your protection I desire felicity.

8 Krsa and Śayu ye protect, ye Aśvins Twain: ye Two assist the widow and the worshipper;
And ye throw open, Aśvins, unto those who win the cattle-stall that thunders with its serenfold mouth.

9 The Woman hath brought forth, the Infant hath appeared, the plants of wondrous beauty straightway have sprung up.
To him the rivers run as down a deep descent, and he this day becomes their master and their lord.

10 They mourn the living, cry aloud, at sacrifice: the men have set their thoughts upon a distant cast.
A lovely thing for fathers who have gathered here,—a joy to husbands,—are the wives their arms shall clasp

11 Of this we have no knowledge. Tall it forth to us, now the youth rests within the chambers of the bride.
Fain would we reach the dwelling of the vigorous Steer who loves the kine, O Aśvins: this is our desire.

12 Your favouring grace hath come, ye Lords of ample wealth: Aśvins, our longings are stored up within your hearts.
Ye, Lords of splendour, have become our twofold guard: may we as welcome friends reach Aryaman’s abode.

13 Even so, rejoicing in the dwelling-place of man, give hero sons and riches to the eloquent.
Make a ford, Lords of splendour, where men well may drink: remove the spiteful tree-stump standing in the path.

14 O Aśvins, Wonder-Workers, Lords of lustre, where and with what folk do ye delight yourselves to-day?
Who hath detained them with him? Whither are they gone? Unto what sage’s or what worshipper’s abode?