HYMN XXXIX. Aśvins: Rig Veda – Book 2 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

गरावाणेव तदिदथं जरेथे गर्ध्रेव वर्क्षं निधिमन्तमछ |
बरह्माणेव विदथ उक्थशासा दूतेव हव्या जन्या पुरुत्रा ||

परातर्यावाणा रथ्येव वीराजेव यमा वरमा सचेथे |
मेने इव तन्वा शुम्भमाने दम्पतीव करतुविदा जनेषु ||

शर्ङगेव नः परथमा गन्तमर्वाक छफाविव जर्भुराणातरोभिः |
चक्रवाकेव परति वस्तोरुस्रार्वाञ्चा यातं रथ्येव शक्रा ||

नावेव नः पारयतं युगेव नभ्येव न उपधीव परधीव |
शवानेव नो अरिषण्या तनूनां खर्गलेव विस्रसः पातमस्मान ||

वातेवाजुर्या नद्येव रीतिरक्षी इव चक्षुषा यातमर्वाक |
हस्ताविव तन्वे शम्भविष्ठा पादेव नो नयतं वस्यो अछ ||

ओष्ठाविव मध्वास्ने वदन्ता सतनाविव पिप्यतं जीवसेनः |
नासेव नस्तन्वो रक्षितारा कर्णाविव सुश्रुता भूतमस्मे ||

हस्तेव शक्तिमभि सन्ददी नः कषामेव नः समजतं रजांसि |
इमा गिरो अश्विना युष्मयन्तीः कष्णोत्रेणेव सवधितिं सं शिशीतम ||

एतानि वामश्विना वर्धनानि बरह्म सतोमं गर्त्समदासो अक्रन |
तानि नरा जुजुषाणोप यातं बर्हद … ||

ghrāvāṇeva tadidathaṃ jarethe ghṛdhreva vṛkṣaṃ nidhimantamacha |
brahmāṇeva vidatha ukthaśāsā dūteva havyā janyā purutrā ||

prātaryāvāṇā rathyeva vīrājeva yamā varamā sacethe |
mene iva tanvā śumbhamāne dampatīva kratuvidā janeṣu ||

śṛṅgheva naḥ prathamā ghantamarvāk chaphāviva jarbhurāṇātarobhiḥ |
cakravākeva prati vastorusrārvāñcā yātaṃ rathyeva śakrā ||

nāveva naḥ pārayataṃ yugheva nabhyeva na upadhīva pradhīva |
śvāneva no ariṣaṇyā tanūnāṃ khṛghaleva visrasaḥ pātamasmān ||

vātevājuryā nadyeva rītirakṣī iva cakṣuṣā yātamarvāk |
hastāviva tanve śambhaviṣṭhā pādeva no nayataṃ vasyo acha ||

oṣṭhāviva madhvāsne vadantā stanāviva pipyataṃ jīvasenaḥ |
nāseva nastanvo rakṣitārā karṇāviva suśrutā bhūtamasme ||

hasteva śaktimabhi sandadī naḥ kṣāmeva naḥ samajataṃ rajāṃsi |
imā ghiro aśvinā yuṣmayantīḥ kṣṇotreṇeva svadhitiṃ saṃ śiśītam ||

etāni vāmaśvinā vardhanāni brahma stomaṃ ghṛtsamadāso akran |
tāni narā jujuṣāṇopa yātaṃ bṛhad … ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. SING like the two press-stones for this same purpose; come like two misers to the tree of treasure;
Like two laud-singing Brahmans in the assembly, like the folk’s envoys called in many places.

2 Moving at morning like two car-borne heroes, like to a pair of goats ye come electing;
Like two fair dames embellishing their bodies, like a wise married pair among the people.

3 Like to a pair of horns come first to us-ward, like to a pair of hoofs with rapid motion;
Come like two Cakavās in the grey of morning, come like two chariot wheels at dawn, ye Mighty.

4 Bear us across the rivers like two vessels, save us as ye were yokes, naves, spokes and fellies.
Be like two dogs that injure not our bodies; preserve us, like two crutches, that we fall not.

5 Like two winds ageing not, two confluent rivers, come with quick vision like two eyes before us.
Come like two hands most helpful to the body, and guide us like two feet to what is precious.

6 Even as two lips that with the mouth speak honey, even as two breasts that nourish our existence,
Like the two nostrils that protect our being, be to us as our ears that hear distinctly.

7 Like two hands give ye us increasing vigour; like heaven and earth constrain the airy regions.
Aśvins, these hymns that struggle to approach you, sharpen ye like an axe upon a whetstone.

8 These prayers of ours exalting you, O Aśvins, have the Gṛtsamadas, for a laud, made ready.
Welcome them, O ye Heroes, and come hither. Loud may we speak. with brave men, in assembly.