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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 183 of 1027

Mandala 1: HYMN CLXXXIII. Aśvins.

1.MAKE ready that which passes thought in swiftness, that hath three wheels and triple seat, ye Mighty, Whereon ye seek the dwelling of the pious, whereon, threefold, ye fly like birds with pinions.

2.Light rolls your easy chariot faring earthward, what time, for food, ye, full of wisdom, mount it. May this song, wondrous fair, attend your glory: ye, as ye travel, wait on Dawn Heaven’s Daughter.

3.Ascend your lightly rolling car, approaching the worshipper who turns him to his duties,— Whereon ye come unto the house to quicken man and his offspring, O Nāsatyas, Heroes.

4.Let not the wolf, let not the she-wolf harm you. Forsake me not, nor pass me by or others. Here stands your share, here is your hymn, ye Mighty: yours are these vessels, full of pleasant juices.

5.Gotama, Purumīlha, Atri bringing oblations all invoke you for protection. Like one who goes straight to the point directed, ye Nāsatyas, to mine invocation.

6.We have passed o’er the limit of this darkness: our praise hath been bestowed on you, O Aśvins. Come hitherward by paths which Gods have travelled. May we find strengthening food in full abundance.

Asked of Guide

Why do the Aśvins arrive in a three‑wheeled, triple‑seated chariot?

The hymn says the Aśvins’ chariot has “three wheels and triple seat” and that they “fly like birds with pinions,” which presents them as swift, mobile saviors who bridge heaven and earth. The threefold imagery marks their role as liminal restorers: they come to “quicken man and his offspring” and to bring nourishment and protection to worshippers and families.

This same trio motif appears elsewhere in the Vedas where gods act in triads of function—movement, blessing, and healing—and matches how Aśvins are celebrated in later hymns for arriving quickly to restore life. See other Aśvin hymns in Mandala 1 for repeated references to speed, succor, and restorative gifts.

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