Listen

Dhammapada · narration sample

A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.

Rig Veda · 336 of 1027

Mandala 4: HYMN XL. Dadhikrāvan.

1.LET us recite the praise of Dadhikrāvan: may all the Mornings move me to exertion; Praise of the Lord of Waters, Dawn, and Agni, Bṛhaspati Son of Aṅgiras, and Sūrya.

2.Brave, seeking war and booty, dwelling with the good and with the swift, may he hasten the food of Dawn. May he the true, the fleet, the lover of the course, the bird-like Dadhikrāvan, bring food, strength, and light.

3.His pinion, rapid runner, fans him m his way, as of a bird that hastens onward to its aim, And, as it were a falcon’s gliding through the air, strikes Dadhikrāvan’s side as he speeds on with might.

4.Bound by the neck and by the flanks and by the mouth, the vigorous Courser lends new swiftness to his speed. Drawing himself together, as his strength allows, Dadhikrās springs along the windings of the paths.

5.The Haṁsa homed in light, the Vasu in mid-air, the priest beside the altar, in the house the guest, Dweller in noblest place, mid men, in truth, in sky, born of flood, kine, truth, mountain, he is holy Law.

Asked of Guide

Who or what is Dadhikrāvan in this hymn?

Dadhikrāvan is praised as a swift, bird-like heroic figure who brings food, strength, and light; the hymn calls him “the true, the fleet, the lover of the course.” He is described with images of a falcon, a vigorous courser, and associations with Dawn, Agni, Bṛhaspati, and Sūrya, linking him to solar and ritual powers.

Line 5 extends his identity: “Haṁsa homed in light, the Vasu in mid-air…Dweller in noblest place,” making him simultaneously priestly, cosmic, and law-bearing. This mirrors other Rig Veda hymns where a deity or divine horse embodies sacrificial order, as in Book 10’s descriptions of the divine steed and of Dawn as life-giver.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.