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Rig Veda · 348 of 1027
Mandala 4: HYMN LII. Dawn.
1.THIS Lady, giver of delight, after her Sister shining forth, Daughter of Heaven, hath shown herself.-
2.Unfailing, Mother of the Kine, in colour like a bright red mare, The Dawn became the Aśvins’ Friend.
3.Yea, and thou art the Aśvins’ Friend, the Mother of the Kine art thou: O Dawn thou rulest over wealth.
4.Thinking of thee, O joyous One, as her who driveth hate away, We woke to meet thee with our lauds.
5.Our eyes behold thy blessed rays like troops of cattle loosed to feed. Dawn hath filled full the wide expanse.
6.When thou hast filled it, Fulgent One! thou layest bare the gloom with light. After thy nature aid us, Dawn.
7.Thou overspreadest heaven with rays, the dear wide region of mid-air. With thy bright shining lustre, Dawn.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn call Dawn 'Mother of the Kine' and link her to the Aśvins?
The hymn names Dawn ‘Mother of the Kine’ to emphasize her role as provider and wealth‑bringer: cattle stand for prosperity, and Dawn’s rays are described as ‘troops of cattle loosed to feed,’ so she makes the world fruitful and opens abundance. Calling her ‘giver of delight’ and ‘ruler over wealth’ frames her arrival as a sustaining, beneficent force that removes gloom and animates the day.
Linking Dawn to the Aśvins aligns her with healing, care, and companionship; the Aśvins are recurring companions of beneficence in the Rig Veda who ‘friend’ Dawn here, suggesting a cooperative role in renewal and well‑being. This pairing recalls other hymns where the Aśvins assist with dawn and recovery, similar to how the Rig Veda more broadly ties gods to natural cycles that secure prosperity.
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