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Rig Veda · 589 of 1027
Mandala 7: HYMN LXXIII. Aśvins.
1.WE have o’erpassed the limit of this darkness while, worshipping the Gods, we sang their praises. The song invoketh both Immortal Aśvins far-reaching, born of old, great WonderWorkers.
2.And, O Nāsatyas, man’s dear Priest is seated, who brings to sacrifice and offers worship, Be near and taste the pleasant juice, O Aśvins: with food, I call you to the sacrifices.
3.We choosing you, have let our worship follow its course: ye Steers, accept this hymn with favour. Obeying you as your appointed servant, Vasiṣṭha singing hath with lauds aroused you.
4.And these Two Priests come nigh unto our people, united, demon-slayers, mighty-handed. The juices that exhilarate are mingled. Injure us not, but come with happy fortune.
5.Come from the west, come from the cast, Nāsatyas, come, Aśvins, from below and from above us. Bring wealth from all sides for the Fivefold People. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.
Asked of Guide
Why do the singers call the Aśvins “Priests” and “Steers” in this hymn?
The hymn names the Aśvins “Priests” because they perform a mediating, sacrificial role—“man’s dear Priest is seated, who brings to sacrifice”—invited to taste the sacrificial juice and accept hymns as offerings. Calling them “Steers” invokes their power to draw prosperity and steer the community’s fortune, asking them to “Bring wealth from all sides for the Fivefold People.”
This pairing stresses the Aśvins’ dual function: ritual agents who ensure the sacrament is received, and active benefactors who pull blessings toward the people. That double image matches Vedic patterns elsewhere, for example the Rig Veda hymns where deities are both priests and controllers of wealth and motion.
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