दस्रा युवाकवः सुता नासत्या वृक्तबर्हिषः ।
आ यातं रुद्रवर्तनी ॥ ३ ॥

Dasra yuvakavah suta nasatya vrktabarhishah |
Aa yatam rudravartani || 3 ||

Meaning

दस्रा (Dasra) – Destroyers of suffering. In this mantra, Dasra refers to the life energies Prana and Apana, which possess the power to remove both inner and outer afflictions. They destroy inner enemies such as lust, anger, greed, and other negative tendencies, remove physical diseases, eliminate harmful habits, and purify human life. Thus, they represent the divine power that destroys suffering within and without.

युवाकवः (Yuvakavah) – Those who unite and separate. This word signifies the proper functioning of the vital energies. They unite what is good, remove what is harmful, eliminate laziness, and establish discipline. In other words, they are the dynamic forces that bring goodness into life while removing evil and impurity.

सुता (Suta) – That which is produced or generated. Here, Suta refers to the subtle Soma energy or the pure spiritual vitality generated through the harmonious functioning of the life energies. It denotes the Sattvic energy that arises within the body and mind, bringing purity, strength, and inner harmony.

नासत्या (Nasatya) – Those who are free from falsehood. They are the upholders of truth and the removers of falsehood. In the spiritual sense, disease, lust, anger, ignorance, and mental dullness are regarded as forms of falsehood. The purified life energies remove these impurities and establish truth, purity, and righteousness.

वृक्तबर्हिषः (Vrktabarhishah) – Those who have completely uprooted evil. This expression signifies the total removal of harmful desires, negative habits, and deeply rooted impurities. It represents the complete purification of the mind by eradicating inner weaknesses at their very source.

आ (Aa) – Come near or approach. This is an invocation calling the divine life energies to draw near and bless the seeker.

यातम् (Yatam) – Come. It is an earnest prayer inviting the vital energies to enter and uplift the body, mind, and soul.

रुद्रवर्तनी (Rudravartani) – Those who move along the path that destroys evil. This refers to the power that destroys inner enemies such as lust, anger, greed, and other negative tendencies. It is the spiritual path that purifies the mind by removing evil. Here, Rudra does not signify destruction itself, but the destruction of evil and impurity.

Explanation

This Vedic mantra profoundly explains the greatness of the vital life energies that purify the human body, mind, and soul. The Ashvini principle referred to in this mantra represents Prana and Apana, the two fundamental life forces that sustain human existence. These are not merely the physical processes of breathing but the divine energies that enable life, activity, thought, enthusiasm, and growth. When these life energies function harmoniously, human life becomes disciplined, energetic, and spiritually elevated.

Through the word Dasra, the mantra highlights the power of these life energies to remove suffering. The Veda teaches that Prana and Apana possess the ability to eliminate inner enemies such as lust, anger, greed, jealousy, and other negative emotions, as well as physical illnesses. They are not merely physiological forces but divine powers that guide human beings toward inner purity and spiritual transformation. The word Yuvakavah further explains that these vital energies unite what is good while separating and removing what is harmful. They cultivate noble thoughts, remove laziness and destructive habits, and lead a person toward a disciplined and righteous way of life.

The word Suta refers to the subtle Soma energy, the pure Sattvic vitality generated within the body and mind through disciplined living, the regulation of the vital energies, and inner purity. This refined spiritual energy prepares a person for higher spiritual realization. Through the word Nasatya, the mantra teaches that these life energies remove falsehood and establish truth. Disease, mental dullness, lust, anger, and ignorance are regarded as forms of falsehood because they obscure one’s true nature. When the vital energies are purified, these degrading tendencies disappear, allowing truth, purity, and inner light to shine forth.

The expression Vrktabarhishah reveals one of the deepest spiritual teachings of this mantra. It declares that the roots of harmful desires and deeply ingrained negative habits must be completely removed. Only when lust, anger, greed, and other latent tendencies are eradicated from the depths of the mind can genuine purity be attained. Through the disciplined cultivation of the vital energies, the mind becomes purified and prepared to receive spiritual illumination.

The concluding prayer, Aa Yatam Rudravartani, invites the divine life energies to guide the seeker along the path that destroys evil. Here, Rudra does not symbolize destruction in a negative sense but the destruction of ignorance, impurity, and all inner obstacles. The life energies remove the enemies within and lead human beings toward righteousness, truth, purity, and spiritual enlightenment. Thus, the mantra guides humanity toward physical health, mental purity, truthful living, freedom from destructive desires, and complete spiritual growth.

In this way, the Vedic mantra presents Prana and Apana not merely as biological forces of respiration but as divine powers that elevate human beings from suffering to wisdom. It profoundly teaches that a life founded upon purified vital energy, inner purity, truthfulness, righteous conduct, and spiritual awakening alone constitutes the true Vedic way of life.

Conclusion

This Vedic mantra beautifully describes the inner spiritual journey of human life. It teaches that Prana and Apana, the two vital life energies functioning within the human body, are far more than the physical processes of breathing. They are divine forces responsible for the purification, strength, and evolution of the body, mind, and soul. These life energies remove inner enemies such as lust, anger, greed, jealousy, and physical ailments, while establishing truth, discipline, purity, and righteousness in human life.

The mantra further teaches that human life should be filled with pure thoughts, noble actions, and righteous living. Harmful tendencies and deeply rooted negative habits must be completely eradicated so that Sattvic qualities may flourish. The proper preservation of the vital energies and the disciplined practice of Prana Sadhana sharpen the intellect, calm the mind, and lead the seeker toward a state of spiritual illumination and inner peace.

Thus, this mantra guides humanity from suffering to purity, from falsehood to truth, and from worldly attachment to spiritual realization. It profoundly declares that a life founded upon purified vital energy, mental purity, righteous conduct, truthfulness, noble actions, and continuous spiritual progress is the true Vedic way of life.