Rig Veda 9.13.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 13, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.13
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उत नो वाजसातये पवस्व बृहतीरिषः । द्युमदिन्दो सुवीर्यम् ॥
utá no vā́ja-sātaye pávāsva bṛhatī́r íṣaḥ | dyumád indo su-vī́ryam ||
وكذلك لنا، لِنَيْلِ الغِنَى، تَطَهَّرْ إلى دَفَعاتٍ واسعةٍ من القُوّة؛ يا إندو، اجلبِ القُدرةَ المُضيئةَ وبأسَ البُطولةِ النبيلَ إلى الكيان.
Word by Word
- उत
- and; also; moreoverIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अथवा-भाव (conj./particle)Root उत
- नः
- of us; ourPronounषष्ठी (gen.), बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root अस्मद्
- वाजसातये
- for the winning of prize/strength (vāja)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (dat.), एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot वाजसाति-
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow forth (as purified Soma)Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया) —Root √पू (pū) / √पु (pav-/pū) ‘to purify, to flow (as Soma)’
- बृहतीः
- great (ones); lofty (songs/utterances)Adjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (acc.), बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot बृहती- (from बृहत् ‘great’)
- इषः
- refreshments; invigorating draughts; impulses (of nourishment)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (acc.), बहुवचन (Vedic form)Role कर्मRoot इष्- / इषा-
- द्युमत्
- shining; radiantAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (acc.), एकवचनRole कर्म (qualifier of the following)Root द्यु- (light, heaven) + मतुप् (-मत्)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma-drop)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (voc.), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु-
- सुवीर्यम्
- good heroism; excellent manly power/valorNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (acc.), एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सु- + वीर्य-
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: उत | नः | वाजसातये | पवस्व | बृहतीः | इषः | द्युमत् | इन्दो | सुवीर्यम् । Sandhi: (1) उत + नः → उत नः (no change)
- (2) वाजसातये + पवस्व → …ये प… (no external sandhi)
- (3) बृहतीः + इषः → बृहतीरिषः (विसर्ग/दीर्घ ‘ईः’ + इ- → ‘ईरि…’ by RV saṃhitā sandhi)
- (4) द्युमत् + इन्दो → द्युमदिन्दो (त् + इ- → दि-; assimilation in saṃhitā)
- Accents as in saṃhitā text: नो॒, वाज॑-, पव॑-, बृह॒तीरिष॑:, द्यु॒मदि॑न्दो, सु॒वीर्य॑म्
The meaning
Outer meaning
For us, for the winning of vāja, purify yourself into vast impulses (iṣaḥ). O Indu, (bring) the shining (dyumat) noble hero-power (suvīryam).
Inner meaning
The seeker asks Soma to become not a small pleasure but bṛhatīḥ iṣaḥ—vast, upward-impelling energies of aspiration and fulfilment. Indu, the bright drop, is invoked to manifest dyumat suvīryam: a luminous strength of soul-action, the heroic capacity to do the truth. Soma here is the transformer of desire-force into wide, divine impulsion and radiant courage.
Universal truth
When inner delight is purified, it expands into large motives and clean energies; joy becomes courage and luminous capacity rather than craving.
Themes
Empowerment, Expansion, Luminous force, Soma-ritual
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.13.1-10, RV 9.20 (Indu as giver of strength), RV 9.96 (Soma as wide and luminous)
Family tradition
Soma Pavamāna seers emphasizing expansion (bṛhat) and heroic effectiveness (vīrya) through Ananda.
Significance
The rishi’s stress is on Soma as a force that enlarges aspiration and brings luminous heroism—key for integral transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu, Pavamāna, Dyumat (shining, here as attribute)
- Related deities
- Indra (receiver of Soma; heroic illumination), Agni (sacrifice leader), Bṛhaspati (expansive word/vision, bṛhat)
Cosmic role
Clarifier of the waters/juices; awakener of expansive energies and giver of vīrya to the gods and the human seeker.
Inner power
Turns emotional-vital energies into vast, luminous impulsions; births heroic will aligned with light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna chants during Soma filtration
उ॒त नो॒ वाज॑सातये॒ पव॑स्व बृह॒तीरिष॑: । द्यु॒मदि॑न्दो सु॒वीर्य॑म् ॥
उ॒त । नः॒ । वाज॑ऽसातये । पव॑स्व । बृ॒ह॒तीः । इषः॑ । द्यु॒ऽमत् । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । सु॒ऽवीर्य॑म् ॥
uta | naḥ | vāja-sātaye | pavasva | bṛhatīḥ | iṣaḥ | dyu-mat | indo iti | su-vīryam
24
3×8 (approx.)
invocatory, ascending; second pāda tends to widen (bṛhatīḥ) in feel
encourages expansion of breath and chest; supports confident aspiration
- पवस्व (pavasva)
- Literal: purify yourself (imperative). Symbolic: let the delight-current become clear, sattvic, truth-aligned
- बृहतीः इषः (bṛhatīḥ iṣaḥ)
- Literal: vast impulsions/refreshments. Symbolic: wide energies of aspiration, nourishment of the inner being
- द्यु॒मत् (dyu-mat)
- Literal: shining, luminous. Symbolic: illumined consciousness-power (light in mind and life)
- इन्दो (indo)
- Literal: O Indu, bright drop. Symbolic: concentrated Ananda-force entering the system
- सुवीर्यम् (su-vīryam)
- Literal: good/noble heroism, excellent strength. Symbolic: soul-courage and effective will to embody truth
Soma purification with petition for iṣ (energies) and vīrya (heroic power) as sacrificial fruits; inner yoga: expansion into the Vast (bṛhat) with luminous strength.
during straining/flow; also in sequences seeking strength and victory
recitation while Soma is clarified; offering to invite dyumat vīrya
use before demanding work or sadhana effort: clarify motives, invoke wide energy and calm heroism
iṣ ‘impulse, refreshment’ relates to energizing movement; bṛhat ‘vast’ anchors the bṛhat principle (the Vast). dyu ‘shine’ again links to luminous consciousness. vīrya from vīra ‘hero’ (root √vīr ‘be strong, heroic’) indicates conquering capacity—psychologically, victory over inertia/ignorance.
Bṛhat (the Vast), Ṛta (right purification leading to right force), Vīrya (heroic overcoming)
Purification into ‘vast impulsions’ is alignment with the vast right-order rather than narrow desire.
dyumat indicates truth-light; suvīrya is truth-force in action.
Expansion from limited vitality to vastness; emergence of heroic power from clarified delight.
Integral Vedāntic reading: Ananda expands into Force (Shakti) and Light.
dawn-like luminosity (implied by dyumat)
An inner ‘brightening’ as breath widens and energy becomes large, clean, and courageous.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘Soma as giver of vast energies and hero-power’: the purified Indu is invoked to become bṛhatī iṣaḥ and dyumat su-vīrya. Inner sense: delight clarifies into expansive will-energies and luminous strength for inner conquest.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyu- ‘shine/sky’ continues PIE *di̯ew- light/sky lexicon. vīrya (hero-power) reflects an IE heroic ideology where ‘strength/valor’ is a sacral quality sought via ritual speech.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Soma to actively self-purify into concrete inner capacities (iṣ, vīrya). The reciprocity is functional: human aspiration calls; Soma transforms into expansive energies and luminous heroic force that can act in the seeker’s life.
Invoke purified joy to expand into wide aspiration; feel luminous courage stabilizing the will.
Maṇipūra (will/heroism) supported by Anāhata (joy)
4-4-6 breathing: inhale expansion (bṛhat), hold lightly, exhale release impurities; then chant once per breath
energized calm; luminous resolve
Before action, chant 3/9 times; then set an intention: ‘Let my energy be vast, clean, and shining in works.’
Follow Rigvedic accent marks; maintain clear udātta on key invocatory syllables (e.g., vā́ja-, páv-). Exact svara requires accented text line-by-line.
Do not flatten ‘bṛhatī́r iṣaḥ’—give it a slightly broadened phrasing; keep ‘dyumad’ bright and clipped.
uta: short, clean ‘u-ta’, naḥ: visarga as soft echo before consonant, pavasva: ‘va’ not ‘ba’; conjunct ‘sv’ crisp, bṛhatīḥ: vocalic ṛ as ‘bri’; long īḥ at end, suvīryam: long ī; roll ‘ry’ lightly
firm, luminous, slightly more forceful than 9.13.3
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