Rig Veda 9.20.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 20, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.20
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
स हि ष्मा जरितृभ्य आ वाजं गोमन्तमिन्वति । पवमानः सहस्रिणम् ॥
sá hí ṣmā jaritṛ́bhya ā́ vā́jaṃ gómantam ínvati | pávamānaḥ sahásriṇam ||
فإنه حقّاً—المُنقّي—يُحرّك للمُنشدين وفرةً من القوّة غنيةً بالأشعّة؛ وفرةً تتكاثر إلى الألف.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableनिपातः (अव्ययम्)Root हि (निपात)
- ष्मा
- indeed, surely (emphasis)Indeclinableवैदिक-निपातः (emphatic particle)Root ष्मा (वैदिक-निपात)
- जरितृभ्यः
- to the praisers (singers)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot जरितृ (प्रातिपदिक; √जॄ/जर् ‘to praise, sing’ से कर्तरि-तृच्)
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः (directional preverb)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वाजम्
- prize; strength; (winning) foodNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- गोमन्तम्
- cow-rich, possessing cattleAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (वाजम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot गोमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; गो + मन्त् ‘possessing cows’)
- इन्वति
- impels; brings; bestowsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √इन्/इन्व् (धातु; ‘to set in motion, impel, bestow’)
- पवमानः
- Pavamāna (Soma), the purifying oneNoun/Adjective (participle)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सोमस्य नाम)Role कर्तृ (सः इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्)Root पवमान (प्रातिपदिक; √पू ‘to purify’ से शानच्-प्रत्ययः, ‘being purified/flowing’)
- सहस्रिणम्
- thousand-fold; possessing thousandsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (वाजम्/धनम् इत्यर्थे कर्मणि विशेषण-रूपेण)Role कर्मRoot सहस्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक; सहस्र ‘thousand’ + इन् ‘possessing’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सः | हि | ष्मा | जरितृभ्यः | आ | वाजम् | गोमन्तम् | इन्वति | पवमानः | सहस्रिणम् । 1) ‘स हि’ इत्यत्र विसर्ग-लोपः (सः + हि → स हि) वैदिक-पाठे सामान्यः। 2) ‘ष्मा’ वैदिक-निपातः
- ‘हि ष्मा’ = बलवत्तर-निश्चयार्थक-समुच्चयः। 3) ‘गोमन्तम् इन्वति’ इत्यत्र संधि-परिवर्तनं न
- केवलं पद-सीमा।
The meaning
Outer meaning
He indeed sets in motion for the singers a plenitude of force rich in cows (gomant)—the purifying one, thousandfold.
Inner meaning
Soma Pavamāna activates (invati) for the jaritṛs (those who utter/celebrate—inner ‘singers’ of aspiration) a vāja: not only food or prize, but a plenitude of effective force for accomplishment. It is gomant—rich in go, the rays of knowledge—so the force is illumined, not blind. This abundance becomes sahasriṇam, thousandfold: when delight is purified, it multiplies capacities across the being—mind grows luminous, life becomes powerful, heart becomes wide.
Universal truth
When our aspiration is fed by purified delight, force and knowledge unite; then inner resources multiply beyond ordinary measure, enabling sustained growth and service.
Themes
Boons to the singers, Vāja (force-plenitude), Go (rays/knowledge) abundance
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer tradition (RV 9)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.20.1, RV 9.48 (Soma giving vāja and go), RV 9.86 (Soma as giver of treasures), RV 1.3 (vāja/go motifs, thematic kinship)
Family tradition
Pavamāna cycles frequently promise vāja, go, and sahasra as inner attainments—force, light, and abundance—won by purification.
Significance
Defines prosperity as psycho-spiritual: the true ‘wealth’ is energized capacity illumined by knowledge, multiplying as purification deepens.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Sahasrī (thousandfold), Go-dā (giver of rays, in thematic sense)
- Related deities
- Indra (vāja/victory), Sarasvatī (inspired speech for jaritṛs), Agni (executive will)
Cosmic role
Bestower of power and light: by purification he becomes the source of energized abundance that supports gods and humans.
Inner power
Mobilizes the being; converts joy into effective force and illumined capacity; multiplies resources for the path.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification stotra; blessing for singers/priests
स हि ष्मा॑ जरि॒तृभ्य॒ आ वाजं॒ गोम॑न्त॒मिन्व॑ति । पव॑मानः सह॒स्रिण॑म् ॥
सः । हि । स्म॒ । ज॒रि॒तृऽभ्यः॑ । आ । वाज॑म् । गोऽम॑न्तम् । इन्व॑ति । पव॑मानः । स॒ह॒स्रिण॑म् ॥
saḥ | hi | sma | jaritṛ-bhyaḥ | ā | vājam | go-mantam | invati | pavamānaḥ | sahasriṇam
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3×8
Assuring, expansive within brevity; the final ‘sahasriṇam’ lands as a strong abundance-beat.
Instills confidence and uplift; encourages a sense of widening resources and luminous strength.
- jaritṛbhyaḥ
- Literal: to the singers/praisers. Symbolic: to the aspiring parts that call, affirm, and articulate the truth within
- vājam
- Literal: vigor, prize, plenitude of force. Symbolic: effective power for realization and works; capacity to accomplish in ṛta
- gomantam
- Literal: possessing cows. Symbolic: rich in rays of knowledge/illumination (go = light)
- invati
- Literal: sets in motion, impels. Symbolic: awakens and mobilizes dormant capacities
- pavamānaḥ
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: clarified consciousness-delight removing mixture
- sahasriṇam
- Literal: thousandfold, abundant. Symbolic: multiplying plenitude; exponential growth of inner resources
Blessing for the chanters/priests within Soma rite: Soma’s clarified flow empowers speech and grants vāja (victorious force) and go-mat (illumined richness).
During Soma rites where stotras are sung; also as a benediction for the efficacy of chant.
Chanted to invoke Soma’s gifts—vāja and go—upon the officiants and the sacrificer.
Mantra for study, creativity, and work: ask for illumined force (vāja + go) and sustainable abundance (sahasra) rather than mere output.
vājá from √vaj ‘to be strong, drive, speed’ → ‘impulsion/strength’ hence ‘plenitude of force’ (inner justification). invati from √in ‘to set in motion, impel’. go-mant ‘possessing go’ where go is polyvalent: cow/ray/light/knowledge. sahasra ‘thousand’ marks the vast, uncountable plenitude.
speech (jaritṛ) as a means of sustaining divine powers, vāja as dynamic force for progress in r̥ta, illumination (go) as the true wealth accompanying power
Vāja becomes truly powerful when aligned with ṛta; Soma provides that alignment through purification.
Gomant indicates force guided by truth-light, preventing distortion.
Abundance as multiplication of capacities—building a higher nature across mind-life-body.
Integral Yoga lens: prosperity is the growth of conscious force illumined by knowledge, leading to integral transformation.
Cows = rays of illumination; vāja = vital-mental energy for works; thousandfold = widening of consciousness and capacity through repeated purification.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the increaser of victorious force and luminous riches for the praising community. Psychologically, when the soul offers true speech (jaritṛ), Soma activates vāja—an executive strength—together with go-mat illumination, expanding into vast abundance (sahasriṇam).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The singer/praise economy (gift in return for hymn) is archaic Indo-European. The root √vaj ‘drive/strength’ fits an IE semantic complex of driving/impelling force found across daughter traditions (martial and chariot imagery).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi frames a reciprocity: the jaritṛ offers sustaining praise; Soma responds by impelling inner force and illumination. The relationship is cooperative—divine empowerment of human speech and action for r̥ta-aligned victory.
Call down illumined power for works; unite force (vāja) with light (go).
Manipura (power) with Ajna (illumination) and Anahata (joy)
Kapalabhati very gently (30 strokes) only if suitable, followed by calm breathing; then chant to stabilize the gained energy in clarity.
Energized clarity—quiet power rather than excitement.
Chant 9 times, then sit and feel where energy is needed. Visualize rays (go) filling the mind and a steady fire of capacity (vāja) in the navel, both cooled and guided by Soma’s purity. Offer the resulting strength to a chosen work as service.
Maintain Vedic accents if trained; otherwise keep a calm, affirmative tone with slight emphasis on ‘vājam’, ‘gomantam’, ‘sahasriṇam’.
Do not rush the compound ‘jaritṛbhyaḥ’; let ‘sahasriṇam’ be clearly resolved at the end.
jaritṛbhyaḥ: ṛ as syllabic; ‘bhyaḥ’ ends with soft ḥ, vājam: long ā; j as soft ‘j’, gomantam: clear ‘go’; nasal ‘man’, invati: v as ‘v’, not ‘w’; short i
Warm, confident, slightly expansive resonance; keep clarity over volume.
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