Rig Veda 9.44.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 44, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.44
- Rishi
- Ascription varies
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- To be verified for RV 9.44.6
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
स नो अद्य वसुत्तये क्रतुविद्गातुवित्तमः । वाजं जेषि श्रवो बृहत् ॥
sá no adyá vásuttaye kratúvid gātúvittamaḥ | vā́jaṃ jeṣi śrávo bṛhát ||
لِيُطَهِّرْ هُوَ اليَوْمَ وَلْيَعْمَلْ لِغِنَانَا الحَقِيقِيِّ: العَارِفَ بِالإِرَادَةِ وَأَفْضَلَ مُهْتَدٍ إِلَى السَّبِيلِ؛ وَلْيَفُزْ لَنَا بِامْتِلَاءِ القُوَّةِ وَبِالشُّهْرَةِ العَظِيمَةِ المُنِيرَةِ—زِيَادَةِ الكَيْنُونَةِ فِي السَّعَةِ.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- नः
- for us / to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्य
- today, nowIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययम्Role अधिकरणRoot अद्य (अव्यय)
- वसुत्तये
- for wealth/prosperityNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot वसुत्ति- (स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक; वसु + त्ति)
- क्रतुवित्
- knower of (ritual) resolve/riteAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (बहुव्रीहिः/तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘क्रतुं वेत्ति’)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root क्रतु- + विद् (√विद् ‘to know’) → -वित् (कृदन्त-समास)
- गातुवित्तमः
- best finder/knower of the path (gātu)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (उत्तम-तुल्यतमः)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root गातु- + विद् (√विद्) + तम (तमप्-प्रत्यय, अतिशय)
- वाजम्
- prize; strength; victory-bootyNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वाज- (पुंलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- जेषि
- win! / may you winVerbलोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रियापदम्) —Root √जि (जये)
- श्रवः
- fame, gloryNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (जेषि इत्यस्य)Root श्रवस्- (नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहत्
- great, loftyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (श्रवः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root बृहन्त्- (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सः | नः | अद्य | वसुत्तये | क्रतुवित् | गातुवित्तमः | वाजम् | जेषि | श्रवः | बृहत् । 1) ‘स नो’ इति संहितायां ‘सः’ + ‘नः’ → ‘स नो’ (विसर्गस्य लोपः/विसर्ग-सन्धिः)
- 2) ‘क्रतुविद्गातुवित्तमः’ इति संहितायां ‘क्रतुवित्’ + ‘गातु…’ → ‘क्रतुविद्गातु…’ (त् + ग → द्ग, जश्त्व-सन्धिः)
- 3) ‘श्रवो बृहत्’ इति संहितायां ‘श्रवः’ + ‘बृहत्’ → ‘श्रवो बृहत्’ (विसर्गः + घोषे ‘ओ’-आदेशः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May he today act for our riches—knower of will, best finder of the paths; may he win the prize of strength and vast fame for us.
Inner meaning
Soma as purifier is invoked as kratuvit (knower of the true will) and gātuvittama (best finder of the path). Psychologically, this is the Ananda-current that clarifies intention (kratu) and reveals the right inner route (gātu) through confusion. The ‘vāja’ is not mere food-prize but plenitude of force—effective energy for the yoga; ‘śravo bṛhat’ is wide luminous renown, i.e., the expansive hearing/receiving of truth and the soul’s increase in wideness.
Universal truth
Prosperity becomes stable only when guided by clear will and right pathfinding. Delight purified into wisdom yields both force and a widening of being.
Themes
Inner wealth (vasu), Victory of force (vāja), Path of realization (gātu)
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascription varies in Anukramaṇī for RV 9.44; within Soma Pavamāna collections often linked to traditional Soma seer families.
- Other hymns
- RV 9.44 (same hymn sequence)
Significance
The rishi emphasizes Soma as inner guide: delight that becomes intelligence of will (kratu) and knowledge of the path (gātu), a key Aurobindonian theme—Ananda leading mind and life toward ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- kratuvit, gātuvittamaḥ
- Related deities
- Indra (as receiver of Soma-force), Sarasvatī (as path/flow of inspiration—conceptual kinship)
Cosmic role
The clarifying flow that opens the ways and grants victorious force (vāja).
Inner power
Bliss-wisdom that aligns will, reveals the right direction, and empowers action without agitation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification chants during Soma-yajña; associated with winning the ‘vāja’ through correct offering.
स नो॑ अ॒द्य वसु॑त्तये क्रतु॒विद्गा॑तु॒वित्त॑मः । वाजं॑ जेषि॒ श्रवो॑ बृ॒हत् ॥
सः । नः॒ । अ॒द्य । वसु॑त्तये । क्र॒तु॒ऽवित् । गा॒तु॒वित्ऽत॑मः । वाज॑म् । जे॒षि॒ । श्रवः॑ । बृ॒हत् ॥
saḥ | naḥ | adya | vasuttaye | kratu-vit | gātuvit-tamaḥ | vājam | jeṣi | śravaḥ | bṛhat
To be verified for RV 9.44.6 (likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type).
44
4 pādas
Directive and purposeful; strong cadence on compounds (kratuvit, gātuvittamaḥ).
Instills confidence and orientation; the rhythm feels like finding a clear road and advancing.
- वसु॑त्तये (vasuttaye)
- Literal: for wealth/true riches. Symbolic: For inner treasures: peace, clarity, strength, right enjoyment
- क्रतु॒वित् (kratu-vit)
- Literal: knower of resolve/will. Symbolic: Power that discerns the soul’s true intention and right sacrifice
- गा॒तु॒वित्त॑मः (gātuvit-tamaḥ)
- Literal: best knower/finder of the paths. Symbolic: Revealer of inner passages; guide through obscurity and resistance
- वाजं (vājam)
- Literal: prize, strength, plenitude. Symbolic: Victorious force/energy for right action and progress
- श्रवो बृहत् (śravo bṛhat)
- Literal: vast fame. Symbolic: Wide luminous receptivity and affirmation of truth-consciousness
Benedictive verse in Soma sequence, asking Soma for ‘wealth’ and ‘victory’; in inner sense, for right will and path-finding during the rite.
During pavamāna recitations while Soma is filtered and offered.
Recite while focusing on intention (kratu) and right sequencing of the rite (gātu).
As a mantra for decision-making and inner guidance: chant before important work to align will and discover the right next step, seeking force without strain.
vasú ‘good, treasure, bright wealth’ becomes inner wealth (vasuttaye) as stable felicity and substance of being. kratú in Vedic is not mere ‘sacrifice’ but effective will/insightful resolve—Soma as kratúvit means he clarifies will. gātú ‘path/passage’ (from √gā ‘go’) → gātuvittama: Soma reveals the right inner passage through obscurity. √ji ‘win’ → jeṣi: victory is the gaining of vāja (force-plenitude) and bṛhat śravas (vast resonance), aligning with the Vedic triad toward bṛhat.
kratu (effective will), gātu (right path/passage), Bṛhat (wideness; Truth-consciousness horizon)
Right path (gātu) is the movement in ṛta; Soma reveals and supports it.
‘Śravas bṛhat’ implies truth-hearing/receiving in wideness—mind opening to satya.
The worlds are sustained by right will and right ways; Soma is the clarifier that makes these operative.
Integral/psychological Veda: will (kratu) and path (gātu) as inner functions guided by Ananda.
Flowing Soma = purified delight; path = channels of consciousness; prize = consolidated energy available for right action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the victorious pathfinder: he knows kratu and finds gātu, winning vāja and bṛhat śravas. Innerly, the delight-force clarifies will, opens the passage, and secures the victory of widened consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gā ‘go’ (gātu) reflects PIE *gʷeh₂- ‘go/step’ (broadly represented in IE ‘go’ roots). √ji ‘conquer/win’ relates to PIE *gʰei̯-/*gʰei̯gʰ- type victory/overcome fields (comparisons are debated). bṛhánt ‘great’ is from PIE *bʰerǵʰ- ‘high, elevated’ (cf. Germanic ‘berg’ etc. via related formations), showing shared metaphor of height/wideness for greatness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi turns to Soma as guide and victor: ‘today’ he must act in immediacy, granting inner wealth by revealing will (kratu) and the path (gātu). The exchange is aspirational invocation for transformation: Soma gives the operative means (path, will, force) and the resulting wideness (bṛhat).
Bring will into alignment: feel a quiet joy clarifying intention; ask inwardly for the ‘best path’ and wait in stillness.
Maṇipūra (will/kratu) harmonized and lifted toward Ājñā (right seeing).
4-4 breathing with a brief pause after inhale to ‘see the path’; release on exhale as widening (bṛhat).
Oriented, decisive calm; force without restlessness.
When confused, do not push; purify the motive (kratu) with delight, then the next step (gātu) becomes evident.
Śākhā-specific svara needed for exact udatta/anudatta/svarita; keep accentual rise on key compounds (kratuvit, gātuvittamaḥ).
Mark the compound boundaries: kra-tu-vit | gā-tu-vit-ta-maḥ; avoid slurring.
(kratu): clear ‘kr’ cluster; short ‘a’., : keep long ā in gā; double ‘tt’ crisp., (vājam): long ā; ‘j’ voiced., (śravaḥ): palatal ś, not s.
Firm and even, with a slight upward lift on ‘vājam’ and ‘bṛhat’.
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