Rig Veda 9.41.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 41, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.41
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
शृण्वे वृष्टेरिव स्वनः पवमानस्य शुष्मिणः । चरन्ति विद्युतो दिवि ॥
śṛṇvé vṛṣṭér iva svanáḥ pávamānasya śuṣmíṇaḥ | cáranti vi-dyúto diví ||
বৃষ্টির মতো তার ধ্বনি শোনা যায়—শোধনকারী, শুষ্মিন পবমান সোমের। তার বিদ্যুৎসমূহ দিবি-তে বিচরণ করে।
Word by Word
- शृण्वे
- I hear / I listenVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kartā (वक्ता/श्रॊता-रूपेण ‘अहम्’)Root श्रु (धातु)
- वृष्टेः
- of rainNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive; ‘of rain’)Root वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; √वृष् ‘वर्षणे/सिञ्चने’)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableअव्यय (उपमा)Role (उपमान-सूचक)Root इव
- स्वनः
- a sound, roarNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (शृण्वे इत्यस्य विषयः/श्रवण-वस्तु)Root स्वन (प्रातिपदिक; √स्वन्/स्वन ‘ध्वनौ’)
- पवमानस्य
- of Pavamāna (the purifying Soma)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive; ‘of the purifying (Soma)’)Root पवमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पू ‘पवने/शोधने’ शतृ/शानच्-प्रकारः ‘purifying, flowing’)
- शुष्मिणः
- of the mighty/impetuous oneAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive; qualifying पवमानस्य)Root शुष्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक; शुष्म ‘बल/तेज’ + इन्)
- चरन्ति
- they move, roamVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole Kriyā (क्रिया); कर्ता = विद्युतःRoot चर् (धातु)
- विद्युतः
- lightningsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (चरन्ति इत्यस्य)Root विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवि
- in heaven / in the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके प्रायः), सप्तमी, एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (स्थान; ‘in the sky’)Root द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक ‘sky, heaven’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: शृण्वे | वृष्टेः | इव | स्वनः | पवमानस्य | शुष्मिणः | चरन्ति | विद्युतः | दिवि || 1) वृष्टेः + इव → वृष्टेरिव (रेफ-सन्धिः; विसर्ग/रेफ-आदेशः वैदिकपाठे).
- ‘पवमानस्य शुष्मिणः’ इति द्वयोः षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The sound of Soma being purified is heard like the roar of rain; his lightnings move in the heaven.
Inner meaning
In the inner sacrifice, Soma (the pressed delight) is being clarified: its movement is felt as a powerful inner resonance (svanaḥ) like a cleansing downpour (vṛṣṭi). The ‘lightnings’ are sudden illuminations and dynamic flashes of insight moving in the higher mind (divi), indicating awakened energy and clarified consciousness.
Universal truth
When consciousness is purified and gathered, it naturally manifests as a deep inner vibration and spontaneous flashes of revelation in the higher ranges of mind; true purification is not quietude alone but also luminous power.
Themes
Nature-symbolism (innerized), Soma as force, Illumination flashes, Heavenly mind
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.41.1-6, Rig Veda 9.42.1-3 (adjacent Soma Pavamāna sequence)
Significance
Even when the named seer is lost, Maṇḍala 9 preserves a collective yogic craft: the rishi-vision is the experience of Soma as a self-purifying current producing inner sound (nāda-like) and supramental-like flashes (vidyut) in the higher mind.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Śuṣmin (forceful)
- Related deities
- Agni (leader of inner sacrifice), Indra (illumined mind that receives Soma), Sūrya (truth-light), Uṣas (awakening illumination)
Cosmic role
The clarifying flow that carries delight and truth upward and downward—purifying the worlds and establishing luminous order.
Inner power
Ananda-force that, when purified, becomes a dynamic illumination: it vibrates as inner sound and breaks open coverings by flashes of insight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna-stotra context)
शृ॒ण्वे वृ॒ष्टेरि॑व स्व॒नः पव॑मानस्य शु॒ष्मिण॑: । चर॑न्ति वि॒द्युतो॑ दि॒वि ॥
शृ॒ण्वे । वृ॒ष्टेःऽइ॑व । स्व॒नः । पव॑मानस्य । शु॒ष्मिणः॑ । चर॑न्ति । वि॒ऽद्युतः॑ । दि॒वि ॥
śṛṇve | vṛṣṭeḥ-iva | svanaḥ | pavamānasya | śuṣmiṇaḥ | caranti | vi-dyutaḥ | divi
Jagatī (likely; common in Soma Pavamāna verses with 12-syllable pādas)
48
4 pādas × 12 syllables (approx.)
Rolling, wave-like cadence suited to describing flow and thunderous resonance.
Produces a felt sense of descending power and ascending clarity; the rhythm supports ‘hearing’ the inner current and receiving flashes of light.
- शृण्वे (śṛṇve)
- Literal: is heard. Symbolic: inner hearing/awakening of subtle perception (śruti within)
- वृष्टि (vṛṣṭi)
- Literal: rain. Symbolic: descent of force and cleansing grace from above
- स्वनः (svanaḥ)
- Literal: sound, roar. Symbolic: mantric resonance of awakened consciousness; vibration of Soma-force
- पवमान (pavamāna)
- Literal: purifying, self-purifying. Symbolic: the delight-force clarifying the nature; progressive refinement
- शुष्मिन् (śuṣmin)
- Literal: forceful, full of energy. Symbolic: intensified spiritual dynamis; tapas in the current of bliss
- विद्युत् (vidyut)
- Literal: lightning. Symbolic: sudden illuminations; swift intuitive flashes
- दिवि (divi)
- Literal: in heaven. Symbolic: in the luminous mind/upper consciousness (dyu)
Chanted during Soma flow; the audible ‘svana’ mirrors the physical sound of pressing/flowing and the inner vibration of awakening force.
During Soma-yajña sequences when Soma is filtered and offered; sung/recited as part of Pavamāna praises.
Pressing (savana), filtering through wool, collecting in vessels, offering with invocations.
Use as a mantra of inner purification: listen inwardly for the ‘rain-roar’ of prāṇa and the ‘lightnings’ of insight during meditation.
√śru ‘hear’ indicates experiential verification: the process has a ‘sound’ (inner vibration). vṛṣṭi ‘rain’ from √vṛṣ ‘to rain/pour’ links Soma’s flow to cleansing descent. vi-dyút (from √dyut ‘shine’) is ‘dispersed flashing’—illumination that breaks up darkness. div ‘sky/heaven’ is also the luminous mind: the upper field where these flashes appear.
śuṣma (dynamic power), illumination in the higher mind (div), purification as descent of clarity
Purification aligns the inner movement with ṛta; the flow becomes law-filled and luminous.
Truth manifests as quick illuminations in the higher mind.
Revelation as a descent: power rains and lights the upper spaces, enabling new formation of consciousness.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral yoga reading (Aurobindo): ascent/descent between mind and higher planes via Soma-Ananda.
Rain = descent of force; thunder = inner vibration; lightning = intuitive illumination; heaven = higher mind plane where insight moves freely.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The storm-theophany transposed inward: Soma’s purifying force is heard like rain, and lightning moves in heaven—mythically the signs of divine power in the sky, psychologically the perceptible vibration and flashing illuminations in the higher consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru (hear) reflects PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear’ (cf. Greek klýō ‘hear’, English ‘loud’ via semantic development of ‘heard’). √dyut ‘shine’ relates to PIE *dyeu- ‘sky/daylight’ semantic sphere (though dyut is ‘shine/flash’, it sits near the IE light/sky lexicon).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi is a witness of inner phenomena: he ‘hears’ and ‘sees’ (through imagery of sound and lightning) the working of Soma in the upper field (div), confirming the reciprocity where invocation yields experiential signs.
Hear the inner ‘Soma-sound’: attend to subtle vibration in the head/heart and allow flashes of insight to arise without grasping.
Ājñā (lightning-like intuition) and Sahasrāra (higher ‘divi’ space)
Nādānusandhāna-style listening with slow nasal breathing; gentle kumbhaka after exhale to sense inner resonance.
Collected, clarified awareness with spontaneous intuitive openings.
Begin with a few minutes of quiet; chant once slowly, then sit and ‘listen’ (śṛṇve) for the inner current; note any ‘vidyut’ insights, return to stillness.
Vedic accenting as per Śākala tradition: observe udātta peaks on accented syllables; svarita as falling tone after udātta; anudātta unaccented—exact svara requires pada-svara notation from a recensional source.
Keep the cadence steady; let accented syllables lift lightly without stress; avoid flattening compound words (pavamānasya, śuṣmiṇaḥ).
śṛṇve: keep ṛ short and clear; retroflex ṇ in ṛṇ, vṛṣṭer: pronounce ṣṭ cluster crisply; do not add a vowel, pavamānasya: maintain ‘va’ and long ‘ā’ in mā, vidyutaḥ: separate vi-dyu-taḥ; dyu as a single cluster, divi: short i at end
Resonant, slightly sonorous (to evoke svanaḥ), with clear articulation of consonant clusters.
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