Sukta 53
Sukta 9.53
Soma Pavamāna (with ritual epithet adrivaḥ)
এই সংক্ষিপ্ত পবমান স্তোত্রে সোমকে আহ্বান করা হয়েছে—যখন তাঁকে পেষণ করে শোধিত করা হয়—এবং তাঁর উদীয়মান শক্তিকে অনুরোধ করা হয়েছে যেন তিনি রক্ষস্ (দৈত্যসুলভ বাধা) চূর্ণ করেন ও শত্রুভাবাপন্ন প্রতিদ্বন্দ্বীদের তাড়িয়ে দেন। এতে শোধনকারী সোমের অখণ্ড ‘ব্রত’ (স্থির বিধি/নিয়ম) অপ্রতিহত বলে ঘোষণা করা হয়, এবং শেষে সেই চিত্রে উপনীত হয় যেখানে তামাটে ইন্দু নদীর স্রোতের মতো ধাবিত হয়ে যুদ্ধে ও বিজয়ে ইন্দ্রের উল্লাসদায়ক শক্তিতে পরিণত হন।
Mantras
Mantra 1
उत्ते शुष्मासो अस्थू रक्षो भिन्दन्तो अद्रिवः । नुदस्व याः परिस्पृधः ॥
হে অদ্রিবঃ (পেষণ-পাথরধারী), তোমার শুষ্ম ঊর্ধ্বে উঠুক—রক্ষসকে ভেদ করে; যারা চারদিকে বৈরী প্রতিদ্বন্দ্বিতায় চেপে ধরে, তাদের দূরে ঠেলে দাও, নুদস্ব।
Mantra 2
अया निजघ्निरोजसा रथसंगे धने हिते । स्तवा अबिभ्युषा हृदा ॥
এই (শক্তি) দ্বারাই সে নিজের ওজসে রথের সংঘর্ষে, পুরস্কার-নির্ধারিত যুদ্ধে, শত্রুকে নিপাত করেছে। আমি নির্ভয় হৃদয়ে তার স্তব করি।
Mantra 3
अस्य व्रतानि नाधृषे पवमानस्य दूढ्या । रुज यस्त्वा पृतन्यति ॥
এই পবমান সোমের দৃঢ় ব্রতসমূহ কেউ লঙ্ঘন করতে পারে না। তার অচল শক্তি দ্বারা যে তোমার সঙ্গে যুদ্ধ করে তাকে ভেঙে দাও—শত্রু-প্রবৃত্তিকে চূর্ণ করো।
Mantra 4
तं हिन्वन्ति मदच्युतं हरिं नदीषु वाजिनम् । इन्दुमिन्द्राय मत्सरम् ॥
তারা তাকে প্রেরণা দেয়—সেই হরিকে, যার মদ কখনও ক্ষয় হয় না, যে নদীগুলিতে ও বাজিক (দ্রুতগামী); সেই ইন্দু, যা ইন্দ্রের জন্য মৎসর—উন্মত্ত আনন্দ—আলোকময় শক্তির বল।
Inside Sukta 53
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
Soma’s forces ‘rise up’ as he is pressed—an immediate martial-protective tone: breaking rakṣas and pushing away encircling hostility.
- Development
The hymn asserts Soma’s unassailable vratas (laws of purification and ṛta), and calls for the shattering of whoever wages war against him.
- Climax
Soma’s irresistible power is invoked to ‘ruj’ (break) the adversary—hostile force is to be crushed by the purifying current’s might.
- Where it settles
The vision settles on the tawny Indu rushing in the waters, unfailing in ecstasy, becoming Indra’s intoxicating, victory-bringing energy.
The deity: Soma Pavamāna, with the ritual epithet adrivaḥ
- In the VedaSoma is praised as the pressed, flowing, self-purifying draught that runs through the filters, shining tawny-gold, strong and exhilarating; he breaks rakṣas and repels hostility while becoming a delight and power for Indra.
- Cosmic functionHe mediates vitality between heaven and earth: a purifying flow that strengthens the gods (especially Indra), sustains ṛta through his vratas, and clears away forces of disorder.
- Inner significanceThe clarified current of consciousness—when ‘pressed’ by discipline and ‘filtered’ by discernment—drives out inner obscurations, stabilizes truth-guided order, and releases luminous strength and inspired joy.
The seer
- Anonymus (R̥gvedic Soma-Pavamāna seer, name not preserved in the Anukramaṇī tradition for this sukta)Representative voice of the Soma-pressing tradition in Maṇḍala 9, focusing on purification (pavamāna), protection from rakṣas, and empowerment of Indra through the pressed Indu.
Famous verses
rakṣo bhindantaḥ adrivaḥ
अस्य व्रतानि नाधृषे पवमानस्य दूढ्या । रुज यस्त्वा पृतन्यति ॥indum indrāya matsaram
Attributes of the deity
- pavamāna (self-purifying, flowing through the filter)
- adrivaḥ (linked with pressing-stones and the pressing rite)
- rakṣo-bhid (breaker of demonic obstruction)
- vrata-vat (upholder of fixed laws/ṛta)
- hari/aruṇa (tawny, radiant)
- nadīṣu iva (river-like, swift current)
- indra-matsara (intoxicating/rapturous strength for Indra)
Also by this seer
- Associated broadly with the Soma Pavamāna corpus (RV 9), where multiple hymns are attributed to various seer-families; this specific sukta is transmitted without a secure personal attribution in the provided tradition.
The rite, step by step
- Soma is brought and prepared; pressing-stones (adri) are readied.
- Soma is pressed; the expressed juice is collected.
- The juice is purified through the wool/strainer (pavitra), envisioned as a river-like flow.
- Mantras praise Soma’s rising strength to break rakṣas and repel hostile rivals.
- The clarified Soma is offered, especially to Indra, as invigorating ‘matsara’ (rapture/strength).
Offerings
- Pressed Soma juice (Indu)
- Oblations accompanying Soma service (as per rite): typically ghee and ancillary offerings depending on the śrauta context
Frequently Asked Questions
The hymn praises Soma in his form as Pavamāna—Soma flowing through the filter after pressing—also called adrivaḥ in connection with the pressing-stones.
As Soma is purified, his power rises to break demonic obstruction (rakṣas), repel hostile forces, and uphold firm sacred laws (vratas), while energizing Indra.
In the Vedic ritual, purified Soma is offered to Indra as a strengthening, exhilarating drink; the sukta calls Soma “the drop that is rapture for Indra,” supporting victory and power.
Ask anything about Sukta 53 of the Rig Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
