Rig Veda 9.8.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 8, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.8
- Devata
- Soma
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
देवेभ्यस्त्वा मदाय कं सृजानमति मेष्यः । सं गोभिर्वासयामसि ॥
devébhyaḥ tvā mádāya káṃ sṛjānám áti méṣyaḥ | sáṃ góbhir vāsayāmasi ||
দেবগণের আনন্দের জন্য, হে মদময় (সোম), আমরা তোমাকে প্রবাহিত করি—বলবান মেষের মতো বেগে অগ্রসর হয়ে। আমরা তোমাকে গো-কিরণ, আলো ও জ্ঞানে আবৃত করি।
Word by Word
- दे॒वेभ्यः
- to/for the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान); बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot देव-
- त्वा
- you (thee)Pronounद्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद्- (त्वद्-)
- मदाय
- for exhilaration/intoxicationNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot मद-
- कम्
- what?/some (indefinite)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (अव्यक्त-प्रश्न/अनिर्दिष्ट-वस्तु)Role कर्मRoot क- (किम्-प्रातिपदिकस्य नपुंसक-रूपम्)
- सृजानम्
- being poured forth/being releasedVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (त्वा-विशेषणम्)Root सृज्
- अति
- over, beyond; exceedinglyIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थः)Root अति
- मे॒ष्यः
- impetuous/ram-like (swift, vigorous)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अन्तर्निहितः—स्तुत्य/सोमः)Root मे॒ष्य- (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिकम्; RV-प्रयोगः)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गRole (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थः)Root सम्
- गोभिः
- with cows (i.e., with milk)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण); बहुवचनRole करणRoot गो-
- वासयामसि
- we cause to dwell/settle; we clothe/cover (i.e., mix, soak)Verbलट्; उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)Role कर्तृRoot वास् (वासयति—णिजन्त)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: देवेभ्यः त्वा मदाय कम् सृजानम् अति मेष्यः । सम् गोभिः वासयामसि ॥ 1) देवेभ्यस्त्वा → देवेभ्यः + त्वा (विसर्ग-लोपः, तकारादौ संयोगः)
- 2) सृजानमति → सृजानम् + अति (म् + अ → म् अ; पदान्त-व्यञ्जनस्य परे स्वरः, संधौ ‘मति’ इव दृश्यते)
- 3) सं गोभिः → सम् + गोभिः (म् + ग → ङ्ग; लेखने ‘सं’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
For the gods’ exhilaration we release you, rushing beyond like a ram; we clothe you with cows (wealth).
Inner meaning
The purified bliss is let loose for the delight of the inner gods—powers of consciousness. It surges forward with the force of a ram (meṣyaḥ): a concentrated thrust of life-energy transmuted into spiritual impetus. It is ‘clothed with cows’—wrapped in rays of knowledge (go), meaning bliss is not blind emotion but invested with luminous understanding.
Universal truth
Joy becomes divine when it serves the higher powers in us and is joined with knowledge. True spiritual force is both ecstatic and luminous: a forward rush guided by light.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Offering to the gods, Light as knowledge (go), Dynamic overcoming (ati)
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna tradition
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.8 (entire sūkta), Rig Veda 9.2 (Soma for the gods’ exhilaration motifs)
Family tradition
Ninth Maṇḍala Soma hymns preserved by multiple rishi-lines; focus on refining Soma as both offering and inner force.
Significance
The seer emphasizes that Ananda is released not for personal indulgence but to feed the divine powers, and that it must be ‘clothed’ with light (go) to become a stable spiritual force.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Ka (the delightful one), Pavamāna, Indu
- Related deities
- Indra, Maruts (vital powers), Aśvins (helpers of the journey)
Cosmic role
Nectar of immortality that delights and empowers the gods, enabling cosmic victory and harmony.
Inner power
Ecstatic force that, when united with knowledge-rays, becomes a dynamic instrument for transformation of the vital nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering after purification—release of Soma for divine enjoyment.
दे॒वेभ्य॑स्त्वा॒ मदा॑य॒ कं सृ॑जा॒नमति॑ मे॒ष्य॑: । सं गोभि॑र्वासयामसि ॥
दे॒वेभ्यः॑ । त्वा॒ । मदा॑य । कम् । सृ॒जा॒नम् । अति॑ । मे॒ष्यः॑ । सम् । गोभिः॑ । वा॒स॒या॒म॒सि॒ ॥
devebhyaḥ | tvā | madāya | kam | sṛjānam | ati | meṣyaḥ | sam | gobhiḥ | vāsayāmasi
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Surging, forceful; fits ‘rushing beyond’ (ati) and the ram-image.
Builds a sense of forward charge and empowerment; then settles into a luminous ‘clothing’ cadence—force guided by light.
- देवेभ्यः (devebhyaḥ)
- Literal: for the gods. Symbolic: For the higher faculties/powers of consciousness
- मदाय (madāya)
- Literal: for exhilaration, intoxication. Symbolic: For divine ecstasy that strengthens illumination and action
- कम् (kam)
- Literal: pleasant, desirable; blissful. Symbolic: Ananda as sweetness of being
- सृजानम् (sṛjānam)
- Literal: releasing, letting flow. Symbolic: Allowing the bliss-current to move freely through the system
- मेष्यः (meṣyaḥ)
- Literal: like a ram. Symbolic: Concentrated vital force, charging energy converted into spiritual impetus
- गोभिः (gobhiḥ)
- Literal: with cows. Symbolic: With rays of light/knowledge; illuminations that ‘cover’ and enrich the flow
- वासयामसि (vāsayāmasi)
- Literal: we clothe, cover, robe. Symbolic: To invest bliss with knowledge-forms; stabilize it with luminous content
Soma pressing/straining: the expressed Soma is ‘released’ and ritually ‘adorned’/mixed; inner sense: divine delight is prepared as offering to the gods (powers of consciousness)
At moments of Soma outflow/dispatch toward offering; accompanying libations.
Letting Soma run; mixing/adorning with milk/clarified elements in ritual parallels the ‘clothing’ imagery.
For practitioners: release joy consciously upward (to the highest in you) and ‘clothe’ it with clarity—useful when energy is strong but needs guidance.
√sṛj ‘release/emit’ frames Soma as an outpouring force; √mad ‘exult’ gives the intended fruit (divine delight); √vas ‘clothe’ in causative vāsayāmasi indicates ‘enveloping’ Soma with go- (rays/knowledges). meṣya ‘ram-like’ functions as an emblem of charging energy—an inner impulsion breaking beyond (ati).
Ananda (mada as delight), Ṛta as surpassing movement (ati) guided into right offering, Go (light/knowledge) symbolism
Implicit: the proper offering to devas is aligned with right order; uncontrolled ecstasy is not implied—hence ‘clothing’ with go (light).
Knowledge-rays ensure the delight is truthful and discriminating.
Bliss released and invested with light becomes creative energy for divine manifestation in life.
Aurobindo’s symbolic Veda: animals and wealth-terms encode psychological forces.
Vital surge (ram) purified into spiritual dynamism; rays of understanding (cows) stabilize and enrich the joy-current.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The offering-mythologem: Soma is released as a power of delight for the gods; he overpasses limits (ati) with ram-like force, then is ‘clothed’ in go (rays/knowledges), i.e., delight is yoked to illumination so the divine powers can drink it.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sṛj has IE parallels in the semantic field ‘let go/flow’ (cf. broadly IE *sregʰ-/*sreugʰ ‘flow’ as a poetic motif). √vas ‘clothe’ corresponds to PIE *wes- ‘to dress’ (cf. English ‘wear’, Latin vestis), supporting the metaphor of ‘vesting’ Soma in light.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishis act as conscious artisans: they release Soma and then ‘vest’ him in luminous powers (go). Soma reciprocates by becoming the drink of delight for the inner gods—enabling their effective action in the sacrificer’s being.
Offer rising joy to the highest consciousness; let it surge, then consciously ‘robe’ it in clear insight and right intention.
Maṇipūra (force) refined and lifted to Anāhata (joy) and Ājñā (clarity).
Kapalabhāti-light or bhastrikā-mild (if appropriate) to awaken force, followed by long exhale and silent witnessing to ‘clothe’ it with calm light.
Dynamic, victorious uplift with lucid guidance.
When strong energy arises, do not repress; release it upward (sṛjānam ati), then surround it with ‘go’—a few minutes of clear seeing: What is the true aim? What is the right action?
Chant with the Saṃhitā accents; keep the energetic rise on key words like ‘madāya’ and ‘ati’.
Let the first half surge (release/rush), second half broaden (clothing with light).
devebhyaḥ: bhy conjunct—‘bhya’ not ‘biya’., madāya: long ā., meṣyaḥ: retroflex ṣ; final ḥ light., gobhir: ‘go-bhir’ with clear bh.
Bright and forceful, but not harsh; keep resonance in chest and head for ‘victorious joy’.
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