Rig Veda 9.87.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 87, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.87
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna elevated to cosmogonic status
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
स्वायुधः पवते देव इन्दुरशस्तिहा वृजनं रक्षमाणः । पिता देवानां जनिता सुदक्षो विष्टम्भो दिवो धरुणः पृथिव्याः ॥
svāyudháḥ pavate devá índur aśastihā́ vṛ́janaṃ rákṣamāṇaḥ | pitā́ devā́nāṃ janitā́ su-dákṣo viṣṭambhó divó dharuṇaḥ pṛthivyā́ḥ ||
নিজস্ব আয়ুধ (স্বশক্তি) দ্বারা সজ্জিত দিব্য ইন্দু প্রবাহিত হয়—অশস্তি-হা (অস্তুতিযোগ্য নয় এমন/দুষ্টের সংহারক) হয়ে, ব্ৰজন (সুশৃঙ্খল ক্ষেত্র/গোধন) রক্ষা করতে করতে। দেবদের পিতা, সুদক্ষ জনিতা, তিনিই দ্যৌ (স্বর্গ)-এর বিষ্টম্ভ (দৃঢ় ভিত্তি) এবং পৃথিবীর ধরণ (ধারণ-আধার)।
Word by Word
- स्वायुधः
- self-armed, having his own weaponAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्दुः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)Root स्व-आयुध (प्रातिपदिक) / आयुध
- पवते
- purifies/flows (as Soma)Verbलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)Root √पू (पवते) / √पु (शोधन)
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दुः
- Indu (Soma-drop)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (देवः इन्दुः—समनाधिकरणम्)Root इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अशस्तिहा
- slayer of un-praise/abuse; destroyer of reproachAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्दोः विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)Root अ-शस्ति-हन् (प्रातिपदिक; हन् धातु से कृत) / √हन्
- वृजनम्
- the hostile band; the evil/obstacleNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वृजन (प्रातिपदिक)
- रक्षमाणः
- protecting, guardingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वर्तमानकालिक कर्तरि), इन्दोः विशेषणम्Role Kartā (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्; सहक्रिया)Root √रक्ष् (पालने) → रक्षमान (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- पिता
- fatherNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (स्तुत्य-सम्बोधनात्मकः नामपदः)Root पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनिता
- begetter, progenitorNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (स्तुत्य-समनाधिकरण)Root √जन् (जनने) → जनितृ/जनिता (कृत)
- सुदक्षः
- very skillful, of good power/abilityAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्दोः विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)Root सु-दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- विष्टम्भः
- support, propNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (स्तुत्य-समनाधिकरण)Root वि-ष्टम्भ (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तम्भ् से भाव/कर्तृवाचक)
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)Root द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- धरुणः
- holder, firm supportNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (स्तुत्य-समनाधिकरण)Root धरुण (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ ‘धारणे’ से)
- पृथिव्याः
- of the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)Root पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: स्वायुधः | पवते | देवः | इन्दुः | अशस्तिहा | वृजनम् | रक्षमाणः || पिता | देवानाम् | जनिता | सुदक्षः | विष्टम्भः | दिवः | धरुणः | पृथिव्याः || 1) इन्दुरशस्तिहा = इन्दुः + अशस्तिहा (विसर्ग-लोपः, अ-आ संधिः)
- 2) रक्षमाणः—कृदन्तः, मुख्यक्रियायाः ‘पवते’ इत्यस्य सहवृत्तिः (कर्तरि वर्तमान)
- 3) धरुण: पृथि॒व्याः—पाठे ‘धरुणः’ (विसर्ग/ः) + ‘पृथिव्याः’ इति पदसन्धिः (विसर्गः परे प् इत्यत्र ‘ः’ लेख्यते)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The divine Indu flows armed with his own weapon, slaying the unpraiseworthy and guarding the ordered field. He is father and begetter of the gods, perfectly skilled; the firm support of heaven and foundation of earth.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma is not merely sweetness but a power with its own innate force (svāyudhaḥ): it carries the means of victory within itself. It destroys what is ‘unworthy of praise’ (aśasti)—inner falsehood, self-deception, and sterile movements—and guards the vṛjana, the ordered domain of the sacrifice: the rightly arranged field of consciousness. Raised to cosmogonic status, Soma as ananda becomes generative: it begets the gods (illumined faculties), supports the higher mind (heaven) and stabilizes the physical/vital base (earth).
Universal truth
A purified delight is a foundational power: it both protects order and generates higher capacities, becoming a support for the whole structure of life and consciousness.
Themes
cosmogony within Soma hymn, protector-slayer function, Soma as father of gods
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.87
Significance
The seer presents Soma as a cosmogonic and yogic principle: ananda is not an ornament but a creator and stabilizer of the inner worlds.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- svāyudhaḥ, aśastihā, rakṣamāṇa, pitā devānām, sudakṣa
- Related deities
- Viṣṇu (support/stride—conceptual parallel), Indra (gods strengthened by Soma), Agni (sacrifice carrier)
Cosmic role
Generative support of the cosmos: fathering the gods, upholding heaven and earth through clarified essence.
Inner power
Protective, self-empowered ananda that both removes falsehood and builds stable spiritual structure.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification hymns within Soma sacrifice
स्वा॒यु॒धः प॑वते दे॒व इन्दु॑रशस्ति॒हा वृ॒जनं॒ रक्ष॑माणः । पि॒ता दे॒वानां॑ जनि॒ता सु॒दक्षो॑ विष्ट॒म्भो दि॒वो ध॒रुण॑: पृथि॒व्याः ॥
सु॒ऽआ॒यु॒धः । प॒व॒ते॒ । दे॒वः । इन्दुः॑ । अ॒श॒स्ति॒ऽहा । वृ॒जन॑म् । रक्ष॑माणः । पि॒ता । दे॒वाना॑म् । ज॒नि॒ता । सु॒ऽदक्षः॑ । वि॒ष्ट॒म्भः । दि॒वः । ध॒रुणः॑ । पृ॒थि॒व्याः ॥
su-āyudhaḥ | pavate | devaḥ | induḥ | aśasti-hā | vṛjanam | rakṣamāṇaḥ | pitā | devānām | janitā | su-dakṣaḥ | viṣṭambhaḥ | divaḥ | dharuṇaḥ | pṛthivyāḥ
44
4 pādas × 11 syllables
Grave, architectural rhythm suited to ‘support/foundation’ statements.
Produces steadiness and strength; helpful for grounding and protection-focused recitation.
- svāyudhaḥ
- Literal: with his own weapon. Symbolic: self-sufficient spiritual force; ananda that contains its own power of purification
- deva induḥ
- Literal: divine bright drop. Symbolic: luminous essence of consciousness descending as delight
- aśastihā
- Literal: slayer of the unpraiseworthy. Symbolic: destroyer of false movements unfit for truth-speech and worship
- vṛjanam
- Literal: ordered field/community. Symbolic: rightly arranged inner domain; the cultivated consciousness-field
- rakṣamāṇaḥ
- Literal: protecting. Symbolic: maintaining inner order against intrusion of chaos
- pitā devānām / janitā
- Literal: father/begetter of the gods. Symbolic: ananda as generative source of illumined powers
- sudakṣaḥ
- Literal: of good skill. Symbolic: perfectly discriminating and effective in transformation
- viṣṭambhaḥ divo
- Literal: support of heaven. Symbolic: upholding higher mind/illumination
- dharuṇaḥ pṛthivyāḥ
- Literal: foundation of earth. Symbolic: stabilizing body-life so it can hold higher force
Praise of Soma during purification; cosmogonic epithets reinforce Soma’s role as world-support and protector in the rite.
During flowing/filtration and praise of Soma’s powers
Recited to affirm Soma’s protective and generative potency for the rite
Grounding mantra in sadhana: invoke self-armed clarity to cut falsehood and establish stable inner order (protect the ‘field’).
viṣṭambha- from √stambh parallels skambha- imagery: propping the worlds. dakṣa- is ‘capacity/skill’ (not merely ‘dexterity’): the power that accomplishes formation; hence su-dakṣa as perfected formative intelligence. aśasti (non-praise/ill-fame) becomes inner ‘untrue vibration’ opposed to right hymn (stuti).
world-support (stambh/skambha motif), dakṣa (effective intelligence), protection of the ordered field (ṛta implied)
Vṛjana guarded by Soma is the inner ṛta-field maintained against disorder.
Aśasti is what cannot be affirmed by satya-vāk; Soma slays it to restore truth.
Ananda as father of gods: higher powers emerge from refined delight.
Integral Vedantic tendency: bliss as ontological support of manifestation.
A luminous current becomes both sword (discernment-force) and pillar (stability), protecting the cultivated inner field and linking higher and lower nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Cosmic support myth: Soma is not only drink/flow but a world-propping principle (viṣṭambha, dharuṇa). He fathers the gods—i.e., generates the functional powers of consciousness—while slaying aśasti (the untrue/unglorious).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan ‘beget’ is a major IE root (cf. Latin gignō, Greek γίγνομαι). √dhṛ ‘hold’ is also IE (cf. Greek θρόνος is not cognate; but Indo-Iranian dhar- is stable). The verse clusters inherited roots of generation and support to express a cosmogonic theology.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi does not merely request a boon; he recognizes Soma as the very generator of the inner gods (faculties) and as protector of the vṛjana (the ordered inner community). Praise becomes alignment: by naming Soma’s true function, the sacrificer participates in that stability.
Invoke Soma as a protective pillar: feel a vertical axis of luminous delight supporting ‘heaven’ (mind) and ‘earth’ (body).
Sushumna axis; Ajna–Muladhara integration
Slow diaphragmatic breathing with subtle spinal awareness; on exhale, reject ‘aśasti’ (false movement).
Grounded luminous steadiness; protected inner order.
Use when feeling invaded by negativity: affirm self-armed clarity; visualize a guarded field around the heart-mind where only truth-movements enter.
Vedic accents per Śākala; maintain clear udatta peaks especially on compound epithets (svāyudhaḥ, aśastihā).
Keep compounds articulated: su-dakṣo, viṣ-ṭambho; don’t rush the cosmological titles.
‘svāyudhaḥ’ with long ā; ‘dh’ aspirated, ‘aśastihā’ keep ‘ś’ palatal, ‘viṣṭambho’ retroflex ṣṭ, ‘pṛthivyāḥ’ vocalic ṛ and ‘th’ aspirated
Steady, weighty, protective resonance.
Ask anything about this verse
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.
