Rig Veda 9.101.12: Mandala 9, Sukta 101, Mantra 12
Sukta 9.101
- Rishi
- Bhṛgu-line seer
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
एते पूता विपश्चितः सोमासो दध्याशिरः । सूर्यासो न दर्शतासो जिगत्नवो ध्रुवा घृते ॥
eté pūtā́ vipaścítaḥ sómāso dádhyāśiraḥ | sū́ryāso ná darśatā́so jigatnávo dhruvā́ ghṛté ||
Dies sind die geläuterten, weitsichtigen Somas, mit dem nährenden Quark (dadhyāśir) vermischt. Wie Sonnen sind sie schön zu schauen; sie drängen zum Ziel, fest im Ghee gegründet — beständig im leuchtenden Reichtum.
Word by Word
- एते
- thesePronoun (demonstrative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (with implied verb ‘are/appear’)Root एतद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- पूताः
- purifiedAdjective (past passive participle)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (qualifier of ‘सोमासः’)Root पू (धातु) → पूत (PPP prātipadika)
- विपश्चितः
- wise, discerningAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (qualifier of ‘सोमासः’)Root वि + पश्य (धातु) → विपश्चित् (prātipadika)
- सोमासः
- Soma-dropsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot सोम (prātipadika)
- दध्याशिरः
- mixed with curds (dadhi-mixture)Noun (compound)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (as epithet of सोमासः)Role Kartā (qualifier of ‘सोमासः’)Root दधि + आशिर्/आशिस् (prātipadika; ‘mixture/seasoning’) → दध्याशिर (compound)
- सूर्यासः
- sunsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (in simile; ‘like suns’)Root सूर्य (prātipadika)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातः (simile particle)Root न (avyaya)
- दर्शतासः
- beautiful to see, splendidAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (qualifier of ‘सोमासः’)Root दृश् (धातु) → दर्शत (adj. prātipadika)
- जिगत्नवः
- going forth, hasteningAdjective/Noun (agentive)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (qualifier of ‘सोमासः’)Root गम् (धातु) with reduplication → जिगत्नु (agent-noun/adj. prātipadika)
- ध्रुवाः
- firm, steadfastAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (qualifier of ‘सोमासः’)Root ध्रुव (prātipadika)
- घृते
- in ghee, in clarified butterNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role Adhikaraṇa (locative: ‘in/with ghee’)Root घृत (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): एते | पूताः | विपश्चितः | सोमासः | दध्याशिरः | सूर्यासः | न | दर्शतासः | जिगत्नवः | ध्रुवाः | घृते । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) एते पूताः—स्वर-संयोगः, बाह्यसन्धिः विशेष-परिवर्तनं न। (2) विपश्चितः सोमासः—विसर्गः + स- आरम्भः
- संहितायां ‘विपश्चित॒: सोमा॑सः’ (विसर्ग-प्रयोगः/जिह्वामूलीय-उपध्मानीय-परम्परा पाठभेदानुसार). (3) सोमासो दध्याशिरः—ओ + द → ‘सोमासो द…’ (विसर्गाभावः: प्रथमा-बहुवचन -as > -o संहितायाम्). (4) सूर्यासो न—ओ + न, परिवर्तनं न. (5) दर्शतासो जिगत्नवो—ओ + ज, परिवर्तनं न. (6) जिगत्नवो ध्रुवा—ओ + ध, परिवर्तनं न. (7) ध्रुवा घृते—आ + घ, परिवर्तनं न. टिप्पणी: मन्त्रे बहवः विशेषण-प्रथमा-बहुवचनाः ‘सोमासः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण
- क्रिया ‘(सन्ति/भवन्ति)’ अध्याहार्या।
The meaning
Outer meaning
These purified Soma powers are clear-seeing, mixed with curd; like suns they are beautiful; they go toward the goal, firm in ghee.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma becomes vipaścitaḥ—wide and discerning consciousness, not mere pleasure. Mixed with ‘dadhi’ (curd) symbolizes Soma joined with sustaining nourishment: stable formation of delight within the substance of life (a supportive sattvic ‘food’ for the inner being). ‘Like suns’ indicates many centers of illumination kindled by Ananda. They move toward the goal (jigatnavo): the consciousness is propelled toward fulfilment—svar/satya. ‘Firm in ghṛta’ means established in clarified luminous substance (ghṛta = light-essence, clarified mind-intelligence), making the experience stable rather than fleeting.
Universal truth
When delight is purified and integrated with steady nourishment, it becomes luminous intelligence and stable illumination, carrying life toward its true aim.
Themes
Radiance, Stability in illumination, Nourishing clarity, Goal-attainment
The seer
- Rishi
- Bhṛgu-line seer(s) (Bhr̥gava tradition)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu
- Other hymns
- RV 9.101 (Pavamāna), RV 9.86 (Soma as wise and luminous), RV 1.58 (ghṛta/light imagery in Agni contexts)
Family tradition
Bhṛgu seers often link Soma with ghṛta and sūrya imagery—delight becoming light and stability, a hallmark of their ascensional vision.
Significance
This is a mature note: not only purification, but stabilization (dhruva) of illumination in ghṛta—suggesting a settled inner state rather than passing ecstasy.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pūta (purified), Vipaścit (clear-seeing), Sūryavat (sun-like), Dhruva (stable)
- Related deities
- Sūrya (truth-light), Savitar (impeller toward the goal), Agni (transformer)
Cosmic role
Soma as the luminous essence that, once clarified, becomes sun-like radiance sustaining the worlds and guiding toward the goal.
Inner power
Ananda transmuted into stable intuitive light and discernment; it fixes the consciousness in clarity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering; praising Soma’s clarified state before libation
ए॒ते पू॒ता वि॑प॒श्चित॒: सोमा॑सो॒ दध्या॑शिरः । सूर्या॑सो॒ न द॑र्श॒तासो॑ जिग॒त्नवो॑ ध्रु॒वा घृ॒ते ॥
ए॒ते । पू॒ताः । वि॒पः॒ऽचितः॑ । सोमा॑सः । दधि॑ऽआशिरः । सूर्या॑सः । न । द॒र्श॒तासः॑ । जि॒ग॒त्नवः॑ । ध्रु॒वाः । घृ॒ते ॥
ete | pūtāḥ | vipaḥ-citaḥ | somāsaḥ | dadhi-āśiraḥ | sūryāsaḥ | na | darśatāsaḥ | jigatnavaḥ | dhruvāḥ | ghṛte
48
4 x ~12
Smooth and luminous; the cadence supports images of beauty and stability.
Creates a bright, steady radiance in the listener; less ‘driving’ than earlier verses, more ‘settling into light’.
- पूताः (pūtāḥ)
- Literal: purified. Symbolic: freed from mixture; refined into clarity
- विपश्चितः (vipaścitaḥ)
- Literal: clear-seeing, wise. Symbolic: illumined discernment born of Ananda
- दध्या॑शिरः (dadhyāśiraḥ)
- Literal: mixed with curd. Symbolic: bliss blended with sustaining, formative nourishment; stable support in life
- सूर्यासः (sūryāsaḥ)
- Literal: suns. Symbolic: multiple illuminations/rays of truth-consciousness
- दर्शतासः (darśatāsaḥ)
- Literal: beautiful to behold. Symbolic: self-evident luminosity; experiential certainty
- ध्रुवाः (dhruvāḥ)
- Literal: firm, fixed. Symbolic: stability of realization
- घृते (ghṛte)
- Literal: in ghee. Symbolic: in clarified luminous substance (thought-light, intuitive clarity)
Soma mixed with dadhi/ghṛta in offerings; highlighting purity and radiance of the prepared Soma
During/after straining when Soma is ready for offering, highlighting its purity and potency.
Consecratory chant while Soma is mixed/prepared and offered with ghṛta associations.
Chant to stabilize after intense meditation; use as ‘integration mantra’ to bring joy into steady clarity.
vipaścit: vi- ‘wide’ + paś ‘see’ + cit ‘conscious’; ‘wide-seeing in consciousness’ (PIE *speḱ ‘see’ for paś). dadhi: fermented milk/curd; ritual nourishment; in symbolic reading, a stabilizing nutritive clarity. ghṛta: from √ghṛ ‘to sprinkle/shine’?; Vedic ghṛta is both physical ghee and ‘bright essence’—often linked with light and the clarified mind.
Vision/knowledge (vipaścit), Stability (dhruva) in truth, Luminous essence (ghṛta)
‘Jigatnavo’ (pressing toward the goal) is ṛta as teleological right movement—progressive unfolding.
Sūrya imagery signals satya as self-revealing light; darśatā = experiential evidence.
Multiplicity of ‘suns’ suggests many truth-lights born from one bliss-essence, supporting manifestation.
Aurobindonian: Ananda becomes Supermind-light; ghṛta as substance of intuitive cognition.
Mid-morning to noon (sun imagery, fullness of light)
Nourishment and clarified richness stabilize the bliss-current into enduring illumination and discernment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Purified Soma becomes ‘like suns’: the mythic transfiguration of the pressed drink into solar radiance. Psychologically, clarified delight turns into luminous seeing (vipaścit) and stable truth-substance (dhruva in ghṛta), enabling attainment (jigatnavaḥ).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- paś ‘see’ in vipaścit reflects PIE *speḱ- ‘to see’ (cf. Latin specio). dhruva ‘fixed’ is an Indo-Iranian stability term (cf. Avestan drva-/druva- related formations), aligned with a broader IE notion of firmness/steadfastness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi witnesses the achieved state (‘these are purified’), not merely requests it. Soma is presented as already transformed into seeing-radiance and stability; the human role is to recognize, align, and proceed with these clarified powers toward the goal.
Rest in a ‘sun-like’ clarity born of quiet joy; let discernment arise without strain.
Anāhata (sweetness/nourishment) rising to Ājñā (sun-like clarity)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) gently, feeling ‘ghṛta’ as warm golden clarity spreading in the head.
Luminous stability; quiet certainty.
After chanting, visualize multiple small suns in the mind-space becoming steady; affirm: ‘Let my delight become clear-seeing and stable.’
Keep a bright udatta lift on ‘sūryāso’ and a settling cadence on ‘dhruvā ghṛte’.
Phrase to highlight the turn: ete pūtā vipaścitaḥ … sūryāso na … dhruvā ghṛte.
vipaścitaḥ: ‘vi-paś-ci-taḥ’ (ś = palatal)., dadhyāśiraḥ: articulate ‘dadhy-ā’ without inserting extra vowel., darśatāsaḥ: keep ‘ṛ’ absent; it is ‘dar-śa’., ghṛte: retroflex ‘ṛ’ short and clear.
Bright but steady; avoid force—aim for ‘sunlit calm’.
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.
