Rig Veda 9.114.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 114, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.114
- Rishi
- Kāśyapa
- Devata
- Soma, with Indra in refrain
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
ऋषे मन्त्रकृतां स्तोमैः कश्यपोद्वर्धयन्गिरः । सोमं नमस्य राजानं यो जज्ञे वीरुधां पतिरिन्द्रायेन्दो परि स्रव ॥
ṛ́ṣe mantra-kṛtā́ṃ stómaiḥ káśyapod-vardháyan gíraḥ | sómaṃ namasya rā́jānaṃ yó jajñé vīrúd hāṃ pátir indrā́yendo pári srava ||
O Ṛṣi, mit von Mantra gefügten Lobgesängen mehrt Kaśyapa die inspirierten Worte. Erweise Soma, dem König, Verehrung, der als Herr der Pflanzenkräfte des Lebens geboren wird. O Indras Soma, ströme ringsum und in uns hinein.
Word by Word
- ऋषे
- O seerNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) < √ऋष्/ऋष (to see/know; seer)
- मन्त्रकृताम्
- of the makers of hymns/mantrasNoun (agent-noun, compound)पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः); षष्ठी-बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root मन्त्र-कृत् (प्रातिपदिक); कृत् < √कृ (to make)
- स्तोमैः
- with praises (hymns)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-बहुवचनRole करणRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- कश्यपः
- KaśyapaProper Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot कश्यप (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषिनाम)
- उत्
- up, forth (intensifier)Indeclinable (prefix/preverb)उपसर्गRoot उत् (उपसर्ग)
- वर्धयन्
- increasing, causing to growVerb (present participle)वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सहवर्ती क्रिया)Root √वृध् (to grow, increase) → वर्धयति (causative)
- गिरः
- songs, chantsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot गिर् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘song, voice’
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- नमस्य
- worship! bow to!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √नम् (to bow) → नमस्यति (denominative/causative-like ‘to worship’)
- राजानम्
- the kingNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जज्ञे
- was born, has been bornVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श भूत); प्रथम-एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole कर्तृRoot √जन् (to be born) → जज्ञे (perf.)
- वीरुधाम्
- of plants/herbsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root वीरुध् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘plant, herb’
- पतिः
- lordNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेषण (यः … पतिः)Root पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) ‘Soma-drop’
- परि
- around, forth, fullyIndeclinableउपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषणRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्रव
- flow! stream forth!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √स्रु (to flow) → स्रव (impv.)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolution): ऋषे | मन्त्रकृताम् | स्तोमैः | कश्यपः | उत् | वर्धयन् | गिरः || सोमम् | नमस्य | राजानम् | यः | जज्ञे | वीरुधाम् | पतिः | इन्द्राय | इन्दो | परि | स्रव । मुख्य सन्धि: (1) कश्यपोद्वर्धयन् = कश्यपः + उत् + वर्धयन् (विसर्ग-लोप, उ + उ → उ; उद्-रूप ‘उत्’)
- (2) इन्द्रायेन्दो = इन्द्राय + इन्दो (स्वर-सन्धि: आ + इ → ऐ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Seer, with mantra-fashioned hymns Kāśyapa increases the inspired utterances. Bow to King Soma, born as lord of the plants. Soma is asked to flow for Indra.
Inner meaning
The mantra asserts the power of mantric speech (giraḥ) to intensify and enlarge inspiration: Kāśyapa ‘increases’ the inner Word by aligning it with the Soma-force. ‘King Soma’ is the sovereign ananda that rules the growing life-powers (vīrudhām): not merely vegetation but the sprouting energies of prāṇa and evolving faculties. When bliss is enthroned, life’s growth becomes obedient to the soul and can be offered upward to Indra for illumination.
Universal truth
Right speech born of inner hearing can amplify inspiration and govern life’s growth; when delight becomes sovereign, evolution turns from random growth to conscious flowering.
Themes
Rishi self-reference, Mantra-power, Soma kingship, Life-growth symbolism
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāśyapa
- Other hymns
- RV 9.114.1–4 (hymn)
Family tradition
Kāśyapa tradition emphasizes expansive vision and harmonizing powers (often linked with Ādityas); here it channels Soma through mantra-crafted praise to govern growth and protect the sacrificer.
Significance
Kāśyapa is presented as the archetype of the mantra-maker who increases the inspired Word; spiritually, this is the yogin’s capacity to strengthen inner vibration so delight can rule life-growth.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (Rājā Soma) Pavamāna; Indra in refrain
- Epithets
- Rājā (King), Indu, Pavamāna, Vīrudhām Pati (Lord of growth)
- Related deities
- Indra, Bṛhaspati (mantra and inspired word), Ādityas (harmonizing guardians, next verse)
Cosmic role
Soma is sovereign delight that supports growth in nature and immortality in the gods; as purified, it becomes fit offering to Indra’s luminous power.
Inner power
Governs prāṇic and psychological growth, making it obedient to the soul; strengthens mantra-vibration and inspired speech.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña recitation praising Soma as king and life-lord; accompaniment to pressing and offering
ऋषे॑ मन्त्र॒कृतां॒ स्तोमै॒: कश्य॑पोद्व॒र्धय॒न्गिर॑: । सोमं॑ नमस्य॒ राजा॑नं॒ यो ज॒ज्ञे वी॒रुधां॒ पति॒रिन्द्रा॑येन्दो॒ परि॑ स्रव ॥
ऋषे॑ । म॒न्त्र॒ऽकृता॑म् । स्तोमैः॑ । कश्य॑प । उ॒त्ऽव॒र्धय॑न् । गिरः॑ । सोम॑म् । न॒म॒स्य॒ । राजा॑नम् । यः । ज॒ज्ञे । वी॒रुधा॑म् । पतिः॑ । इन्द्रा॑य । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । परि॑ । स्र॒व॒ ॥
ṛṣe | mantra-kṛtām | stomaiḥ | kaśyapa | ut-vardhayan | giraḥ | somam | namasya | rājānam | yaḥ | jajñe | vīrudhām | patiḥ | indrāya | indo iti | pari | srava
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4 × ~12 syllables
Elevating, with a ‘raising’ feel matching udvardhayan (uplift).
Strengthens voice and inner vibration; supports a sense of sovereign calm and upward growth.
- ऋषे (ṛṣe)
- Literal: O seer. Symbolic: the inner witness-seer capacity in us
- मन्त्रकृत (mantrakṛta)
- Literal: made by mantra. Symbolic: speech shaped by inner hearing and truth-rhythm
- स्तोम (stoma)
- Literal: hymn of praise. Symbolic: harmonized thought-offering that builds inner ascent
- गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: utterances. Symbolic: inspired word-powers, mantric vibrations in consciousness
- उद्वर्धयन् (udvardhayan)
- Literal: increasing, raising. Symbolic: uplifting and intensifying inspiration
- राजानं (rājānam)
- Literal: king. Symbolic: sovereign principle (ānanda) ruling the inner kingdom
- वीरुधाम् पतिः (vīrudhām patiḥ)
- Literal: lord of plants. Symbolic: master of growth-forces in life-energy and developing faculties
- नमस्य (namasya)
- Literal: do obeisance. Symbolic: ego-surrender and reverent alignment to the higher force
Soma rite praise: reinforces Soma as sovereign essence sustaining life-growth (outer plants; inner vital energies).
During Pavamāna sequences; also suitable for moments of consecration (namasya) before offering
Praise (stoma) and obeisance; invoke Soma’s protection and Indra’s receiving flow
Chant before study/teaching or creative work to ‘increase the giraḥ’—clarify speech, align words with truth, and govern life-energy growth.
ṛ́ṣi from √dṛś ‘see’ is traditional, though formation is specialized; mantra from √man ‘think’ + instrumentality → ‘thought-form/word of power’. ut-vardhayan from √vṛdh ‘grow’ (PIE *werdh- ‘grow’; Eng ‘worth’ is different; cf. Germ werden). vīrúd(h) ‘plant’ is Vedic life-growth lexeme; pati ‘lord’ from PIE *pótis (cf. Gk posis, Lat potis).
Mantra as formative power of consciousness, Soma as rājan (sovereign delight), Life-force cultivation
Mantrakṛta stoma embodies r̥ta in speech—right rhythm and right meaning.
True word (giraḥ) increased by seerhood; speech as a carrier of satya.
Soma ‘born’ as lord of growth: delight as a principle of evolutionary flowering.
Mantra-śakti psychology; resonates with Upaniṣadic vāg (speech) as power and with integral yoga’s emphasis on transformed life-growth.
spring (suggested by vīrudh—sprouting growth, though not explicit)
Vīrudh symbolizes the sprouting of new capacities—fresh energies, habits, and perceptions—when ananda becomes the governing principle.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as ‘King’ and ‘Lord of growth’: the mythic sovereignty of Soma over vegetation is the outer form; inwardly, Soma rules the life-powers and their increase through mantra-shaped speech.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- páti continues PIE *pótis ‘lord’ across IE. √vṛdh ‘grow’ reflects PIE *werdh- (cf. Avestan vərəδ- ‘grow’, Gothic waurdjan related developments). √man in mantra reflects PIE *men- ‘think’ (Eng mind, Lat mēns).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi (Kāśyapa) ‘increases’ the giras through mantra—human inspired speech cooperates with Soma’s kingship. The exchange is: mantra-crafted praise → Soma’s strengthening of life-growth and inner sovereignty.
Strengthen mantra-vibration and enthrone ananda as ruler of life-growth.
Viśuddha (mantra/speech) and Maṇipūra (governing life-force); supported by Anāhata (reverent surrender)
Ujjayi light (soft throat constriction) to enrich resonance on giraḥ; pause after ‘namasya’ for inward bowing.
Uplifted, empowered, reverent.
Begin with a brief inward namas (surrender). Chant letting sound arise from the heart to the throat. After chanting, observe one life-impulse (vīrudh) and offer it to Soma’s kingship for right growth.
Follow marked accents; keep clear rise on ́ and appropriate svarita on compound transitions; refrain chanted evenly with a flowing cadence.
Slightly emphasize ‘mantrakṛtām’ and ‘udvardhayan’ to reflect ‘crafted’ and ‘increased’; keep ‘rājānam’ dignified and steady.
kāśyapa: pronounce ‘śy’ cluster cleanly (kā-śya-pa), udvardhayan: articulate ‘dv’ without inserting a vowel, vīrudhām: long ī and retroflex ḍh with breathy release, namasya: dental ‘n’, clear ‘ya’ glide
Resonant and steady, with a regal calm on ‘rājānam’.
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