Rig Veda 9.16.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 16, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.16
- Rishi
- Kāṇva
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
दिवो न सानु पिप्युषी धारा सुतस्य वेधसः । वृथा पवित्रे अर्षति ॥
divó na sānú pipyúṣī dhārā sutásya védhasaḥ | vṛ́thā pavítre arṣati ||
Wie der Himmelsrücken strömt der anschwellende Strom des ausgepressten Soma des Weisen (vedhas) durch den Läuterer — nicht vergeblich, sondern zur wirksamen Vollendung des Werkes.
Word by Word
- दिवः
- of/from heavenNounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वेदे ‘दिव्’), षष्ठी एकवचनRole अपादान/सम्बन्ध (उत्पत्तिसम्बन्धः ‘from/of heaven’)Root दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ ‘स्वर्ग’)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न
- सानु
- ridge, summitNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole अधिकारण (उपमान-आधारः ‘on a ridge/summit’)Root सानु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिप्युषी
- swelling, brimmingAdjective/Participleस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; परिपूर्णा/वर्धमाना (परिपूर्ण-भावः)Role विशेषण (धारायाः)Root प्यै/पि (धातु: प्या॒यते/पिन्वति ‘to swell, be full’ → कृत्)
- धारा
- streamNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अर्षति इत्यस्य)Root धार (प्रातिपदिक: धारा)
- सुतस्य
- of the pressed SomaNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (धारायाः—‘of the pressed (Soma)’)Root सु (धातु ‘to press (Soma)’ → सुत ‘pressed’)
- वेधसः
- of the wise one (the ordainer)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (सुतस्य/धारायाः—‘of the wise one/ordainer’)Root वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wise/ordainer’, from √विध्/व्यध् ‘to arrange, pierce’)
- वृथा
- in vain, idlyIndeclinableक्रियाविशेषणRoot वृथा
- पवित्रे
- in/through the filter (sieve)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारण (स्थानम्—‘in/through the filter’)Root पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्षति
- flows, rushesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot ऋष् (धातु: अर्षति ‘to flow, rush’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: दिवः | न | सानु | पिप्युषी | धारा | सुतस्य | वेधसः | वृथा | पवित्रे | अर्षति । (i) ‘दिवो न’ इति विसर्ग-सन्धिः: दिवः + न → दिवो न (RV-पाठे ‘ओ’). (ii) अन्यत्र स्पष्ट-सन्धिः विशेषो न
- ‘पवित्रे अर्षति’ इत्यत्र स्वर-संयोगमात्रम् (ए + अ) पदपाठे पृथक् एव।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Like the ridge of heaven, the swelling stream of the pressed Soma of the wise-worker flows through the filter—not in vain.
Inner meaning
The Soma-current, expressed by the inner artisan (vedhas: the shaping intelligence in us), swells and rises like heaven’s ridge—toward higher planes of consciousness. Passing through the purifier, it accomplishes a real effect (not vṛthā): the inner work is fulfilled. Purified delight is not mere sentiment; it becomes an operative force that crowns the ascent and makes the sacrifice effective.
Universal truth
When inner work is done with wisdom and purification, the resulting joy is not escapism—it becomes effective power that uplifts and completes life’s true purpose.
Themes
Efficacy, Abundance, Purification-stream imagery
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva (traditional)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 9.16 (sequence), RV 9.83 (Soma streams), RV 1.83 (Indra aided by wise-workers, thematic)
Family tradition
Kāṇva pavamāna hymns repeatedly stress effective formation (vedhas/kratu) and non-vain fulfillment through purification.
Significance
The seer emphasizes efficacy: true mantra and true purification produce tangible inner ascent and completion, not empty performance.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Suta, Indu, Pipyuṣī-dhārā (abounding stream, descriptive)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Soma is the ascending, clarifying current that links earth-life to heaven-mind, making the sacrifice effective and fruitful.
Inner power
Operative Ananda: joy that increases and uplifts, turning inner practice into realized force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing/straining; praise of Soma’s successful purification
दि॒वो न सानु॑ पि॒प्युषी॒ धारा॑ सु॒तस्य॑ वे॒धस॑: । वृथा॑ प॒वित्रे॑ अर्षति ॥
दि॒वः । न । सानु॑ । पि॒प्युषी॑ । धारा॑ । सु॒तस्य॑ । वे॒धसः॑ । वृथा॑ । प॒वित्रे॑ अ॒र्ष॒ति॒ ॥
divaḥ | na | sānu | pipyuṣī | dhārā | sutasya | vedhasaḥ | vṛthā | pavitre | arṣati
24
3×8
Expansive imagery within tight measure; last phrase ‘vṛthā’ gives a sharp ethical/psychological emphasis
Inspires ascent and confidence; the negation ‘not in vain’ lands as a firm resolve for effectiveness.
- दिवो न सानु (divo na sānu)
- Literal: like heaven’s ridge/summit. Symbolic: the higher plane/peak of consciousness; ascent to wideness
- पिप्युषी धारा (pipyuṣī dhārā)
- Literal: swelling/abounding stream. Symbolic: increasing flow of Ananda as practice deepens
- सुतस्य (sutasya)
- Literal: of the pressed Soma. Symbolic: of delight extracted/expressed from experience by yogic effort
- वेधसः (vedhasaḥ)
- Literal: of the wise-worker, arranger. Symbolic: the inner shaper—intelligence that forms the sacrifice and the being
- वृथा (vṛthā)
- Literal: in vain. Symbolic: ineffective practice, mechanical ritual, or unassimilated experience
- पवित्रे अर्षति (pavitre arṣati)
- Literal: flows through the filter. Symbolic: progress through discernment leading to effective transformation
Filtration and flowing of Soma; affirmation of efficacy (not vṛthā) of the purification
During filtration chants to affirm efficacy of the rite and the flow
Straining and directing Soma; ensuring correct performance and intention
Use to counter discouragement: affirm that purified practice yields real results; recommit to discernment so effort is not ‘vṛthā’.
pipyuṣī: from perfect/strengthened formation of √pyā/√pī ‘to swell, abound’ (cf. pīvan ‘fat/full’); dhārā from √dhṛ ‘to hold’ → ‘that which is held/continuous stream’; suta from √su ‘press out, extract’; vedhas- from √vidh ‘to work, arrange, worship’ (agentive ‘ordainer’). vṛthā ‘vainly’ is an adverb of ineffectuality; in hymnic rhetoric it often implies ‘this is not ineffectual’—the rite yields inner result.
Efficacy of yajña (not fruitless), Heaven as luminous consciousness, Craft/ordination (vedhas) as right ordering (ṛta)
The ‘not in vain’ is Ṛta’s test: right order yields effective fruit; disorder yields emptiness.
Truth is what works in consciousness—purified Soma becomes satya-force.
Ascent motif: from pressed essence arises a swelling stream climbing toward heaven’s summit—inner evolution.
Vedic pragmatism of realization (Aurobindo): spiritual experience must be effective in nature.
Ridge of heaven = higher mind/plane; swelling stream = increasing Ananda; filter = discrimination; wise-worker = shaping intelligence; ‘not in vain’ = effective transformation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘heavenly stream’ mythologem: Soma’s current is likened to a celestial summit-flow, indicating an origin in higher luminous consciousness. Its passage through the pavitra signifies the descent of that higher fullness into an ordered, usable force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dhārā from √dhṛ ties to PIE *dher- ‘hold, support’ (Eng firm via semantic drift; Gk thronos ‘seat’ not direct but ‘support/holding’ field is common). √su ‘press’ reflects the widespread IE motif of extracting essence (poetic ‘mead/nectar’ parallels).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asserts the non-futility of the process: the vedhas (wise ordainer) performs an exact ordering so Soma’s abundance becomes effective. Soma responds by flowing as a ‘swelling’ force that can actually accomplish inner transformation.
Feel the inner current rising to a ‘summit’ above the head; let it pass through discernment; end with a resolve: ‘my practice will not be vṛthā’.
Sahasrāra (summit) with Ājñā (discernment/filter)
Ujjāyī-light or slow inhale imagining ascent to the crown; exhale imagining filtration and clarity
Ascending uplift with grounded resolve
Whenever practice feels mechanical, reintroduce the ‘vedhas’ element: conscious shaping—clear intention, sincerity, and discrimination. Then the Soma-stream becomes abundant and effective.
Observe Vedic accents; emphasize the lift on ‘divo’/‘sānu’ if marked to mirror ascent; give ‘vṛthā’ a clear, decisive articulation.
Slight rhetorical pause before ‘vṛthā’ to let the negation strike as a vow of effectiveness.
divo: soft ‘v’, short ‘o’, sānu: long ā, pipyuṣī: keep ‘pyu’ cluster smooth; long ī at end, vedhasaḥ: aspirated ‘dh’, light visarga, vṛthā: vocalic ṛ clear; long ā
Uplifting, clear, with firm closure on ‘vṛthā’
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