Rig Veda 9.36.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 36, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.36
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
शुम्भमान ऋतायुभिर्मृज्यमानो गभस्त्योः । पवते वारे अव्यये ॥
śumbhámāna ṛtāyúbhir mṛjyámāno gábhastyoḥ | pávate vā́re avyáye ||
Geschmückt von den Suchern des Ṛta, gereinigt in den Strahlen der Hände, strömt er im unvergänglichen Strom; Soma fließt in den unzerstörbaren Wassern.
Word by Word
- शुम्भमानः
- adorning himself; becoming splendidVerb-derived adjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि वर्तमान कृदन्त)Role कर्तृ (सोमः)Root शुभ् (धातु) → शुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधार)
- ऋतायुभिः
- with the truth-living/rite-living (ones); with the righteousNoun/Adjective (instrumental plural)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (साधन/सहकारि)Root ऋतायु (प्रातिपदिक) = ऋत + आयु
- मृज्यमानः
- being cleansed; being purifiedVerb-derived adjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सोमः; ‘being cleansed’)Root मृज् (धातु) → मृज्य (कृदन्त-आधार)
- गभस्त्योः
- in the two hands; in the hands (of the pressers/priests)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचन (वैदिक रूप; ‘in/at the two hands’)Role अधिकरण (स्थान)Root गभस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवते
- he purifies/flows (as the purifying one)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (मुख्य क्रियापद)Root पू (धातु; ‘to purify/cleanse’) → पवते (वैदिक वर्तमान)
- वारे
- in the waterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (वैदिक)Role अधिकरण (स्थान)Root वारि/वार (प्रातिपदिक; ‘water’)
- अव्यये
- in the imperishable (unfailing) [water]Adjective (used substantively/qualifying)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (वारि-विशेषण)Role अधिकरण (वारि-विशेषणेन स्थाननिर्देशः)Root अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘imperishable, unfailing’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: शुम्भमानः | ऋतायुभिः | मृज्यमानः | गभस्त्योः | पवते | वारे | अव्यये || 1) ‘शुम्भमान’ + ‘ऋतायुभिः’ इत्यत्र संधि-परिवर्तनं न आवश्यकम् (विसर्गो न दृश्यते; पदान्त ‘ः’ परतः स्वरः—संहितायां प्रायः ‘ः’ स्थाने ‘र्’/‘ओ’ इत्यादि सम्भवम्, परन्तु अत्र पाठे पदरूपेण एव दत्तम्)। 2) ‘मृज्यमानो गभस्त्योः’ इत्यत्र ‘मृज्यमानः’ + ‘गभस्त्योः’—विसर्ग-संधिः (ः + ग) संहितायां ‘ो’/‘र्’ इत्यादि रूपेण दृश्यते
- पाठे ‘मृज्यमानो’ इति संहितारूपं, पदे ‘मृज्यमानः’। 3) ‘पवते वारे’—संधि-परिवर्तनं न। 4) ‘वारे अव्यये’—संधि-परिवर्तनं न।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Adorned by the truth-seekers, cleansed in the hands (or rays) he flows; Soma runs in the imperishable stream.
Inner meaning
Soma as Ananda is ‘adorned’—made fit and luminous—by ṛtāyus (those who live by ṛta, the seekers/practicers of truth). He is ‘cleansed in the gabhastis’—in the radiant hands/rays, symbolically the luminous faculties (intuitive mind and disciplined senses) that refine experience. Thus purified, he flows in an avyaya vāra: an imperishable current of consciousness, stable and inexhaustible.
Universal truth
Delight becomes immortal and sustaining when refined by truth-practice and held in luminous awareness; then it flows as a steady, imperishable stream rather than a fleeting pleasure.
Themes
R̥ta-seeking, Cleansing/polishing, Gabhasti (hands/rays) symbolism, Imperishable essence
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.36, Rig Veda 9.37
Family tradition
Soma Pavamāna verses were curated for liturgical chanting; this verse bears the collective stamp of ṛta-oriented soma-yoga rather than a single preserved lineage.
Significance
The seer emphasizes purification through ṛta: delight is not rejected but refined by truth-seeking until it becomes an imperishable current supporting realization.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Ṛtāvā/Ṛta-oriented (implied), Avyaya-streaming (implied)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (ṛta), Mitra, Agni
Cosmic role
Mediator that carries offerings to the gods and returns their powers; establishes luminous order by purification.
Inner power
Purifies the affective being, stabilizes joy, and makes consciousness shine through disciplined ‘hands/rays’.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration (pavamāna) with the pavitra
शु॒म्भमा॑न ऋता॒युभि॑र्मृ॒ज्यमा॑नो॒ गभ॑स्त्योः । पव॑ते॒ वारे॑ अ॒व्यये॑ ॥
शु॒म्भमा॑नः । ऋ॒त॒युऽभिः॑ । मृ॒ज्यमा॑नः । गभ॑स्त्योः । पव॑ते । वारे॑ । अ॒व्यये॑ ॥
śumbhamānaḥ | ṛtayu-bhiḥ | mṛjyamānaḥ | gabhastyoḥ | pavate | vāre | avyaye
Two half-verses as given.
Washing/flowing rhythm; participles (śumbhamāna, mṛjyamāna) create a continuous ‘purification’ movement.
Induces a sense of cleansing and steadying; supports a smooth, continuous attention like a stream.
- शुम्भमान (śumbhamāna)
- Literal: being adorned, made splendid. Symbolic: consciousness made luminous by right practice
- ऋतयुभिः (ṛtāyubhiḥ)
- Literal: by those who seek/live the ṛta. Symbolic: truth-seekers; disciplines aligned with right order
- मृज्यमान (mṛjyamāna)
- Literal: being cleansed, purified. Symbolic: refinement of emotions/vitality into clear ananda
- गभस्त्योः (gabhastyoḥ)
- Literal: in the hands; in the rays. Symbolic: luminous powers that handle and refine experience (rays of consciousness)
- पवते (pavate)
- Literal: he purifies/flows. Symbolic: the ananda-current moving through inner filters
- वारे (vāre)
- Literal: in the water/stream. Symbolic: stream of consciousness; subtle flow of delight
- अव्यये (avyaye)
- Literal: imperishable. Symbolic: stable, deathless poise of ananda in the soul
During straining and handling of Soma; emphasizes cleansing by hands and through the filter, and the ‘imperishable’ essence achieved by purification.
While Soma is being strained and collected; chanted to consecrate the purification process.
Recitation accompanying the washing/straining; emphasizing the role of officiants (‘truth-seekers’) and the purifying handling.
As a ‘cleansing mantra’ before meditation: set the intention that delight be refined by truth and become steady (avyaya).
Key terms: (1) śumbhamāna: from √śubh ‘to shine, adorn’—purification is also intensification of splendour. (2) ṛtāyu: ṛta + āyu (from √i ‘go’) ‘one who goes toward ṛta’; indicates alignment with cosmic truth-order. (3) mṛj: ‘wipe/polish’—a tactile verb used for inner cleansing: removing obscuration rather than adding content. (4) gabhasti: ‘hand’ and ‘ray’—a deliberate polyvalence: ritual hands cleanse Soma; inwardly, rays of consciousness polish the substance. (5) avyaya: a- + √i ‘to go/change’ → ‘not subject to passing’; suggests the stable truth-substance behind changing movements.
R̥ta as guiding order, purification as removal of obscuration, imperishability (avyaya) of truth-essence
Explicit: ṛtāyus are the agents of purification; Soma’s flow is aligned to right order.
Truth-seeking is the adornment; purification is a movement toward satya-consciousness.
Sustaining flow of the imperishable—continuity of consciousness beyond change.
Integral-Vedic psychology: transformation (mṛj) of nature by ṛta into stable ananda.
Stream = continuous awareness; rays/hands = luminous faculties that refine; imperishable stream = steady bliss-consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘purification by the rays/hands’ mythologem: Soma becomes splendid by ṛtāyus and is polished in gabhastis. It encodes the transformation of raw vital substance into imperishable truth-flow through the action of truth-seeking powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mṛj ‘wipe/polish’ belongs to an inherited IE semantic cluster of ‘clean/purify by rubbing’ used in ritual contexts. The polysemy of gabhasti (hand/ray) reflects archaic IE poetic technique where concrete and luminous meanings interpenetrate, enabling myth-to-psychology mapping.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer portrays a cooperative process: truth-seeking forces (ṛtāyus) ‘adorn’ Soma while the rays/hands cleanse him. The devatā is not distant; Soma’s self-purifying flow depends on the aspirant’s alignment to ṛta and active polishing of consciousness.
Let delight be washed by truth: observe pleasant feeling, remove grasping, keep only clear sweetness.
Viśuddha (purification/clarity) and Anāhata (refined emotion)
Slow exhale chanting; brief kumbhaka after ‘avyaye’ to taste stillness.
Even, cool, continuous awareness; ‘streaming’ attention without agitation.
Contemplate: ‘My joy is cleansed by ṛta.’ Chant 6 or 12 times, then sit and feel a subtle current flowing down the spine/front channel.
Requires svara-marked text for accuracy; chant with restrained Vedic accents, keeping the flow continuous across participles.
Link śumbhamāna–mṛjyamāna smoothly; slight lift on accented syllables; avoid breaking the stream-like cadence.
śumbhamānaḥ: ‘śu’ palatal, ‘bh’ voiced aspirate, ṛtāyubhiḥ: vocalic ‘ṛ’ clear; ‘yubhiḥ’ with soft ‘bh’, mṛjyamānaḥ: ‘mṛj’ with vocalic ‘ṛ’ + ‘j’, gabhastyoḥ: ‘bh’ voiced aspirate; ‘yoḥ’ long-ish diphthong feel
Smooth, liquid, unforced; like a continuous pour.
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