Sukta 49
Sukta 9.49
Dieser kurze Pavamāna-Soma-Hymnus ruft Somās Selbstläuterung als kosmische und rituelle Reinigung an, die regenhaft nährende Gaben und kraftvolle, gesundheitsstiftende Impulse zu den Verehrern bringt. Soma wird gebeten, in klarem, ghee-gleichem Strom durch das Opfer zu fließen, feindliche Mächte abzuwehren und die uralten Lichter von Wahrheit und ṛta, der rechten Ordnung, neu zu entfachen.
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
पवस्व वृष्टिमा सु नोऽपामूर्मिं दिवस्परि । अयक्ष्मा बृहतीरिषः ॥
Reinige dich; gieße über uns den Regen aus – die Woge der Wasser von jenseits des Himmels –, die große Antriebe der Kraft bringt, frei von Krankheit.
Mantra 2
तया पवस्व धारया यया गाव इहागमन् । जन्यास उप नो गृहम् ॥
Mit diesem Strom reinige dich – mit jenem Strom, durch den die Lichtstrahlen hierher gelangen; und die verwandten Mächte mögen sich unserem Haus nahen.
Mantra 3
घृतं पवस्व धारया यज्ञेषु देववीतमः । अस्मभ्यं वृष्टिमा पव ॥
Ströme als Ghṛta, dich reinigend in stetigem Lauf in den Opfern, o der den Göttern am willkommensten ist; reinige und sende uns den Regen herab – das Herabkommen nährender Fülle.
Mantra 4
स न ऊर्जे व्यव्ययं पवित्रं धाव धारया । देवासः शृणवन्हि कम् ॥
Er, zu unserem Anwachsen an Lebensfülle, eilt voran, unvergänglich, durch das pavitra, im strömenden Lauf; die Götter vernehmen wahrlich diesen Ruf in uns.
Mantra 5
पवमानो असिष्यदद्रक्षांस्यपजङ्घनत् । प्रत्नवद्रोचयन्रुचः ॥
Sich läuternd stürmt er dahin und schlägt die Mächte der Finsternis zurück; wie der Uralte lässt er die Lichter wieder aufglänzen.
Inside Sukta 49
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
A direct call to Soma to purify and pour down vṛṣṭi—imagined as a heavenly ‘wave of waters’—bringing great, healthful impulses.
- Development
Soma’s flow is emphasized as steady and luminous, ‘ghṛta-like,’ welcomed by the gods within the sacrifice and directed toward the worshippers’ welfare.
- Climax
The purified Soma surges forth as a force that strikes down rakṣas and hostile obscurity, restoring the ancient radiances.
- Where it settles
The hymn settles on Soma’s enduring role as purifier and illuminator: nourishment descends, dangers are repelled, and light is re-established.
The deity: Soma
- Cosmic functionMediator of vitality and fertility: he links waters, rain, and growth; he energizes the gods in yajña and sustains ṛta by cleansing and illuminating.
- Inner significanceThe purified Soma symbolizes clarified consciousness—thought and speech refined through discipline—so that inspiration becomes ‘healthy’ (free from affliction) and inner light overcomes confusion and fear.
The seer
- AnonymusRepresentative of the Soma-Pavamāna hymn tradition in Mandala 9, where the focus is on Soma’s purification, potency, and beneficence rather than on a named family seer.
Famous verses
apām ūrmiṃ divas pari
घृतं पवस्व धारया यज्ञेषु देववीतमः । अस्मभ्यं वृष्टिमा पव ॥rakṣāṃsy apajaṅghanat
Attributes of the deity
- Purifier (pavamāna) flowing through the filter
- Rain-bringer and nourisher (vṛṣṭi, apām ūrmi)
- Ghee-like brilliance (ghṛta, ruc)
- Protector who repels hostile forces (rakṣāṃsi)
- Bestower of strength, impulse, and uplift (iṣaḥ)
Also by this seer
- Associated broadly with the Pavamāna (purifying Soma) corpus of Rig Veda Mandala 9
- Contributes to the recurring Soma themes of cleansing, rain/nourishment, and protection from rakṣas
The rite, step by step
- Pressing of Soma (extraction of juice) and preparation for filtration
- Filtering/purifying through the strainer (pavitra), while reciting Pavamāna verses
- Letting Soma stream steadily into the collecting vessel as an offering-current in the yajña
- Invocation for vṛṣṭi (rain/nourishing descent) and for healthful, expansive impulses (bṛhatī iṣaḥ)
- Apotropaic intent: prayer that the purified Soma drives away rakṣas and rekindles the lights
Offerings
- Purified Soma libations
- Ghee (ghṛta) and associated oblations within the sacrifice
- Water as ritual accompaniment (symbolically linked to apām ūrmi, the wave of waters)
Frequently Asked Questions
It asks Soma to purify himself in the ritual flow and to bring nourishing rain-like abundance, strong uplifting energy, and protection for the worshippers.
It poetically links Soma’s purified stream with cosmic waters and rainfall, suggesting that ritual purification supports fertility and nourishment in the world.
Rakṣas represent harmful, obstructing forces; Soma’s purification symbolizes clearing those obstacles so clarity, truth, and inner illumination can shine again.
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