Rig Veda 9.63.18: Mandala 9, Sukta 63, Mantra 18
Sukta 9.63
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Not derivable with certainty from provided excerpt alone
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
आ पवस्व हिरण्यवदश्वावत्सोम वीरवत् । वाजं गोमन्तमा भर ॥
ā́ pavasva híraṇyavad áśvāvatsoma vī́ravat | vā́jaṃ gómantam ā́ bhara ||
Läutere dich zu uns, o Soma, goldglänzend, voll schneller Kräfte, voll heldischer Stärke; bring uns die Vāja, reich an Strahlen erleuchteter Erkenntnis.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (directional: ‘towards, hither’)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- पवस्व
- purify thyself; flow (as purified)Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद: पवस्वRole (क्रिया)Root पू (धातु) / pū ‘to purify’
- हिरण्यवत्
- gold-possessing; goldenAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; ‘having gold’)Role विशेषणम् (सोमस्य)Root हिरण्य- (प्रातिपदिक) + -वत्
- अश्वावत्
- horse-possessingAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; ‘having horses’)Role विशेषणम् (सोमस्य)Root अश्व- (प्रातिपदिक) + -वत्
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (आह्वान)Root सोम- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वीरवत्
- hero-possessing; with brave menAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; ‘having heroes/men’)Role विशेषणम् (सोमस्य)Root वीर- (प्रातिपदिक) + -वत्
- वाजम्
- strength; prize; (victory-)bootyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (आ-भर क्रियायाः)Root वाज- (प्रातिपदिक)
- गोमन्तम्
- rich in cows; cattle-aboundingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाजम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्Role कर्म-विशेषणम्Root गो- (प्रातिपदिक) + -मन्त्
- आ
- unto; hitherIndeclinableउपसर्ग (towards, unto)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- भर
- bring; bear (to us)Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद: भरRole (क्रिया)Root भृ (धातु) / bhṛ ‘to bear, bring’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | पवस्व | हिरण्यवत् | अश्वावत् | सोम | वीरवत् | वाजम् | गोमन्तम् | आ | भर ।
- ‘हिरण्यवदश्वावत्सोम’ इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘हिरण्यवत् + अश्वावत् + सोम’ इति क्रमः (त् + अ → तअ, लेखने ‘द’ इव दृश्यते) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma is asked to purify himself toward us, bringing golden (hiraṇyavat), horse-possessing (aśvavat), hero-possessing (vīravat) strength; bring the vāja rich in cows (gomantam).
Inner meaning
Let the delight-force purify itself in us and toward us: shining with golden light (hiraṇya = illumined substance), carrying swift life-energies (aśva = dynamic prāṇa/vital force), and heroic powers of the soul (vīra = courageous inner warrior). Bring vāja—the victorious plenitude/efficacy—rich in ‘cows’, i.e., rays of knowledge (go = illumination).
Universal truth
When bliss is purified, it naturally brings light, energy, courage, and luminous knowledge—making life effective and victorious in the right way.
Themes
Soma-ritual, boon-invocation, light-force-heroism triad
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.63.19 (vāja contest imagery continues)
Significance
A compact integral formula: light (hiraṇya), energy (aśva), courage (vīra), knowledge-rays (go) gathered by purified delight.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Hiraṇyavat (gold-bearing), Aśvavat (swift-energy-bearing), Vīravat (hero-bearing)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Sarasvati (as flow/illumination resonance)
Cosmic role
Soma as the transformer that converts delight into the fourfold spiritual wealth: light, force, heroism, and knowledge.
Inner power
Integrative ananda that harmonizes mind-vital-body into luminous effectiveness (vāja).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and invocation of boons during Soma sacrifice
आ प॑वस्व॒ हिर॑ण्यव॒दश्वा॑वत्सोम वी॒रव॑त् । वाजं॒ गोम॑न्त॒मा भ॑र ॥
आ । प॒व॒स्व॒ । हिर॑ण्यऽवत् । अश्व॑ऽवत् । सो॒म॒ । वी॒रऽव॑त् । वाज॑म् । गोऽम॑न्तम् । आ । भ॒र॒ ॥
ā | pavasva | hiraṇya-vat | aśva-vat | soma | vīra-vat | vājam | go-mantam | ā | bhara
44
4 × ~11 (approx.)
Invocatory and expansive; lists of epithets create accumulating power
Builds a layered sense of empowerment—light → energy → courage → knowledge.
- ā pavasva
- Literal: purify yourself toward (us). Symbolic: let the ananda-current become clear in the being; self-purification as inner process
- hiraṇyavat
- Literal: bearing gold. Symbolic: bearing luminous substance; supramental light-tone
- aśvavat
- Literal: having horses. Symbolic: endowed with swift vital energies, powers of action
- vīravat
- Literal: having heroes. Symbolic: endowed with courageous soul-forces; inner warriors against inertia
- vājam
- Literal: vital prize, strength, plenitude. Symbolic: effective power, victorious capacity, integrative force
- gomantam
- Literal: rich in cows. Symbolic: rich in rays of light/knowledge; illumination-wealth
Invocation for Soma to purify and bring boons (vāja, go, aśva, vīra) to the sacrificer
During straining/collection, when requesting specific ‘gifts’ from Soma
Recite while Soma is being purified; intention to receive vāja and illumination
Set as a morning invocation for a fourfold day: clarity (gold), energy (horse), courage (hero), insight (cows/rays).
híraṇya ‘gold’ symbolizes concentrated light and value; áśva as swift force; vīra ‘hero’ from √vīr/√vī ‘to be strong’ (semantic field of manly strength) → inner courage/power. √bhṛ ‘to bear/bring’ (PIE *bher-) indicates transfer of power into the human field.
heroic force (vīra) as inner mastery, vāja as effective energy, go as knowledge-light
Purification is the movement into ṛta; the boons are ṛta’s fruits in life.
Hiraṇya suggests truth-substance; knowledge-rays (go) are satya’s manifestations.
Delight is not opposed to power; refined delight becomes the very substance of luminous strength and knowledge.
Integral yoga reading: ananda as a transformative force producing knowledge and effective action.
dawn/morning (suggested by ‘toward us’ and golden light imagery, though not explicit)
Gold = illumined consciousness; horses = dynamic life-force; heroes = courageous faculties; cows = rays of knowledge; vāja = accomplished power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The advent of Soma as a bearer of multiple powers: golden light, swift energies, heroic strength. This is the ‘arrival of the god’ motif, where the purified stream enters the human space and delivers vāja and go (force and light).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- bhara from √bhṛ reflects PIE *bher- ‘carry’ (English bear). The possessive suffix -vat (híraṇyavat, áśvavat, vī́ravat) is a productive archaic pattern for attributive power-description, comparable to inherited adjectival strategies across IE.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Soma to actively enter (ā́) and deliver specific inner capacities: illumination (gold), dynamism (horse-force), and heroic steadiness (vīra). Soma is treated as a transformative influx that equips the seeker for the battle of light against obscurity.
Receive a purified joy that brings four gifts: light, energy, courage, and insight.
Ajna (golden clarity) + Manipura (vāja/force)
3-part breath: inhale ‘hiraṇya’ (light), hold ‘vīra’ (courage), exhale ‘go’ (rays spreading)
Luminous strength—joyful power with clarity
After a few repetitions, silently ask: ‘Let my joy become clean, my energy swift, my heart courageous, my mind illuminated.’ Then sit in stillness.
Svara not provided; keep imperative ‘ā pavasva’ prominent; maintain compound epithets smoothly.
Sustain long vowels in hiraṇyavat/aśvavat/vīravat; slight emphasis on ‘vājam’ and ‘gomantam’.
pavasva: v soft; sv cluster clear, hiraṇyavat: retroflex ṇ; y glide, aśvavat: palatal ś; vav sequence distinct, vīravat: long ī, gomantam: hard g; nasal nt, bhara: bh voiced aspirate
Full, confident, bright; slightly upward inflection on epithets
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