Rig Veda 9.66.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 66, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.66
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
परि धामानि यानि ते त्वं सोमासि विश्वतः । पवमान ऋतुभिः कवे ॥
pári dhāmā́ni yā́ni te tváṃ sómāsi viśvátāḥ | pávamāna ṛtúbhiḥ kave ||
O Soma, du bist überall; um dich her bewegen sich all deine Wohnstätten und geordneten Gestalten. O Läuternder, o Kavi, du wirst offenbar durch die Jahreszeiten—durch die rechten Zeiten der Ṛta.
Word by Word
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषण)Role Adhikaraṇa (परितः/पर्यन्ते—परिसर/व्याप्ति)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- धामानि
- abodes, seats, stationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (व्याप्तेः/गत्यर्थस्य विषयः)Root धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यानि
- whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (धामानि इत्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्धः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/स्वामित्व)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सोम
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Sāmānādhikaraṇa (त्वम् इत्यस्य नाम/सम्बोधनार्थक-समनाधिकरण)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- असि
- areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (अकर्मक) —Root अस् (धातु)
- विश्वतः
- from all sides, everywhereIndeclinableअव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)Role Adhikaraṇa (दिशा/पर्याय—‘सर्वतः’)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
- पवमान
- purifying, flowing (Soma)Participle (Adjective/Noun)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Sambodhana/Viśeṣya (सोमस्य विशेषण; ‘हे पवमान’)Root पू (धातु) → पवमान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- ऋतुभिः
- with the seasons / at the proper timesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole Karaṇa (सह/द्वारा—‘ऋतुभिः’)Root ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- कवे
- O sage, O seerNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: परि | धामानि | यानि | ते | त्वम् | सोम | असि | विश्वतः | पवमान | ऋतुभिः | कवे । 1) ‘सो॑मासि’ = ‘सोम’ + ‘असि’ (अ + अ → आ)
- 2) ‘विश्वत॑:’ अव्यय (तसिल्) ‘सर्वतः’ अर्थे
- 3) ‘पव॑मान’ वर्तमान कृदन्त (पू धातोः) सोमस्य विशेषण/सम्बोधनरूपेण
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma is everywhere; all his stations and forms move around him. The purifying Soma, the seer, becomes manifest through the seasons/right times.
Inner meaning
Ānanda is not confined to one experience; it pervades the being (viśvataḥ). Its ‘stations’ are the many stable formations of delight in mind, life, and body. It reveals itself according to ṛtu—right occasions of growth: stages of practice, ripeness, and truth-timing. Soma is called kavi because bliss is a luminous knower: it intuitively discerns the right rhythm for transformation.
Universal truth
Lasting transformation follows right timing and ordered progression; the deepest joy is universal in scope, but it becomes concrete in us by stages aligned with truth and maturity.
Themes
Soma-ritual, purification, Ṛta and right timing, all-pervading divine delight
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.66 (Soma Pavamāna sequence), RV 9.113 (Soma and immortal joy—later resonance)
Significance
The mantra’s ‘ṛtu’ doctrine reflects a yogic philology: revelation is lawful, rhythmic, and progressive—knowledge comes when the being is season-ready.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- viśvataḥ (all-pervading), pavamāna (purifying), kavi (seer)
- Related deities
- R̥ta (cosmic order as principle), Varuṇa (guardian of r̥ta), Indra (receives Soma to illumine)
Cosmic role
The universal delight-principle that circulates through ordered cycles (ṛtu) and stabilizes forms (dhāman) across the worlds.
Inner power
Reveals bliss progressively; teaches right timing, patience, and ripeness in sādhanā.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration/pressing chants (Pavamāna)
परि॒ धामा॑नि॒ यानि॑ ते॒ त्वं सो॑मासि वि॒श्वत॑: । पव॑मान ऋ॒तुभि॑: कवे ॥
परि॑ । धामा॑नि । यानि॑ । ते॒ । त्वम् । सो॒म॒ । अ॒सि॒ । वि॒श्वतः॑ । पव॑मान । ऋ॒तुऽभिः॑ । क॒वे॒ ॥
pari | dhāmāni | yāni | te | tvam | soma | asi | viśvataḥ | pavamāna | ṛtu-bhiḥ | kave
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Circling, encompassing feel (pari…viśvataḥ), then a measured cadence (ṛtubhiḥ) suggesting lawful progression.
Encourages broadening awareness (pervasion) followed by trust in timing; settles impatience.
- परि (pari)
- Literal: around, encompassing. Symbolic: pervasion and containment—consciousness holding all movements within itself
- धामानि (dhāmāni)
- Literal: stations/abodes. Symbolic: states of realization; organized powers of consciousness
- विश्वतः (viśvataḥ)
- Literal: from all sides, everywhere. Symbolic: integral presence—ānanda pervading all parts of the nature
- ऋतुभिः (ṛtubhiḥ)
- Literal: by the seasons. Symbolic: by truth-times: lawful stages and rhythms of inner unfolding
- कवे (kave)
- Literal: O seer/poet. Symbolic: the illumined consciousness of bliss that knows and reveals
Soma Pavāmāna cycle: verses for the purification/filtration (pavamāna) during Soma pressing; employed in Soma-yajña contexts such as Agniṣṭoma and allied Soma sacrifices.
During the pavamāna flow and preparation for offerings
Recited as Soma is purified and set into ordered ritual sequence (ṛtu as ritual timing)
A mantra for ‘right timing’ in practice: use when seeking steadiness—let insight and joy mature by stages rather than forcing experiences.
Key terms: (1) dhā́man-: from √dhā 'to place, set, establish' → 'a settled seat/abode; established form'; in Soma hymns often the luminous placements of the god in worlds or within the being. (2) pávamāna: present middle participle from √pū 'to purify, cleanse' with -māna, indicating ongoing self-purification in movement/flow. (3) ṛtú-: from √ar/ṛ 'to fit, move in order' (semantic field of 'right time/season'); connects to ṛtá 'truth-order'—the right rhythm of manifestation. (4) kaví-: from √kū/kav 'to see/know/poetically intuit' → seer-poet, bearer of illumination.
Ṛta (cosmic order and right rhythm), pervasion of the divine in all forms (viśvataḥ), manifestation through ordered stages (dhāman)
Explicit: manifestation occurs ‘by the ṛtus’—by the law of right time.
Truth is not only content but timing; satya becomes effective when ripe.
Worlds/forms (dhāman) revolve around a pervading essence; manifestation is cyclic and ordered.
Vedic integralism: cyclic becoming governed by r̥ta; experiential verification over abstraction.
All seasons (ṛtu as cycle)
Seasons = stages of inner ripening; moon-cycle = waxing/waning of experiential delight and clarity in practice.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is Soma as the all-pervading divine essence that takes multiple 'stations' (dhāmāni) and becomes effective through ṛtu—right seasons/right moments. Outer image: Soma’s movement and ritual purification; inner image: delight-consciousness establishing ordered planes in the being and acting by the law of ṛta, not by random impulse.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dhāman- from √dhā aligns with PIE *dʰeh₁- 'to put, place' (cf. Greek títhēmi, Latin faciō is different; but 'to place' cognate set is strong). ṛtu-/ṛta relate to an Indo-Iranian *ṛtá- 'order, truth' (< PIE *h₂r-tó- 'properly joined/ordered'), mirrored in Avestan aša (via Iranian development) as the principle of truth-order.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker addresses Soma as kavi, acknowledging Soma not merely as an object of praise but as an illumining agent within the poet—Soma confers ordered inspiration (dhī) by acting through ṛtu (right rhythms). The reciprocity is: the seer offers attention/word that follows ṛta; Soma responds by establishing luminous 'stations' in consciousness and purifying perception.
Contemplate pervasion: let awareness include body, breath, mind as one field; then sense the ‘right season’ for each shift—no forcing.
Sahasrāra/Ājñā (pervasive awareness) with grounding in Anāhata (felt delight)
Box breathing (equal inhale-hold-exhale-hold) to embody ṛtu (order); then open monitoring meditation.
Open awareness → intuitive discrimination (kavi-bhāva).
Journal or reflect on ‘seasons’ in your practice (waxing/waning). Repeat the mantra when impatience arises; align effort with steadiness and receptivity.
As per Vedic accent tradition; absent svara-marking, keep an even, non-songlike recitation with clear pāda pauses.
Let ‘viśvataḥ’ and ‘ṛtubhiḥ’ be articulated distinctly (visarga/aspiration).
pari: short i, dhāmāni: long ā twice, yāni: long ā, viśvataḥ: ś clear; final ḥ light, ṛtubhiḥ: vocalic ṛ; bh aspirated; final ḥ, kave: ka-ve, both short e
Bright and steady, with a gentle cyclical sway across pādas.
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