Rig Veda 9.67.26: Mandala 9, Sukta 67, Mantra 26
Sukta 9.67
- Devata
- Mixed invocation: Savitar, Soma, and Agni
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī type
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
त्रिभिष्ट्वं देव सवितर्वर्षिष्ठैः सोम धामभिः । अग्ने दक्षैः पुनीहि नः ॥
tribhíṣ tváṃ deva savitar várṣiṣṭhaiḥ soma dhā́mabhiḥ | àgne dákṣaiḥ punīhi naḥ ||
Mit den Dreien, o göttlicher Savitar, mit den machtvollsten Soma-Wohnstätten des Lichts; o Agni, reinige uns mit deinen wirksamen Kräften.
Word by Word
- त्रिभिः
- with three (means/with threefold [powers])Noun (numeral used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग (गणनावाचक), तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करणRoot त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- thouPronounपुंलिङ्ग/सामान्य, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देव
- O godNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- सवितः
- O SavitṛNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन (वेदिक रूप: सवितः = सवितर्)Role सम्बोधनRoot सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्षिष्ठैः
- with the most raining/most powerful (best)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करणRoot वर्षिष्ठ (वर्षिन्/वृष्-सम्बद्ध, श्रेष्ठार्थक -इष्ठ प्रत्यय)
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- धामभिः
- with (your) abodes/splendoursNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करणRoot धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्ने
- O AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- दक्षैः
- with powers/skillsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करणRoot दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुनीहि
- purifyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root पू (धातु; पुनाति) / √pū
- नः
- for us / usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (वेदिक: नः = ‘of us/for us’)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: त्रिभिः त्वम् देव सवितः वर्षिष्ठैः सोम धामभिः । अग्ने दक्षैः पुनीहि नः ॥ 1) त्रिभिः + त्वम् → त्रिभिष्ट्वम् (विसर्ग/अनुस्वार-रहित संधि: इः + त् → इष्ट्)
- 2) सवितर् (सम्बोधन) का वेदिक रूप सवितः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
With the three, O god Savitar—with the most mighty Soma powers (dhāmas)—O Agni, with your efficacious energies (dakṣaḥ), purify us.
Inner meaning
A triune purification is invoked: Savitar’s impulsion (right movement), Soma’s mighty luminous powers (dhāma as light-abodes/energies of Ananda), and Agni’s dakṣa (skill-effective force). ‘The three’ can be read as a triple instrument of transformation—illumination, delight, and will—working together to cleanse the being. The seeker asks not for partial purity but for a coordinated action of these divine faculties.
Universal truth
Integral transformation needs a harmony of powers: illumination that shows, delight that sustains, and will that executes. When these cooperate, purification becomes stable and comprehensive.
Themes
triple purification, coordination of deities, effective power (dakṣa)
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.67.22–25 (same purification arc), RV 1.95 (Agni and Soma cooperation themes—general)
Family tradition
Pavamāna Soma liturgy culminating in collaborative invocation of Savitar–Soma–Agni for comprehensive purification.
Significance
The seer’s vision is synthetic: purification is not one deity’s isolated act but a coordinated yoga of forces—impulsion, delight, and will.
The deity
- Devata
- Savitar (primary address) with Soma and Agni explicitly invoked
- Epithets
- deva savitar, varṣiṣṭhaiḥ soma dhāmabhiḥ, agne dakṣaiḥ
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind), Uṣas (dawn illumination), Bṛhaspati (word/vision)
Cosmic role
Savitar impels right movement; Soma provides clarified delight-power; Agni executes transformation and carries offerings.
Inner power
Savitar: luminous impulsion; Soma: purified Ananda-energies; Agni: effective will/skill (dakṣa) that implements change in conduct and habit.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification sequence drawing on allied deities; could accompany multiple ritual actions (pressing, straining, offering into Agni)
त्रि॒भिष्ट्वं दे॑व सवित॒र्वर्षि॑ष्ठैः सोम॒ धाम॑भिः । अग्ने॒ दक्षै॑: पुनीहि नः ॥
त्रि॒ऽभिः । त्वम् । दे॒व॒ । स॒वि॒तः॒ । वर्षि॑ष्ठैः । सो॒म॒ । धाम॑भिः । अग्ने॑ । दक्षैः॑ । पु॒नी॒हि॒ । नः॒ ॥
tri-bhiḥ | tvam | deva | savitaḥ | varṣiṣṭhaiḥ | soma | dhāma-bhiḥ | agne | dakṣaiḥ | punīhi | naḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables (probable)
Collaborative, enumerative rhythm; builds by listing powers then resolves in ‘punīhi naḥ’.
Gives a sense of assembling inner forces; ends in a unified purifying command that consolidates attention.
- त्रिभिः (tribhiḥ)
- Literal: with three. Symbolic: triple divine instrument (light–bliss–will; or mind–life–body to be purified by triple power)
- सोमधाम (soma-dhāma)
- Literal: Soma’s abodes/powers/lights. Symbolic: luminous Ananda-forces that establish higher consciousness
- वर्षिष्ठ (varṣiṣṭha)
- Literal: most mighty, most abundant. Symbolic: intensified descending power; overflowing strength of delight-light
- दक्ष (dakṣa)
- Literal: skill, effective energy. Symbolic: Agni’s competent force that makes realization practical in life
Soma rite purification: coordinating Savitar’s impulsion, Soma’s essence, Agni’s transformative energy; can be mapped to the three savanas or triple purification acts.
When invoking comprehensive purification and readiness for higher offerings in Soma rites
Chant while Soma is handled/strained and offerings are prepared; calls in Savitar’s impulsion and Agni’s efficacy
As a ‘triple alignment’ mantra before important tasks: align intention (Savitar), emotional tone (Soma), and execution (Agni/dakṣa).
dákṣa: from √dakṣ ‘to be able, be competent, be strong/skillful’ → ‘capacity, effective power’; psychologically, the faculty that can rightly arrange action. dhā́ma: from √dhā ‘to place, establish’ → ‘established seat/abode; settled power or law of being’. várṣiṣṭha: superlative of vṛṣan/varṣa sense ‘pouring, vigorous’—here ‘most potent/abundant’. The verse interweaves Savitar, Soma, and Agni as coordinated inner powers.
triple principle (tri-): body-life-mind or three worlds as field of purification, ṛta as established dhāma (settled order), dakṣa as right capacity of action
Savitar is Ṛta in motion; Agni is Ṛta in execution; Soma is Ṛta’s delight that seals the harmony.
Soma-dhāma as truth-light abodes; purification is entry into those dhāmas.
Triadic collaboration of powers as the engine of ascent; the many become harmonized into one right order.
Triadic integralism (light–force–bliss) resonant with Aurobindo’s Satchitananda framework (Sat–Chit–Ananda as experiential powers).
dawn-to-sunrise transition (Savitar) with sacrificial fire present
Solar right impulse + lunar nectar-like delight + fiery effective will, coordinated as a triple purifier.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A coordinated triadic purification: Savitar impels, Soma supplies the luminous essence, Agni applies effective transformative force (dakṣa). Mythically, multiple cosmic powers combine to re-form the human vessel into a fit seat (dhāma) for truth.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dhā́ma from √dhā ‘to place’ reflects a widespread IE root (*dʰeh₁-) for establishing/setting (cf. Greek títhēmi). dákṣa as ‘capacity’ aligns with an old semantic domain of ‘ability/fitness’ common in IE social-religious vocabulary.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi invokes a collaboration: Savitar and Soma are called as supports of the highest powers, while Agni is asked to execute purification through dakṣa—suggesting that aspiration invites, but divine skill accomplishes.
Call three inner powers: (1) clear direction (Savitar), (2) purified delight (Soma), (3) effective will (Agni). Then feel them converge to cleanse the whole system.
Ājñā (direction), Anāhata (delight), Maṇipūra (execution)
Three-part breath awareness: upper (clarity), middle (calm joy), lower (steady will), ending with one long exhale on ‘punīhi naḥ’.
Integrated force: luminous, joyful, capable.
When you feel fragmented, chant once and then consciously align: see the right thing (Savitar), feel the right tone (Soma), do the right step (Agni/dakṣa).
Use Śākala svara with careful handling of compounds; verify accent positions from a svara-pāṭha recording/text for exact udatta placement.
Keep enumeration clear: ‘tribhiṣ… savitar… varṣiṣṭhaiḥ… soma dhāmabhiḥ… agne dakṣaiḥ’ then resolve calmly into ‘punīhi naḥ’.
‘tribhiṣ ṭvaṃ’: maintain retroflex ‘ṭv’ cluster; do not insert extra vowel., ‘varṣiṣṭhaiḥ’: retroflex ‘ṣṭh’; final ‘aiḥ’ with visarga breath., ‘dhāmabhiḥ’: long ‘ā’; aspirate ‘bh’., ‘dakṣaiḥ’: retroflex ‘ṣ’; diphthong ‘aiḥ’.
Integrated: bright (Savitar), smooth (Soma), steady (Agni).
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