Rig Veda 9.73.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 73, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.73
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
सहस्रधारेऽव ते समस्वरन्दिवो नाके मधुजिह्वा असश्चतः । अस्य स्पशो न नि मिषन्ति भूर्णयः पदेपदे पाशिनः सन्ति सेतवः ॥
sahásradhāre ’vá te sám asvaran divó nā́ke mádhujihvā asaścátaḥ | asyá spáśo ná ní miṣanti bhū́rṇayaḥ padépadé pā́śinaḥ santi sétavaḥ ||
Aus dir, dem Tausendströmigen, steigen vereint die honigzüngigen Ströme empor — unaufhörlich — auf der Höhe des Himmels. Seine Wächter blinzeln nicht; auf Schritt und Tritt sind da die Bandhalter, die Erbauer der Übergänge — Hüter des Durchgangs.
Word by Word
- सहस्रधारे
- having a thousand streams (two)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot सहस्र-धार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
- अव
- down, forthIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अव (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- ते
- to/for youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- सम्
- together, fullyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot सम् (उपसर्ग)
- अस्वरन्
- they sounded/roaredVerbलुङ् (अorist), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot स्वर् (धातु)
- दिवः
- of heavenNounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- नाके
- in the (heavenly) vaultNounसप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot नाक (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुजिह्वाः
- sweet-tongued (ones)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot मधु-जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
- असश्चतः
- they accompanied/cleaved toVerbलिट्/परस्मैपद-पर्याय (वेदिक), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot सच् (धातु)
- अस्य
- of this (Soma)Pronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- स्पशः
- watchers, spiesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot स्पश् (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- notIndeclinableअव्ययRoot न (निपात)
- नि
- down, inIndeclinableअव्ययRoot नि (उपसर्ग)
- मिषन्ति
- they blinkVerbलट्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot मिष् (धातु)
- भूर्णयः
- the swift/moving onesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot भूर्णि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पदेपदे
- at every stepNounसप्तमी, एकवचन (अव्ययीभाव: ‘at every step’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पद (प्रातिपदिक)
- पाशिनः
- noose-bearingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot पाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सन्ति
- they areVerbलट्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot अस् (धातु)
- सेतवः
- bridges, barriersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- सहस्रधारेऽव → सहस्रधारे + अव (एऽव = ए + अव)
- ते समस्वरन् → ते + सम् + अस्वरन् (उपसर्ग ‘सम्’ क्रियापदेन सह)
- दिवो नाके → दिवः + नाके (ओ = अः + न)
- असश्चत: → असश्चतः (वेदिक रूप; √सच् ‘सह/अनुसच्’)
- स्पशो न → स्पशः + न
- नि मिषन्ति → नि + मिषन्ति
- पदेपदे → पदे + पदे (पुनरुक्त-सप्तमी ‘प्रत्येकं पदे’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
From you, thousand-streamed, the honey-tongued currents rise together at heaven’s summit, unceasing. His watchers do not blink; at every step there are bond-holders and bridge-builders guarding the passage.
Inner meaning
Soma as sahasradhāra is the one delight expressing itself in countless currents through the being. When purified, these streams rise to the ‘summit of heaven’—the highest mental/spiritual plane accessible—where speech becomes honey-tongued: expression carries sweetness and truth. The unceasing flow indicates continuity of Ananda when not interrupted by desire or inertia. The ‘watchers’ (spaśaḥ) who do not blink are vigilant powers of consciousness—inner discernment and truth-sense—ensuring the movement stays aligned. ‘Bond-holders’ (pāśinaḥ) and ‘builders of crossings’ (setavaḥ) suggest Varuṇic regulators: laws, disciplines, and connective bridges that allow safe transition between planes of consciousness. At every step, there is both restraint (bond) and passage (bridge): yoga requires measure and method.
Universal truth
Higher sweetness and continuous inspiration come when our inner life is both guarded and guided: vigilance plus lawful bridges enable ascent without collapse.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Streams of delight (madhu), Guardianship and restraint, Stages of the path
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna seer (RV 9.73 attribution uncertain in provided data)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.73 (same hymn), RV 7.87 (Varuṇa’s watchers and law; thematic), RV 9.86 (streams and continuity; thematic)
Family tradition
Pavamāna hymns with Varuṇic guardianship imagery: purification creates ascent, while law and vigilance secure it.
Significance
The seer reveals the yogic mechanics of safe ascent: abundant joy must be accompanied by vigilant discernment and lawful bridges between planes.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (with Varuṇa-like guardianship motifs)
- Epithets
- Sahasradhāra (thousand-streamed), Madhu-jihva (honey-tongued), Asaścata (unceasing)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa, Vāc, Sūrya (as summit/light)
Cosmic role
Source of many currents of delight that rise to the heights; establishes inspired sweetness and continuity in the worlds.
Inner power
Ananda as a streaming force; plus the regulatory intelligence (Varuṇa-function) that watches, restrains, and builds transitions.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pavamāna chants during filtration and elevation of Soma to offering vessels
स॒हस्र॑धा॒रेऽव॒ ते सम॑स्वरन्दि॒वो नाके॒ मधु॑जिह्वा अस॒श्चत॑: । अस्य॒ स्पशो॒ न नि मि॑षन्ति॒ भूर्ण॑यः प॒देप॑दे पा॒शिन॑: सन्ति॒ सेत॑वः ॥
स॒हस्र॑ऽधारे । अव॑ । ते । सम् । अ॒स॒र॒न् । दि॒वः । नाके॑ । मधु॑ऽझ्वाः । अ॒स॒श्चतः॑ । अस्य॑ । स्पशः॑ । न । नि । मि॒ष॒न्ति॒ । भूर्ण॑यः । प॒देऽप॑दे । पा॒शिनः॑ । स॒न्ति॒ सेत॑वः ॥
sahasra-dhāre | ava | te | sam | asaran | divaḥ | nāke | madhu-jihvāḥ | asaścataḥ | asya | spaśaḥ | na | ni | miṣanti | bhūrṇayaḥ | pade-pade | pāśinaḥ | santi | setavaḥ
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4 × 12 (norm)
Rapid yet spacious ‘streaming’ movement; repeated consonants create a sense of many currents converging.
Energizes and uplifts; instills alertness (watchers) while maintaining sweetness (madhu).
- सहस्रधारे (sahasradhāre)
- Literal: thousand-streamed. Symbolic: Ananda manifesting as many currents—multiple channels of purified energy and joy
- मधुजिह्वाः (madhujihvāḥ)
- Literal: honey-tongued. Symbolic: speech and expression made sweet by truth and delight (Vāc refined by Soma)
- दिवो नाके (divo nāke)
- Literal: at the summit of heaven. Symbolic: upper mind/spiritual height where clarity and wideness prevail
- असश्चतः (asaścataḥ)
- Literal: unceasing, not stopping. Symbolic: continuous flow of consciousness; stable Ananda
- स्पशः (spaśaḥ)
- Literal: watchers, spies. Symbolic: vigilant inner discernment; truth-sense that monitors deviations
- न नि मिषन्ति (na ni miṣanti)
- Literal: do not blink. Symbolic: unbroken awareness; sustained mindfulness
- पाशिनः (pāśinaḥ)
- Literal: bond-holders (with nooses). Symbolic: laws of restraint/measure (Varuṇa’s ṛta) preventing fall into excess
- सेतवः (setavaḥ)
- Literal: bridges/causeways. Symbolic: methods and transitions—constructed inner pathways between states
- पदेपदे (pade-pade)
- Literal: step by step. Symbolic: gradual yoga; progressive stabilization at each stage
Pavamāna chants accompanying Soma filtration; imagery of streams and pavitra aligns with the pressing/straining sequence
During moments emphasizing Soma’s flowing abundance and readiness for offering; also suitable in rites invoking guardianship/order.
Chant as Soma flows into vessels; mentally invoke unbroken vigilance and safe passage of consciousness.
A mantra for maintaining continuity in practice: use when experiences intensify—invoke watchers (discernment) and bridges (method) so joy remains steady.
sahasra- ‘thousand’ (abundance) + dhārā ‘stream’ from √dhṛ/√dhār ‘to hold/flow in a channel’. madhu ‘honey/sweet essence’ (also ‘delight’) + jihvā ‘tongue’. miṣ- √miṣ ‘to wink/blink’ → metaphor for lapses in vigilance. pāśa ‘noose’ from √paś/√pāś ‘to bind’. setu ‘bridge’ (crossing, causeway) → symbolic of transition between states of consciousness.
vigilance (non-blinking watchers) as sustained awareness, binding order (pāśa) as self-restraint aligned to ṛta, crossing/transition (setu) as passage between consciousness-levels
Pāśinaḥ and spaśaḥ enact ṛta: order that both limits and enables ascent.
Honey-tongued currents imply speech aligned with truth and sweetness—satya expressed as madhu.
Many from One: the thousand streams as differentiation of a single delight into manifold world-currents.
Integral symbolism: ascent of Ananda to higher planes requires vigilant consciousness and lawful transitions.
Streams are prāṇic-psychic currents; honey is blissful truth-expression; summit is higher mind; watchers are sustained awareness; bridges are yogic methods linking states.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the guarded ascent/descent of the nectar: Soma’s thousand streams rise and flow unceasingly in the heavenly summit, but the movement is supervised by ‘watchers’ and ‘bond-holders’. The path is not lawless ecstasy; it is a regulated crossing (setu) across inner waters, stage by stage.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu (sweet essence) has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan madu-) and continues PIE *médʰu. jihvā ‘tongue’ continues PIE *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (via Indo-Iranian developments). The binding lexeme pāśa echoes a widespread IE motif of the ‘noose/bond’ as cosmic constraint.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Soma as a disciplined power: the delight-bearing flow is accompanied by vigilant discernment (spaśaḥ) and restraining forces (pāśinaḥ). The devotee’s reciprocity is to accept regulation and step-wise crossing rather than impulsive movement.
Continuity with vigilance: feel many streams of breath/energy rising; maintain an unblinking witness-consciousness.
Sahasrāra/upper centers (summit of heaven) with Ajñā (watchers/discernment)
Ujjāyī-light or simple lengthened exhale; keep attention steady at brow as ‘watcher’ while sensing upward flow.
Widened, uplifted, alert bliss.
If bliss or energy surges, do not chase it. Chant 7 or 21 times, invoking ‘watchers’ (steady witness) and ‘bridges’ (patient stepwise progress). End with 2–3 minutes of still witnessing at the brow/crown.
Vedic accents per śākhā; exact udātta/anudātta/svarita requires a svara-marked source.
Let the first pāda ‘flow’ with slightly quicker continuity; give crisp articulation to negatives and guards: na ni miṣanti; maintain measured stepping on pade-pade.
sahasradhāre: keep dhā long and clear., madhujihvāḥ: articulate jihvā with clear aspirate and long āḥ ending., spaśo: pronounce ś distinctly; avoid turning it into s., pāśinaḥ / setavaḥ: keep ś vs s distinct if trained; otherwise maintain clarity and avoid slurring.
Bright, clear, vigilant; avoid heaviness—aim for ‘streaming’ resonance.
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