Rig Veda 9.74.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 74, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.74
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna as cosmic support and harmonizer
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
दिवो यः स्कम्भो धरुणः स्वातत आपूर्णो अंशुः पर्येति विश्वतः । सेमे मही रोदसी यक्षदावृता समीचीने दाधार समिषः कविः ॥
divó yáḥ skambhó dharuṇáḥ svā́tata āpū́rṇo aṃśúḥ páry eti viśvátāḥ | séme mahī́ ródasī yakṣad āvṛ́tā samīcīné dādhāra sám iṣáḥ kavíḥ ||
Er, der Stütze und Halt des Himmels ist, in seiner eigenen Weite ausgespannt – dieser erfüllte Strahl (aṃśu) zieht ringsum. Diese beiden großen Welten hat er umfangen und sie einander zugewandt getragen; der Seher (kavi) fügt die Kräfte der Wonne zur Harmonie.
Word by Word
- दिवः
- of heaven / of the skyNounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वेदे चल), षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ ‘स्वर्ग/दिव्’)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (relative subject)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्कम्भः
- pillar, prop, supportNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेष्य (subject; apposition to यः)Root स्कम्भ (प्रातिपदिक; from √स्कम्भ् ‘to prop/support’)
- धरुणः
- supporter, holderNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेषण (appositional epithet)Root धरुण (प्रातिपदिक; from √धृ ‘to hold’)
- स्वाततः
- self-extended, spread by itselfAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (agreeing with अंशुः)Role विशेषणRoot स्वातत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; from √तन् ‘to stretch’ with स्व- ‘self’)
- आपूर्णः
- filled, fullAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (agreeing with अंशुः)Role विशेषणRoot आ-√पॄ/पॢ (कृदन्त: पूर्ण ‘filled’)
- अंशुः
- the Soma-stalk/beam; Soma (as a ray/stalk)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अंशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण (preverb to verb)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- एति
- goes, movesVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √इ (गमन)
- विश्वतः
- on all sides, everywhereIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot विश्वतस् (अव्यय; from विश्व ‘all’ + -तस्)
- सः
- he / that one (Soma)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (resumptive subject)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इमे
- these twoPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन (agreeing with रोदसी)Role कर्म/आश्रय (object of दाधार)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मही
- greatAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन (Vedic dual used with rodcī; form used as dual in sense)Role विशेषणRoot मही (प्रातिपदिक; ‘great’)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds: Heaven and EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचनRole कर्म (that which is upheld)Root रोदसी (प्रातिपदिक; dual tantum)
- यक्षदावृता
- enclosed/covered with sacred power (ritual potency)Adjective (compound epithet)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन (agreeing with रोदसी)Role विशेषणRoot यक्षद्-आवृत (समास; yákṣad ‘worship/holy power’ + ā-√वृ ‘to cover/enclose’ → आवृत ‘enclosed’)
- समीचीने
- facing each other, mutually turnedAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन (agreeing with रोदसी)Role विशेषणRoot समीचीन (प्रातिपदिक; from सम् + अञ्च् ‘to go/turn’)
- दाधार
- has upheld, has supportedVerbलिट् (परोक्स/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √धृ (धारण)
- समिषः
- impulse, ardour; (ritual) offering/foodNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole विशेषण/सम्बोधन-भाव (appositional epithet of कविः/सः)Root समिष् (प्रातिपदिक; from सम् + √इष्/इष् ‘to impel/seek’; ‘impulse/ardour/food-offering’)
- कविः
- seer, poet, wise oneNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition to सः)Root कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic): दिवः | यः | स्कम्भः | धरुणः | स्वाततः | आपूर्णः | अंशुः | परि | एति | विश्वतः || सः | इमे | मही | रोदसी | यक्षदावृता | समीचीने | दाधार | समिषः | कविः || 1) पर्येति = परि + एति (य्-आगमः)
- 2) सेमे = सः + इमे (विसर्ग-लोपः, स + इ → से)
- 3) यक्षदा॒वृता = यक्षद् + आवृता (समास/सन्धि: द् + आ → दा)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma is the prop and support of heaven, stretched in his own wideness; his full ray moves everywhere. He embraces the two great worlds and upholds them facing each other; the seer harmonizes the powers of nourishment/delight.
Inner meaning
The purified Soma-consciousness becomes the inner ‘skambha’—the supporting axis of higher awareness (heaven) within the seeker. As a full aṃśu (ray), it moves in all directions: awareness becomes panoramic and integral rather than fragmented. It ‘embraces’ the two worlds—inner heights and outer life (or mind and body)—and holds them samīcīne, facing rightly, no longer at war. The kavi (seer in us) gathers iṣaḥ—impulsions of delight, energies of fulfillment—into sam, a unified harmony.
Universal truth
When delight becomes purified and luminous, it turns into an inner support that reconciles opposites and integrates life into a single ordered consciousness.
Themes
Cosmic support, Heaven-Earth integration, Soma as ray, Harmony of powers
The seer
- Rishi
- As per Anukramaṇī: Soma Pavamāna seer tradition (Maṇḍala 9); specific ṛṣi varies by recension for 9.74
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.74.1, Rig Veda 9.74.3, Rig Veda 9.79 (Skambha/support imagery nearby in Soma corpus—theme link)
Family tradition
Pavamāna hymns are preserved as a specialized liturgical-visionary stream; authorship is often collective or differently assigned across Anukramaṇī lists.
Significance
The ṛṣi-vision here is of Soma as integrator: a stable inner pillar that unites ‘two worlds’ into a single harmonious order.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- skambha (pillar), dharuṇa (support), āpūrṇa aṃśu (full ray), kavi (seer)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa-Mitra (ṛta and harmony), Indra (illumined force), Viṣṇu (all-pervading strides—viśvataḥ movement)
Cosmic role
Cosmic stabilizer and pervader: Soma as the luminous essence that spans and supports heaven and earth, ensuring their right relation.
Inner power
Integrative illumination—turns scattered energies into coherent harmony; establishes a stable axis for meditation and action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification chants during pressing/filtration
दि॒वो यः स्क॒म्भो ध॒रुण॒: स्वा॑तत॒ आपू॑र्णो अं॒शुः प॒र्येति॑ वि॒श्वत॑: । सेमे म॒ही रोद॑सी यक्षदा॒वृता॑ समीची॒ने दा॑धार॒ समिष॑: क॒विः ॥
दि॒वः । यः । स्क॒म्भः । ध॒रुणः॑ । सुऽआ॑ततः । आऽपू॑र्णः । अं॒शुः । प॒रि॒ऽ एति॑ । वि॒श्वतः॑ । सः । इ॒मे इति॑ । म॒ही इति॑ । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । य॒क्ष॒त् । आ॒ऽवृता॑ । स॒मी॒ची॒ने इति॑ स॒म्ऽई॒ची॒ने । दा॒हा॒र॒ । सम् । इषः॑ । क॒विः ॥
divaḥ | yaḥ | skambhaḥ | dharuṇaḥ | su-ātataḥ | āpūrṇaḥ | aṃśuḥ | pari-eti | viśvataḥ | saḥ | ime iti | mahī iti | rodasī iti | yakṣat | āvṛtā | samīcīne itisam-īcīne | dāhāra | sam | iṣaḥ | kaviḥ
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4 × ~12 syllables
Measured and architectural; supports images of stability (skambha) and balanced holding (samīcīne).
Creates steadiness and spaciousness; good for establishing an inner ‘spine’ of attention.
- skambha
- Literal: prop, pillar. Symbolic: axis of consciousness; inner support that holds the ascent
- dharuṇaḥ
- Literal: support, bearer. Symbolic: stabilizing power that sustains higher awareness in life
- svātata
- Literal: stretched in his own extent. Symbolic: self-widened being; spontaneous expansiveness of consciousness
- āpūrṇa aṃśuḥ
- Literal: full ray. Symbolic: complete illumination; unbroken current of awareness
- rodasī
- Literal: the two worlds (heaven and earth). Symbolic: higher and lower nature; inner and outer being
- samīcīne dādhāra
- Literal: upheld facing each other. Symbolic: right relation, integration, alignment
- iṣaḥ
- Literal: refreshments, impulses of nourishment. Symbolic: energies of delight and effective power
- kaviḥ
- Literal: seer-poet. Symbolic: inner intuitive intelligence that organizes experience
Soma as sustaining pillar in the rite; supports contemplative identification of Soma with world-supporting order
In Pavamāna recitations aligned with the flow and clarification of Soma.
Chanted as Soma is made ‘full’ and circulated; supports the rite’s aim of cosmic-order maintenance.
Use to center and integrate: chant before complex decisions or when feeling split between ideals (heaven) and practical life (earth).
skambha ‘prop’ (later cosmological term; from √skambh ‘support’). dharuṇa from √dhṛ ‘hold’. aṃśu ‘ray’ also ‘Soma stalk/drop’ (threadlike brightness). pari-√i ‘go around’. rodasī dual of rodas ‘world’ (heaven/earth). √dhṛ (dādhāra) ‘uphold’. iṣ ‘impulse/refreshment’ from √iṣ ‘to impel, refresh’.
skambha as axis/support of consciousness, harmonization of the two worlds (rodasī), plenitude (āpūrṇa), integration of impulses (iṣ)
Holding the two worlds ‘samīcīne’ is ṛta as right alignment.
Truth as wholeness: the ‘full ray’ that leaves nothing in shadow.
Sustaining creation by a pervading support; maintenance of cosmic polarity in harmony.
Integral Vedic psychology: Soma as the unifier of planes of consciousness.
A central inner axis arises; awareness becomes full and panoramic; higher and lower parts of the being face each other in reconciliation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the cosmic pillar (skambha) upholding heaven and harmonizing the two worlds. The ‘ray’ (aṃśu) that encompasses all sides is the mythic action of pervading support—turning cosmology into an inner axis that stabilizes and reconciles polarities.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘world-pair’ (heaven/earth) is an inherited IE cosmological binary. The support lexicon √dhṛ and skambha-type ‘pillar’ imagery corresponds to widespread IE axis motifs (world-tree/pillar) expressed in different branches.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi perceives Soma not merely as offering but as the sustaining intelligence (kavi) that holds the worlds in right correspondence. The devotee’s relation is contemplative participation—aligning inner opposites so that iṣ (energies/impulses) become harmonized.
Establish Soma as the inner pillar: feel a vertical support (skambha) and an all-around luminous awareness (viśvataḥ).
Suṣumṇā axis; emphasis on Anāhata (embrace) and Ājñā (full ray of clarity)
Sama-vṛtti (equal inhalation/exhalation) 4-4 or 6-6, sensing balance of ‘two worlds’ with each cycle.
Stable, panoramic, integrated awareness; reduced inner conflict.
Chant while feeling the spine as a luminous column; then widen attention 360°; finally hold inner aspiration and outer circumstance ‘facing’ each other without tension, letting harmony arise.
Rigvedic udatta/anudatta/svarita per pada; exact svara requires śākhā notation.
Give ‘skambho dharuṇaḥ’ a steady, grounded emphasis; keep ‘paryeti viśvataḥ’ flowing and encircling in tone.
skambhaḥ: clear cluster sk-; nasal m before bha, dharuṇaḥ: dental dh; short u, svātata: long ā; crisp t, rodasī: long ī at end
Steady, centered, slightly resonant in the chest; widen on phrases indicating pervasion.
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