Rig Veda 9.74.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 74, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.74
- Rishi
- Soma-pavamāna seer tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अरावीदंशुः सचमान ऊर्मिणा देवाव्यं मनुषे पिन्वति त्वचम् । दधाति गर्भमदितेरुपस्थ आ येन तोकं च तनयं च धामहे ॥
arā́vīd aṃśúḥ sácamāna ūrmíṇā devāvyàṃ mánuṣe pinvati tvácam | dádhāti gárbham áditeḥ upástha ā́ yéna tokáṃ ca tánayaṃ ca dhā́mahe ||
Der Strahl hat aufgebraust, mit der Woge sich bewegend; für den Menschen schwellt er die gott-suchende „Haut“, die äußere Natur. Den Keim legt er in den Schoß der Aditi – damit wir Kind und Nachkommenschaft, eine gegründete Heimstatt im Unbegrenzten, festhalten mögen.
Word by Word
- अरा॑वीत्
- has roared/sounded forthVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, 3rd person, singularRole Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root रु (धातु) / √रु (रवणे/स्तवने) with preverb आ-
- अं॒शुः
- the Soma-ray / Soma (as ‘the beam’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अंशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सच॑मानः
- accompanying / moving togetherParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले, आत्मनेपदी शानच्Role Kartā (विशेषण)Root √सच् (समवाये/अनुगमने) ; क्त/शानच्-प्रत्यय (शानच्) वर्तमान कृदन्त
- ऊ॒र्मिणा॑
- with a wave / surgeNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवा॒व्यम्
- divine, godlyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (विशेष्य: त्वचम्)Root देवाव्य (प्रातिपदिक) (< देव + अव्य/अव्य- ‘belonging to the gods, divine’)
- मनु॑षे
- for the man / for Manu’s descendant (human)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिन्वति
- makes swell / invigoratesVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, 3rd person, singularRole KriyāRoot √पिव्/√पिन् (प्रीणने/वर्धने) (Vedic: पिन्वति)
- त्वच॑म्
- skin; (outer) coveringNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधा॑ति
- places / setsVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, 3rd person, singularRole KriyāRoot √धा (धारणे/स्थापने)
- गर्भ॑म्
- embryo; seed; germNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अदि॑तेः
- of AditiNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
- उ॒पस्थे॑
- in the lap / in the bosomNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot उपस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- to, toward; so thatIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- येन॑
- by whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental)Role KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तो॒कम्
- offspring; childNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (of धामहे)Root तोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च (निपात)
- तन॑यम्
- son; progenyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (of धामहे)Root तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च (निपात)
- धाम॑हे
- we establish / we obtain / we set upVerbलट् (present), आत्मनेपद, 1st person, pluralRole KriyāRoot √धा (धारणे/स्थापने) ; Vedic middle ‘धामहे’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): अरा॑वीदं॒शुः → अरा॑वीत् + अं॒शुः (final -द् before vowel gives -त् in pada)
- देवा॒व्यं१॒॑ मनु॑षे → देवा॒व्यम् + मनु॑षे (anusvāra before m)
- अदि॑तेरु॒पस्थ॒ → अदि॑तेः + उ॒पस्थे॑ (visarga before vowel; underlying gen. sg. अदि॑तेः)
- आ येन॑ → आ + येन॑ (no change). Accent marks retained as in Saṃhitā
- pada forms reflect Padapāṭha-style separation
The meaning
Outer meaning
The ray has roared, moving with the wave; it swells for man the god-seeking skin. It places the embryo in Aditi’s lap, by which we may hold the child and offspring—establish a home.
Inner meaning
The aṃśu (Soma-ray) ‘roars’—a powerful awakening—moving with the ūrmi (wave), the rhythmic surge of life-force now carrying delight rather than desire. It swells the ‘skin’ (tvac) for the human being: the outer nature becomes capable of bearing the divine (devāvyam)—the bodily-vital sheath is strengthened and refined to serve the godward life. Soma then ‘places the embryo’ (garbha) in Aditi’s lap: the seed of the divine realization is lodged in the Infinite, protected by wideness and freedom from division. From that secure gestation we can ‘hold’ (dhāmahe) toka and tanaya—newborn and offspring: the first awakening and its later growth—forming a stable inner dwelling (dhāman) in the Infinite.
Universal truth
Spiritual realization requires both an awakened inner force and a prepared outer nature; when the divine seed is placed in wideness, growth becomes protected, fruitful, and establishes a lasting foundation in life.
Themes
Soma as ray, inner rebirth, Aditi-infinity, increase of the human vessel
The seer
- Rishi
- As per Anukramaṇī: Soma Pavamāna seer tradition (Maṇḍala 9); specific ṛṣi attribution for 9.74.5 varies across recensions
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.74.4, Rig Veda 9.97 (Soma as aṃśu and wave—theme link), Rig Veda 1.113 (Uṣas birth/growth imagery—theme link)
Family tradition
Pavamāna seers transmit a yoga of purification and formation: Soma’s ray prepares the sheaths and establishes the divine ‘embryo’ in Aditi’s wideness.
Significance
The ṛṣi-vision is formative: not only illumination, but the building of a divine ‘body’ (tvac refined) and the protected gestation of realization (garbha in Aditi).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- aṃśu (ray), ūrmi-saha (moving with the wave), garbha-dhātṛ (placer of the embryo), devāvyam-kara (maker of nature god-seeking)
- Related deities
- Aditi (infinite mother), Agni (inner formation/fire), Uṣas (birth and growth of light)
Cosmic role
Formative purifier: Soma strengthens the human sheath for divine life and plants the seed of immortal becoming in the Infinite.
Inner power
Transforming prāṇa and outer nature into a fit vessel; establishing protected inner growth leading to stable realization.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing/filtration; chants for increase and consecration of the sacrificer’s prosperity/lineage
अरा॑वीदं॒शुः सच॑मान ऊ॒र्मिणा॑ देवा॒व्यं१॒॑ मनु॑षे पिन्वति॒ त्वच॑म् । दधा॑ति॒ गर्भ॒मदि॑तेरु॒पस्थ॒ आ येन॑ तो॒कं च॒ तन॑यं च॒ धाम॑हे ॥
अरा॑वीत् । अं॒शुः । सच॑मानः । ऊ॒र्मिणा॑ । दे॒व॒ऽअ॒व्य॑म् । मनु॑षे । पि॒न्व॒ति॒ । त्वच॑म् । दधा॑ति । गर्भ॑म् । अदि॑तेः । उ॒पऽस्थे॑ । आ । येन॑ । तो॒कम् । च॒ । तन॑यम् । च॒ । धाम॑हे ॥
arāvīt | aṃśuḥ | sacamānaḥ | ūrmiṇā | deva-avyam | manuṣe | pinvati | tvacam | dadhāti | garbham | aditeḥ | upa-sthe | ā | yena | tokam | ca | tanayam | ca | dhāmahe
48
4 × ~12
Dynamic surge at the start (arāvīt…ūrmiṇā), then settling into protective, maternal cadence (Aditi’s lap).
Energizes and then stabilizes—useful for moving from activation into grounded formation.
- aṃśuḥ
- Literal: ray. Symbolic: luminous current of Soma-consciousness
- arāvīt
- Literal: roared, resounded. Symbolic: forceful awakening; breakthrough of energy
- ūrmi
- Literal: wave. Symbolic: life-force rhythm; prāṇic-vital surge carrying consciousness
- devāvyam
- Literal: god-seeking, fit for the gods. Symbolic: nature turned toward the Divine; consecrated outer being
- tvac
- Literal: skin. Symbolic: outer sheath of personality (body-vital); interface with the world
- garbha
- Literal: embryo. Symbolic: seed of realization; divine formation within
- aditeḥ upasthe
- Literal: in Aditi’s lap. Symbolic: held in infinite wideness; freedom and protection
- toka
- Literal: child. Symbolic: first birth of inner awakening
- tanaya
- Literal: offspring, progeny. Symbolic: continued growth and multiplied realizations
- dhāmahe
- Literal: we hold/establish. Symbolic: make a stable home/abiding foundation in consciousness
Pavamāna chant during Soma filtration; also thematically tied to ‘garbha’ (seed) imagery of consecration and increase (puṣṭi) in Soma rites
During Pavamāna sequences; also thematically aligned with prayers for continuity (toka/tanaya).
Recited as Soma is made potent and offered; outwardly for progeny and household stability; inwardly for stable formation of realization.
For building a steady practice: chant to strengthen the ‘outer sheath’ (habits, nervous system) and to protect the ‘embryo’ of a new realization until it matures.
aṃśu: ‘ray’ from √aṃś ‘portion/share, beam’; Soma as a beam of the Sun of consciousness. ūrmi: wave/surge; links Soma-flow to life-surge. pinvati: √pī ‘to swell, fill, make abundant’ → increase of capacity. tvac: ‘skin/covering’ (PIE *tewk- ‘cover’ often cited); inner sense: sheath of nature. garbha: ‘womb/embryo’ from √gṛbh/garbh ‘to seize/contain’; the seized seed of new being. Aditi: a-diti ‘unbound’; infinite, undivided. dhāmahe: √dhā ‘to place, establish’; spiritual ‘dwelling’ (dhāman) as stable state.
Aditi (infinite consciousness-mother), garbha (seed of new being), growth/puṣṭi through Soma
The embryo is safely formed when life-wave is harmonized—implicit ṛta of growth and right formation.
Satya as faithful holding (dhāmahe) of the divine formation until it becomes stable.
Garbha-in-Aditi: classic Vedic creation/formation motif—seed placed in the Infinite to manifest securely.
Integral yoga reading: transformation of sheaths and protected gestation of higher consciousness in the infinite ground.
A forceful awakening rides the life-wave; the outer personality-sheath is strengthened and consecrated; the divine seed is placed in infinite wideness, enabling durable growth and a stable inner home.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The implantation of the ‘garbha’ in Aditi’s lap: a myth of divine conception where Soma-ray prepares the human covering and establishes within it the seed of a higher birth, secured in the Infinite.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The verse is built on concrete bodily terms used abstractly (tvac ‘skin’, garbha ‘embryo’), a common Indo-European poetic technique: somatic vocabulary mapped to cosmology/psychology. √dhā ‘place’ is a widely attested PIE root (*dʰeh₁-), here expressing ‘establishing’ a stable state (dhāman).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer recognizes Soma as the agent that both enlarges the human instrument (pinvati tvacam) and initiates inner birth (dadhāti garbham). The human aim (dhāmahe) is to ‘hold’ and stabilize the resulting new formation—child and continuing progeny—as enduring states of consciousness.
Strengthen the outer sheath for divine life; place the new realization-seed in infinite wideness (Aditi) and protect it until it grows.
Maṇipūra (transforming life-wave into force) supported by Anāhata (holding/gestation) and Sahasrāra (Aditi-wideness)
Bhrāmarī (gentle humming) 5–7 rounds to echo ‘arāvīt’ (inner resonance), then quiet breathing with attention above the head to feel Aditi’s lap.
Energized readiness followed by protected, spacious containment; steady formative growth.
Chant once with full force to awaken; then soften and feel a wide, maternal space above and around; place your intention (garbha) there and return to daily action while ‘holding’ it gently.
Rigvedic accenting per śākhā; keep the opening energetic, respecting udatta lifts; settle into smoother tone in the latter half.
Slightly emphasize the sonic force of ‘arāvīt’; keep ‘aditeḥ upasthe’ soft and expansive; articulate ‘tokaṃ ca tanayaṃ ca’ clearly and evenly.
arāvīt: long ā; vīt with clear retroflex ṭ? (here dental t; keep crisp), sacamānaḥ: ca- is palatal; long ā; visarga soft, ūrmiṇā: long ū; retroflex ṇ, tvacam: v pronounced as semi-v; short a, upasthe: s + th clear; final e longish, tanayam: dental n; short a
Begin bright and resonant; then warm, protective, and steady.
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