Rig Veda 9.83.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 83, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.83
- Rishi
- Ascribed in RV 9 to Pavāmāna seers
- Devata
- Soma Pavāmāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
तपोष्पवित्रं विततं दिवस्पदे शोचन्तो अस्य तन्तवो व्यस्थिरन् । अवन्त्यस्य पवीतारमाशवो दिवस्पृष्ठमधि तिष्ठन्ति चेतसा ॥
tápoḥ pavitrám vítataṃ divás padé śócanto asya tántavo vy àsthirān | ávanty asya pavītā́ram āśávo divás pṛṣṭhám ádhi tiṣṭhanti cétasā ||
Das Sieb des tapas ist am Sitz des Himmels ausgespannt; seine leuchtenden Fäden sind auseinandergelegt und festgemacht. Schnelle Kräfte behüten dieses Sieb; durch Bewusstsein stehen sie auf dem Rücken des Himmels — die höhere Ebene haltend, damit der Strom geklärt werde.
Word by Word
- तपः
- heat, ardour, austerityNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेष्य-रूपेण ‘पवित्रम्’ इत्यस्य)Root तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) < √तप्
- पवित्रम्
- purifying filter, sieveNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (शोचन्तः… व्यस्थिरन् इत्यस्य; ‘(पवित्रं) विततम्’)Root पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक) < √पू (पवते) / √पु (शोधन) (व्युत्पत्त्यर्थ)
- विततम्
- stretched out, spreadAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (पवित्रम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (पवित्रम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root वि-√तन् (तनोति) → वितत (कृदन्त)
- दिवः
- of heaven, of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (पदे इत्यस्य; ‘of heaven’)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ)
- पदे
- in the place/footing (station)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot पद (प्रातिपदिक)
- शोचन्तः
- shining, blazingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot √शुच् (शोचति) → शोचन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अस्य
- of him/it (of this Soma/filter)Pronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तन्तवः
- threads, strandsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot तन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth (intensifier)Indeclinableउपसर्गः (व्यस्थिरन् इत्यत्र)Root वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- अस्थिरन्
- they stood/settled (in place), were setVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √स्था (तिष्ठति) + वि → वि-√स्था; लुङ्
- अवन्ति
- they aid, they furtherVerbलट्, परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √अव् (अवति) / अवन्त् (प्रातिपदिक ‘helping’)—वेदिक प्रयोग
- अस्य
- of him/itPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पवीतारम्
- the purifier/strainer (filtering agent)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पवीतृ (प्रातिपदिक) < √पू (पवते) (शोधन)
- आशवः
- the swift ones (swift streams/drops)Adjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot आशु (प्रातिपदिक) → आशव (विशेषण/नाम)
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृष्ठम्
- back, ridge, surfaceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (अधि तिष्ठन्ति इत्यस्य)Root पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अधि
- upon, overIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम् (तिष्ठन्ति इत्यत्र)Root अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- तिष्ठन्ति
- they stand, they remainVerbलट्, परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √स्था (तिष्ठति)
- चेतसा
- with mind, by intention/awarenessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): तपः पवित्रम् विततम् दिवः पदे | शोचन्तः अस्य तन्तवः वि अस्थिरन् || अवन्ति अस्य पवीतारम् आशवः दिवः पृष्ठम् अधि तिष्ठन्ति चेतसा || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: तपो॑ष्प॒वित्रम् = तपः + पवित्रम् (विसर्गः → ओऽष्)
- दिवस्पदे = दिवः + पदे (विसर्ग-लोपः)
- तन्तवो व्यस्थिरन् = तन्तवः + वि + अस्थिरन् (विसर्गः लोपः; वि + अस्थिरन् → व्यस्थिरन्)
- अवन्त्यस्य = अवन्ति + अस्य (इ/अ संधिः → य)
- पवीतारमा॒शवो = पवीतारम् + आशवः (म् + आ)
- दिवस्पृष्ठम् = दिवः + पृष्ठम्
- पृष्ठमधि = पृष्ठम् + अधि (म् + अ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The purifier of tapas is stretched in the seat of heaven; its shining threads are set firm. Swift forces guard the filter; by consciousness they stand upon the back of heaven.
Inner meaning
Tapas here is the transformative heat of aspiration; its ‘pavitra’ is the luminous discriminating order established in the higher mind (divas pade). The threads (tantavaḥ) are the fine channels of clarified perception and mantra-vibration, shining because they carry truth. The swift guardians (āśavaḥ) are dynamic powers—energies of will and luminous life—who protect the process from mixture and inertia. Standing on the ‘back of heaven’ indicates a stable establishment in the higher plane (divaḥ pṛṣṭha): purification is secured by awakened consciousness (cetasā), not by outer effort alone.
Universal truth
True purification is upheld from above: when aspiration is linked to higher consciousness, the subtle channels become luminous and the dynamic forces naturally protect and stabilize the transformation.
Themes
yogic concentration, purification mechanics, cosmic support of rite, Soma as clarified consciousness
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavāmāna Soma seers (exact attribution for RV 9.83 not fixed from the provided excerpt)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.83.1 (ripening law), RV 9.83.3 (dawn, bull, fathers and embryo)
Family tradition
Seers of the purification-cycle who map ritual filtration to an inner ascent: establishing the purifying order in ‘heaven’ (higher consciousness).
Significance
Highlights the ‘top-down’ support in yoga: purification becomes stable when seated in the higher plane, guarded by swift energies aligned to consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavāmāna (operating through the cosmic pavitra of tapas)
- Epithets
- Pavitra (as operative principle), Śocant (shining)
- Related deities
- Agni (tapas/fire), Uṣas (illumination), Āpaḥ (flowing consciousness), Indra (higher mind receiving Soma)
Cosmic role
Soma’s purification is upheld in the heavenly seat; the cosmic filter and its threads order the flow of delight and truth in the worlds.
Inner power
Tapas-guided discernment: luminous channels formed by aspiration, protected by swift energies under conscious governance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification; visualization of pavitra and its threads during filtration
तपो॑ष्प॒वित्रं॒ वित॑तं दि॒वस्प॒दे शोच॑न्तो अस्य॒ तन्त॑वो॒ व्य॑स्थिरन् । अव॑न्त्यस्य पवी॒तार॑मा॒शवो॑ दि॒वस्पृ॒ष्ठमधि॑ तिष्ठन्ति॒ चेत॑सा ॥
तपोः॑ । प॒वित्र॑म् । विऽत॑तम् । दि॒वः । प॒दे । शोच॑न्तः । अ॒स्य॒ । तन्त॑वः । वि । अ॒स्थि॒र॒न् । अव॑न्ति । अ॒स्य॒ । प॒वी॒तार॑म् । आ॒ऽशवः॑ । दि॒वः । पृ॒ष्थम् । अधि॑ । ति॒ष्ठ॒न्ति॒ । चेत॑सा ॥
tapoḥ | pavitram | vi-tatam | divaḥ | pade | śocantaḥ | asya | tantavaḥ | vi | asthiran | avanti | asya | pavītāram | āśavaḥ | divaḥ | pṛṣtham | adhi | tiṣṭhanti | cetasā
Triṣṭubh (probable; to be verified against full pada scansion)
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Bright and ascending; imagery lifts the mind upward to ‘divas pade’.
Creates a sense of elevation and protection; breath and attention naturally rise to a higher seat.
- तपोः (tapoḥ)
- Literal: of tapas. Symbolic: transformative inner heat; concentrated aspiration
- पवित्रम् (pavitraṃ)
- Literal: filter/purifier. Symbolic: clarifying discernment established by tapas
- दिवः पदे (divaḥ pade)
- Literal: in the seat/step of heaven. Symbolic: higher mind/illumined plane where truth-order is stationed
- तन्तवः (tantavo)
- Literal: threads. Symbolic: subtle channels of mantra, perception, and prāṇic flow
- शोचन्तः (śocantaḥ)
- Literal: shining, blazing. Symbolic: luminous vibrations purified of obscurity
- आशवः (āśavaḥ)
- Literal: swift ones. Symbolic: dynamic energies of will and life that hasten the work
- चेतसा (cetasā)
- Literal: by consciousness. Symbolic: by awakened awareness as the governing power
- दिवः पृष्ठम् (divaḥ pṛṣṭham)
- Literal: the back of heaven. Symbolic: the stable supporting base of higher consciousness
Describes the pavitra and its threads (tantu) in the Soma rite; also functions as instruction that purification is sustained by tapas and conscious guarding forces.
During Pavamāna chanting as Soma is strained and prepared
Chant while focusing on the filter; ritually and inwardly ‘setting’ the threads firm
Use as an ‘inner protection’ mantra before deep meditation: establish the work in higher consciousness and invoke swift guarding energies (alertness, sincerity).
tapas (√tap ‘heat’) explicitly linked with pavitra: purification requires transformative ardour. tantu ‘thread’ from √tan ‘stretch’ (PIE *ten-). cetas- ‘consciousness, intention’ from √cit ‘perceive’ (PIE *ḱeyt- ‘notice’).
tapas, cetas (consciousness) as support, heavenly plane (divaḥ pade)
The firm threads and guarded filter symbolize ṛta’s ordered channels through which forces must pass.
Shining threads imply truth-vibration; purification is a movement toward satya in the instruments.
Formation of subtle channels (tantavaḥ) in the heavenly seat—creation as weaving of truth-threads.
Integral yoga hermeneutic: ascent to higher mind, then descent of ordered force into instruments.
Heaven seat → higher mind plane; threads → nāḍī-like subtle pathways of mantra/perception; swift ones → prāṇic dynamism disciplined by awareness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘heaven-set filter’: a supraphysical apparatus whose radiant threads separate and clarify. Innerly, it is the yogic image of a consciousness-structure (cetasā) that holds the higher plane steady so the Soma-force can be purified into luminous knowledge.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The √tan ‘stretch’ family (vítata, tántavaḥ) directly reflects PIE *ten- ‘stretch’, an inherited ritual-technical vocabulary. The coupling of ‘stretching’ with ‘order/arrangement’ is a recurrent IE formula for establishing sacral space.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi witnesses and articulates the hidden support-system of the Devata: swift guardian forces uphold the filter ‘by consciousness’. The human role is to align with this cetas—so the divine purification can operate in the inner heaven of the being.
Establish the practice ‘in the seat of heaven’: shift attention above the brow to a wide, luminous stillness; let purification happen through that wideness.
Ājñā / Sahasrāra axis (higher seat)
Gentle kumbhaka after inhale while feeling ‘threads’ of light stabilizing; release with a calm exhale down the spine.
Elevated, luminous, protected alertness.
Before meditation, chant 3–9 times; visualize a golden net above the head. Let thoughts pass through it and become quieter, clearer, less mixed.
Requires accented text for precise udatta/anudatta; generally keep a lifted tone on ‘divas pade’ and ‘śocanto’.
Let ‘शोचन्तो’ glow—slightly brighter timbre; ‘चेतसा’ should be inward and deliberate.
: ‘ta-poḥ’ (oḥ with visarga), : ‘vy-a-sthi-ran’ (clear ‘sth’), : long ī, ‘pa-vī-tā-ram’, : ‘pṛṣ-ṭham’ with retroflex ṭh
Bright but controlled; avoid speed that blurs consonant clusters.
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