Rig Veda 9.87.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 87, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.87
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एते सोमा अभि गव्या सहस्रा महे वाजायामृताय श्रवांसि । पवित्रेभिः पवमाना असृग्रञ्छ्रवस्यवो न पृतनाजो अत्याः ॥
eté sómā abhí gavyā́ sahásrā mahé vājā́yāmṛ́tāya śrávāṃsi | pavítrebhíḥ pavamānā asṛgran śravasyávo ná pṛtanā́jo átyāḥ ||
Diese Somas drängen vor zu den tausendfachen Strahlen, zur großen Fülle der Kraft, zur Unsterblichkeit und zu den Gaben des inspirierten Hörens. Durch die Siebe sich reinigend, sind sie hervorgeströmt — nach leuchtendem Ruhm verlangend wie Schlachtrosse, schnelle Pferde.
Word by Word
- एते
- thesePronoun/Determinerपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot एतद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- सोमाः
- Soma (juices)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot सोम (prātipadika)
- अभि
- towards, uponPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययम्Root अभि
- गव्या
- cattle-wealth, bovine richesAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अभि-योगे कर्मत्वेन)Role KarmaRoot गव्य (adj. prātipadika < गो)
- सहस्रा
- thousandsNoun (numeral used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सहस्र (prātipadika)
- महे
- for the great (one/goal)Adjective/Substantiveपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot मह्/महि (dat. of मह्/महत् used as adj./substantive)
- वाजाय
- for prize/strengthNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot वाज (prātipadika)
- अमृताय
- for immortalityNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अमृत (prātipadika)
- श्रवांसि
- fames, gloriesNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot श्रवस् (prātipadika)
- पवित्रेभिः
- with/through the strainers (filters)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot पवित्र (prātipadika)
- पवमानाः
- being purified, flowing clearParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot पवमान (kṛdanta; pres. mid. part. from √पू/√पु ‘to purify, cleanse’)
- असृग्रन्
- they have flowed forthVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root √सृज् (to flow/let go; Vedic aorist)
- श्रवस्यवः
- fame-seeking, glory-winningAdjective/Substantiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot श्रवस्यु (adj. prātipadika < श्रवस्)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-निपातःRoot न
- पृतनाजः
- battle-drivers, war-rushersNoun/Agent nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot पृतनाज (prātipadika)
- अत्याः
- swift horsesNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot अत्य (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: वाजा॑या॒मृता॑य → वाजाय अमृताय (ā + a → ā; padapāṭha separates). असृग्रञ्छ्रव॒स्यवो॒ → असृग्रन् श्रवस्यवः (final -न् + initial श्; nasal + palatal/śibilant junction). Other words largely already in pada-form
- accents retained as in saṃhitā but analysis given on resolved padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma juices rush toward a thousand “cows” (wealths), toward great strength and immortality and toward fame; purified through the strainers they stream out like war-horses seeking glory.
Inner meaning
The pressed Soma (divine Ananda) surges through inner disciplines (pavitra, the filters of discernment and purification) and moves toward the thousandfold rays of knowledge (gavyā sahasrā = luminous illuminations). As bliss becomes clear and concentrated, it feeds the great vāja (effective force of realization) and amṛta (deathless consciousness), and awakens śravāṃsi—inner “hearings,” i.e., inspired receptivity to the Word/intuition. The movement is dynamic and heroic: purified delight becomes a battle-charger of the yoga, pressing through resistance toward luminous accomplishment.
Universal truth
When delight is purified by truth and discipline, it becomes a powerful current that awakens higher perception, strengthens the will to progress, and carries consciousness toward a stable immortality (freedom from the law of decay in awareness).
Themes
Soma multiplicity, rush toward light (gavyā), heroic speed imagery
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed at hymn-level to a Soma-Pavamāna seer tradition (Anukramaṇī needed for exact name)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.87.1-9 (same hymn context), RV 9.86 (neighboring Soma-Pavamāna hymn, thematically close)
Family tradition
Book 9 is largely a specialized Soma-Pavamāna corpus; many hymns are attributed to seer-families (e.g., Kāṇva, Aṅgiras, etc.)
Significance
The seer-voice here is the inner sacrificer witnessing Ananda becoming a force of illumination and victory—typical of the Soma book’s psychology of purification and ascent.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Amṛta (immortal essence), Indu (bright drop)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind), Agni (will and priest of the inner sacrifice), Uṣas (dawn/illumination)
Cosmic role
The purified Soma is the cosmic delight that sustains gods and worlds; it mediates between the hidden light and manifest power.
Inner power
Ananda that, when clarified, becomes intuition (śravas) and victorious force (vāja), driving the inner battle toward truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavamāna stotras)
ए॒ते सोमा॑ अ॒भि ग॒व्या स॒हस्रा॑ म॒हे वाजा॑या॒मृता॑य॒ श्रवां॑सि । प॒वित्रे॑भि॒: पव॑माना असृग्रञ्छ्रव॒स्यवो॒ न पृ॑त॒नाजो॒ अत्या॑: ॥
ए॒ते । सोमाः॑ । अ॒भि । ग॒व्या । स॒हस्रा॑ । म॒हे । वाजा॑य । अ॒मृता॑य । श्रवां॑सि । प॒वित्रे॑भिः । पव॑मानाः । अ॒सृ॒ग्र॒न् । श्र॒व॒स्यवः॑ । न । पृ॒त॒नाजः॑ । अत्याः॑ ॥
ete | somāḥ | abhi | gavyā | sahasrā | mahe | vājāya | amṛtāya | śravāṃsi | pavitrebhiḥ | pavamānāḥ | asṛgran | śravasyavaḥ | na | pṛtanājaḥ | atyāḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, martial and expansive cadence
Builds momentum and uplift; supports a sense of streaming force and victorious advance in the listener.
- सोमाः (somāḥ)
- Literal: Soma-juices. Symbolic: Currents of divine Bliss/Ananda released by inner pressing
- गव्या सहस्रा (gavyā sahasrā)
- Literal: a thousand cows/wealths. Symbolic: A thousand rays of light—multiplicity of illuminations/knowledges
- वाजाय (vājāya)
- Literal: for vāja, prize/strength. Symbolic: Effective spiritual force; victorious energy of realization
- अमृताय (amṛtāya)
- Literal: for immortality. Symbolic: Deathless state of consciousness; enduring wideness beyond decline
- श्रवांसि (śravāṃsi)
- Literal: fames/hearings. Symbolic: Inspired hearings—receptive intuition, mantric revelation
- पवित्रेभिः (pavitrebhiḥ)
- Literal: through strainers/filters. Symbolic: Purifying agencies: discernment, tapas, right rhythm, inner sincerity
- पवमानाः (pavamānāḥ)
- Literal: purifying, flowing. Symbolic: Self-purifying movements of consciousness
- पृतनाजः अत्याः (pṛtanājo atyāḥ)
- Literal: battle-chargers, swift steeds. Symbolic: Vital energies turned into heroic instruments of the soul’s advance
Multiple Soma streams in purification; celebratory stotra describing their rush through filters towards offering and result (vāja, amṛta).
During Soma-yajña sequences at the pressing/straining and offering phases
Chanted while Soma is filtered and made ready for offering; invokes purity, strength, and inspired power
Use as a mantra of ‘purified joy’: chant before meditation to clear emotional turbulence and turn vitality toward aspiration.
śrávas is not merely social fame; from √śru ‘hear’ it is ‘that which is heard’—the resonant truth, inspired renown, inner audition of the Word. gavyā again holds ‘cow/ray’ double sense: thousandfold illuminations. asṛgran repeats √sṛj ‘stream forth’—Soma as emitted power.
amṛta (immortality), śravas as inner audition/renown of truth, vāja as plenitude
The Soma streams ‘press forward’ in a lawful, ordered flow—purification aligns delight with R̥ta.
Śravāṃsi as inspired hearing indicates the emergence of truth-revelation from purified consciousness.
Manifestation of light and force from the hidden essence when purified.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: Ananda as a fundamental plane supporting knowledge and power.
A clarified current of delight moves through inner ‘filters’ (discernment/tapas) and becomes luminous knowledge and victorious energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘charging steeds’ myth applied to Soma: the purified streams surge like war-horses toward light and immortality. Innerly, multiple currents of clarified delight-energy race toward the thousandfold illuminations and establish śravas—resonant truth-hearing.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ (śravas) is IE (cf. English ‘hear’ is different root; but Latin clū- ‘fame’ is semantically parallel; the ‘heard-of’ → ‘fame’ semantic shift is widespread). The horse/battle simile is a shared IE poetic device for speed and martial energy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames the rite as an ascent: Soma does not merely enter vessels; it moves toward amṛta and śravas. The sacrificer’s aspiration is embedded in the directionality (abhi… mahe… amṛtāya): Soma is made to carry the human being toward immortality-consciousness.
Let purified delight rise as a clear stream; receive intuitive ‘hearings’ and convert joy into steady force.
Anāhata to Ājñā (joy refined into intuition)
Moderate japa with smooth ujjāyī-like breathing; feel the ‘stream’ on exhale, clarity on inhale.
Uplifted, luminous, dynamic concentration
Begin with a few rounds to ‘filter’ emotion (observe, release); then hold a single aspiration—allow joy to become power and quiet inner hearing.
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita per Śākala tradition; requires pada-svara text for exact contour.
Keep udātta syllables slightly raised; avoid flattening svarita—let it ‘fall-rise’ gently, especially across compound clusters.
Hold long vowels: ā, ī, ū clearly (e.g., amṛtāya, śravāṃsi)., Retroflex clarity: ṭ/ḍ/ṇ in pṛtanājo; avoid dental substitution., Cluster care: śravasyavo—do not insert extra vowels; keep ‘śra-va-sya-vo’ clean.
Bright, forward, flowing; emphasize the sense of streaming
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