Rig Veda 9.102.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 102, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.102
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna corpus
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
यमी गर्भमृतावृधो दृशे चारुमजीजनन् । कविं मंहिष्ठमध्वरे पुरुस्पृहम् ॥
yam ī́m gárbham r̥tā-vŕ̥dho dr̥śé cā́rum ájījanan | kavím maṃhíṣṭham adhvaré puru-spṛ́ham ||
A él lo hicieron nacer como una potencia portadora de germen — acrecentadores de la Verdad (ṛtá) — hermoso a la vista: el vidente (kaví), el más dadivoso en el sacrificio (adhvará), anhelado por muchos.
Word by Word
- यमी
- Yama (as object)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा? एकवचन; (पदपाठ-परम्परया: द्वितीया एकवचन ‘यमम्’ का वैदिक रूप ‘यमी’)Role KarmaRoot यम (प्रातिपदिक) / यम (देवता-नाम)
- गर्भम्
- womb; embryoNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतावृधः
- growers/increasers of ṛta (cosmic order)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (कर्तृपद-विशेषण)Role KartāRoot ऋत-वृध (समास: ऋत + वृध ‘वर्धयति’)
- दृशे
- to be seen; for seeingVerb-derived (Infinitive)तुमर्थे दत्तिव/से-प्रत्ययान्त: दृषे = ‘द्रष्टुम्/दर्शनाय’ (वैदिक infinitive in -e)Role Prayojana (उद्देश्य) / Adhikaraṇa (अर्थ-सम्बन्ध)Root दृश् (धातु) → दृश्/दर्शन (अर्थे) ; रूप: द्रष्टुम्/दर्शनाय
- चारुम्
- beautiful; lovelyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (गर्भम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot चारु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजीजनन्
- they generated; they producedVerbलुङ् (अorist); परस्मैपद; 3 पुरुष; बहुवचन; अजि-जनन् (causative-like reduplication: ‘they generated/begot’)Role KartāRoot जन् (धातु) ‘जनने’
- कविम्
- seer; poet-sageNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मंहिष्ठम्
- most great; most bountifulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (कविम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot मंहिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of मंह ‘great, bountiful’)
- अध्वरे
- in the sacrifice; in the riteNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुस्पृहम्
- much-desired; greatly longed forAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (कविम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot पुरु-स्पृह (समास: पुरु ‘much’ + स्पृह ‘desire/longing’)
Sandhi Notes
- मन्त्रपाठ: ‘यमी गर्भम् ऋतावृधो दृशे चारुमजीजनन् । कविं मंहिष्ठमध्वरे पुरुस्पृहम् ॥’ Sandhi-विच्छेद: (1) चारुम् + अजीजनन् → चारुमजीजनन् (अनुस्वार-परसवर्ण/मकारस्य स्वर-सन्धि; पदसीमा पर ‘म्’ + ‘अ’)
- (2) मंहिष्ठम् + अध्वरे → मंहिष्ठमध्वरे (म् + अ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The truth-growers (ṛtāvṛdhaḥ) brought him to birth as a wombed power (garbha), beautiful to see; the seer (kavi), most bountiful in the sacrifice, desired by many.
Inner meaning
The builders of truth in us—those movements that increase ṛta (ṛtāvṛdhaḥ)—generate within the being a ‘garbha’: a concentrated embryonic power of Soma, held and formed in the inner womb of aspiration. It becomes ‘beautiful to behold’ because it clarifies perception; it is kavi, the intuitive seer-force, and maṃhiṣṭha, the most generous giver in the inner offering, because ananda releases capacities and wideness. Many parts of the nature long for it (puruspṛham): it answers the deep universal thirst for delight that is pure and true.
Universal truth
Spiritual realization is gestated: truth-growing disciplines form an inner embryo of delight and intuition, which, when born, becomes a generous source for the whole life.
Themes
Soma as inner embryo, Vision and beauty, Bounty in sacrifice
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna corpus
- Other hymns
- RV 9 verses on Soma as ‘garbha’ and ‘kavi’ (general thematic parallels across Book 9)
Significance
This is a classic psychological Vedic motif: the divine is born within as an embryo, shaped by ṛta-growing forces, and emerges as intuition and delight that enrich the sacrifice of life.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- garbha (embryonic power), kavi (seer), maṃhiṣṭha (most bountiful), cāru (beauteous)
- Related deities
- Aditi (womb of the infinite), Sarasvatī/Āpaḥ (inspirational waters), Agni (birth/leader of sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Hidden essence in the worlds that must be brought to birth and made visible; nourisher of gods and humans through delight.
Inner power
Gestating ananda: a subtle but potent delight that becomes intuition and generosity in the sadhana.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and praise during Soma yajña
यमी॒ गर्भ॑मृता॒वृधो॑ दृ॒शे चारु॒मजी॑जनन् । क॒विं मंहि॑ष्ठमध्व॒रे पु॑रु॒स्पृह॑म् ॥
यम् । ई॒म् इति॑ । गर्भ॑म् । ऋ॒त॒ऽवृधः॑ । दृ॒शे । चारु॑म् । अजी॑जनन् । क॒विम् । मंहि॑ष्ठम् । अ॒ध्व॒रे । पु॒रु॒ऽस्पृह॑म् ॥
yam | īm iti | garbham | ṛta-vṛdhaḥ | dṛśe | cārum | ajījanan | kavim | maṃhiṣṭham | adhvare | puru-spṛham
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Expansive and image-rich; the rhythm ‘carries’ the sense of gestation and emergence.
Evokes a tender but powerful emergence—quiet wonder turning into confident aspiration.
- गर्भ (garbha)
- Literal: womb/embryo. Symbolic: the formed seed of realization; concentrated potential of divine delight within the seeker
- ऋतावृधः (ṛtāvṛdhaḥ)
- Literal: growers/increasers of ṛta. Symbolic: forces/practices that build right order—sincerity, discernment, aspiration, truth-speaking
- दृशे चारु (dṛśe cāru)
- Literal: beautiful to see. Symbolic: clarity of inner vision; joy that makes perception luminous
- कवि (kavi)
- Literal: seer-poet. Symbolic: intuitive consciousness that directly knows and forms right expression
- मंहिष्ठ (maṃhiṣṭha)
- Literal: most bountiful. Symbolic: ananda as giver of inner riches—strength, light, wideness
- अध्वर (adhvara)
- Literal: sacrifice/ritual action. Symbolic: the unbroken inner journey of offering—yoga of transformation
- पुरुस्पृह (puruspṛha)
- Literal: desired by many. Symbolic: sought by many parts of the being and by many seekers; universal longing for true delight
Soma as ‘garbha’ generated by r̥ta-fosterers (priests/powers) during the rite; emphasizes visionary aspect of Soma.
During pressing/straining sequences, praising Soma’s birth and desirability
Chant to invoke Soma’s manifestation and generosity in the rite
Meditation for ‘inner gestation’: use during periods of learning, retreat, or creative incubation when something within is forming but not yet expressed.
garbha from √gr̥bh/√garh ‘to seize/contain’ (semantic field of containment/gestation). ṛta-vṛdha from ṛta + √vṛdh ‘increase’ (PIE *werdh- ‘grow’; cf. Eng. worth via Germanic is not cognate but PIE growth root is widespread). kavi is archaic ‘seer’ (possibly from √ku/√kav ‘to see/poetize’ as RV usage). maṃhiṣṭha from maṃh ‘bounty, greatness’ (intensification of giving power).
r̥ta-growth (ṛta-vṛdh), kavi as inspired gnosis, adhvara as unbroken right movement
Ṛta is not static; it ‘grows’ (vṛdh) and gives birth to higher states.
Beauty to behold (cāru) is a sign of satya manifesting in perception.
Birth of the hidden divine from the womb of the worlds/being; emergence of seer-consciousness.
Yoga of manifestation (Aurobindonian): the Divine is involved, then evolved through truth-growing forces.
As an embryo forms invisibly before birth, delight and intuition form in the subtle being before they become conscious powers.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘divine birth/embryo’ mythologem: Soma is generated as garbha by the r̥ta-increasers. Psychologically, the truth-fostering disciplines and powers incubate an inner luminous formation that becomes the seer-force (kavi) and pours bounty in the work.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan ‘generate’ is a classic IE root (PIE *ǵenh₁- ‘beget’; cf. Gk. gen-, Lat. gen-). √vṛdh ‘grow’ reflects PIE *werdh- ‘grow’ (cf. Eng. grow is different root, but Slavic and Germanic show cognates for *werdh- in ‘worth’ semantic drift; the growth root is well-attested). The superlative maṃhiṣṭham shows inherited Indo-European degree morphology.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions the sacrificer and allied powers as ‘ṛta-vṛdhaḥ’—agents who can bring Soma to birth within. Soma then acts as kavi (inner inspired sight) and maṃhiṣṭha (bounteous giver), reciprocating the effort of r̥ta with widened vision and fulfilled force.
Feel a subtle ‘garbha’ of joy forming behind the heart/solar plexus and rising to illumine the mind as kavi.
Maṇipūra (inner fire of formation) rising to Ājñā (seer-vision), held in Anāhata (delight).
Gentle ujjāyī or whisper-breath; on inhale ‘garbha’ (gather), on exhale ‘cāru’ (reveal).
Quiet wonder with increasing inner luminosity; a sense of something ‘being born’ in awareness.
Chant softly, then sit in stillness imagining the inner embryo of delight. Do not force expression; let the ‘kavi’ arise naturally as clear perception or a simple true insight.
Rigvedic three-tone framework; keep the melodic line steady, with clear svarita glides where indicated in a svara-text.
Let ‘ṛtāvṛdho’ and ‘kavim maṃhiṣṭham’ carry the weight; pause lightly at the caesura after ‘ajījanan’.
(ṛtāvṛdhaḥ): vocalic ṛ clear; ‘vṛdh’ with retroflex ḍh, (dṛśe): retroflex ṛ and ś, (ajījanan): long ī; nasal ‘nan’ light, (puruspṛham): cluster ‘spr̥h’—keep ‘spṛh’ crisp, not ‘saparaha’
Warm, inward, slightly hushed—supporting the ‘gestation’ feeling.
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