Rig Veda 9.78.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 78, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.78
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
समुद्रिया अप्सरसो मनीषिणमासीना अन्तरभि सोममक्षरन् । ता ईं हिन्वन्ति हर्म्यस्य सक्षणिं याचन्ते सुम्नं पवमानमक्षितम् ॥
samudriyā́ apsáraso manīṣíṇam āsī́nā antár abhí sómam akṣaran | tā́ īṃ hinvanti harmyásya sákṣaṇiṃ yā́cante súmnaṃ pávamānam ákṣitam ||
Las Apsaras nacidas del océano, las inspiradas, sentadas en el interior, han derramado Soma sobre el pensador. Lo impulsan hacia la compañía en la alta morada; piden al Soma purificante una gracia inagotable.
Word by Word
- समुद्रियाः
- ocean-born / belonging to the seaAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot समुद्रिय (समुद्र-सम्बद्ध) < समुद्र
- अप्सरसः
- Apsarases (celestial nymphs)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अप्सरस्
- मनीषिणम्
- the wise / inspired oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मनीषिन्
- आसीनाः
- sittingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (कृदन्तः, भूतकृदन्त/क्त-भाव)Role कर्तृRoot आस् (√ās) → आसीन
- अन्तः
- within, insideIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकारणRoot अन्तर्
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सोम
- अक्षरन्
- they caused to flow / they let flowVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot क्षर् (√kṣar)
- ताः
- those (women)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद्
- ईम्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपातRoot ईम्
- हिन्वन्ति
- they impel, set in motionVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot हि (√hi / √hinv)
- हर्म्यस्य
- of the mansion / lofty houseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot हर्म्य
- सक्षणिम्
- the companion / attendant (helper)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सक्षणि
- याचन्ते
- they ask, requestVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot याच् (√yāc)
- सुम्नम्
- favor, graceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सुम्न
- पवमानम्
- the purifying one (Soma)Participleपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमान कृदन्तः)Role कर्मRoot पु (√pū) → पवमान
- अक्षितम्
- un-decaying, imperishableAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कृदन्त-विशेषण)Role कर्मRoot क्षि (√kṣi) + a- (निषेध) → अक्षित
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: समुद्रियाः अप्सरसः मनीषिणम् आसीनाः अन्तः अभि सोमम् अक्षरन् । ताः ईम् हिन्वन्ति हर्म्यस्य सक्षणिम् याचन्ते सुम्नम् पवमानम् अक्षितम् ॥ मुख्य-सन्धि/संयोग: (1) अन्तरभि = अन्तः + अभि (विसर्गलोपः, र्-आगम/संयोगः वैदिकपाठे) । (2) ता ईं = ताः + ईम् (विसर्गलोपः) । (3) सोममक्षरन् = सोमम् + अक्षरन् (म् + अ- आरम्भे संयोगः; लेखन में संयुक्त) । (4) पवमानमक्षितम् = पवमानम् + अक्षितम् (म् + अ- आरम्भे संयोगः) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Ocean-born Apsarases, seated within, have poured Soma upon the thinker. They impel him toward companionship in the high house; they ask from the purifying Soma an undiminishing grace.
Inner meaning
The ‘Apsarases’ are subtle delight-forces and luminous inspirations arising from the deep (samudra—ocean of consciousness). Seated within (antaḥ), they rain the Soma-current upon the manīṣi— the inward thinker/seer—so his mind becomes suffused with Ananda. They then drive him toward the ‘high house’ (harmya): the higher planes of consciousness and stable inner home of the soul. From Soma the purifier they seek akṣita sumnam—an inexhaustible grace: a steady, non-wasting delight that can support sustained realization.
Universal truth
When the deeper springs of consciousness release delight into the reflective mind, aspiration naturally rises toward higher dwelling; grace becomes stable when joy is purified and made inexhaustible.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Apsaras as inner powers, Grace and stability, Ascent from depths
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.78.2, Rig Veda 9.78.4
Family tradition
RV IX preserves a collective soma-mysticism; this verse speaks from the standpoint of inner experience rather than a single named family seer.
Significance
The ‘seer’ here is the manīṣi within each practitioner—awakened by delight-forces from the deep and led toward higher communion.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Akṣita-sumna (giver of undiminishing grace), Samudriya-source (born of the ocean-depths)
- Related deities
- Apsarases (delight-forces), Indra, Sarasvatī
Cosmic role
Mediator between the deep waters and the high house; purifier that turns raw rasa into stable grace.
Inner power
Releases subtle inspirations (apsaras-forces), establishes inner sweetness, and lifts consciousness into higher communion.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna Soma chants during filtration/clarification
स॒मु॒द्रिया॑ अप्स॒रसो॑ मनी॒षिण॒मासी॑ना अ॒न्तर॒भि सोम॑मक्षरन् । ता ईं॑ हिन्वन्ति ह॒र्म्यस्य॑ स॒क्षणिं॒ याच॑न्ते सु॒म्नं पव॑मान॒मक्षि॑तम् ॥
स॒मु॒द्रियाः॑ । अ॒प्स॒रसः॑ । म॒नी॒षिण॑म् । आसी॑नाः । अ॒न्तः । अ॒भि । सोम॑म् । अ॒क्ष॒र॒न् । ताः । ई॒म् । हि॒न्व॒न्ति॒ । ह॒र्म्यस्य॑ । स॒क्षणि॑म् । याच॑न्ते । सु॒म्नम् । पव॑मानम् । अक्षि॑तम् ॥
samudriyāḥ | apsarasaḥ | manīṣiṇam | āsīnāḥ | antaḥ | abhi | somam | akṣaran | tāḥ | īm | hinvanti | harmyasya | sakṣaṇim | yācante | sumnam | pavamānam | akṣitam
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4 pādas of ~12 syllables
Undulating, oceanic movement with a steady lift toward the ‘high house’.
Induces inwardness and ascent; supports a felt descent of sweetness followed by upward aspiration.
- समुद्रियाः (samudriyāḥ)
- Literal: ocean-born. Symbolic: arising from the depths of being/subconscient and the vast causal sea
- अप्सरसः (apsarasaḥ)
- Literal: Apsarases (nymphs). Symbolic: subtle delight-powers, inspirations moving in the ‘waters’ of consciousness
- मनीषिणम् (manīṣiṇam)
- Literal: the thinker/seer. Symbolic: the reflective intelligence turning inward toward truth
- आसीनाः अन्तर् (āsīnāḥ antaḥ)
- Literal: seated within. Symbolic: established in the inner being, not outer sense-mind
- सोमम् अक्षरन् (somam akṣaran)
- Literal: poured out Soma. Symbolic: released a flow of Ananda into awareness
- हर्म्यस्य सक्षणिम् (harmyasya sakṣaṇim)
- Literal: companionship in the high house. Symbolic: communion with higher consciousness; stable inner abode
- सुम्नम् (sumnam)
- Literal: grace/favor. Symbolic: descending help of the divine Delight
- पवमानम् (pavamānam)
- Literal: the purifying. Symbolic: Ananda clarified of mixture and turbulence
- अक्षितम् (akṣitam)
- Literal: undiminishing. Symbolic: inexhaustible joy and support that does not collapse after experience
Soma hymns often personify assisting powers; ritually, the flow into vessels and toward the ‘seat’ of gods; psychologically, inner powers aiding ascent
While Soma is being purified and made ready as a ‘grace’ for the gods and the sacrificer.
Chant accompanies the flow/filtration; invokes auspicious support (sumnam).
Meditation for receiving ‘inner grace’: sit quietly, feel a descent of sweetness from the crown/space above into the heart-mind, then rest in uplifted communion.
apsaras (ap- ‘waters’ + √sṛ ‘to move’) are ‘those who move in the waters’: here read as subtle currents of delight/creation arising from depths (samudriya). √kṣar (akṣaran) is the flow-root also behind kṣara ‘flowing’; akṣitam (a- + √kṣi) explicitly encodes ‘not diminishing’, supporting the psychological aim of stable grace rather than transient pleasure. harmya ‘high house’ signals ascent to a higher inner station.
Inner being (antaḥ), Undiminishing grace (akṣita sumnam), Ascent to higher plane (harmya)
The movement from ocean-depths to high house is R̥ta’s vertical order—descent and ascent in harmony.
Akṣita (undiminishing) implies truth of experience stabilized, not momentary.
The deep waters yield delight-forms that nourish the seer and build a higher dwelling of consciousness.
Integral Vedantic psychology: descent of Ananda and ascent to higher planes.
Ocean = depth-consciousness; Apsarases = delight-waves; pouring = descent of Ananda; high house = higher mind/overmind home of the soul.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Ocean-born Apsarases pouring Soma: a mythic image of powers from the deep bringing delight to the seer-mind, enabling ascent to the ‘high house’ (harmya). It encodes the transformation of subconscient energies into conscious grace.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sṛ ‘to flow/move’ in apsaras and √kṣar ‘to flow’ are part of archaic Indo-European hydrodynamic metaphors for power. The privative a- in akṣitam is inherited Indo-European negation strategy (PIE *n̥-/ *a- developments in Indo-Iranian).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi is ‘manīṣin’—the formed thinker—acted upon by inner feminine powers that pour Soma within. The devatā (Soma) responds by granting akṣita sumnam, a lasting felicity enabling stable participation in the higher consciousness (harmya-sakṣaṇi).
Receive the ‘ocean-born’ sweetness from within; let it anoint the thinking mind and lift you into inner communion.
Sahasrāra (descent of grace) to Ājñā (manīṣā/thinker) and Anāhata (stable sweetness).
4-4-6 gentle breathing; pause after inhale to ‘receive’, long exhale to ‘settle’ the grace.
Receptive, inward, quietly uplifted.
Sit ‘within’ (antaḥ); feel the deep waters below the navel as still; invite a cool sweet flow to the head and heart; end with a silent asking for akṣita sumnam (steady support in daily life).
Vedic accent with marked udatta/anudatta/svarita; preserve lifts on words like,,,,.
Keep ‘samudriyā́ apsáraso’ as a smooth linked phrase; do not over-pause before ‘pavamānam akṣitam’.
apsarasaḥ: pronounce ap-sa-ra-saḥ (clear s), manīṣiṇam: long ī; retroflex ṣ, akṣaran: kṣ cluster cleanly (ak-ṣa-ran), harmyasya: aspirate h; keep ‘ry’ conjunct
Cool, inward, even—like a gentle pour.
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