Rig Veda 9.92.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 92, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.92
- Rishi
- Rebha Kāśyapa
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
परि सद्मेव पशुमान्ति होता राजा न सत्यः समितीरियानः । सोमः पुनानः कलशाँ अयासीत्सीदन्मृगो न महिषो वनेषु ॥
pári sádmeva paśu-mā́nti hótā rājā́ na satyáḥ sám-itīr iyānáḥ | sómaḥ punānáḥ kalaśā́m̐ ayāsīt sī́dan mṛgó na mahíṣo váneṣu ||
Se mueve en torno como el Hotṛ entre los rebaños ricos en ganado, veraz como un rey que avanza hacia las asambleas. Soma, purificándose, ha llegado a las vasijas; se asienta como fiera salvaje, como gran búfalo en los bosques: señorío, en casa en su propia fuerza.
Word by Word
- परि
- around, all aboutIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सद्म
- seat, abode, dwellingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सद्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानवाचक अव्ययRoot इव (अव्यय)
- पशुमान्
- possessing cattle, rich in beastsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot पशुमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इति
- thus (so-called)Indeclinableउक्त्यर्थक/निदर्शनार्थक अव्ययRoot इति (अव्यय)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priest, invokerNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (सम्बन्ध/अप्पोज़िशन to सोमः)Root होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- राजा
- kingNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (अप्पोज़िशन)Root राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थक अव्ययRoot न (अव्यय)
- सत्यः
- true, truthfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषण)Root सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- समिती
- in the assembly, in the gatheringNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot समिति (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईरियानः
- moving, advancing, stirringVerbवर्तमानकाले; आत्मनेपदी; शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (सोमः)Root ईर् (धातु) / ईरियान (कृदन्त, शानच्)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुनानः
- purifying himself, being purifiedVerbवर्तमानकाले; आत्मनेपदी; शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (सोमः)Root पू (धातु) / पुनान (कृदन्त, शानच्)
- कलशान्
- jars, vessels (filtering vats)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
- अयासीत्
- came, went toward, reachedVerbलुङ् (अorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole Kartā (सोमः)Root या (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
- सीदन्
- sitting down, settlingVerbवर्तमानकाले; परस्मैपदी; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (सोमः)Root सद् (धातु)
- मृगः
- a wild animal, deerNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (उपमान)Root मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थक अव्ययRoot न (अव्यय)
- महिषः
- buffalo; mighty bullNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (उपमान)Root महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
- वनेषु
- in the woods, in the forestsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वन (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): सद्मे॑व → सद्म + इव
- पशु॒मान्ति॒ → पशुमान् + इति
- समि॑तीरिया॒नः → समिती + ईरियानः
- सोम॑: → सोमः
- कलशाँ॑ → कलशान्
- अयासी॒त्सीद॑न् → अयासीत् + सीदन्. (स्वर/उदात्त-चिह्न पाठानुसार; पदच्छेद में सामान्य रूप रखा गया।)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma moves about like a Hotṛ among wealthy herds, true as a king going to assemblies. Purifying, he has come to the jars; he settles like a wild beast, like a great buffalo in the forests.
Inner meaning
Soma acts as the inner priest (hotā): the bliss-force that ‘recites’ and offers our movements upward, moving among the rich herds—i.e., abundant life-energies and capacities. He is ‘true as a king’: a sovereign principle establishing right order in the gathered parts of the being (assemblies). Entering the jars (kalaśa = prepared mind-vessel), he becomes powerfully seated—like a mighty buffalo in the forest—symbolizing the settled, masterful presence of Ananda in the depths of life-nature once purified.
Universal truth
When delight is purified, it becomes priest and king: it consecrates energies and governs the assembly of the self, settling as a stable strength rather than a fleeting pleasure.
Themes
Soma sovereignty, inner mastery, settling of force, purification into stability
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma Pavamāna anthology; specific rishi not preserved in the provided source.
- Other hymns
- RV 9.92.5 (preceding), RV 9.93.1 (next hymn opening)
Family tradition
Book 9’s Soma hymns are liturgical-seer compilations; this verse bears a strong psychological kingship/priesthood motif typical of Angirasa-inspired inner-sacrifice imagery.
Significance
Presents Soma not only as purified substance but as a governing presence—bridging ritual ‘jar’ and yogic ‘vessel of mind’.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Punāna (purifying), Satya (true), Hotṛ-rūpa (priest-formed, by simile), Rājā (king, by simile)
- Related deities
- Agni (priesthood), Indra (sovereign force/illumination), Varuṇa/Mitra (truth-order, thematic)
Cosmic role
Consecrator of energies and sovereign organizer of the sacrifice; stabilizer of power in the worlds.
Inner power
Ananda as both offering-force and governing clarity; makes life-energy strong yet obedient to truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration and collection into kalaśa; praise during movement of Soma through ritual space.
परि॒ सद्मे॑व पशु॒मान्ति॒ होता॒ राजा॒ न स॒त्यः समि॑तीरिया॒नः । सोम॑: पुना॒नः क॒लशाँ॑ अयासी॒त्सीद॑न्मृ॒गो न म॑हि॒षो वने॑षु ॥
पर् । सद्म॑ऽइव । प॒शु॒ऽमन्ति॑ । होता॑ । राजा॑ । न । स॒त्यः । सम्ऽइ॑तीः । इ॒या॒नः । सोमः॑ । पु॒ना॒नः । क॒लशा॑न् । अ॒या॒सी॒त् । सीद॑न् । मृ॒गः । न । म॒हि॒षः । वने॑षु ॥
par | sadma-iva | paśu-manti | hotā | rājā | na | satyaḥ | sam-itīḥ | iyānaḥ | somaḥ | punānaḥ | kalaśān | ayāsīt | sīdan | mṛgaḥ | na | mahiṣaḥ | vaneṣu
48
4 pādas of ~12 syllables
Majestic, processional rhythm—befitting ‘king to assemblies’.
Grounds the listener; evokes settled strength and sovereign calm.
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: Hotṛ priest. Symbolic: Inner officiant—will of offering guided by luminous delight
- पशुमन्ति (paśumānti)
- Literal: rich in cattle/herds. Symbolic: Abundant life-forces, capacities, and energies to be consecrated
- राजा (rājā)
- Literal: king. Symbolic: Sovereign organizing power in consciousness
- समितीः (samitīḥ)
- Literal: assemblies, gatherings. Symbolic: Gathered parts of the being; collective inner forum of thoughts/impulses
- क॒लशान् (kalaśān)
- Literal: jars. Symbolic: Mind-vessels prepared to receive the clarified essence
- मृगः (mṛgaḥ)
- Literal: wild animal. Symbolic: Free, instinctive power—life-force reclaimed and mastered
- महिṣः (mahiṣaḥ)
- Literal: buffalo/bull. Symbolic: Great vital strength made steady and serviceable
- वनेषु (vaneṣu)
- Literal: in forests. Symbolic: In the depths of life-nature/subconscient terrain
Soma’s movement through ritual spaces to the kalaśa; imagery of sovereignty and priestly function. Inner sense: purified delight becomes the organizing sovereign and invoking power moving through the plenitudes of life and settling firmly in the vessel of consciousness.
As Soma is brought/settled into vessels; accompanying the handling and placement of jars.
Guiding the ‘settling’ of Soma; affirming truth and strength in the rite.
Use when seeking steadiness: chant to ‘seat’ calm power in the body and stabilize scattered energies.
samiti ‘assembly’ from sam- ‘together’ + √i ‘go’: a going-together, convergence. rājā: sovereignty; satyaḥ: truth-founded sovereignty. mahíṣa symbolizes concentrated force (root nuance mah- ‘great’), used for Soma’s powerful settling in the ‘forests’—the unmastered life-regions—now made his domain by purification.
Satya (truth as basis of sovereignty), mastery of life-nature (vana as untamed field), convergence (samiti) of faculties
Soma as king organizes the inner assemblies into Ṛta—right arrangement of movements.
‘Satyaḥ’ indicates the governing principle must be truth-aligned, not merely forceful.
Formation of a stable ‘seat’ of power in the vessel—microcosmic enthronement.
Integral psychology: priesthood/kingdom as functions of consciousness, not social roles.
Forest = subconscious life-depths; buffalo = concentrated vital power; jar = refined mental container; herds = energies to be guided; assembly = integrated personality.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as king and priest moving to the assemblies and settling in the jars: the mythic enthronement of Soma. The animal similes (mṛga/mahíṣa in forests) portray the raw power of delight-force that, once purified, can inhabit and master the wild life-regions rather than be lost in them.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rājā ‘king’ reflects the widespread IE institution of sacral kingship (cf. Latin rēx from *h₃rēǵ-; Sanskrit rā́jan- from the same PIE root). √sad ‘sit’ (sīdan) is an old IE root (*sed-) seen in Latin sedēre, English sit (via Germanic).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi depicts Soma not only as an object of offering but as the inner officiant (Hotṛ-like) and sovereign (rājā-like). The human gathers the ‘assemblies’ (samiti), and Soma advances into them to govern; the reciprocity is governance for offering—truth-founded power (satya) organizes the seeker’s abundant energies (paśu-mant) when welcomed into the vessels (kalaśa).
Enthrone purified delight as the ‘king’ of the inner assembly; let it officiate offerings of thought and impulse.
Manipura (sovereign force) anchored by Muladhara (settling), refined through Anahata (delight).
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; on inhale ‘gather the assembly’, on exhale ‘seat Soma in the jar’ (heart-mind).
Stable, powerful calm; centered governance.
When life-force is wild, do not suppress—purify and seat it. Let joy become disciplined strength rather than restless desire.
Maintain traditional udatta/anudatta flow; treat similes (‘iva’, ‘na’) lightly; exact svara requires accented text.
Keep ‘hotā’ and ‘rājā’ sonorous; articulate ‘somaḥ punānaḥ’ clearly; pause slightly at the caesura before ‘somaḥ’.
pari: light rolling ‘r’, paśumānti: ś (palatal), long ā, kalaśān: retroflex ṣ? (actually ś in kalaśa), keep ‘śa’ soft, mahiṣo: retroflex ṣ, short o at end
Deep, steady, grounded resonance.
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