Rig Veda 9.32.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 32, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.32
- Rishi
- Ascribed within Soma-Pavamāna tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उभे सोमावचाकशन्मृगो न तक्तो अर्षसि । सीदन्नृतस्य योनिमा ॥
ubhé sómāvácākaśan mṛgó ná takto árṣasi | sī́dan ṛtásya yónim ā́ ||
Ô Soma, tu fais resplendir les deux mondes; tel un fauve bien mené, tu te précipites; puis, t’asseyant, tu prends place dans le sein du Ṛta.
Word by Word
- उभे
- both (two)Adjective/Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया द्विवचनम्Role KarmaRoot उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमौ
- the two SomasNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा द्विवचनम्Role KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अचाकशन्
- they shone / became visibleVerbलुङ् (अorist) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root कश् (धातु; ‘दृश्/प्रकाशे’), सन्-आगम/अच्-आगम सहित: चकश्
- मृगः
- a wild animal / deerNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातःRole (सम्बन्ध/उपमा)Root न
- तक्तः
- hewn, fashioned (swift/trimmed)Adjective (PPP)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Kartā (मृगः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root तक्ष् (धातु; ‘कर्तने/तक्षणे’) → तक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्षसि
- you rush / you flowVerbलट् परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root ऋष्/अर्ष् (धातु; ‘गत्यर्थे/प्रवाहे’)
- सीदन्
- sitting down, settlingVerbal participleपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (कर्तरि), अव्ययभावे ‘while sitting/settling’Role Kartā (अर्षसि-कर्तुः सह समन्वयः)Root सद् (धातु; ‘उपवेशने/स्थितौ’) → सीदत् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
- ऋतस्य
- of ṛta (cosmic order/true rite)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (योनेः)Root ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- योनिम्
- womb, seat, sourceNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- to, unto; fullyIndeclinable (preverb) / particleउपसर्ग/निपातः (गत्यर्थ-समाप्त्यर्थः)Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root आ
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रह): उभे सोमौ अचाकशन् | मृगः न तक्तः अर्षसि | सीदन् ऋतस्य योनिम् आ || 1) सोमावचाकशन् = सोमौ + अचाकशन् (स्वर-सन्धि/वर्ण-सन्धि: औ + अ → आव्)
- 2) मृगो न = मृगः + न (विसर्गलोपः पदान्ते)
- 3) तक्तो अर्षसि = तक्तः + अर्षसि (विसर्गलोपः ‘ओ’ रूपेण: -ः + अ → -ो)
- 4) सीदन्नृतस्य = सीदन् + ऋतस्य (न् + ऋ → न्नृ; अनुस्वार/द्वित्व-प्रभावः)
- 5) योनि॒मा = योनिम् + आ (म् + आ → मा; परसवर्ण/सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Soma, you make both worlds shine; like a well-driven wild creature you rush onward, and settling, you take your seat in the womb of Ṛta.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma illumines both the inner and outer consciousness (“both worlds”). Once released, it moves with the sure swiftness of a rightly guided instinct (mṛgaḥ…taktaḥ): not a chaotic impulse, but a force driven by inner truth. Finally it ‘sits’ in the womb of Ṛta—establishing delight in the law of truth and harmony, so joy becomes stable, not momentary.
Universal truth
True spiritual delight must both illumine life and inner being, move with disciplined force, and finally be founded in truth-order; then it becomes a stable basis for right action and knowledge.
Themes
Illumination of worlds, Soma-flow, Establishment in Ṛta, Purified life-force
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.32.1, RV 9.32.2, RV 9.32.3, RV 9.32.5, RV 9.32.6
Family tradition
Ninth Maṇḍala purification hymns; often used as flowing sequences during Soma filtration.
Significance
The verse is a compact yogic map: illumination of both worlds, controlled force, and establishment in Ṛta—key steps of integral transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (purifying), Soma (nectar/essence)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (Ṛta guardian), Mitra (harmony), Indra (illumination)
Cosmic role
Illumines the worlds and establishes the sacrifice in Ṛta; a stream of immortal essence that becomes law and harmony in manifestation.
Inner power
Stabilizing Ananda that converts impulsive movement into truth-guided force and settles as a luminous poise.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration (pavamāna) and offering preparation
उ॒भे सो॑माव॒चाक॑शन्मृ॒गो न त॒क्तो अ॑र्षसि । सीद॑न्नृ॒तस्य॒ योनि॒मा ॥
उ॒भे इति॑ । सो॒म॒ । अ॒व॒ऽचाक॑शत् । मृ॒गः । न । त॒क्तः । अ॒र्ष॒सि॒ । सीद॑न् । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । योनि॑म् । आ ॥
ubhe iti | soma | ava-cākaśat | mṛgaḥ | na | taktaḥ | arṣasi | sīdan | ṛtasya | yonim | ā
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4 padas × ~11 syllables
Flowing yet firm; alternating rush (‘arṣasi’) and settling (‘sīdan’).
Regulates inner movement—first energizes, then induces a sense of being ‘seated’ in rightness.
- उभे (ubhe)
- Literal: both (worlds). Symbolic: inner and outer being; mind-life-body and the higher planes reflected within
- अवचाकशत् (ava-cākaśat)
- Literal: has made shine, has illumined. Symbolic: clarification that brings perceptive light to all levels
- मृगः (mṛgaḥ)
- Literal: wild creature, deer. Symbolic: swift, instinctive life-force when rightly guided; prāṇa moving toward its true object
- तक्तः (taktaḥ)
- Literal: driven, urged, well-directed. Symbolic: vital energy disciplined by will and knowledge
- अर्षसि (arṣasi)
- Literal: you rush/flow. Symbolic: the streaming movement of delight-consciousness through the channels of being
- ऋतस्य योनिम् (ṛtasya yonim)
- Literal: womb of Ṛta. Symbolic: the matrix of truth-order where realization is seated and made enduring
Pavamāna phase: Soma flowing and then ‘seated’ in vessels; corresponds to establishing Soma in the rite and inwardly establishing truth-consciousness.
As Soma runs and is clarified; before libations
Accompanies the flow/clarification and the ‘seating’ of Soma in vessels
Chant to bring scattered energy into a truth-based equilibrium; useful after agitation to re-found oneself in Ṛta (right order).
cākaśat: from √kāś ‘shine, appear’; reduplicated/intensive nuance ‘shines clearly’. arṣasi: from √ṛṣ ‘to flow, move’; common Soma verb for streaming through the filter and for energetic advance. yoni: ‘womb/seat’ from √yu ‘to join, yoke’ (place of generation/connection). ṛta: from √ṛ ‘to move in right way, fit’—truth as correct movement, not abstract doctrine.
Ṛta as origin-womb of right action, Descent/manifestation (ava-), Stabilization of experience (sīdan)
Explicit: Soma settles in Ṛta’s womb—delight becomes a foundation of right law.
Illumination of both worlds implies truth-perception across planes.
From flow to form: the streaming essence becomes seated as an ordered power in manifestation.
Integral-Vedāntic symbolism: Ananda as a cosmic principle that must be harmonized with Ṛta.
A clarified stream of joy illumines inner/outer life, moves swiftly under guidance, then settles into stable truth-order.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as illuminator of the two realms and as the rushing power that finally ‘sits’ in the womb of Ṛta—mythically, the divine drink not only flows but establishes itself in the truth-order, turning movement into stable right-being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √kāś ‘shine’ parallels PIE *keh₂-/*k̑eh₂s- ‘shine/appear’ (broadly comparable to brightness roots across IE). √men not present here; key is ṛta from √ṛ ‘fit/right move’, comparable to IE notions of ‘right order’ expressed through ‘fitting’ (cf. Latin ritus ‘rite’ sometimes compared in older scholarship, though etymology is debated).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer invites Soma to manifest (ava-) as light in both planes and to become inwardly established in Ṛta. The human aspiration is for a force that is not merely swift (mṛga) but ‘crafted/channeled’ (takta) and finally grounded in truth.
Let delight illumine all parts, then consciously ‘seat’ it in Ṛta—truthful alignment.
Mūlādhāra (seating/stability) integrated with Ājñā (illumination)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to feel ‘rush’ then ‘settle’; on exhale, rest attention in the navel/base as Ṛta-seat.
From luminous movement to steady poise.
After chanting, ask: ‘Where is my delight not yet in Ṛta?’ Then align speech, action, and motive with the quiet truth felt in the body.
Observe saṃhitā accents: keep a clear rise on marked syllables; allow a slight settling contour on ‘’ to mirror the meaning.
Make a micro-pause after ‘अर्षसि’ before ‘सीदन्’ to enact ‘rush → seat’.
ubhe: pronounce bh as aspirated; short e, avacākaśan: keep cā long; articulate ś clearly, mṛgo: vocalic ṛ; do not turn into ‘mri’, takto: double consonant feel; crisp kt cluster, ṛtasya: vocalic ṛ; dental t, yonim: y glide; short i
Even, flowing, then gently grounded at the end.
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