Rig Veda 9.39.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 39, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.39
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
समीचीना अनूषत हरिं हिन्वन्त्यद्रिभिः । योनावृतस्य सीदत ॥
samīcīnā́ anūṣata hárim hinvánty ádri-bhiḥ | yónāv ṛtásya sī́dat(a) ||
સમ્યક્ દિશિત શક્તિઓ તેને અનુષત્ (સ્તુતિથી ગાય) છે; અદ્રિ (પીસવાના પથ્થરો) વડે તેઓ હરિ (તામ્રવર્ણ) ને હિન્વે છે; ઋતના યોનિમાં બેસ—અમારા યજ્ઞના નિયમિત આસનમાં સ્થિર થા.
Word by Word
- समीचीनाः
- straight/fit, in due order (well-directed)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (हरिं हिन्वन्ति इत्यस्य कर्तारः)Root समीचीन (प्रातिपदिक; सम्-ईचीन < √इच्/ईच् ‘to go/turn toward’, adjectival formation) अथवा ‘सम् + अञ्च्’ भावार्थ ‘towards/straight’ (वैदिक)
- अनूषत
- they sang/praisedVerbलुङ् (आओरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √वच्/√उच् (वैदिक: ‘to speak/sing/praise’; लुङ्/आओरिस्ट रूप)
- हरिम्
- the tawny one (Soma/steed)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (अनूषत/हिन्वन्ति का कर्म)Root हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हिन्वन्ति
- they impel/drive onVerbलट्, परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √हिव्/√हिन्व् (हिन्व् ‘to set in motion, impel, press on’)
- अद्रिभिः
- with the pressing-stonesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (येन हिन्वन्ति)Root अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘stone/pressing-stone’)
- योनौ
- in the womb/seat (vat, receptacle)Nounपुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिक प्रयोग), सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरण (सीदत इत्यस्य)Root योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृतस्य
- of the enclosed/covered (one)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (योनौ—कस्य? वृतस्य)Root वृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √वृ ‘to cover/enclose’ → ‘covered/enclosed’)
- सीदत
- let him sit/settleVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √सद् (सीद्) ‘to sit down, settle’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: समीचीनाः | अनूषत | हरिम् | हिन्वन्ति | अद्रिभिः | योनौ | वृतस्य | सीदत । सन्धि: (1) हिन्वन्ति + अद्रिभिः → हिन्वन्त्यद्रिभिः (इ/ई-आदि स्वरारम्भे ‘इ’ पूर्वस्य ‘य्’ आदेशः)
- (2) योनौ + वृतस्य → योना॑वृतस्य (औ + व्- आरम्भे ‘औ’ का वैदिक संधि-रूप ‘आव्’; लेखन: योना॑वृतस्य)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The rightly-directed ones sing to him; they drive the tawny Soma with the pressing-stones. ‘Sit in the womb of ṛta.’
Inner meaning
Aligned inner powers (samīcīnāḥ) acclaim the Soma-force; by the ‘stones’ (adri: concentrated impacts of tapas/discipline) they impel the tawny energy (hariṃ) of delight to move and settle in the womb of Truth (yonau ṛtasya): the stable inner seat where right order becomes spontaneous.
Universal truth
When our faculties become rightly oriented, disciplined effort releases a luminous energy that naturally rests in truth and order, becoming a stable foundation for life.
Themes
R̥ta-centered purification, establishing truth-consciousness, Soma pressing as tapas, inner rite
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.39, RV 9.40
Significance
The anonymity here highlights a universal yogic process: alignment → disciplined pressing → establishment in ṛta.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Hari (tawny, luminous), Pavitra (purified through the filter; implied)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Varuṇa (ṛta)
Cosmic role
Purifies and carries the offering upward; establishes ṛta in the sacrifice.
Inner power
A dynamic delight-energy that, once expressed, becomes seated in truth-consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing/chanting during purification and offering
स॒मी॒ची॒ना अ॑नूषत॒ हरिं॑ हिन्व॒न्त्यद्रि॑भिः । योना॑वृ॒तस्य॑ सीदत ॥
स॒मी॒ची॒नाः । अ॒नू॒ष॒त॒ । हरि॑म् । हि॒न्व॒न्ति॒ । अद्रि॑ऽभिः । योनौ॑ । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । सी॒द॒त्च ॥
samīcīnāḥ | anūṣata | harim | hinvanti | adri-bhiḥ | yonau | ṛtasya | sīdata
44
4 padas x ~11 syllables (probable Triṣṭubh cadence)
Incantatory and directive; ends with a ‘seating’ cadence (sīdata) that feels settling.
Moves from activation to inward settling; good for transitioning into meditation after energizing breath.
- samīcīnāḥ
- Literal: right-facing, properly directed. Symbolic: faculties turned toward the Divine/Truth, alignment of nature
- anūṣata
- Literal: they sang/intoned. Symbolic: inner assent and mantra-like affirmation of the higher movement
- hariṃ
- Literal: tawny one (Soma/steed). Symbolic: luminous vital energy of delight, dynamic Ananda-force
- hinvanti
- Literal: they impel, set in motion. Symbolic: conscious energizing of the inner current
- adri-bhiḥ
- Literal: with stones (pressing-stones). Symbolic: pressure of tapas, concentrated will that expresses essence
- yoni
- Literal: womb, source, seat. Symbolic: the foundational field of consciousness where truth is generated
- ṛtasya
- Literal: of ṛta (cosmic order). Symbolic: right order, truth in movement
- sīdata
- Literal: sit down, take seat. Symbolic: become stable, established, inwardly grounded
Soma pressing with adri (stones) and establishment in the yoni (vat/strainer); internalized as seating Soma in R̥ta
At the moment of pressing/impelling and inviting Soma to the seat of ṛta
Acclamation by priests; pressing with stones; inviting Soma to settle in the rite-seat
Use when seeking inner alignment: chant before meditation to ‘seat’ the mind in right order.
samīcīna- from sam ‘together’ + √añc/īc ‘to turn, tend’ → ‘directed rightly’. anūṣata: from √nu/√nū? ‘to sound, praise’ (Vedic anūṣ- ‘sing after, chant’). hari- ‘tawny, golden’ (color epithet). hinv- ‘impel’ (√hi ‘to impel’ + nasal). adri- ‘stone’ (pressing stone). yoni- ‘womb, seat’. ṛta- from √ar ‘to fit, set in order’ → cosmic order. sīdati/sīdata from √sad ‘sit’.
R̥ta (cosmic order), yoni as matrix of manifestation, rightly-directed energies (samīcīnāḥ)
Explicit: Soma is asked to sit in the womb of ṛta—truth as ordered movement.
Truth is not only known but ‘seated’ as a stable state.
Truth as womb: from ordered consciousness arises right formation of life and mind.
Integral/Vedantic: ṛta as dynamic truth-consciousness (Aurobindo).
Tapas ‘presses’ experience; luminous energy is established in the inner truth-seat, producing stability and right action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The pressing and enthronement of Soma: the community/forces chant, press, and seat Soma in the ‘womb of R̥ta’. Inwardly, disciplined effort (adri) and harmonized energies (samīcīnāḥ) establish the delight-illumination in the truth-order of the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu is absent here, but √sad ‘sit’ is clear PIE (*sed-). ṛta (order) is Indo-Iranian cognate with Avestan aša (truth/order), reflecting a shared inherited concept central to Indo-Iranian religion.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer coordinates collective inner faculties (‘rightly-directed’) to invoke and fix Soma in the truth-seat. The relationship is constructive: the human side provides chant and pressure (mantra + tapas); Soma responds by taking his seat as stable truth-delight.
‘Seat the energy in truth’: feel the breath-driven current settle behind the heart/forehead into quiet order.
Ājñā (order/clarity) with grounding into Anāhata (calm seat)
Inhale with a gentle ‘impelling’ feeling (hinvanti); exhale with ‘sīdata’—let attention settle.
Collected, aligned, inwardly seated in a calm rightness.
Before japa: 1) Straighten posture. 2) Chant once, feeling all faculties turn ‘samīcīnāḥ’. 3) On the last word sīdata, pause and rest in stillness for a few breaths.
Notated svara unavailable; recite with clear udātta on key roots and a settling cadence on sīdata.
samīcīnā́ḥ | anū́ṣata | hárim | hínvanti | ádribhiḥ | yónau | ṛtásya | sī́data.
samīcīnāḥ: long ī, retroflex/clear cī, anūṣata: long ū; ṣ is retroflex, adribhiḥ: crisp ‘dri’ cluster; final ḥ audible, ṛtasya: vocalic ṛ; keep it short and clear, sīdata: long ī; dental d (not retroflex)
Begin resonant and directive; soften and deepen on yonau ṛtasya sīdata.
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