Rig Veda 9.49.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 49, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.49
- Devata
- Soma
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
पवस्व वृष्टिमा सु नोऽपामूर्मिं दिवस्परि । अयक्ष्मा बृहतीरिषः ॥
pávasva vṛṣṭím ā́ su no ’pā́m ū́rmiṃ divás pári | ayakṣmā́ bṛhatī́r íṣaḥ ||
હે સોમ! તું પોતાને પવિત્ર કર; અમારે ઉપર વૃષ્ટિ વરસાવ—દિવસપારથી આવતી આપઃની ઊર્મિ (તરંગ) સમી; નિરામય, મહાન પ્રેરણાઓ (ઇષઃ) લાવનાર બન.
Word by Word
- पवस्व
- purify thyself / flow on (as Soma)VerbLoṭ (imperative), 2nd person singular, ĀtmanepadaRole (finite verb)Root √पू (पूञ्) / √पु (पुनाति) ‘to purify, flow (as Soma)’
- वृष्टिम्
- rain, showerNounFeminine, Accusative singularRole KarmaRoot वृष्टि- (from √वृष् ‘to rain, shower’)
- आ
- towards, hither; forthIndeclinableUpasarga (directional/intensifying) with the verbRoot आ (preverb) / ā (upasarga)
- सु
- well, indeedIndeclinableNipāta (enclitic particle)Root सु (particle)
- नः
- of us, for usPronounGenitive plural (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary) / PossessorRoot अस्मद्- (1st person pronoun)
- अपाम्
- of the watersNounFeminine (Vedic), Genitive pluralRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (genitival relation)Root अप्- ‘water’
- ऊर्मिम्
- wave, surgeNounMasculine, Accusative singularRole KarmaRoot ऊर्मि- ‘wave, billow’
- दिवः
- from heavenNounFeminine (Vedic dyā́us), Ablative singular (also formally identical to Gen. sg. in some stems; here with परि → Ablative)Role ApādānaRoot द्यौ-/दिव्- ‘sky, heaven’
- परि
- from around; forth fromIndeclinableUpasarga/Preposition-like adverb governing an ablatival senseRoot परि (preverb/indeclinable)
- अयक्ष्मा
- free from disease, unailingAdjectiveFeminine, Nominative singular (agreeing with इषः)Role Kartā (as qualifier of the subject)Root यक्ष्म- ‘disease, wasting illness’ with privative a-
- बृहतीः
- great, abundantAdjectiveFeminine, Nominative plural (agreeing with इषः)Role Kartā (as qualifier of the subject)Root बृहती- ‘great, lofty’ (fem. adj.)
- इषः
- refreshments, invigorating draughts / nourishmentsNounFeminine, Nominative pluralRole KartāRoot इष्-/इषा- ‘refreshment, strength, nourishment’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: सु नोऽपामूर्मिं → सु + नः + अपाम् + ऊर्मिम् (o’ from visarga sandhi: नः + अपाम् → नोऽपाम्; and vowel coalescence: अपाम् + ऊर्मिम् → अपामूर्मिम्). दि॒वस्परि॑ → दिवः + परि (visarga before p becomes s: दिवः परि → दिवस् परि). Accent marks are retained from the Saṃhitā text
- pada-forms shown are the resolved lexical words
The meaning
Outer meaning
Purify yourself and pour on us rain—the wave of waters from beyond heaven—bringing great invigorating impulses, free from affliction.
Inner meaning
Soma is invoked to self-purify and then descend as a ‘rain’ of higher consciousness: a wave (ūrmi) of the cosmic waters (āpah) coming from beyond the ordinary mind (‘divas pari’). This descent brings bṛhatī iṣaḥ—large impulsions of force and inspiration—without yakṣma (affliction): free from the diseased vibrations of ignorance, depression, and vital disturbance.
Universal truth
When the inner delight is purified, it can descend as a healing influx from higher consciousness—restoring wholeness and releasing large, beneficent energies.
Themes
purification, descent of grace, healing, waters symbolism
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.49.2, Rig Veda 9.49.3
Family tradition
Pavamāna hymns are preserved as a specialized Soma corpus; the rishi-voice here is that of the practitioner invoking a healing descent.
Significance
A direct prayer for descent: purified Soma as supramental-like wave bringing health, largeness, and force—highly usable for meditation practice.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (Pavamāna)
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), vṛṣṭi-kṛt (rain-maker—functional), bṛhatī-īṣa-dātṛ (giver of vast impulsions), ayakṣma (affliction-removing)
- Related deities
- Āpas (cosmic waters), Parjanya (rain), Indra (release of waters), Agni (purifier)
Cosmic role
As celestial water and delight, Soma rains down vitality and inspiration; cleanses and restores harmony in the worlds.
Inner power
Healing descent of Ananda-śakti: a purifying, nourishing wave that removes inner ‘disease’ (yakṣma) and implants large right impulses.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and invocation for blessings (rain/health/force)
पव॑स्व वृ॒ष्टिमा सु नो॒ऽपामू॒र्मिं दि॒वस्परि॑ । अ॒य॒क्ष्मा बृ॑ह॒तीरिष॑: ॥
पव॑स्व । वृ॒ष्टिम् । आ । सु । नः॒ । अ॒पाम् । ऊ॒र्मिम् । दि॒वः । परि॑ । अ॒य॒क्ष्माः । बृ॒ह॒तीः । इषः॑ ॥
pavasva | vṛṣṭim | ā | su | naḥ | apām | ūrmim | divaḥ | pari | ayakṣmāḥ | bṛhatīḥ | iṣaḥ
Jagatī (probable; longer line with expansive feel typical of many Soma verses)
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4 pādas × ~12 syllables (approximate)
Broad, rolling, wave-like; matches ‘ūrmi’ (wave) and ‘bṛhatī’ (vast).
Induces a sense of spacious descent and cleansing; suitable for slow, meditative chanting with a ‘rainfall’ cadence.
- pavasva
- Literal: purify yourself, flow clear. Symbolic: let consciousness clarify and become a pure channel
- vṛṣṭi
- Literal: rain. Symbolic: descent of grace/illumination/energy into the being
- āpām ūrmi
- Literal: wave of the waters. Symbolic: surge of the cosmic life-energy and consciousness-force (āpas) in purified form
- divas pari
- Literal: from beyond heaven. Symbolic: from beyond the ordinary luminous mind—higher plane of consciousness
- ayakṣmāḥ
- Literal: free from sickness/affliction. Symbolic: unmixed force free from tamas, despair, toxic desire-patterns
- bṛhatīḥ iṣaḥ
- Literal: great/lofty impulses, refreshments. Symbolic: large inspirations and effective energies that uplift and nourish the whole nature
Direct pavamāna imperative used in Soma filtering; inwardly, calling for a descent of higher waters as healing expansive energies
During Pavamāna sequences; also thematically linked to prayers for rain and well-being in sacrificial context.
Chant as Soma flows through the filter; invite its ‘rain’ of blessings upon the sacrificers.
Use as a healing-and-renewal mantra: for fatigue, emotional heaviness, or before meditation to invite a clean energetic influx.
pavasva from √pū/√pav ‘to purify, clarify’ (Soma’s epithet pavamāna). vṛṣṭi from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, shower’ (also ‘to be potent’). ūrmí ‘wave’ relates to water motion. yakṣma ‘illness’ (negated a-). bṛhat from √bṛh ‘grow, expand’ central to Vedic ‘Bṛhat’ vastness. iṣ from √iṣ ‘impel, invigorate’ → impulses of force/nourishment.
bṛhat (vastness) as spiritual expansion, healing wholeness (ayakṣma) as harmony in ṛta
Purification implies right flow; the ‘wave from beyond heaven’ suggests a higher-order current entering the human system according to ṛta.
Ayakṣma force is ‘true’ force—unmixed, not distorted by falsehood or imbalance.
Waters-from-above motif: creation and renewal by descent of higher waters/essence.
Vedantic/integral: higher plane influx as transformative grace; Soma as ananda-substance.
rainy season motif (symbolic)
Rain/waters = descending consciousness-energy; wave = palpable surge of prāṇa-śakti; beyond heaven = beyond ordinary mind into higher awareness; freedom from yakṣma = psycho-physical harmonization.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘heavenly waters/rain’ descent mythologem: Soma as purifier brings a rain-like wave of waters. Inner sense: clarified consciousness calls down higher life-forces that heal disorder and expand the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- divaḥ reflects PIE *di̯ew- ‘sky/day’. √bṛh ‘grow’ has IE growth semantics (cf. English burgeon is not cognate, but the ‘grow/expand’ root families are widespread). Water-wave imagery is a pan-IE poetic resource for vitality and inspiration.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s imperative ‘pavasva’ is an act of aspiration: he asks Soma to clarify and then to descend as healing, widening energies. The devata’s gift is not merely ‘rain’ but ordered life-force aligned to wholeness.
Invite a ‘rain’ of higher clarity: feel a cool luminous wave descending through crown to heart and navel, washing strain and dullness.
Sahasrara (descent from beyond) to Anahata (healing)
Slow inhalation imagining gathering the wave above the head; long exhale letting it ‘rain’ down the spine/front channel.
Receptive peace with gentle fullness; healing ananda-current.
Chant slowly. After each recitation, pause and sense subtle ‘waterfall’ sensations—coolness, spaciousness, quiet joy. Offer any ‘yakṣma’ (heavy thought, fatigue) into the descending wave.
Follow Rigvedic accent marks where present (e.g., पव॑स्व, वृ॒ष्टिम्); keep svarita glides gentle to mimic ‘wave’.
Let ‘pavasva’ be the clear call; broaden on ‘āpām ūrmiṃ’; soften on ‘ayakṣmā’.
pavasva: ‘va’ clear, not ‘ba’, vṛṣṭim: vocalic ṛ; ṣṭ cluster crisp, ūrmiṃ: long ‘ū’, nasal ‘ṃ’ at end, ayakṣmāḥ: ‘kṣ’ as ‘k’+‘ṣ’, long ‘āḥ’ with visarga
Cool, flowing, slightly elongated vowels; steady and soothing.
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