Rig Veda 9.63.30: Mandala 9, Sukta 63, Mantra 30
Sukta 9.63
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer-poets
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अस्मे वसूनि धारय सोम दिव्यानि पार्थिवा । इन्दो विश्वानि वार्या ॥
asmé vásūni dhāraya sóma divyā́ni pā́rthivā | índo víśvāni vā́ryā ||
હે સોમ, અમારા માટે ધનો ધારણ કર—દિવ્ય અને પાર્થીવ; હે ઇન્દુ, અમારા અંદર સર્વ વરણીય સમૃદ્ધિઓને પોષી રાખ.
Word by Word
- अस्मे
- to us / for usPronounसर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप (अस्मै > अस्मे)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्
- वसूनि
- wealths, goodsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वसु
- धारय
- hold, place, bestowVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root धृ (धारणे)
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोम
- दिव्यानि
- heavenly, divineAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; विशेषण (वसूनि)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root दिव्य
- पार्थिवा
- earthly, terrestrialAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; विशेषण (वसूनि)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root पार्थिव
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma-drop)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु
- विश्वानि
- allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; विशेषण (वार्या)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root विश्व
- वार्या
- choice treasures, desirable richesNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; (धन/वरेण्य-वस्तूनि) ‘choice goods/treasures’Role कर्मRoot वार्य
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolution): अस्मे | वसूनि | धारय | सोम | दिव्यानि | पार्थिवा | इन्दो | विश्वानि | वार्या । विशेष: ‘अस्मे’ = अस्मै (चतुर्थी एकवचन) का वैदिक एन्क्लिटिक रूप
- ‘धारय’ लोट् मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन (परस्मैपद) ‘धृ’ धातु से।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to Soma (Indu) to hold and bestow riches for the worshippers—both celestial (divyāni) and earthly (pārthivā)—and to sustain all desirable boons (vāryā).
Inner meaning
Soma-Pavamāna is invoked as the purified Delight that can “hold” (dhāraya) within the seeker both the higher illuminations of the mind-sky (divya) and the stable powers needed for embodied life (pārthiva). The verse asks that these inner riches not merely descend as momentary experiences, but be retained and integrated in the being—so the entire nature is supported by desirable plenitudes (vāryā) of light, force, joy, and harmony.
Universal truth
Spiritual realization must be conserved and embodied: the highest inspirations (heaven) and practical capacities (earth) are meant to be unified and sustained in the human instrument by the power of purified consciousness-bliss.
Themes
boon request, plenitude, heaven-earth integration, Soma as sustainer
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer-poets (Pavāmāna-maṇḍala tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.63 (Pavāmāna cycle), RV 9.64 (adjacent Pavāmāna hymn-stream), RV 9.61–9.62 (nearby Soma-purification sequences)
Family tradition
Ninth Maṇḍala is a liturgical-seer tradition of Soma hymns transmitted by multiple priestly families; the ‘seer’ is often the inspired lineage rather than a single named ṛṣi.
Significance
The Pavāmāna seers specialize in the yoga of purification: Soma as clarifying delight that washes the mind, releases light, and stabilizes the gains of inner sacrifice.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Indu (luminous drop), Soma (nectar of delight)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
The flowing, clarifying essence that moves through the filters (inner and outer), separating truth from mixture, and distributing strength, joy, and illumination to gods/powers in the sacrifice.
Inner power
Ānanda that purifies the nature, supports integration of higher and lower, and sustains the seeker in desirable plenitudes aligned with ṛta.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-pavitra/pavamāna recitation during Soma pressing and purification sequences
अ॒स्मे वसू॑नि धारय॒ सोम॑ दि॒व्यानि॒ पार्थि॑वा । इन्दो॒ विश्वा॑नि॒ वार्या॑ ॥
अ॒स्मे इति॑ । वसू॑नि । धा॒र॒य॒ । सोम॑ । दि॒व्यानि॑ । पार्थि॑वा । इन्दो॒ इति॑ । विश्वा॑नि । वार्या॑ ॥
asme iti | vasūni | dhāraya | soma | divyāni | pārthivā | indo iti | viśvāni | vāryā
48
4 pādas × 12 syllables (Pavāmāna verses frequently use Jagatī for expansive ‘holding/sustaining’ sense).
Broad, carrying cadence suited to ‘dhāraya’—a sustained, supportive movement.
Encourages a feeling of containment and integration: the listener senses a steady vessel forming to hold higher and lower riches together.
- वसूनि (vasūni)
- Literal: riches, goods, treasures. Symbolic: inner wealth: capacities of consciousness—light, force, harmony, joy, right action
- धारय (dhāraya)
- Literal: hold, bear, sustain. Symbolic: integration and retention of realizations; stabilizing siddhi in the nature
- दिव्यानि (divyāni)
- Literal: heavenly, celestial. Symbolic: higher mind/illumined mind gifts: insight, inspiration, luminous discernment
- पार्थिवा (pārthivā)
- Literal: earthly, terrestrial. Symbolic: embodied effectiveness: steadiness, health, material support, grounded action
- इन्दु (indu)
- Literal: bright drop; Soma. Symbolic: purified essence of delight that clarifies and uplifts consciousness
- वार्या (vāryā)
- Literal: choice-worthy, desirable boons. Symbolic: plenitudes of being that are aligned with ṛta: true joy, true power, true knowledge
Concluding boon-request: Soma asked to ‘hold’ riches for the sacrificer—both divya and pārthiva—typical of Soma hymns’ bestowal section
During Soma-yajña stages when Soma is filtered and offered; also as part of Pavāmāna stotras in some traditions
Chant while Soma flows through the strainer (pavitra), invoking preservation and distribution of ‘vasu’
Used as a meditation-prayer for integrating spiritual insight with daily life stability—‘hold in me the heavenly and the earthly’.
vasu: ‘good, wealth, dwelling’ (√vas ‘to dwell’ → that which makes dwelling secure, stable felicity); dhāraya: imperative of √dhṛ ‘hold, sustain’; divyāni from √div ‘shine’; pārthiva from pṛthivī ‘earth’ (broad world); vārya from √vṛ ‘choose’ → ‘choice-worthy, desirable’ (hence inner boons to be selected by the soul).
integration of higher (divya) and embodied (pārthiva) attainments, vasu as stable fullness of being, vārya as soul-choice aligned to Ṛta
Soma sustains the seeker in ‘vāryā’—choice-worthy plenitudes that accord with ṛta rather than impulsive desire.
The ‘divyāni’ riches imply true illuminations; Soma’s purification makes them stable and trustworthy.
Union of Heaven-and-Earth within the human being: higher consciousness embodied in terrestrial life.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent of consciousness with descent into life for transformation.
The ‘flow’ is the movement of clarified delight through the mind-nerves; heaven/earth are higher mind and embodied nature needing unification.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the holder and distributor of ‘riches’ from both heaven and earth. Mythically, the god-nectar grants boons across worlds; psychologically, Soma stabilises both higher illuminations (divyāni) and embodied fulfillments (pārthivā) as integrated plenitude.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhṛ ‘hold’ reflects PIE *dher-; divyá from √div matches PIE *dei̯w-; vārya from √vṛ ‘choose’ corresponds to PIE *wel- ‘to wish/choose’ in broad semantic space (cf. English ‘will’ as volition is a functional parallel). The heaven-earth dyad is a classic IE cosmological pairing.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi asks Soma to ‘hold in us’ (asmé dhāraya) the stable felicities—indicating an inward possession, not external acquisition. Soma is the sustaining power that makes attainments durable and harmonised across planes of consciousness and life.
Integration: invite purified delight to hold together higher inspiration and grounded capacity.
Anāhata–Ājñā axis (heart joy supporting illumined mind)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) while repeating ‘dhāraya’ with the exhale for consolidation.
Quiet, steady wideness; ‘contained vastness’ rather than ecstatic surge.
After meditation or insight, repeat this mantra to ‘seal’ the gain: feel a luminous nectar descending, then stabilizing in the body and life-energies.
Notated svara depends on śākhā; generally maintain Vedic accent integrity: udatta peaks on key vocatives (sóma, índo) and verb (dhāraya) per recensional marking.
Keep vocatives clear: ‘sóma’ and ‘índo’; avoid flattening the cadence—Jagatī-like breadth benefits from even pāda pacing.
asme: keep short ‘a’ + clear ‘sm’ cluster, vasūni: long ‘ū’ sustained, dhāraya: aspirated ‘dhā’ with long ā; light ‘ya’, divyāni: ‘vy’ conjunct clean, no inserted vowel, pārthivā: aspirate ‘th’ (not dental t), viśvāni: ‘śv’ crisp; vāryā: long ā, rolled ‘ry’ lightly
Clear, steady, ‘holding’ tone; avoid excessive force—aim for sustained support.
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