Rig Veda 9.76.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 76, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.76
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
वृषेव यूथा परि कोशमर्षस्यपामुपस्थे वृषभः कनिक्रदत् । स इन्द्राय पवसे मत्सरिन्तमो यथा जेषाम समिथे त्वोतयः ॥
vṛ́ṣeva yū́thā pári kóśam arṣasy apā́m upásthe vṛṣabháḥ kánikradat | sá indrā́ya pavase matsarín-tamo yáthā jéṣāma samithé tvó-tayaḥ ||
વૃષભ સમાન, યુથોમાં તું પાત્રની આસપાસ ધસી જાય છે; જળોના ઉપસ્થમાં વૃષભ ગર્જે છે. ઇન્દ્ર માટે તું પવમાન બને છે, મદમાં સર્વોત્કૃષ્ટ, જેથી તારી ઓટ (સહાય)થી અમે સમરમાં વિજયી થઈએ.
Word by Word
- वृषा
- the bull (vigorous one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक) / वृष् (वर्षणे) (निरुक्त-सम्बन्ध)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- यूथा
- herds, troopsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot यूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि
- कोशम्
- vessel, container (vat)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्षसि
- you rush/flowVerbलट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot ऋष् (गत्यर्थे/स्रवणे)
- अपाम्
- of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके बहुधा); षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उपस्थे
- in the lap/bosomNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot उपस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषभः
- the bull (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- कनिक्रदत्
- kept roaring, roared repeatedlyVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट्); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot क्रन्द् (शब्दे) (तीव्र-आवृत्त्यर्थे ‘कनि-’ इति वैदिक-आवृत्तिप्रत्यय/अभ्यास)
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवसे
- you purify yourself / you are purifiedVerbलट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot पू (पवने/शोधने)
- मत्सरिन्तमः
- most exhilarating/most intoxicatingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; तम-प्रत्यय (सुपरलटिव)Role Kartā (विशेषणम्) / संबन्धःRoot मत्सरिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप्
- यथा
- so that, asIndeclinableउपमान/प्रयोजन-अव्ययRoot यथा
- जेषाम
- may we winVerbविधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot जि (जय) → जेष् (वैदिक-आशीर्लिङ्/विधिलिङ्-आधार)
- समिथे
- in the battleNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot समिथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- ऊतयः
- helps, aidsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot ऊति (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): वृषा इव यूथा परि कोशम् अर्षसि । अपाम् उपस्थे वृषभः कनिक्रदत् । सः इन्द्राय पवसे मत्सरिन्तमः यथा जेषाम समिथे त्वा ऊतयः ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) वृषे॑व = वृषा + इव (आ + इ → ए)
- (2) कोश॑मर्षसि = कोशम् + अर्षसि (म् + अ → म)
- (3) अपामु॒पस्थे = अपाम् + उपस्थे (म् + उ → मु)
- (4) इन्द्रा॑य = इन्द्राय (स्वर-संयोग मात्र)
- (5) त्वोतयः = त्वा + ऊतयः (आ + ऊ → ओ)
- (6) कनिक्रदत्: वैदिक-आवृत्त्यभ्यासयुक्तं रूपम् (कनि- + क्रदत् < क्रन्द्), ‘कनिक्रदत्’ इति उच्चारण-भेदेन संधि-छेदः दर्शितः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Like a bull among herds you rush around the vessel; in the lap of the waters the bull bellows. You purify yourself for Indra, most intoxicating, so that we may win in the battle with your help.
Inner meaning
Soma’s force is pictured as a bull—irresistible potency—moving around the kośa (vessel/filter), i.e., circulating through the disciplines that refine it. In the lap of the waters (apām upasthe), the vital and emotional currents that receive and carry experience, this power ‘bellows’: it announces awakened energy. Purifying for Indra, Soma becomes matsarintama—most capable of rapture/intoxication—meaning it can lift consciousness beyond dullness. The ‘battle’ (samithe) is the inner conflict against the Coverer and habitual resistance; with Soma’s aid, victory is sought.
Universal truth
When life-energy is purified into joyful power and offered to higher intelligence, it becomes a decisive aid in overcoming inner resistance and achieving mastery in life’s struggles.
Themes
victory, Soma as generative force, battle against obstruction
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma Pavamāna seers of the Ninth Maṇḍala (exact r̥ṣi uncertain)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.76
Significance
The seer frames purification as dynamic and combative: Soma is not only peace but power—capable of carrying the seeker through inner battles when aligned with Indra’s illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (for Indra; victory-aiding)
- Epithets
- Vṛṣabha (bull), Matsarintama (most rapturous), Indrāya pavase (purifying for Indra)
- Related deities
- Indra, Maruts (battle/force atmosphere, thematic)
Cosmic role
Energizer of Indra; transmuter of vital waters into victorious force; giver of battle-winning exhilaration.
Inner power
Joy-power that turns struggle into uplift; roaring life-force disciplined by purification.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification for Indra in Soma-yajña; victory-prayer tone
वृषे॑व यू॒था परि॒ कोश॑मर्षस्य॒पामु॒पस्थे॑ वृष॒भः कनि॑क्रदत् । स इन्द्रा॑य पवसे मत्स॒रिन्त॑मो॒ यथा॒ जेषा॑म समि॒थे त्वोत॑यः ॥
वृषा॑ऽइव । यू॒था । परि॑ । कोश॑म् । अ॒र्ष॒सि॒ । अ॒पाम् । उ॒पऽस्थे॑ । वृ॒ष॒भः । कनि॑क्रदत् । सः । इन्द्रा॑य । प॒व॒से॒ । म॒त्स॒रिन्ऽत॑मः । यथा॑ । जेषा॑म । स॒म्ऽइ॒थे । त्वाऽऊ॑तयः ॥
vṛṣā-iva | yūthā | pari | kośam | arṣasi | apām | upa-sthe | vṛṣabhaḥ | kanikradat | saḥ | indrāya | pavase | matsarin-tamaḥ | yathā | jeṣāma | sam-ithe | tvā-ūtayaḥ
48
4 pādas of ~12 syllables
Stamping, vigorous, bovine ‘charge’ feel; strong percussive consonants
Invokes strength and courage; good for overcoming lethargy and fear.
- वृषभ (vṛṣabha)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: potent life-force transmuted into spiritual energy
- यूथा (yūthā)
- Literal: herds. Symbolic: multiplicity of impulses/energies to be led and organized
- कोश (kośa)
- Literal: vessel. Symbolic: filtering discipline; the refining container of practice
- अपाम् उपस्थे (apām upasthe)
- Literal: in the lap of waters. Symbolic: in the vital-emotional field that holds and carries experience
- कनिकradat (kanikradat)
- Literal: bellowing, roaring. Symbolic: awakening call of energized consciousness
- मत्सरिन्तम (matsarintama)
- Literal: most exhilarating/intoxicating. Symbolic: most capable of lifting awareness into rapture and courage
- समिथे (samithe)
- Literal: in battle. Symbolic: inner struggle against inertia, doubt, and obscurity
- त्वोतयः (tvotayaḥ)
- Literal: with your help. Symbolic: reliance on the higher delight-force rather than ego strain
Soma pressing/purification verses used to invoke victorious aid; ritually aligned with offering Soma to Indra for success and overcoming hostile forces.
During pressing/filtration and Indra offerings; also adaptable in martial/contest contexts
Chant while Soma flows around/through the filter into the vessel
Use before challenges (exams, competitions, difficult conversations) to invoke purified joy as courage and clarity rather than agitation.
√ṛṣ 'flow/rush' → arṣasi. √krand 'cry/bellow' → kanikradat (intensive). matsara from √mad semantic field (rapture/intoxication) with superlative -tama. √ji 'conquer' → jeṣāma. ūti 'help' (protective aid). Bull imagery (vṛṣa/vṛṣabha) encodes force, fertility, victorious impulsion; 'waters' (ap) are the flowing life-principles and currents of consciousness.
ūtí (divine aid), inner battle (samithi) as transformation struggle, Soma as force of rapture empowering victory
Purification ‘for Indra’ implies r̥ta-aligned force, not chaotic passion.
Victory is sought through higher aid, not false egoic certainty.
Transformation of waters (vital) into bull-force (spiritualized energy).
Karmic yoga of the Veda: action-force uplifted by ananda and illumination
Bull = awakened potency; waters = vital/emotional substratum; vessel = discipline; herd = scattered energies gathered for a single aim.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The bull-Soma rushing around the vessel and roaring in the waters: a mythic emblem of awakened force in the life-streams, purified for Indra to secure victory in the decisive confrontation (samithi).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ji 'conquer' continues PIE *gʷyeh₃-/ *gʷih₃- (victory-related). The bull symbol is pan-Indo-European for strength/fertility/sovereign power. The intensive formation kanikradat reflects archaic Indo-Aryan verbal intensives used in elevated poetic registers.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi seeks not external war-booty but inner conquest: Soma’s rapture-force, purified for Indra, becomes the protective aid (ūtí) by which the seeker overcomes resistance in the transformative struggle.
Transmute vital intensity into purified joy-power; offer it to illumined mind for inner victory.
Manipura (battle/strength) supported by Anahata (joy without aggression)
Brisk-energetic breathing for 1–2 minutes (kapalabhati light, if suitable), then steady nasal breathing while chanting
Courageous, uplifted, battle-ready without anger
When resistance arises, do not wrestle mentally. Circulate the energy through discipline (kośa), let it ‘roar’ as steady strength, then place it under Indra’s clarity: act from luminous decision.
Keep energetic accents on vṛṣabhaḥ, kanikradat, indrāya, samithe.
Let consonants be crisp (vṛ-ṣa-bha, ka-ni-kra-dat); maintain steady pitch steps per Vedic accent marks.
vṛṣeva: vocalic ṛ; avoid ‘ri’, kośam arṣasi: ś vs ṣ distinction; retroflex ṣ in arṣasi, apām upasthe: long ā in apām; aspirate th, matsarintamo: clear -nt- cluster
Strong, resonant, grounded in the chest
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