Rig Veda 9.85.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 85, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.85
अस्मान्त्समर्ये पवमान चोदय दक्षो देवानामसि हि प्रियो मदः । जहि शत्रूँरभ्या भन्दनायतः पिबेन्द्र सोममव नो मृधो जहि ॥
asmā́n samaryé pavamāna codaya dákṣo devā́nām ási hí priyó mádaḥ | jahí śátrūn abhyā̀ bhandanāyatáḥ píbendra sómam áva no mṛ́dho jahí ||
હે પવમાન સોમ, યુદ્ધમાં અમને આગળ ધપાવ; કારણ કે તું દેવોનું દક્ષ (કૌશલ્ય-શક્તિ) છે, અને તેમનો પ્રિય મદ (આનંદ-ઉલ્લાસ) છે. જે શત્રુઓ અમને બાંધવા માટે અમારી ઉપર ચઢી આવે છે, તેમને સંહાર; હે ઇન્દ્ર, સોમ પાન કર—અમને રક્ષા કર, અને અમારા માર્ગને અટકાવતાં આક્રમણોને નાશ કર.
Martial/protective application within Soma sacrifice: Soma is pressed and offered to Indra to empower victory; mantra used to urge forward and repel binding/hostile forces.
dakṣa (effective divine capacity), overcoming bondage (bandha) and hostility (mṛdh), ecstasy (mada) as power for victory
The ‘battle’ is for establishing ṛta against forces of binding disorder.
Victory implies alignment with truth-intent rather than egoic aggression.
Transformation as conquest of the field of nature; liberation from bonds.
Integral Yoga reading: resistance is part of evolution; Ananda + Light (Indra) overcome it.
Drinking = inward assimilation; binding = compulsive patterning; battle = tapas in action; assaults = waves from lower nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s victory is powered by Soma: Soma urges the fighters forward; Indra drinks and smites the binding enemies. Inner sense: delight-clarity (Soma) awakens the luminous will (Indra) to break compulsions and hostile resistances.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √han ‘strike/kill’ (jahi) continues PIE *gʷhen- ‘to strike, slay’ (cf. Avestan jan-, Slavic goniti?; classic cognate: Greek phénō ‘slay’ is sometimes compared). √pā ‘drink’ reflects PIE *peh₃- ‘drink’ (cf. Lat. pōtus ‘drunk’, Eng. potable). band(h) ‘bind’ aligns with PIE *bʰendʰ- ‘bind’ (cf. Eng. bind).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Soma to act directly on the human collectivity (‘impel us’) while also mediating Indra’s protective violence (‘drink… slay’). The exchange is tripartite: the human presses Soma; Soma becomes dakṣa/mada for the gods; Indra returns protection and victory to the human field.
Invoke joy as power; offer the delight to the illumined mind to break bindings.
Maṇipūra (will/fire of effort) with support from Ājñā (Indra’s light).
Brisk kapālabhāti (if suitable) or 3 rounds of bhastrikā-light to awaken battle-energy, then chant steadily.
Dynamic, courageous, forward-moving.
When resistance arises, chant 11 times; on ‘jahi’ feel a decisive cut through the knot; then sit and let the will become quiet but firm.
Maintain strong udatta on imperative verbs (codaya, jahi, piba) and on indra; keep anudatta grounded for steadiness; let svarita fall cleanly to avoid agitation.
Give ‘jahi’ crisp articulation without harshness; keep the line continuous to preserve momentum.
asmān: long ā; clear ‘sm’ cluster, pavamāna: ‘pa-va-mā-na’ with long ā, codaya: ‘co-da-ya’ (o long), bhandanāyataḥ: keep ‘bh’ aspirated; long ā; retroflex ṇ, mṛdho: retroflex ṛ; ‘mṛ-dho’
Firm, energized, slightly resonant in chest; end with protective assurance.
11
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