Rig Veda 9.13.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 13, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.13
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अत्या हियाना न हेतृभिरसृग्रं वाजसातये । वि वारमव्यमाशवः ॥
átyā hiyānā́ ná hetṛ́bhir ásṛgram vā́ja-sātaye | ví vā́ram ávyam āśávaḥ ||
Yeh dhaarein tez ghodon ki tarah daudti hain. Koi unhe maar ke nahi chalata, khud se chalte hain. Shakti paane ke liye bahate hain. Woh kapde se paani saaf karte hain jaise chaan laga rahe ho.
Word by Word
- अत्या
- exceedingly; over, beyondIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (intensifier; also used as preverb)Root अति
- हियाना
- hastening; impelling themselvesVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रकार), प्रथमा बहुवचन (पुं.)Role KartāRoot ह्यै (ह्यायते) / हि (गतौ) (Vedic) → हियान-
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- हेतृभिः
- with/through the impellers (drivers, instigators)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot हेतृ (प्रातिपदिक) < √हि/√हे (प्रेरणे) + तृ
- असृग्रम्
- they sent forth; they let flowVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), 3 पुरुष बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √सृज् (सृजति) (Vedic aorist stem असृज्-)
- वाजसातये
- for the winning of prize/strengthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot वाजसाति (प्रातिपदिक) = वाज + साति (< √सन्/√सा ‘to win, gain’)
- वि
- apart; forth; widelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot वि
- वारम्
- the covering/obstruction; enclosure (veil)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वार (प्रातिपदिक)
- अव्यम्
- unwoven; not of wool (i.e., not a woollen filter/cover)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (वारम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot अव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- आशवः
- the swift onesAdjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot आशु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अत्या | हियाना | न | हेतृभिः | असृग्रम् | वाजसातये | वि | वारम् | अव्यम् | आशवः । 1) अत्या हियाना: ‘अत्या’ (अति + आ, intensifying) stands as an indeclinable before the participle. 2) हेतृभिः असृग्रम्: no further sandhi beyond external combination
- verb is Vedic aorist 3pl. 3) वि वारम् अव्यम्: adjective ‘अव्यम्’ agrees with ‘वारम्’ (both n. acc. sg.)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Like swift horses rushing, not driven by goads, they have streamed forth for the winning of vāja; the eager ones have spread out the woolen filter.
Inner meaning
The Soma currents surge like inner steeds (atyāḥ)—vital energies made swift and luminous—moving by their own joy, not by external compulsion (na hetṛbhiḥ). When delight is genuine, the sadhana advances without coercion. Their streaming is for vājasātaye: effective power. ‘They spread the woolen filter’ (vi vāram avyam): the discriminating, purifying medium in consciousness is widened—an inner pavitra that opens the way for clarified Ananda to pass unobstructed.
Universal truth
The deepest progress is self-moved: when aspiration is joyful and sincere, energy runs naturally; discernment widens the channel so life-force becomes clear power.
Themes
Speed and force, Purification mechanics, Vāja attainment, Soma-ritual imagery
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.74 (Soma as swift, self-driven), RV 1.163 (horse symbolism, inner force), RV 9.86 (filter/pavitra imagery)
Family tradition
Pavamāna vision of Soma as a self-driven current; horse symbolism as dynamic life-force in yoga of works.
Significance
The seer emphasizes effortless force: the divine current moves without whip—an ideal of spontaneous right action (karma) born of Ananda.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (as flowing forces)
- Epithets
- Āśu/Āśava (swift), Atya-like (steed-like), Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Vāyu (movement, breath), Indra (victory-force), Agni (impelling will)
Cosmic role
Mobilizer of energies; clarifier through the filter; makes the sacrifice (inner work) dynamic and victorious.
Inner power
Transforms tamasic inertia into swift sattvic/illumined movement; establishes inner discrimination (filter) for pure delight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma straining: describing the flow and the spreading of the filter
अत्या॑ हिया॒ना न हे॒तृभि॒रसृ॑ग्रं॒ वाज॑सातये । वि वार॒मव्य॑मा॒शव॑: ॥
अत्याः॑ । हि॒या॒नाः । न । हे॒तृऽभिः॑ । असृ॑ग्रम् । वाज॑ऽसातये । वि । वार॑म् । अव्य॑म् । आ॒शवः॑ ॥
atyāḥ | hiyānāḥ | na | hetṛ-bhiḥ | asṛgram | vāja-sātaye | vi | vāram | avyam | āśavaḥ
24
3×8 (approx.)
rapid, kinetic; imagery-driven cadence like galloping
stimulates prāṇa, encourages forward momentum; clears sluggishness
- अत्याः (atyāḥ)
- Literal: swift steeds. Symbolic: vital energies/forces of action made swift by delight
- हियानाः (hiyānāḥ)
- Literal: rushing, impelled. Symbolic: spontaneous inner drive of sadhana when Ananda awakens
- न हेतृभिः (na hetṛ-bhiḥ)
- Literal: not by goads/drivers. Symbolic: not by external pressure; inner compulsion replaced by self-moved force
- असृग्रम् (asṛgram)
- Literal: they streamed/flowed forth. Symbolic: release of the current from obstruction; movement of consciousness
- वारम् अव्यम् (vāram avyam)
- Literal: woolen strainer/filter. Symbolic: purifying discernment; subtle nervous-mental sieve that clarifies experience
- आशवः (āśavaḥ)
- Literal: swift/eager ones. Symbolic: keen energies of the being aligned to the flow
Description of Soma rushing through/over the woolen filter; inner application: spontaneous aspiration-driven movement of energies, not forced, opening the discriminative sieve.
as Soma runs through the woolen strainer; to energize the rite
chant while arranging/spreading the filter and receiving the flow
use when stuck or procrastinating: invoke self-moved energy and widen discernment before acting
atyā ‘steed’ used as simile for rapid Soma currents. hetṛ ‘goad/impeller’ (instrumental plural) contrasts external driving vs intrinsic impetus. vāra ‘cover/strainer’ and avyá ‘woolen’ are technical ritual terms; psychologically, the ‘filter’ is the discriminating/clarifying faculty through which energies are refined.
Spontaneous tapas (inner heat/drive) vs external compulsion, Ṛta (right channeling via filter), Dynamic will (āśu)
The ‘right motion’ of energies—swift but ordered—expresses Ṛta in action.
The filter symbolizes truth-discrimination that separates mixed impulses from pure force.
Opening of channels: from obstruction to free flow—creation as release into ordered movement.
Yoga of works within Integral Vedānta: spontaneous force guided by discernment.
Prāṇic surge (horse-force) guided by a widened ‘sieve’ of awareness that clarifies motives and emotions.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘Soma as self-driven steeds through the filter’: the currents rush like horses, not goaded, spreading/opening the woolen strainer for vāja-sāti. Inner sense: true inner progress is propelled from within (tapas/aspiration), and the ‘filter’ of discernment is widened to let the clarified force through.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The horse simile (atyāḥ) is central to IE poetics where speed/horse imagery expresses divine energy and victorious force. The technical ritual vocabulary (vāra, avyá) sits alongside heroic imagery, a characteristic layering in early Indo-European hymn style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi witnesses/evokes a mode of divine working: Soma’s energies move without external ‘goads’ (hetṛ), implying inner consent and natural drive. The practitioner’s role is to provide the ‘filter’ and the space; Soma’s role is to surge and refine, producing effective power (vāja).
Feel prāṇa as swift horses; let them run without strain, guided by a wide, calm discernment-filter.
Maṇipūra (dynamic force) regulated by Ājñā (discrimination)
brisk-energetic: 20–30 gentle kapalabhāti strokes, then chant once slowly to ‘filter’ the energy
alert, vigorous, streamlined
Before action: (1) awaken energy, (2) widen the ‘filter’—ask what is pure motive, (3) act with self-driven steadiness.
Rigvedic accents as per saṃhitā; keep the kinetic feel without rushing past udātta peaks.
Mark clear breaks at pāda ends; keep ‘na hetṛbhiḥ’ distinct so ‘not by goads’ is intelligible.
atyāḥ: palatal ‘ty’ crisp; long ā, hetṛbhiḥ: vocalic ṛ in hetṛ; aspirate ‘bh’, asṛgram: vocalic ṛ; ‘gr’ conjunct clear, vāram: long ā; roll ‘r’ lightly, avyam: ‘vya’ conjunct clean
bright, forward, energized but not strained
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