Rig Veda 9.21.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 21, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.21
- Devata
- Soma with explicit relation to Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एते धावन्तीन्दवः सोमा इन्द्राय घृष्वयः । मत्सरासः स्वर्विदः ॥
eté dhā́vantī́ndavaḥ sómā índrāya ghṛ́ṣvayaḥ | matsarā́saḥ svarvídaḥ ||
Yeh Som ras ke boond bhaag rahe hain Indra ke liye. Woh poori taakat se chal rahe hain. Yeh boond aisa ras dete hain ki mann khush ho jata hai aur taakat aa jati hai. Yeh ujiya duniya dhoondh laate hain, andar hi andar chamakdaar gyaan jaag jata hai.
Word by Word
- एते
- thesePronoun (demonstrative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot एतद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- धावन्ति
- run / rushVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ-क्रियाRoot धाव् (धावति)
- इन्दवः
- drops (of Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot इन्दु (prātipadika)
- सोमाः
- Soma-juicesNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (apposition to इन्दवः)Root सोम (prātipadika)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (prātipadika)
- घृष्वयः
- glittering / ardent / impetuousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (agreeing with इन्दवः/सोमाः)Role कर्तृ (qualifier)Root घृष्वि/घृष्व (adjectival prātipadika; Vedic)
- मत्सरासः
- intoxicating / exhilaratingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (agreeing with इन्दवः/सोमाः)Role कर्तृ (qualifier)Root मत्सर (prātipadika)
- स्वर्विदः
- finding/bringing heaven (light)Adjective (participial/agent-noun)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (agreeing with इन्दवः/सोमाः)Role कर्तृ (qualifier)Root स्वर् + विद् (kṛdanta: विद् ‘to find/know’ with object स्वर्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एते | धावन्ति | इन्दवः | सोमाः | इन्द्राय | घृष्वयः | मत्सरासः | स्वर्विदः । Sandhi: (1) धावन्ति + इन्दवः → धावन्तीन्दवः (इ-आगमः/स्वर-सन्धिः: इ + इ → ई)
- (2) इन्दवः + सोमाः: no external sandhi in saṃhitā here (pada boundary retained)
- Accents (as transmitted): ए॒ते (anudātta marking), धा॑व॒न्ति (udātta on धा), इन्द॑वः (udātta on इन्द), सोमा॒ः (udātta on मा), इन्द्रा॑य (udātta on द्रा), घृष्व॑यः (udātta on घृष्व), मत्स॒रास॑ः (udātta on रा), स्व॒र्विद॑ः (udātta on विद)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma drops (indavaḥ) rush forward for Indra; they are ardent/pressing, exhilarating, and “finders of svar” (the sun-world).
Inner meaning
The purified currents of delight-consciousness (Soma as pavamāna) surge toward the illumined Mind (Indra). Their “intoxication” is not sensory but a rapture that lifts the mental being into force and victory. By this uplift they become svar-vid—discoverers of the inner Sun: the hidden plane of luminous knowledge and right seeing in us.
Universal truth
When delight is purified and offered to the higher intelligence, it becomes a power of illumination: joy turns into knowledge-force, and ecstasy becomes discernment that finds the ‘sun’ within experience.
Themes
Indra-Soma synergy, light-finding, inner exhilaration
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda Book 9 (Pavamāna Soma corpus, especially hymns describing svar-vid and Indra-sustaining Soma)
Family tradition
Pavamāna-Soma visionary tradition: seers of the ‘flowing purification’ who map inner ascent through delight and clarity.
Significance
The anonymous seer-voice functions as a collective yogic witness: the mantra is less personal authorship and more a repeatable inner process—delight purified into illumination for the Indra-force.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (in dynamic relation to Indra)
- Epithets
- pavamāna (purifying/flowing), indavaḥ (drops), svar-vid (finder of the sun-world)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Sūrya, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Soma as the clarifying stream that nourishes the gods—especially Indra—so the powers of light can win over obscurity and establish order.
Inner power
The bliss-current that, when purified, becomes a force of revelation and energizes the illumined mind to break coverings and bring in the solar consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma sacrifice: Pavamāna chanting during Soma purification/pressing sequences
ए॒ते धा॑व॒न्तीन्द॑व॒: सोमा॒ इन्द्रा॑य॒ घृष्व॑यः । म॒त्स॒रास॑: स्व॒र्विद॑: ॥
ए॒ते । धा॒व॒न्ति॒ । इन्द॑वः । सोमाः॑ । इन्द्रा॑य । घृष्व॑यः । म॒त्स॒रासः॑ । स्वः॒ऽविदः॑ ॥
ete | dhāvanti | indavaḥ | somāḥ | indrāya | ghṛṣvayaḥ | matsarāsaḥ | svaḥ-vidaḥ
Likely Gāyatrī (Book 9 frequently uses Gāyatrī/Anuṣṭubh in short pavamāna verses)
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3 pādas of ~8 syllables (Gāyatrī-like cadence)
Quick, forward-driving, suited to ‘dhāvanti’ (running/streaming).
Produces an uplifting, pressing momentum; supports concentration that ‘rises’ rather than expands diffusely.
- इन्दवः (indavaḥ)
- Literal: drops (of Soma). Symbolic: currents/drops of purified delight-consciousness moving in the subtle being
- सोमाः (somāḥ)
- Literal: Soma juices. Symbolic: ananda-substance; bliss that can be clarified into spiritual power
- इन्द्राय (indrāya)
- Literal: for Indra. Symbolic: offered to the illumined Mind/Divine Intelligence for inner victory
- घृष्वयः (ghṛṣvayaḥ)
- Literal: ardent, pressing on. Symbolic: intense tapas-like drive of aspiration and concentrated movement upward
- मत्सरासः (matsarāsaḥ)
- Literal: intoxicating/exhilarating. Symbolic: rapture that overcomes inertia and awakens power (śakti) in the soul
- स्वर्विदः (svarvidaḥ)
- Literal: finders of svar (sun-world). Symbolic: discoverers of inner light, revelation, and luminous knowledge
Soma offering to Indra in the Soma sacrifice: the purified drops are prepared as Indra’s strengthening draught; inwardly, Soma nourishes Indra-power (illumined force) to win the light (svar).
During the flowing/straining of Soma (pavamāna-stotra context in Soma-yajña traditions)
Chant to accompany the movement of Soma through the filter, invoking its power to gladden Indra and open ‘svar’.
Use as a meditation-chant before focused work: invoke purified joy to energize clarity, insight, and decisive intelligence.
from √dhāv ‘run’. ‘drop; bright point’ (also ‘moon’ later), likely from √ind ‘to kindle/shine’ (etymology debated). from √ghṛṣ ‘rub, be hot/ardent; make vivid’ (cf. ghṛta ‘bright/clarified’ from √ghṛ). from √mad ‘be exhilarated/intoxicated’ with intensifying formation. (svar) ‘sunlight/heaven’ (PIE *sóh₂w(e)l- ‘sun’ in wider IE comparisons, though Vedic svar has its own developments); - from √vid ‘know/find’ (PIE *weid- ‘see/know’).
Indra as illumined force, svar as world of light/knowledge, ecstasy (mad/matsara) as energizer of right action
Soma’s ordered flow supports Indra’s victory, restoring r̥ta by replacing confusion with luminous discernment.
Svar-vid points to truth-seeing: knowledge that is self-luminous rather than inferred.
Revelation of the hidden Sun: the inner world of light is ‘found’ when delight is clarified.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic psychology (as developed by Sri Aurobindo’s interpretation of Vedic symbols).
Dawn-to-sunrise symbolism implied (movement toward svar).
The ‘flow’ is the movement of purified delight through the mind; the ‘sun’ is the revealed plane of illumination within consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The classic Indra-Soma mythologem: Soma streams hasten to Indra to empower him for the attainment of svar (the luminous world). Innerly, delight-truth feeds the illumined will so it can recover the sunlit knowledge from obscurity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid in svar-vid is a strong PIE inheritance from *weid- ‘see/know’. The collocation ‘find/know the light’ is an old IE poetic idea: knowledge as seeing, light as truth.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns the Soma-flow towards Indra within himself: by invoking Soma ‘for Indra’, the chant orchestrates an inner collaboration—delight (Soma) empowers luminous force (Indra) to become ‘finder of svar’ in the practitioner.
Offer the day’s emotional energy into a higher clarity: feel joy becoming force and insight.
Ājñā (illumined mind) with support from Anāhata (joy/ananda).
Moderate rhythmic breathing (e.g., 4–4 or 6–6) while sensing an upward ‘streaming’ through the spine.
Uplifted, luminous concentration (sattvic intensity).
Chant, then sit quietly: notice where delight becomes scattered; recollect it and ‘send it upward’ to the discerning mind; end by invoking inner sunlight (svar) as a steady presence.
Use a Rigvedic three-tone approach (anudātta low, udātta high, svarita falling) per śākhā; exact accents require a svara-marked text.
Let udātta syllables gently ‘rise’ on key verbs like dhāvanti; keep consonant clusters crisp without force.
āvanti: aspirate dh clearly, long ā sustained., : roll a light ‘r’, keep ‘dr’ conjunct clean., : pronounce ghṛ with vocalic ṛ; keep ṣv conjunct precise., : treat as svar-vidaḥ (clear sandhi break mentally).
Bright, forward, slightly nasal resonance (Vedic chant placement), but not shouted.
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