Rig Veda 9.28.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 28, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.28
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एष पवित्रे अक्षरत्सोमो देवेभ्यः सुतः । विश्वा धामान्याविशन् ॥
eṣá pavítre akṣarat sómo devébhyaḥ sutáḥ | víśvā dhā́māny ā́-viśan ||
Yeh Soma deviyon ke liye nichoda gaya hai. Yeh chhanni se ho ke guzar gaya hai. Ab yeh har jagah phail gaya hai aur sab kuch apne mein le liya hai.
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one), hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पवित्रे
- in/at the filter (sieve)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक) < √पू (पवने/शोधने)
- अक्षरत्
- flowed, streamedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √क्षर् (क्षरणे ‘to flow’)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवेभ्यः
- to/for the godsNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतः
- pressed, extractedParticiple (Adjective) used substantivelyपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (सोमस्य विशेषणम्) अथवा कर्तृ-पद-समनाधिकरणम्Root सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक), √सु (सवने/प्रसवे ‘to press, extract’) + क्त
- विश्वा
- allAdjective (used with neuter plural) / Pronoun-like adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- धामानि
- abodes, seats, domainsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आविशन्
- entered, pervadedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root √विश् (प्रवेशने ‘to enter’) with उपसर्ग आ-
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: ए॒ष प॒वित्रे॑ → एषः पवित्रे (visarga before p-)
- अक्षर॒त्सोमो॑ → अक्षरत् सोमः (t + s sandhi; pada shows separation)
- दे॒वेभ्य॑: सु॒तः → देवेभ्यः सुतः (visarga before s-)
- धामा॑न्यावि॒शन् → धामानि आविशन् (i + ā → yā). Accent marks in the Saṃhitā text are retained in the citation but not required for morphological segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, pressed for the gods, has flowed through the filter, entering all abodes/domains.
Inner meaning
When the delight-essence is pressed out by aspiration and offered to the higher powers (devebhyaḥ), it passes through purification and then enters all ‘dhāman’—all levels and stations of the being (physical, vital, mental, higher mind). It pervades and establishes a divine arrangement: each part receives its right portion and function under ṛta.
Universal truth
A purified joy is not escapist; it can pervade every layer of life and reorganize the whole personality into harmony.
Themes
Soma-ritual, pervasion, purification, divine ordering
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.28.1, Rig Veda 9.28.3, Rig Veda 9.28.4, Rig Veda 9.28.5
Significance
The seer speaks from the standpoint of an inner ritualist: Soma is not merely offered outwardly but made to pervade all inner domains, indicating an integral yoga of purification and integration.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- sutaḥ, pavamāna (purifying)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Mitra-Varuṇa, Sarasvatī
Cosmic role
The clarified essence that nourishes the gods and circulates through all worlds, stabilizing their seats.
Inner power
A unifying Ananda-force that enters each layer of the psyche and establishes right relation among them.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration and offering to the gods
ए॒ष प॒वित्रे॑ अक्षर॒त्सोमो॑ दे॒वेभ्य॑: सु॒तः । विश्वा॒ धामा॑न्यावि॒शन् ॥
ए॒षः । प॒वित्रे॑ । अ॒क्ष॒र॒त् । सोमः॑ । दे॒वेभ्यः॑ । सु॒तः । विश्वा॑ । धामा॑नि । आ॒ऽवि॒शन् ॥
eṣaḥ | pavitre | akṣarat | somaḥ | devebhyaḥ | sutaḥ | viśvā | dhāmāni | ā-viśan
44
4 x 11 (approx.)
Even, pervading movement; less ‘leaping’, more ‘filling’ cadence.
Encourages a sense of diffusion into the whole body-mind, useful for whole-being integration.
- पवित्रे (pavitre)
- Literal: in/through the purifier, filter. Symbolic: the process of inner clarification—discernment, sincerity, and refinement of substance
- अक्षरत् (akṣarat)
- Literal: has flowed, streamed. Symbolic: continuous descent or outflow of clarified consciousness
- देवेभ्यः (devebhyaḥ)
- Literal: for the gods. Symbolic: for the higher faculties/powers—illumination, will, harmony, wideness
- सुतः (sutaḥ)
- Literal: pressed/extracted. Symbolic: essence expressed by tapas/aspiration from life-experience
- धामानि (dhāmāni)
- Literal: seats, abodes, domains. Symbolic: planes and parts of the being; functional stations of consciousness
- आविशन् (āviśan)
- Literal: entering, pervading. Symbolic: integrating presence that inhabits and reorganizes all levels
Flow of Soma through pavitra toward the gods; corresponds to the offering that pervades the divine functions (dhāmāni) in the rite.
During Soma rites when the filtered Soma is collected and offered
Chant while Soma runs through pavitra; consecration of the flow for the deities
Recite to support ‘whole-system’ purification—before pranayama or after emotional upheaval to restore inner order.
akṣarat: √kṣar ‘flow, melt, stream’ (aorist). dhāman: from √dhā ‘to place’ → ‘placed seat/abode’; psychologically ‘station’ where a power is established. √viś ‘enter’ is common Indo-European (cf. Latin vīsere? less direct; but Indo-Iranian robust). deva: from √div ‘shine’ → ‘luminous power’.
pervasion of consciousness domains (dhāmāni), divine powers as functions (devas), R̥ta through ordered entry (ā-viśan)
Entering all dhāman suggests the establishment of ṛta across the totality of worlds/parts.
Purification implies truth-substance replacing mixed or false movements.
Pervasion as creation: the One essence enters many seats and becomes the organizing presence.
Integral/Upaniṣadic trajectory: one essence pervading many forms (anticipates later ‘sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ’ intuition).
The filter is the refining intelligence; the stream is clarified delight; the ‘abodes’ are bodily-vital-mental centers receiving the current.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The all-pervading entry of purified Soma: once streamed through the filter, Soma enters every ‘seat’ (dhāman) of the divine life, suggesting an integrative infusion of delight into all parts of the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- deva from √div ‘shine’ relates to PIE *deiwos ‘god’ (cf. Latin deus, Lithuanian dievas). √kṣar ‘flow’ is Indo-Iranian; the semantic field of flowing sacred liquids is a shared archaic poetic inheritance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer’s act of pressing and filtering prepares Soma ‘for the gods’; Soma then reciprocates by entering and energizing the divine functions within the practitioner, making the inner sacrifice comprehensive rather than partial.
Invite a purified delight to enter each ‘seat’—body, breath, heart, mind—without rejection of any part.
From Mūlādhāra to Ājñā as a sequential pervasion practice
Slow 4-4-6 breathing; on inhale feel Soma rising/entering; on exhale let it settle and pervade each domain.
Integrated calm with subtle sweetness and inner cohesion.
After chanting, scan the being from feet to crown, offering each layer to the ‘gods’ (higher powers) and allowing Soma to occupy it—no forcing, only consent and openness.
Maintain clear udātta lifts especially around ‘pavitre’ and ‘somo’; keep ‘viśvā dhāmāni’ as a smooth, pervading phrase.
Slight elongation on long vowels (pavitre, somo, dhāmāni); pause at pāda end to feel ‘entry’ (āviśan).
pavitre (v not b), akṣarat (kṣ conjunct: crisp ‘ksha’), devebhyaḥ (bhya cluster; avoid inserting extra vowel), sutaḥ (t is dental), āviśan (long ā; ś palatal)
Even, soothing, continuous—like an unbroken stream.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
