Rig Veda 4.46.7: Mandala 4, Sukta 46, Mantra 7
Sukta 4.46
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra-Vāyu
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
इह प्रयाणमस्तु वामिन्द्रवायू विमोचनम् । इह वां सोमपीतये ॥
ihá pra-yā́ṇam astu vām índra-vāyū vi-mócanam | ihá vām sóma-pītaye ||
इन्द्र और वायु, तुम्हारी यात्रा यहीं से शुरू हो। यहीं से निकलो। यहाँ आओ, सोम पियो। तुम्हारी शक्ति हमारे अंदर चले आए। जो बंधन हैं वो खुल जाएँ, ताकि हम खुशी ले सकें बिना किसी रुकावट के।
Word by Word
- इह
- hereIndeclinableअव्यय (स्थानवाचक)Role अधिकारणRoot इह (deictic adverb)
- प्रयाणम्
- setting forth; departure; journeyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (अस्तु इति विधेयस्य)Root प्र-√या (याति) → प्रयाण (n.)
- अस्तु
- let there be; may it beVerbलोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/विधिलिङ्-प्रायः), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √अस् (अस्ति)
- वाम्
- for you two; of you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (वेदिक रूप)Role सम्प्रदान (युवयोः/युवाभ्याम्-अर्थे ‘for you two’)Root युष्मद् (2nd person pronoun)
- इन्द्रवायू
- O Indra and VāyuNoun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः)Role सम्बोधन (आह्वान)Root इन्द्र + वायु (समास)
- विमोचनम्
- release; unyoking; looseningNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म/विधेय (प्रयाणस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन)Root वि-√मुच् (मुञ्चति) → विमोचन (n.)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableअव्यय (स्थानवाचक)Role अधिकारणRoot इह (deictic adverb)
- वाम्
- for you two; of you twoPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (वेदिक रूप)Role सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद् (2nd person pronoun)
- सोमपीतये
- for Soma-drinking; for the drinking of SomaNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)Root सोम + पीति (f.) ‘drinking’ < √पा (पिबति) (समास)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: इह | प्रयाणम् | अस्तु | वाम् | इन्द्रवायू | विमोचनम् || इह | वाम् | सोमपीतये । Notable: ‘वामिन्द्रवायू’ = वाम् + इन्द्रवायू (anusvāra before vowel; no change to the dual name). ‘वां सोमपीतये’ shows Vedic enclitic pronoun form वाम्/वां (dual) before following word
- treated here as the same pada ‘वाम्’
The meaning
Outer meaning
Here be your going-forth, O Indra and Vāyu; here your release. Here for your Soma-drinking.
Inner meaning
The mantra asks that the divine forces begin their true movement within the seeker ‘here’—in the embodied consciousness. ‘Prayāṇa’ is the forward journey of illumination and life-force into the knots of nature; ‘vimocana’ is the unbinding—release from constrictions (habit, fear, inertia, subconscient holds). The purpose is Soma-pīti: the unobstructed reception of delight. Indra’s light and Vāyu’s prāṇa together initiate the liberating motion that makes the being capable of ananda.
Universal truth
Freedom is not mere cessation but a right movement that loosens inner bonds; joy is received fully when mind and life-force are released into their true rhythm.
Themes
Here-and-now invocation, Release of bonds, Soma drinking, Indra-Vāyu synergy, Initiation of inner journey
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.26–27 (self-revelation and wideness), RV 4.46.5–6 (approach and drinking)
Family tradition
Vāmadeva’s mantras often combine invocation with a demand for liberation—release of the concealed light and joy into active life.
Significance
He frames yoga as movement + release: progress (prayāṇa) and liberation (vimocana) culminating in ananda (Soma).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra-Vāyu
- Epithets
- vimocaka (releasers—functional epithet), somapā (Soma-drinkers)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Sarasvatī (flow)
Cosmic role
They set the currents of storm-wind and lightning-mind into motion, opening the ways and making the Soma offering effective.
Inner power
Indra cuts through mental obscurity; Vāyu unties prāṇic congestion and restores free flow—together enabling a liberated reception of delight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma rite: invitation emphasizing arrival and release for drinking
इ॒ह प्र॒याण॑मस्तु वा॒मिन्द्र॑वायू वि॒मोच॑नम् । इ॒ह वां॒ सोम॑पीतये ॥
इ॒ह । प्र॒ऽयान॑म् । अ॒स्तु॒ । वा॒म् । इन्द्र॑वायू॒ इति॑ । वि॒ऽमोच॑नम् । इ॒ह । वा॒म् । सोम॑ऽपीतये ॥
iha | pra-yānam | astu | vām | indravāyūiti | vi-mocanam | iha | vām | soma-pītaye
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3×8 (probable; verify)
Repetitive ‘iha’ gives anchoring beats; then a release-like cadence on vimocanam/somapītaye.
Anchors attention in the present, then induces a felt untying/expansion with the final cadence.
- iha
- Literal: here. Symbolic: in the present embodied field; in waking consciousness
- prayāṇam
- Literal: going forth, setting out. Symbolic: initiation of inner progress; dynamic advance of sādhana
- vimocanam
- Literal: release, unbinding. Symbolic: liberation from knots (granthi) of mind-life; removal of obstructions
- somapītaye
- Literal: for Soma-drinking. Symbolic: for receiving ananda as sustaining substance of transformation
Soma rite: concluding/insistent invitation; request for arrival and ‘release’ (vimochana) enabling unobstructed Soma enjoyment
Around Soma offering moments where deities are asked to ‘come’ and partake; also as a transition verse
Āhvāna with a request for unobstructed participation
Use as a ‘clearing’ mantra before meditation: ask for forward movement and release from inner tension so joy can be received.
pra-yāṇa from √yā ‘go’ with pra- ‘forward’: initiating progress. vi-mocana from √muc ‘release, let go’ with vi- ‘apart, asunder’: undoing bindings. The repetition of iha underscores immanence: the divine work is to occur within the present embodied field, not only in a distant heaven.
mokṣa-like unbinding (muc as release) in a Vedic functional sense, removal of obstacles to ṛta-aligned action, immanence of the divine (iha)
Prayāṇa is movement in ṛta—progress that is ordered and truth-aligned.
Release allows satya to act without distortion from knots and coverings.
Unbinding the bound energies so the hidden delight can flow and nourish the gods within.
Yoga/Upaniṣadic anticipation: liberation through right movement of prāṇa and light of buddhi.
Journey = ascent of consciousness; Release = relaxation of constricted patterns; Soma = joy-substance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘arrival as release’ mythologem: the gods’ coming is itself a loosening (vimochana). Innerly, when illumined force and breath enter the practitioner, they unbind constrictions in the vital-mental field so Soma-delight can be received and the forward journey (prayāṇa) can begin.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yā ‘go’ reflects PIE *h₁ey- ‘to go’ (cf. Greek eîmi ‘I go’). √muc ‘release’ belongs to an Indo-Iranian set for loosening/freeing (cf. Avestan muc-/moc- related forms), supporting an ancient shared metaphor of bondage and release.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s insistence on iha frames the relation as immediate and embodied: the devatā are asked to act within the human field by initiating movement and granting release. The offering (Soma) is the occasion; the boon requested is functional liberation—unobstructed participation in ṛta through harmonized breath and power.
‘Here’ practice: bring Indra’s clarity to the brow and Vāyu’s free flow to the breath; feel unbinding in chest/solar plexus; then receive quiet joy.
Maṇipūra (knots of force) releasing into Anāhata; Ājñā for Indra’s light
Exhale-lengthening (e.g., 4 in / 6 out) to induce vimocana; then natural breath for Soma reception.
Freed flow, luminous ease, receptive joy.
Chant once; on each ‘iha’ place awareness more firmly in the body; on ‘vimocanam’ relax jaw, throat, diaphragm; rest in a subtle sweetness after the chant.
Honor repeated ‘iha’ with consistent pitch/energy; apply udatta/anudatta/svarita as marked in your Saṃhitā accenting.
Make ‘iha’ crisp and identical each time; slightly lengthen ‘vimocanam’ to convey release.
prayāṇam: keep palatal y clear; long ā in yā, vimocanam: ‘mo’ long o; avoid ‘vimōchanam’ aspiration—c is unaspirated, somapītaye: long ī in pī
Soothing but firm; a ‘clearing’ timbre.
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