Rig Veda 6.37.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 37, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.37
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
प्रो द्रोणे हरयः कर्माग्मन्पुनानास ऋज्यन्तो अभूवन् । इन्द्रो नो अस्य पूर्व्यः पपीयाद्द्युक्षो मदस्य सोम्यस्य राजा ॥
pró droṇé hárayaḥ kármāgman punānā́sa ṛ́jyanto abhūvan | índro no asyá pū́rvyaḥ papīyād dyukṣó madasyá sómyasya rājā ||
पीले रंग के घोड़े आगे बढ़ रहे हैं, अपना काम कर रहे हैं। वो साफ हो रहे हैं और सीधे हो रहे हैं। इंद्र पुराना है, वो इस रस को पिए। वो चमकता हुआ राजा है, सोम की खुशी का मालिक है।
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot प्र (उपसर्ग) प्रत्यय-रहित अव्यय
- द्रोणे
- in the trough/vat (pressing-vat)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
- हरयः
- the tawny (horses)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- कर्म
- work, taskNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आग्मन्
- they came, arrivedVerbलुङ् (अorist), 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √गम् (गच्छति) + आ-
- पुनानासः
- purifying (themselves), being purifiedParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन, वर्तमान कृदन्त (आत्मनेपदी)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root √पू (पुनाति) → पुनान (शतृ/शानच्) + -स (प्रथमा बहु)
- ऋज्यन्तः
- pressing on/going straight, hasteningParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root √ऋज्/ऋञ्ज् (ऋज्यति/ऋज्यते ‘to be straight/urge on’) → ऋज्यन्त (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अभूवन्
- they became, wereVerbलुङ् (अorist), 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √भू (भवति)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us, ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक) = ‘our’Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अस्य
- of thisPronounषष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- पूर्व्यः
- the ancient/primeval oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root पूर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ancient, former’)
- पपीयात्
- may he drinkVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), 3 पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √पा (पिबति ‘to drink’) → desiderative/optative stem पपी-
- द्युःक्षः
- bright, heaven-shiningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root द्युःक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; ‘heavenly/bright’)
- मदस्य
- of exhilaration, of intoxicationNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोम्यस्य
- of SomaAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot सोम्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘of Soma, Soma-like’)
- राजा
- kingNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सम्बोधन/विधेय)Root राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): प्रो → प्र
- द्रोणे (loc. sg.)
- हरयः (nom. pl.)
- कर्मा॑ग्मन् = कर्म + आग्मन् (aor. 3pl of √गम् with आ-)
- पुनानासः (nom. pl. participle) and ऋज्यन्तः (nom. pl. participle) qualify हरयः
- अभूवन् (aor. 3pl √भू). Second hemistich: इन्द्रो → इन्द्रः
- नो = नः (gen. pl. enclitic)
- अस्य (gen. sg.)
- पूर्व्यः (nom. sg. adj. of Indra)
- पपीयात् (opt. 3sg √पा)
- द्युक्षो → द्युःक्षः (nom. sg. adj.)
- मदस्य (gen. sg.) सोम्यस्य (gen. sg.) modify (implicit) सोमस्य/मदस्य
- राजा (nom. sg.) in apposition to इन्द्रः
The meaning
Outer meaning
Forward to the trough the tawny ones went to their work; purifying themselves they became straight and keen. May Indra, the ancient one, drink of this for us—he the shining king of Soma-ecstasy.
Inner meaning
The tawny powers (harayaḥ) are the life-energies moving to the ‘trough’ (droṇa)—the prepared vessel of offering where experience is gathered and refined. Their purification (punānāsaḥ) is the cleansing of motive and impulse; becoming straight (ṛjyantaḥ) is alignment with truth; becoming keen is sharpened force for right action. Then Indra, the primordial illumined mind (pūrvyaḥ), is asked to drink—i.e., to take into himself and transform—this Soma-ecstasy (madasya somyasya), making the delight a luminous sovereignty (dyukṣo rājā) rather than intoxication.
Universal truth
Energy must be purified and aligned before it can serve illumination. When delight is offered upward, a higher intelligence ‘drinks’ it—transmuting raw excitement into radiant mastery and stable joy.
Themes
soma-ritual, purification, alignment-with-rita, Indra-drinks-soma
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 6.37.1, Rig Veda 6.36.3, Rig Veda 6.36.5
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya: emphasizes the alchemy of offering—purification, straightening, and the divine assimilation of Soma-delight into luminous power.
Significance
This is a compact psychology of Soma-yoga: energies are purified and aligned, then delight is offered to the illumined mind, which transforms it into radiant kingship rather than unstable excitement.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- pūrvya (ancient), dyukṣa (shining), somyasya rājā (king of Soma)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Chief receiver of Soma; transformer of delight into victorious illumination; ruler of ecstatic powers.
Inner power
The luminous intelligence that assimilates refined delight and turns it into stable force and mastery over the vital.
In ritual
Where it is used
Direct Soma-yajña context: movement to droṇa (Soma vessel), purification, and invitation for Indra to drink
प्रो द्रोणे॒ हर॑य॒: कर्मा॑ग्मन्पुना॒नास॒ ऋज्य॑न्तो अभूवन् । इन्द्रो॑ नो अ॒स्य पू॒र्व्यः प॑पीयाद्द्यु॒क्षो मद॑स्य सो॒म्यस्य॒ राजा॑ ॥
प्रो इति॑ । द्रोणे॑ । हर॑यः । कर्म॑ । अ॒ग्म॒न् । पु॒ना॒नासः॑ । ऋज्य॑न्तः । अ॒भू॒व॒न् । इन्द्रः॑ । नः॒ । अ॒स्य । पू॒र्व्यः । पा॒पी॒या॒त् । द्यु॒क्षः । मद॑स्य । सो॒म्यस्य । राजा॑ ॥
pro iti | droṇe | harayaḥ | karma | agman | punānāsaḥ | ṛjyantaḥ | abhūvan | indraḥ | naḥ | asya | pūrvyaḥ | pāpīyāt | dyukṣaḥ | madasya | somyasya | rājā
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Workmanlike momentum in first half (movement to task), culminating in a luminous, devotional petition.
Felt sense of purification and straightening; then a bright uplift as the offering is ‘received’ by the shining king.
- द्रोण (droṇa)
- Literal: trough/vat. Symbolic: prepared vessel of consciousness; collected offering-field (inner receptacle)
- हरयः (harayaḥ)
- Literal: tawny ones/steeds. Symbolic: vital energies and dynamic forces of action
- कर्म (karma)
- Literal: work. Symbolic: yogic action; the labor of transformation
- पुनानासः (punānāsaḥ)
- Literal: purifying themselves. Symbolic: self-cleansing of desire, impulse, and thought
- ऋज्यन्तः (ṛjyantaḥ)
- Literal: becoming straight. Symbolic: alignment with Ṛta; sincerity and right direction
- इन्द्रः पूर्व्यः (indraḥ pūrvyaḥ)
- Literal: Indra the ancient. Symbolic: primordial illumined principle always present behind evolution
- पापीयात् (papīyāt)
- Literal: may he drink. Symbolic: may the higher consciousness assimilate and transform the offered delight
- द्युक्षः (dyukṣaḥ)
- Literal: shining, radiant. Symbolic: luminous clarity; light-bearing intelligence
- मद (mada)
- Literal: intoxication/ecstasy. Symbolic: uplifted delight; rapture that can be transmuted into spiritual force
- सोम्य (somya)
- Literal: of Soma. Symbolic: divine bliss/subtle nectar of consciousness
- राजा (rājā)
- Literal: king. Symbolic: governing mastery over delight and energy
Direct Soma-pressing imagery (droṇa); prayer that Indra drink the Soma—standard in Soma sacrifice sequences
During Soma pressing and offering; when Soma is prepared and presented
Chant while Soma is placed/strained and offered; invite Indra to partake
Use as a ‘purify and offer’ practice: cleanse the day’s energies, align intention, then offer the arising joy upward for transformation into clarity.
√pū 'to purify' (punānāsaḥ): clarification of energies before divine enjoyment. √ṛj 'straight' (ṛjyantaḥ): alignment with ṛta (rightness). √pā 'to drink' (papīyāt): Soma as inward delight/immortalizing essence, taken by Indra to empower action.
purification and right alignment (punāna, ṛj), ecstasy as power (mada), primordial support (pūrvya)
Straightening (ṛjyantaḥ) is the movement from crooked desire to right order.
Dyukṣa (shining) indicates truth-light arising from refined delight.
Alchemical transmutation: raw energies → purified alignment → delight assimilated by higher mind → radiant sovereignty.
Soma-psychology leading toward Vedāntic ānanda: bliss refined into stable consciousness-power.
Trough = inner receptacle; purification = cleansing nadis/impulses; Soma = bliss-essence; drinking = assimilation by higher consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as king of Soma-ecstasy who drinks the clarified essence: the mythic drinking is inner assimilation of delight-power that makes right action possible.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā 'drink' is PIE *peh₃- (cf. Lat. pōtus 'drunk', Gk. πίνω from related drink roots though not identical; IE drink lexicon is complex). √gam 'go' is PIE *gʷem- (cf. Lat. veniō).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The offering is prepared as purified, straightened energies; the rishi asks Indra to partake 'for us', meaning the divine enjoyment should translate into protection and increase of the sacrificer’s inner and outer life.
Purify the vital, align it straight to truth, then offer the arising delight to the illumined mind for transmutation into steady force.
Svādhiṣṭhāna → Ājñā (refine desire into luminous discernment)
Exhale-focused cleansing (inhale 4, exhale 8) for 7 rounds; then normal breath while feeling ‘Soma’ as cool nectar rising to the brow.
Refined rapture becoming luminous steadiness; ‘shining kingship’ over impulses.
Before chanting, recall one strong desire/impulse; breathe it quiet. Chant while imagining it being washed, straightened, and poured into a luminous cup at the brow. Rest in clear, sober joy.
Maintain clear udātta on key action-words (agman, punānāsaḥ) and on ‘’; let the final pāda brighten on ‘ ’
First hemistich slightly more rhythmic/‘working’ tone; second hemistich more devotional and luminous; pause after ‘’
droṇe: retroflex ṇ and long ō, punānāsaḥ: long ā twice; keep nasal n clear, ṛjyantaḥ: vocalic ṛ precise; jya cluster clean, papīyāt: long ī sustained, somyasya: soft s and my conjunct
Crisp and purifying in first half; bright and offering-filled in second.
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