Rig Veda 7.32.8: Mandala 7, Sukta 32, Mantra 8
Sukta 7.32
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
सुनोता सोमपाव्ने सोममिन्द्राय वज्रिणे । पचता पक्तीरवसे कृणुध्वमित्पृणन्नित्पृणते मयः ॥
sunótā somapā́vne sómam índrāya vájriṇe | pácatā paktī́r ávase kṛṇudhvám ít pṛṇánn ít pṛṇaté máyaḥ ||
सोम का रस निकालो उसके लिए जो सोम पीता है। इंद्र के लिए, जो वज्र पकड़ता है। भोग पकाओ और तैयार करो, ताकि वो मदद करे। जो देता है, उस्से खुशी मिलती है, जो लेता है उसे भी।
Word by Word
- सुनोत
- press (out)!VerbLoṭ (imperative), 2nd person plural, parasmaipadaRole (predicate; आदेश) — addressed to the Soma-pressersRoot √सु (सुनोति) / सु- (to press, extract Soma)
- सोमपाव्ने
- for the Soma-purifierNoun (epithet)Masculine, dative singularRole सम्प्रदान (recipient)Root सोम-पावन् (prātipadika; ‘Soma-purifier/clarifier’)
- सोमम्
- SomaNounMasculine, accusative singularRole कर्म (object of ‘press’/‘cook’)Root सोम (prātipadika)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounMasculine, dative singularRole सम्प्रदान (recipient)Root इन्द्र (prātipadika)
- वज्रिणे
- for the wielder of the thunderboltNoun (epithet)Masculine, dative singularRole सम्प्रदान (co-referential with Indra)Root वज्रिन् (prātipadika; ‘having the vajra’)
- पचत
- cook/prepare!VerbLoṭ (imperative), 2nd person plural, parasmaipadaRole (predicate; आदेश)Root √पच् (पचति)
- पक्तीः
- the cooked offeringsNounFeminine, accusative pluralRole कर्म (object of ‘cook’)Root पक्ति (prātipadika; ‘cooked portions/offerings’, esp. sacrificial food)
- अवसे
- for helpNounNeuter, dative singularRole प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान (for aid; purpose)Root अवस् (prātipadika; ‘help, aid, protection’)
- कृणुध्वम्
- make/do (for yourselves)VerbLoṭ (imperative), 2nd person plural, ātmanepadaRole (predicate; आदेश)Root √कृ (करोति / कृणोति; Vedic present)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableEmphatic particleRoot इत् (particle)
- पृणन्
- filling/satisfyingKṛdanta (present participle)Masculine nominative singular (agreeing with an implied agent, e.g., Indra/Soma/offerer depending on interpretation)Role कर्तृ (agent, as participial predicate)Root √पॄ (पृणाति; ‘to fill, satisfy, refresh’)
- इत्
- indeedIndeclinableEmphatic particleRoot इत् (particle)
- पृणते
- fills/satisfies (for himself/itself)VerbPresent indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada (Vedic usage)Role (predicate)Root √पॄ (पृणाति)
- मयः
- delight, refreshmentNounNeuter, nominative/accusative singular (here: nominative as result/benefit)Role फल/कर्म-फल (resultant benefit)Root मयस् (prātipadika; ‘delight, refreshment, pleasure, benefit’)
Sandhi Notes
- Padapāṭha-style resolution: सुनोत (for सु॒नोता॑) is Loṭ 2pl
- सोमपाव्ने is dative sg epithet ‘to/for the Soma-purifier’
- सोमम् + इन्द्राय (no internal sandhi change)
- वज्रिणे dative sg apposition to इन्द्राय
- पचत (for पच॑ता) Loṭ 2pl
- पक्तीः acc pl
- अवसे dat sg
- कृणुध्वम् Loṭ 2pl Ā
- इत् particles kept separate
- पृणन् is present participle nom sg
- पृणते is present 3sg Ā
- मयः (mayas) taken as neuter nom sg ‘delight/benefit’. Accents are not reproduced in the pada forms here, but the source has udātta/svarita marking (e.g., सु॒नोता॑, इन्द्रा॑य)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Press Soma for the Soma-drinker, for Indra the vajra-bearer; cook the offerings and make them ready for his help—he who fills, gives delight to the one who seeks to be filled.
Inner meaning
Prepare the inner Soma—concentrated delight and luminous essence—for the indwelling Power that drinks it (somapāvne). Offer it to Indra (vajriṇe), the force of illumination that strikes through obscurity. ‘Cooking’ the offerings signifies ripening our energies—transforming raw impulses into purified, usable force for the divine action. Indra is the fulfiller: when the being opens to be filled (pṛṇate), the divine influx brings not only power but joy (mayaḥ), a glad plenitude.
Universal truth
When we refine experience into conscious offering and readiness, higher illumination responds with both strength and delight; receptivity is met by fulfillment.
Themes
ritual preparation, Soma as inner delight, Indra’s aid, filling and joy
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.21, RV 7.22, RV 7.32, RV 7.33, RV 7.88
Family tradition
Ritual images are consistently lifted to inner discipline: preparation, purification, and readiness for divine descent.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha links offering with transformation: the ‘cooking’ of oblations becomes the ripening of nature for the divine help.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Somapā, Vajrin, Maghavan
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni (cooking/fire), Maruts
Cosmic role
Receives Soma, increases power, smites obstruction, grants rain/light and victory.
Inner power
Illuminating force that responds to refined offering by filling the being with power and joy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and offering to Indra; preparation of cooked oblations
सु॒नोता॑ सोम॒पाव्ने॒ सोम॒मिन्द्रा॑य व॒ज्रिणे॑ । पच॑ता प॒क्तीरव॑से कृणु॒ध्वमित्पृ॒णन्नित्पृ॑ण॒ते मय॑: ॥
सु॒नोत॑ । सो॒म॒ऽपाव्ने॑ । सोम॑म् । इन्द्रा॑य । व॒ज्रिणे॑ । पच॑त्स् । प॒क्तीः । अव॑से । कृ॒णु॒ध्वम् । इत् । पृ॒णन् । इत् । पृ॒ण॒ते । मयः॑ ॥
sunota | soma-pāvne | somam | indrāya | vajriṇe | pacats | paktīḥ | avase | kṛṇudhvam | it | pṛṇan | it | pṛṇate | mayaḥ
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4×11 (variable)
Imperative and practical; a ‘do-this’ cadence that readies action.
Energizes disciplined preparation; evokes a sense of readiness and invocation of help.
- सुनोत (sunota)
- Literal: press!. Symbolic: extract the essence; concentrate delight through practice
- सोमपावन् (somapāvan)
- Literal: Soma-drinker. Symbolic: the divine power that receives and assimilates bliss-consciousness
- वज्रिन् (vajrin)
- Literal: vajra-bearer. Symbolic: the force that breaks mental and vital obstruction
- पचत (pacata)
- Literal: cook!. Symbolic: ripen, purify, transform energies
- पक्तीः (paktīḥ)
- Literal: cooked offerings/portions. Symbolic: matured life-energies fit for divine use
- अवसे (avase)
- Literal: for help. Symbolic: for the descending aid/grace in action
- पृणन्/पृणते (pṛṇan/pṛṇate)
- Literal: filling / to the one who is filled. Symbolic: influx into an open vessel of consciousness
- मयः (mayaḥ)
- Literal: delight, joy. Symbolic: Ananda as the sweetness of fulfillment
Direct instruction to officiants/participants: Soma pressing and offering preparation for Indra’s aid in Soma rites
During Soma rites; also in sequences exhorting priests/participants to prepare offerings
Press Soma; cook paktis; present to Indra for aid
Use as a ‘prepare and offer’ mantra before meditation, work, or service: refine intention, then invite illumination to act through you.
somapā́vne: ‘Soma-drinker’ from soma + √pā ‘drink’. avase ‘for help’ from ava ‘aid, protection’. √pṛ ‘fill’ gives pṛṇan/pṛṇate; the line plays on reciprocity: the divine fills the one who seeks fullness. mayaḥ ‘delight/refreshment’ relates to a semantic field of pleasurable increase and ease.
reciprocity of fullness (pṛ), Ananda as sustaining delight (Soma, mayaḥ)
Right offering and readiness are movements of ṛta—orderly interchange between human and divine.
True receptivity (pṛṇate) brings true delight (mayaḥ), not distorted pleasure.
Transformation by inner fire: raw becomes ripe; essence is extracted and offered.
Integral: tapas refines nature; ananda descends as fulfillment.
Soma = bliss-essence; cooking = tapas; filling = descent of force; joy = ananda’s sweetness in the nerves and mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘preparation of power’ mythologem: by pressing Soma and cooking offerings, the sacrificers create conditions for Indra’s descent. Inwardly, disciplined preparation of delight and nourishment enables the thunder-force to act for liberation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘drink’ reflects PIE *peh₃-. √kṛ ‘do/make’ is Indo-Iranian (often compared with PIE *kwer-/*ker- ‘make’ though exact mapping is debated); √pac ‘cook’ has PIE culinary parallels (cf. Latin coquō from *pekw- ‘cook’—not identical but comparable semantic domain).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi instructs the community to prepare offerings ‘for help’ (avase), implying that divine assistance is invited by conscious readiness. Indra responds by ‘filling’ and giving mayaḥ—inner gladness to the one who opens to fullness.
Refining the ‘offering’: extract quiet joy from within and offer it upward to illumined mind.
svādhiṣṭhāna (joy essence) refined toward ājñā (illumination)
Gentle ujjāyī on exhale while chanting; feel ‘cooking’ as warmth in the belly (tapas).
From preparation and purification to a filled, glad clarity.
Before chanting, recall one raw impulse; ‘cook’ it by bringing it under calm awareness; then chant as an offering, inviting Indra to fill the refined space with mayaḥ (delight).
Vedic accents; imperatives (sunotā, pacatā, kṛṇudhvam) should be cleanly articulated with proper udātta placements per recension.
Keep each imperative at the start of its phrase; do not blur ‘somapāvne somam’. Observe pāda breaks after ‘vajriṇe’.
somapāvne: long ā; ‘vne’ cluster lightly, vajriṇe: soft ‘jri’ cluster; retroflex ṇ, kṛṇudhvam: vocalic ṛ; ‘dhvam’ as a single unit
Clear, practical, slightly uplifting; end with warmth on ‘mayaḥ’.
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