Rig Veda 7.92.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 92, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.92
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra-Vāyu
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
प्र सोता जीरो अध्वरेष्वस्थात्सोममिन्द्राय वायवे पिबध्यै । प्र यद्वां मध्वो अग्रियं भरन्त्यध्वर्यवो देवयन्तः शचीभिः ॥
prá sotā́ jīró adhvaréṣv asthāt sómam índrāya vāyáve píbadhyai | prá yád vāṃ mádhvo agriyáṃ bháranty adhvaryávo devayántaḥ śácībhiḥ ||
पंडित जल्दी से यज्ञ के अंदर खड़ा हो गया। वो चाहता है कि इंद्र और वायु सोम रस पियें। यज्ञ करने वाले लोग भगवान के लिए मीठा रस ले कर आए हैं। वो अपनी कला से सबसे पहला रस दोनों के लिए लाए हैं।
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- सोता
- the presser (of Soma)Nounmasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot √सु (सुते) / prātipadika: सोतृ-
- जीरः
- quick, livelyAdjectivemasculine, nominative singular (agreeing with सोता)Role Kartā (qualifier)Root जीर-
- अध्वरेषु
- in the sacrificesNounmasculine, locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अध्वर-
- अस्थात्
- stood forth / took his placeVerbaorist (injunctive/augmentless aorist), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot √स्था
- सोमम्
- Soma (the pressed drink)Nounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot सोम-
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounmasculine, dative singularRole SampradānaRoot इन्द्र-
- वायवे
- for VāyuNounmasculine, dative singular (Vedic form वायवे)Role SampradānaRoot वायु-
- पिबध्यै
- to drinkVerb (infinitive)infinitive in -ध्यै (Vedic), purposeRole PrayojanaRoot √पा (पिबति)
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableupasarga/adverbRoot प्र (upasarga)
- यत्
- what, whichPronounneuter, accusative singular (relative)Role Karma (of भरन्ति)Root यद्-
- वाम्
- of you two / for you twoPronoungenitive/accusative dual (enclitic), here genitive dualRole Sampradāna (recipient, expressed as ‘for you two’)Root युष्मद्- (2nd person pronoun)
- मध्वः
- of sweetness; of honey (i.e., sweet Soma)Nounneuter, genitive singularRole Sambandha (genitive qualifier)Root मधु-
- अग्रियम्
- foremost, choiceAdjectiveneuter, accusative singular (agreeing with यत्)Role Karma (qualifier)Root अग्रिय-
- भरन्ति
- they bringVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot √भृ
- अध्वर्यवः
- the Adhvaryu priestsNounmasculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot अध्वर्यु-
- देवयन्तः
- seeking the gods, god-devotedAdjective/Participlemasculine, nominative plural, present active participle (agreeing with अध्वर्यवः)Role Kartā (qualifier)Root देवयन्त्- (from desiderative/denominative √देवय ‘to seek the gods’)
- शचीभिः
- with powers/skills (effective rites)Nounfeminine, instrumental pluralRole KaraṇaRoot शची-
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved padapāṭha-style segmentation: अध्वरेष्वस्थात् → अध्वरेषु + अस्थात् (u + a sandhi). इन्द्राय वायवे पिबध्यै: dative recipients + Vedic infinitive of purpose. प्र यद्वां मध्वो अग्रियम्: यत् (rel. pron.) + वाम् (enclitic dual ‘of/for you two’) with no further sandhi
- sense ‘what choice sweet (draught)’. देवयन्तः is a present active participle used adjectivally with अध्वर्यवः
The meaning
Outer meaning
The swift soma-presser (sotā) stands ready in the sacrifices so that Indra and Vāyu may drink. The adhvaryu priests bring forward for the two gods the foremost honeyed essence with their skilled powers.
Inner meaning
The ‘swift presser’ is the awakened inner faculty that extracts Soma (delight) from experience by tapas and right method. Indra (illumined mind) and Vāyu (life-force) are invoked together because illumination must be supported by purified prāṇa, and prāṇa must be guided by illumined mind. The ‘foremost honey’ (madhvo agriyam) is the highest grade of delight—subtle, clarified—offered through śacī (effective power/skill), i.e., disciplined yogic action and right intention in the inner adhvara (non-violent, straight movement of sacrifice).
Universal truth
Transformation requires both energy and light: when disciplined effort extracts the essence of joy, the mind’s illumination and the life-force’s dynamism can drink and become allies in growth.
Themes
Priestly action as inner discipline, Soma offering, Divine aspiration (devayant)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.19 (Indra’s victories as inner conquest), RV 7.20 (Indra’s aid to the seeker), RV 7.91-7.93 (Vāyu/Indra-Vāyu context)
Family tradition
Hymns often coordinate multiple deities as cooperating powers in the ascent—especially breath, fire, and illumined mind.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha frames ritual actors (sotā, adhvaryu) as inner functions: extraction of delight and right execution of the sacrifice of works.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra-Vāyu
- Epithets
- madhu-pā (honey-drinkers, implied), soma-pā (soma-drinkers), devayantaḥ (godward, applied to priests but reflecting the movement)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Indra: breaker of obstruction, bringer of light; Vāyu: mover and carrier. Together: illumination empowered by life-force; life-force guided by illumination.
Inner power
Synergy of inspired mind (Indra) and purified prāṇa (Vāyu) enabling swift progress and victorious clarity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and offering to Indra-Vāyu (dual deity libation)
प्र सोता॑ जी॒रो अ॑ध्व॒रेष्व॑स्था॒त्सोम॒मिन्द्रा॑य वा॒यवे॒ पिब॑ध्यै । प्र यद्वां॒ मध्वो॑ अग्रि॒यं भर॑न्त्यध्व॒र्यवो॑ देव॒यन्त॒: शची॑भिः ॥
प्र । सोता॑ । जी॒रः । अ॒ध्व॒रेषु॑ । अ॒स्था॒त् । सोम॑म् । इन्द्रा॑य । वा॒यवे॑ । पिब॑ध्यै । प्र । यत् । वा॒म् । मध्वः॑ । अ॒ग्रि॒यम् । भर॑न्ति । अ॒ध्व॒र्यवः॑ । दे॒व॒ऽयन्तः॑ । शची॑भिः ॥
pra | sotā | jīraḥ | adhvareṣu | asthāt | somam | indrāya | vāyave | pibadhyai | pra | yat | vām | madhvaḥ | agriyam | bharanti | adhvaryavaḥ | deva-yantaḥ | śacībhiḥ
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4 pādas of 11 syllables (Triṣṭubh)
Firm, martial, and decisive; suited to ‘standing forth’ (asthāt) and forward motion (pra).
Builds resolve and clarity; gives a sense of disciplined advance and energetic offering.
- सोता (sotā)
- Literal: soma presser. Symbolic: Inner extractor of essence; concentrated will applying method
- जीरः (jīraḥ)
- Literal: swift/quick. Symbolic: Prompt aspiration; energetic tapas that does not delay
- अध्वरेषु (adhvareṣu)
- Literal: in the sacrifices. Symbolic: In the straight inner journey; the yoga of offering
- इन्द्राय (indrāya)
- Literal: for Indra. Symbolic: For illumined mind, the power that breaks coverings
- वायवे (vāyave)
- Literal: for Vāyu. Symbolic: For prāṇa, the carrier-force of the offering
- मध्वः अग्रियम् (madhvo agriyam)
- Literal: foremost honey. Symbolic: Highest delight-essence (refined soma/ānanda)
- अध्वर्यवः (adhvaryavaḥ)
- Literal: adhvaryu priests. Symbolic: Executive powers of the being that arrange right action
- शचीभिः (śacībhiḥ)
- Literal: with skills/effective powers. Symbolic: Spiritual efficacy; force of right method and inspired capacity
Soma pressing: role of sotā and adhvaryu in presenting the अग्रियम् madhu for Indra–Vāyu
During soma sequences where Indra-Vāyu are invited to drink; linked to pressing/bringing forward of soma
Pressing (savana), offering and invitatory recitation
Use before focused work or study: ‘press’ the essence of intention, then offer it to breath (Vāyu) and clarity (Indra) to align energy and intelligence.
sotā from √su ‘press, extract’; innerly the faculty that extracts essence from experience. adhvara (often analyzed as a-dhvara ‘non-injuring’ or as ‘course/rite’): here taken as disciplined movement of offering. śacī: ‘power, skill, effective capacity’ (not merely ‘craft’); indicates that right formation (ṛta-formation) is an active force.
extraction of essence (soma) as inner distillation, śacī as effective power of consciousness, foremost delight (agriya madhu) as highest rasa
The adhvaryu’s śacī symbolizes ṛta as right technique—order in action that allows the gods to ‘drink’.
Agriya (foremost) implies selection of the true essence from mixed experience.
Delight extracted and offered becomes fuel for luminous creation and victorious action.
Integral yoga hermeneutic: coordinated powers (mind-life) drink the delight to transform nature.
Morning pressing (common for Indra-Vāyu sequences)
Concentration that extracts sweetness from experience; breath and mind receive it as energizing inspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘pressing forth of soma for the gods’ mythologem: the presser stands in the adhvara so the gods may drink. Innerly, it is the deliberate distillation of delight/essence and its offering to the higher powers, enabling their active participation in the human transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sthā (PIE *steh₂-) ‘stand’ in asthāt; √bhṛ (PIE *bher-) ‘bring’; √pā (PIE *peh₃-) ‘drink’. The agent nouns (sotā, adhvaryu) show archaic occupational morphology typical of early Indo-European ritual diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames the rite as a cooperative work: human will-forces (adhvaryu) with śacī (effective skill) prepare the foremost delight; the gods respond by drinking—i.e., taking up the offering as fuel for their action in the sacrificer.
Unite breath and illumined thought: inhale as Vāyu receiving soma; exhale as Indra clarifying and directing it.
manipura (will/energy)
Kapalabhati (mild) or brisk coherent breathing for ‘jīra’ (swift) quality, followed by quiet sitting.
Alert, luminous, energized steadiness.
Before practice, set a single intention; ‘press’ it into felt essence (madhu) by concentration; then let breath carry it through the body while maintaining a clear witnessing mind.
Triṣṭubh recitation with clear udātta on key verbs (asthāt, bharanti) and deity names; maintain svarita where indicated by saṃhitā accents.
Mark the two ‘pra’ openings distinctly; keep ‘pibadhyai’ clean and unhurried despite the ‘jīra’ theme.
sotā: so-tā (long ā), adhvareṣu: adh-va-re-ṣu (retroflex ḍh), indrāya: in-drā-ya (long ā), vāyave: vā-ya-ve (clear ya), śacībhiḥ: śa-cī-bhiḥ (long ī, visarga)
Firm, resonant, slightly martial; steady breath support.
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