Rig Veda 8.9.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 9, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.9
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
अयं वां घर्मो अश्विना स्तोमेन परि षिच्यते । अयं सोमो मधुमान्वाजिनीवसू येन वृत्रं चिकेतथः ॥
ayáṃ vāṃ gharmó aśvinā stómena pári sicyate | ayáṃ sómo mádhumān vājinīvasū yéna vr̥tráṃ cikétathaḥ ||
यह गरम पानी का भेंट है अश्विन्स, गाना गाके दिया जा रहा है। यह सोम रस है, मीठा है, आप दोनों को देता हैं। इससे दुश्मन को पहचानते हो और उसको हराते हो।
Word by Word
- अयम्
- this (here)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाम्
- for you two / of you twoPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, द्विवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- घर्मः
- hot drink; heated offering (gharma)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot घर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्विना
- O Aśvins (you two)Noun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, द्विवचनम् (वैदिक प्रयोगः)Role SampradānaRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तोमेन
- with a hymn of praiseNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around; all aroundIndeclinableअव्ययम् (उपसर्गः) — ‘around, all around’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- षिच्यते
- is sprinkled / is poured overVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सिच् (धातु) — ‘to pour, sprinkle’
- अयम्
- this (here)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमः
- Soma (the pressed juice)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुमान्
- honey-sweet; rich in sweetnessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सोमस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot मधुमत् (प्रातिपदिक) < मधु
- वाजिनीवसू
- O you two whose wealth is prize-winning (rich in steeds/prizes)Noun (dual epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनम् (अश्विनोः विशेषणम्)Role SampradānaRoot वाजिनीवसु (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहिः) < वाजिन् + वसु
- येन
- by whichRelative pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृत्रम्
- Vṛtra (the obstructor)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चिकेतथः
- you two have perceived/recognized (have taken note of)Verbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्स), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्Role KartāRoot चित् (धातु) — ‘to perceive, notice, understand’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अयम् | वाम् | घर्मः | अश्विना | स्तोमेन | परि | षिच्यते || अयम् | सोमः | मधुमान् | वाजिनीवसू | येन | वृत्रम् | चिकेतथः || 1) ‘अश्विना स्तोमेन’ इत्यत्र संहितायां दीर्घ/स्वर-समायोजनं सम्भवति
- पदपाठे ‘अश्विना | स्तोमेन’ पृथक्। 2) ‘परि षिच्यते’—‘षिच्यते’ इत्यत्र प्रारम्भिक ‘ष्’ वैदिके प्रायः ‘सिच्’ धातोः रूपम्
- उपसर्ग ‘परि’ पृथक्। 3) ‘सोमो मधुमान्’—विशेषण-विशेष्यसम्बन्धः
- संहितायां स्वरसंयोगः। 4) ‘वाजिनीवसू’ सम्बोधन-द्विवचनम् (अश्विनोः)। 5) ‘येन’ तृतीया-एकवचनं नपुंसकलिङ्गं—‘यत्’ सर्वनाम्नः, करणत्वे ‘by which’।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A warm offering (gharma) is poured around with hymn for the Aśvins; a honeyed Soma is offered, by which they become aware of Vṛtra (the Coverer) and overcome him.
Inner meaning
Gharma is not merely heated milk; it is the inner warmth of tapas—concentrated ardor generated by aspiration and praise (stoma). Soma is the sweetness of divine Ananda distilled in consciousness. When tapas is ‘poured’ and surrounded by mantra, and bliss is offered upward, the Aśvin powers become vividly operative: they discern the Vṛtra-force (the subconscious coverer, inertia, obstruction) and loosen its grip. The healing twins thus act as liberators: they restore right circulation of energies by bringing warmth and bliss into blocked places.
Universal truth
Transformation requires both ardor (tapas) and sweetness (ānanda). When these are offered through conscious speech, the obstructing darkness becomes knowable and therefore conquerable.
Themes
Soma-ritual (inner and outer), Pravargya/gharma, Illumination against obstruction
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva (Kāṇva tradition)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.9.2, RV 8.9.3, RV 8.9.5, RV 8.9.6
Family tradition
Kāṇvas frequently link offering, mantra, and inner transformation—praise as a force that ‘pours’ consciousness and calls divine powers into action.
Significance
This verse gives a compact psychology of liberation: tapas + ānanda awaken divine discernment against the coverer.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Aśvinā, Vājinīvasū, Nāsatyā (contextual), wonder-working healers
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Indra, Uṣas
Cosmic role
They carry offerings between worlds and restore harmony; here they function as perceivers and removers of obstruction through the offered heat and Soma-bliss.
Inner power
Therapeutic illumination: detecting the hidden knot (Vṛtra) and applying warmth and sweetness to dissolve it.
In ritual
Where it is used
Gharma/Pravargya-associated imagery and Soma offering context; Aśvin praise within soma rites
अ॒यं वां॑ घ॒र्मो अ॑श्विना॒ स्तोमे॑न॒ परि॑ षिच्यते । अ॒यं सोमो॒ मधु॑मान्वाजिनीवसू॒ येन॑ वृ॒त्रं चिके॑तथः ॥
अ॒यम् । वा॒म् । घ॒र्मः । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । स्तोमे॑न । परि॑ । सि॒च्य॒ते॒ । अ॒यम् । सोमः॑ । मधु॑ऽमान् । वा॒जि॒नी॒व॒सू॒ इति॑ वाजिनीऽवसू । येन॑ । वृ॒त्रम् । चिके॑तथः ॥
ayam | vām | gharmaḥ | aśvinā | stomena | pari | sicyate | ayam | somaḥ | madhu-mān | vājinīvasūitivājinī-vasū | yena | vṛtram | ciketathaḥ
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4 pādas × ~12 syllables
Flowing, offering-like; longer breath lines suit imagery of pouring and abundance.
Induces a sense of ‘streaming’—useful for meditating on pervasion of tapas and Soma through the system.
- घर्मः (gharmaḥ)
- Literal: warm/hot offering. Symbolic: tapas, inner heat of aspiration that ripens the being
- स्तोमेन (stomena)
- Literal: with the hymn of praise. Symbolic: mantric formation—speech that organizes consciousness around the Divine
- परि सिच्यते (pari ṣicyate)
- Literal: is poured around. Symbolic: the offering pervades the whole nature; tapas saturates the system
- सोमः मधुमान् (somaḥ madhumān)
- Literal: Soma, honeyed. Symbolic: divine bliss/nectar that sweetens and immortalizes consciousness
- वाजिनीवसू (vājinīvasū)
- Literal: lords of plenitudes/possessors of winning powers. Symbolic: powers that bring abundant effective energies (vāja) into life
- वृत्रम् (vṛtram)
- Literal: Vṛtra, the coverer. Symbolic: obstructive force: inertia, ignorance, subconscient blockage
- चिकेतथः (ciketathaḥ)
- Literal: you become aware/you perceive. Symbolic: illumined discernment that detects the hidden obstruction so it can be released
Pravargya/Gharma association within Soma ritual; offering of gharmá and Soma to Ashvins
Preliminary heating/energizing moments (pravargya) and soma-related offerings; dawn or early rite phases.
Consecrated warm offering and Soma libation accompanied by stoma; inviting Aśvin participation.
A mantra for inner ‘warming’ and sweetening before shadow-work: bring kind heat and bliss to blocked emotions.
gharma is a technical ritual term (notably Pravargya) but innerly corresponds to energized heat of offering—tapas transformed into oblation. √sic ‘pour’ describes both outer libation and inner ‘pouring’ of speech/force around the deity. Soma as madhu indicates delight-consciousness. √cit ‘to perceive’ (ciketathaḥ) marks illumination: by Soma the gods ‘notice’ Vṛtra—i.e., bring obstruction into the light where it can be undone.
tapas transformed into offering, Soma as delight-consciousness enabling perception of obstruction, Vṛtra as concealment exposed by illumination (cit)
When offerings are rightly formed, divine powers act to restore r̥ta by removing the coverer.
Ciketi (awareness) is satya’s function—truth-seeing that exposes concealment.
Re-creation of the being: heat ripens, Soma nourishes; obstruction is unveiled and released.
Aurobindo-Kashyap symbolic psychology: Vṛtra as subconscient resistance; Soma as bliss-force aiding liberation.
dawn/early ritual heat
Heat = concentrated aspiration; Soma stream = bliss-current; Vṛtra = inner knot/veil preventing flow.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is Soma-assisted perception and overcoming of Vṛtra: through the honeyed Soma the Ashvins ‘become conscious’ of the Coverer. Innerly, delight (Soma) is not escape but a clarifying force that reveals obstruction and enables its removal.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sic ‘pour’ continues PIE *seikʷ- ‘to pour’ (cf. Latin siccare is different; but IE pouring roots are archaic and ritualized). √cit ‘notice’ aligns with PIE *ḱeyt-/*ḱey- ‘to notice’ (cognate network includes ‘cite’ via Latin citare from ciēre is different; still, Indo-Iranian cit- is old). The deictic ayám…ayám anchors ritual immediacy, a hallmark of early IE hymn style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi mediates presence through offering: stoma ‘pours around’ the gharmá, and Soma is presented as the very means by which the gods’ consciousness becomes operative against obstruction. Speech, offering, and divine action form a single circuit of r̥ta.
Generate inner warmth (tapas) in the heart/solar plexus; then invoke a honeyed calm joy (Soma) flowing through the system; hold attention on any ‘knot’ and let awareness soften it.
Anāhata (warmth of devotion) + Sahasrāra/Ājñā (Soma descent)
Warming breath (gentle ujjāyī) for 12 cycles, then cooling exhale imagining Soma sweetness; chant once at the transition.
Warm, luminous, gently forceful; clarity without aggression.
Do not ‘fight’ Vṛtra; first pervade with gharmo (tapas), then saturate with madhumān soma (ānanda). Let discernment arise naturally (ciketi) and release follows.
Maintain Vedic accents; long lines benefit from clear udātta peaks and smooth svarita falls—avoid flattening.
Mark breath points at pāda ends; keep stomena and madhumān clearly lengthened where long vowels occur.
gharmaḥ: aspirate gh; do not harden into ‘g’., ṣicyate: keep ṣ retroflex; cy as palatal cluster., vājinīvasū: long ī and ū; articulate as vā-ji-nī-va-sū (not compressed)., vṛtram: short ṛ; tr cluster crisp.
Warm, flowing, offering-like; slightly brighter on ‘somo madhumān’.
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