Rig Veda 9.108.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 108, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.108
- Devata
- Soma Pavamana
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
पवस्व मधुमत्तम इन्द्राय सोम क्रतुवित्तमो मदः । महि द्युक्षतमो मदः ॥
páv asva mádhumat-tama indrā́ya soma kratuvít-tamo mádaḥ | máhi dyukṣá-tamo mádaḥ ||
हे सोम, बह के आओ, तुम में शकर सबसे ज़्यादा है। इंद्र के लिए तुम वो नशा हो जो समझ और इरादा सबसे बड़ा रखता है। बड़ा नशा हो, चमक में सबसे ऊपर।
Word by Word
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow as the purified (Soma)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √पू (पवते) / √पु (शोधन) — सोमस्य पवमान-प्रयोगः
- मधुमत्तमः
- most honeyed; sweetestAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सोमस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (पवस्व इत्यस्य कर्तृ-विशेषणम्)Root मधुमत् (प्रातिपदिकम्) < मधु + मतुप्; तमत्-प्रत्ययेन अतिशयः
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिकम्)
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधन (कर्तृ-सम्बन्धः)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिकम्)
- क्रतुवित्तमः
- most wise in resolve; best knower of sacred intentAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सोमस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (पवस्व इत्यस्य कर्तृ-विशेषणम्)Root क्रतु-वित् (प्रातिपदिकम्) < क्रतु + √विद् (वेदने/वित्तौ) ‘knowing/possessing will, insight’; तमत्-प्रत्ययः
- मदः
- rapture; intoxicating exhilarationNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (नामवाक्ये/विशेष्यः; ‘(त्वं) मदः’)Root मद (प्रातिपदिकम्) < √मद् (हर्षे/मत्तत्वे)
- महि
- greatly; mightilyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role विशेषण-भावे (क्रिया/विशेष्य-विशेषणम्)Root महि (अव्ययम्) < मह्/महत्-भावः
- द्युक्षतमः
- most radiant; most brilliantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (मदस्य/सोमस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (मदः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root द्युक्ष (प्रातिपदिकम्) < द्युत्/द्यु (दीप्तौ) ‘shining’; तमस्-प्रत्ययेन अतिशयः
- मदः
- rapture; exhilarating draughtNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (पुनरुक्तिः)Role Kartā (नामवाक्ये/विशेष्यः)Root मद (प्रातिपदिकम्) < √मद्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: पवस्व | मधुमत्तमः | इन्द्राय | सोम | क्रतुवित्तमः | मदः | महि | द्युक्षतमः | मदः || 1) ‘इन्द्रा॑य’ इति इन्द्र + आय (चतुर्थी-एकवचन) — संधि-विशेषः न। 2) ‘सोम क्रतुवित्तमः’ इत्यत्र ‘सोम’ सम्बोधनः, ततः विशेषणम् ‘क्रतुवित्तमः’ (सोमस्य)। 3) द्वितीयपादे ‘महि’ अव्ययम्, ‘द्युक्षतमः’ ‘मदः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्
- ‘मदः’ पुनरुक्त्या स्तुत्यर्थं बलवत्तरः। (स्वरचिह्नाः पाठे यथास्थिताः; पदविश्लेषणे रूपनिर्णयः स्वरात् न बाध्यते।)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma is invoked to flow forth, most honeyed, for Indra—bringing a rapture rich in will and discernment, great and most luminous.
Inner meaning
Purified delight (Soma) is called to pour itself for the Divine Mind (Indra). This is not mere sweetness but a mada that intensifies kratu (will-power, purposeful intention) and vittama (right finding/discernment). The result is a great, shining ecstasy—ananda that becomes illumination and effective force for inner victory.
Universal truth
True joy strengthens will and clarifies intelligence; when offered to the highest mind within, it becomes luminous power for transformation.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Indra empowerment, delight (madhu/mada), illumination
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.108.2, RV 9.107.24-26
Family tradition
Book 9’s Soma liturgy often addresses Soma ‘for Indra’—a standard pairing reflecting the inner alliance of delight and illumination.
Significance
The rishi-impulse here is a practical yoga of ananda: call the sweetest delight to feed the illumined mind so that will becomes effective and perception becomes clear.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (as offering for Indra)
- Epithets
- madhumattama (most honeyed), kratuvittama (richest in will-discernment), dyukṣatama (most luminous)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Soma supplies the gods with strength and light; for Indra specifically, Soma is the energizing delight that supports the victory over darkness.
Inner power
Ananda that becomes luminous will—joy transmuted into effective spiritual force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Indra in Soma-yajña
पव॑स्व॒ मधु॑मत्तम॒ इन्द्रा॑य सोम क्रतु॒वित्त॑मो॒ मद॑: । महि॑ द्यु॒क्षत॑मो॒ मद॑: ॥
पव॑स्व । मधु॑मत्ऽतमः । इन्द्रा॑य । सो॒म॒ । क्र॒तु॒वित्ऽत॑मः । मदः॑ । महि॑ । द्यु॒क्षऽत॑मः । मदः॑ ॥
pavasva | madhumat-tamaḥ | indrāya | soma | kratuvit-tamaḥ | madaḥ | mahi | dyukṣa-tamaḥ | madaḥ
Likely Gāyatrī (common in concise invocations; 3 pādas of 8 syllables)
24
3 x 8 (approx.)
Quick, bright, mantra-like compactness—well-suited to a direct invocation.
Produces a focused uplift; easy to repeat for concentration and energizing clarity.
- madhumattama
- Literal: most honeyed/sweet. Symbolic: pure, nourishing ananda free from desire-turbidity
- indrāya
- Literal: for Indra. Symbolic: for the illumined mind, the inner leader of victory
- kratu
- Literal: will, resolve, intelligence of action. Symbolic: divine will in the mind—purposeful force guided by insight
- vittama
- Literal: most finding/knowing. Symbolic: discerning consciousness that finds truth and right means
- mada
- Literal: rapture, intoxication. Symbolic: ecstatic uplift that empowers and illumines
- dyukṣa-tama
- Literal: most shining/luminous. Symbolic: ananda turned into light of consciousness
Indra-Soma offerings in Soma sacrifice; Soma is invoked as the luminous rapture that empowers Indra
At libations dedicated to Indra; during pressing sequences
Chant as Soma is offered, invoking luminous rapture and strength
Use before study, decision-making, or sadhana requiring clear will: invite ‘honeyed joy’ to feed discernment and resolve.
madá (from √mad ‘rejoice, be intoxicated’) is a key Soma word: not mere drunkenness but a divine intensification of consciousness. krátu is will + insight (decisive intelligence), not simply ‘ritual’. madhú ‘honey/sweetness’ becomes the taste of delight (ānanda-like). Indra here is the inner lord of luminous power who is strengthened by Soma.
kratu (will + discernment), madá as intensified consciousness, Indra as victorious luminous power
When delight feeds Indra, action aligns with right order—will becomes a channel of ṛta rather than impulse.
Vittama implies truth-finding intelligence; luminous mada supports satya in thought and action.
Joy as a creative power that increases light and force in the evolving being.
Integral Vedic psychology: Ananda fuels the illumined mind to transform nature.
Honey = sweetness of purified ananda; shining = awakened mind-light; flow = continuous infusion of joy into will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as Indra’s empowering rapture: the honeyed, luminous madá is offered to awaken and magnify Indra’s victorious force—innerly, delight fuels the will-to-truth (kratu) and the shining power of mastery.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mad relates to an Indo-European semantic field of joy/intoxication (often compared with Iranian parallels). madhú ‘honey’ has PIE *médʰu (cf. English ‘mead’), a classic IE poetic substance of sweetness/rapture.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Soma to become a specific quality—most sweet, most luminous, most kratu-filled—so that Indra in the sacrificer may be strengthened; it is a deliberate shaping of inner substance for divine action.
Invoke sweet, purified joy to energize clear will and luminous discernment.
Maṇipūra (will) harmonized with Ājñā (discernment)
3–6 rounds of slow inhale ‘pavasva…’ and exhale feeling a honeyed light fill the head and chest
Luminous rapture with control; energized clarity
Offer your emotional energy upward to the inner Indra (clear intelligence). Let joy become strength for right choice and steady aspiration, not excitement.
Rigvedic svara as per śākala; keep the compact meter crisp—avoid dragging vowels except where long (madhū/mahī).
Strike ‘pavasva’ cleanly; give a slight lift on ‘indrāya’ and ‘madhumattama’; let the final ‘madaḥ’ settle with resonance.
madhumattama (clear double ‘tt’), indrāya (long ā), kratuvittamo (cluster ‘tv’), dyukṣatamo (dyu-kṣa)
Bright, resonant, slightly uplifting; end each pāda cleanly
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