Rig Veda 9.13.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 13, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.13
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-class line length
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
सोमः पुनानो अर्षति सहस्रधारो अत्यविः । वायोरिन्द्रस्य निष्कृतम् ॥
sómaḥ punānó arṣati sahásra-dhāro áty-aviḥ | vāyór índrasya niḥ-kṛtám ||
सोम अपने आप को साफ कर रहा है और हज़ार धारा में बह रहा है। यह ऊलन फ़िल्टर से गुज़र के आगे निकल रहा है। यह वायु और इन्द्र के लिए तैयार किया गया स्थान पर जा रहा है जो हमारे अंदर है।
Word by Word
- सोमः
- Soma (the pressed sacred juice)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक) < √सु (सु- ‘to press, extract’) → सोम ‘pressed (juice)’
- पुनानः
- being purified (in the filter)Verb-derived adjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद-वर्तमान-कर्तरि कृदन्त ‘being purified / purifying himself’Role कर्तृ (सोमस्य विशेषणम्)Root √पू (पू- ‘to purify, cleanse’)
- अर्षति
- flows, streamsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: सोमः)Root √ऋष्/अर्ष् (ऋष्/अर्ष् ‘to flow, rush, stream’)
- सहस्रधारः
- having a thousand streamsAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सोमस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root सहस्र + धारा (प्रातिपदिक); धारा < √धृ/√धार् ‘to hold, bear’ (धार- ‘stream’)
- अत्यविः
- passing over/through the sheep’s (wool), i.e., over the woolen filterAdjective/epithet (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सोमस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root अति + अवि (प्रातिपदिक); अवि ‘sheep/ewe’ (filtering wool metaphor)
- वायोः
- of VāyuNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी: ‘of Vāyu’)Root वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी: ‘of Indra’)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- निष्कृतम्
- the prepared (draught/portion)Verbal adjective (past passive participle)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कर्मपद; ‘that which is prepared’)Role कर्मRoot निस् + √कृ (कृ- ‘to make, prepare’) → निष्कृत (ppp) ‘made ready/finished; set forth’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सोमः | पुनानः | अर्षति | सहस्रधारः | अत्यविः | वायोः | इन्द्रस्य | निष्कृतम् || 1) ‘सोम॑:’ = सोमः (विसर्ग-लोप/चिह्नभेदः पाठभेदेन)
- 2) ‘पुना॒नो’ = पुनानः (शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त रूप; ओ/अः संधि-लेखनभेदः)
- 3) ‘स॒हस्र॑धारो॒’ = सहस्रधारः (पदान्त ‘-o’ इति संहितालक्षणम्; पदपाठे ‘-ः’)
- 4) ‘वा॒योरिन्द्र॑स्य’ = वायोः + इन्द्रस्य (विसर्गः + स्वरादि → ‘ओरि’ संधि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, purifying himself, streams in a thousand currents, passing beyond the woolen filter; he goes to the prepared place of Vāyu and Indra.
Inner meaning
Soma’s self-purification is the refinement of delight-consciousness as it passes through the ‘wool’ (āvī)—the filtering medium of mind/nervous nature that separates clarity from mixture. Emerging in a thousand currents, it becomes manifold energies of inspiration. It then reaches the prepared inner seat of Vāyu (life-breath, prāṇa-force) and Indra (illumined mind): delight feeds breath-force and illumination, establishing a stable inner offering-space (niṣkṛtam).
Universal truth
When inner delight is purified, it naturally diversifies into many helpful movements and nourishes both life-force and intelligence—making the psyche a prepared temple for higher powers.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification through the filter, Offering to Vāyu and Indra, Manifold illumination
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.13 (Pavamāna hymn context)
Significance
The seer describes an inner technology: purification → manifold flow → transcendence of the filter → installation in prāṇa and illumined mind. It is a concise map of yogic transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (linked to Vāyu and Indra)
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Sahasradhāra, Indu
- Related deities
- Vāyu, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Purifier and distributor of divine essence; mediator who feeds the powers of prāṇa (Vāyu) and illumination (Indra).
Inner power
A refining bliss-force that, once filtered, becomes usable energy and light in the system.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration (pavamāna) and offering to Vāyu-Indra in Soma yajña sequences.
सोम॑: पुना॒नो अ॑र्षति स॒हस्र॑धारो॒ अत्य॑विः । वा॒योरिन्द्र॑स्य निष्कृ॒तम् ॥
सोमः॑ । पु॒ना॒नः । अ॒र्ष॒ति॒ । स॒हस्र॑ऽधारः । अति॑ऽअविः । वा॒योः । इन्द्र॑स्य । निः॒ऽकृ॒तम् ॥
somaḥ | punānaḥ | arṣati | sahasra-dhāraḥ | ati-aviḥ | vāyoḥ | indrasya | niḥ-kṛtam
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2 pādas × 12? or 4 × 12 (Jagatī-class long line; exact pāda division depends on pada recitation; verify syllable scan).
Broad and rolling, like a river; less ‘mantric punch’ than Gāyatrī, more expansive flow.
Induces a sense of wide streaming movement and purification; supports longer-breath chanting and deeper absorption.
- पुनान (punāna)
- Literal: purifying, cleansing. Symbolic: self-refinement of consciousness through inner discipline
- सहस्रधार (sahasradhāra)
- Literal: thousand-streamed. Symbolic: many channels of inspiration/energy arising from one essence
- अति-अवि (ati-aviḥ)
- Literal: passing beyond the sheep’s wool (filter). Symbolic: going beyond mental mixture; exceeding ordinary mind’s limitations
- निष्कृत (niṣkṛta)
- Literal: prepared, made ready, set apart. Symbolic: consecrated inner space for divine reception
- वायु (vāyu)
- Literal: wind. Symbolic: prāṇa, the carrier-force that moves experience
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: lord of power. Symbolic: illumined mind that breaks obstruction and brings light
Central Pavamāna sequence: Soma strained through woolen filter and offered; associated with offerings to Vāyu and Indra in Soma sacrifice. Inner application: delight-current purified and offered to life-force and illumined mind.
When Soma is filtered and directed toward recipients; Vāyu and Indra have prominent Soma-drinking roles.
Recitation during the flow through the filter and when preparing offerings for the deities.
Use to purify emotional-vital turbulence and clarify mind: chant with attention to breath (Vāyu) and light (Indra).
punāna < √pū ‘to purify, cleanse’ (reflexive middle participle: self-purifying). avi ‘sheep’ indicates the woolen strainer (pavitra) in Soma ritual; ati-aviḥ ‘beyond/through the wool’ signals the passage through purification. niḥ-kṛtam < nis + √kṛ ‘made out/cleared/prepared’—a ritually and psychologically ‘cleared space’ for reception. Vāyu (wind/life-breath) and Indra (lord of luminous mind) are Soma’s chief drinkers.
Ṛta (ordered preparation: niḥ-kṛtam), Purification (pū), Integration of prāṇa (Vāyu) and illumination (Indra)
Passing the filter symbolizes aligning mixed nature to Ṛta—separating truth-movements from confusion.
Beyond the wool is a clearer satya-flow that can seat itself in illumined mind (Indra).
Refinement of essence: from raw to purified to manifold powers.
Yoga of transformation (Aurobindonian): purification of vital-mental instruments to host higher forces.
Filter = discriminating instrument; wind = breath/prāṇa; thousand streams = many nāḍī-like currents of experience purified into usable force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- ‘The thousand-streamed Soma through the filter to the gods’: Soma, self-purifying, passes the woolen strainer and reaches the prepared place for Vāyu and Indra. Inner mythic action: the delight-current is clarified into many channels and offered to prāṇa (Vāyu) and illumined mind-force (Indra), enabling a harmonized ascent.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The sky/wind complex (Vāyu as moving air) and the light/sovereignty complex (Indra) reflect archaic IE poetic pairings of atmospheric motion and luminous power. The verb √pū ‘purify’ is part of an old ritual lexicon; the compound sahasra-dhāra ‘thousand-stream’ exemplifies IE-style hyperbolic numerals for intensity/multiplicity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s act is preparation and offering: creating niḥ-kṛtam (cleared inner space) and facilitating purification (punānaḥ). Soma responds by entering in manifold streams, feeding Vāyu and Indra within—so the human instrument becomes a fit vessel where life-force and luminous mind are strengthened by delight.
Purify delight into clarity; offer the refined current to breath and illumined mind—let breathing and seeing become one movement.
Anāhata (purification of feeling) → Viśuddha (flow) → Ājñā (Indra-illumination).
Slow coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min). On inhale feel ‘Vāyu’; on exhale feel Soma’s purified flow settling in the brow (Indra).
Clear, wide, lightly energized; a sense of ‘clean channels’.
Chant on longer breath; after chanting, sit and observe the ‘thousand streams’ as subtle movements in the body becoming quiet and luminous.
Follow Saṃhitā accents; in longer meter keep svara integrity across compounds (sahasradhāro, niṣkṛtam).
Maintain phrase flow without chopping; let the cadence ‘stream’. Emphasize udātta peaks without over-stressing.
punāno: long ā, sahasradhāraḥ: clear aspiration on h, crisp dh, atyaviḥ: pronounce ‘ati-aviḥ’ with clear vowel boundary, vāyor: long ā, glide yo, niṣkṛtam: retroflex ṣ, clear kṛ
Cool, even, flowing; avoid sharp percussiveness.
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