Rig Veda 9.15.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 15, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.15
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
एतं मृजन्ति मर्ज्यमुप द्रोणेष्वायवः । प्रचक्राणं महीरिषः ॥
etáṃ mṛ́janti márjyam úpa dróṇeṣv āyávaḥ | pracakrāṇáṃ mahī́r íṣaḥ ||
लोग उसे साफ करते हैं, क्योंकि वो साफ होना ज़रूरी है। यह काम बड़े बर्तन के पास होता है। जो लोग धरम ढूंढते हैं वो उसे चलाते हैं। फिर बड़ा पोषण और ताकत पैदा होती है।
Word by Word
- एतम्
- this (him)Pronoun/Determinerपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (विशेष्य-निर्देशः) / कर्मपद-विशेषणम्Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मृजन्ति
- they cleanseVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रिया (कर्तृ-क्रिया)Root √मृज् (मार्जने ‘to cleanse, wipe’)
- मर्ज्यम्
- to be cleansed / fit to be purifiedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (एतम् इति सह)Role कर्मपद-विशेषणम्Root √मृज् → मर्ज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ‘to be cleansed’)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role उपपद-सम्बन्धः (निकटता/समीप्य)Root उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- द्रोणेषु
- in the vats / troughsNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरण (स्थान)Root द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक; ‘trough, vat, wooden vessel’)
- आयवः
- the lively ones / the pressers (agents)Noun (collective/agentive) / Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role कर्ताRoot आयु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘vital force, life’; RV usage: ‘the living/quick ones’, often of the pressing/straining agents)
- प्रचक्राणम्
- rolling onward / moving forwardParticiple (verbal adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (एतम् इति सह)Role कर्मपद-विशेषणम्Root √चक्र्/√चक्र (Vedic; ‘to move/roll, go round’; reduplicated perfect participle) → प्र-चक्राण (कृदन्त)
- महीः
- the great (ones)Adjective (substantivized) / Noun-like adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role कर्ताRoot मही (प्रातिपदिक; ‘great, mighty’)
- इषः
- refreshments / invigorating draughtsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role कर्ता (महीः इषः = ‘great refreshments’)Root इष् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘refreshment, nourishment, sap/juice’; RV often of invigorating draughts)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एतं | मृजन्ति | मर्ज्यम् | उप | द्रोणेषु | आयवः || प्रचक्राणम् | महीः | इषः || 1) मर्ज्यमुप → मर्ज्यम् + उप (अन्त्य-व्यञ्जन ‘म्’ परे स्वर ‘उ’ इति संधिः; लेखने ‘मुप’)
- 2) द्रोणे॑ष्वा॒यव॑: → द्रोणेषु + आयवः (उ + आ → वा/व्-आगमः; ‘षु’ + ‘आ’ → ‘ष्वा’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
They cleanse him near the vats; the seekers set him moving; great impulsions (iṣaḥ) begin to turn.
Inner meaning
Purification (mṛj-) is the inner discipline that refines delight into clarity. Near the ‘vats’ (droṇa: holding vessels) indicates contained concentration—collecting the essence in the mind-heart. The āyavaḥ (seekers) initiate the flow, and then mighty impulses of force and nourishment (mahīḥ iṣaḥ) begin their cyclic working (pracakrāṇam): the dynamism of yoga starts rotating—energy, aspiration, and effective action arise from purified Ananda.
Universal truth
When delight is cleansed and contained by discipline, it becomes a turning power that generates sustained energy, nourishment, and progress.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Cleansing, Increase (iṣ), Dynamic turning
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.15.6, RV 9.15.8
Significance
The verse speaks from the standpoint of the collective sacrificers/seekers: purification is a shared yogic act, not merely priestly technique.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Marjya (the to-be-purified), Indu, Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra (receives Soma for illumination), Aśvins (healers; purification), Sarasvatī (flow and inspiration)
Cosmic role
The circulating essence that, once filtered, powers the gods and the world’s increase (iṣ).
Inner power
Purified Ananda that converts aspiration into sustained, rotating force (cakra) and nourishment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration near vats (droṇa) during Soma sacrifice
ए॒तं मृ॑जन्ति॒ मर्ज्य॒मुप॒ द्रोणे॑ष्वा॒यव॑: । प्र॒च॒क्रा॒णं म॒हीरिष॑: ॥
ए॒तम् । मृ॒ज॒न्ति॒ । मर्ज्य॑म् । उप॑ । द्रोणे॑षु । आ॒यवः॑ । प्र॒ऽच॒क्रा॒णम् । म॒हीः । इषः॑ ॥
etam | mṛjanti | marjyam | upa | droṇeṣu | āyavaḥ | pra-cakrāṇam | mahīḥ | iṣaḥ
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4 × ~12
Rolling, wheel-like movement; suited to ‘pracakrāṇam’.
Induces a sense of inner circulation and momentum, helpful for energizing yet keeping containment.
- मृजन्ति (mṛjanti)
- Literal: they cleanse, polish. Symbolic: purifying consciousness; refining motives and sensations
- मर्ज्यम् (marjyam)
- Literal: to be cleansed. Symbolic: the delight-principle that must be clarified to act rightly
- द्रोणेषु (droṇeṣu)
- Literal: in/near the vats. Symbolic: inner receptacles: concentrated mind/heart where essence is held
- आयवः (āyavaḥ)
- Literal: seekers, desirers. Symbolic: aspirants; faculties that yearn for truth
- प्रचक्राणम् (pra-cakrāṇam)
- Literal: setting in motion, turning like a wheel. Symbolic: activation of cyclic energies; steady yogic momentum
- महीः इषः (mahīḥ iṣaḥ)
- Literal: great impulsions/nourishments. Symbolic: strong currents of prāṇa-shakti and soul-nourishment from Ananda
Directly reflects Soma purification near droṇa-vessels; the cleansing and transfer stages of Soma pressing.
At the moment of cleansing/straining Soma and directing it toward offering
Recitation while Soma is strained; symbolic ‘polishing’ of the offering
Chant before work or study to ‘set in motion’ clean energy—first purify intention, then act.
√mṛj ‘cleanse’ is central to pavamāna poetry; marjyam (gerundive) encodes necessity/fitness: Soma is ‘that which must be made pure’. pra-cakrāṇam from √cakr ‘turn’ (wheel imagery) suggests the activation of recurrent energies; iṣ- is ‘impulse/nourishment’ (often the energizing plenty that follows right offering). droṇa as container supports the inner mapping: receptacles of the mind/heart where the clarified delight is held.
Purification as prerequisite for increase (iṣ), Activation of cyclic energies (cakra)
The ‘turning’ suggests ṛta as rhythmic law: energies move in right cycles when Soma is purified.
Purification aligns delight with truth so impulses become right impulses (iṣ as true increase).
From refined essence arises the world’s increase—nourishment and power.
Integral psychology of the Veda (Aurobindo): purification → dynamism of shakti.
Cleansing the emotional-vital waters so energy begins to circulate in stable rhythms (like a wheel) around a quiet center.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The purifying action that releases ‘great iṣ’ and sets the powers turning: a mythic mechanism where cleansing of the essence activates abundance and the rotating movement of divine energies.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √cakr ‘turn’ relates to PIE *kʷekʷlo- ‘wheel’ (cf. Sanskrit cakrá-, Greek kýklos); this is a hallmark IE poetic symbol. The gerundive marjyam shows inherited Indo-Iranian modality morphology expressing obligation/fitness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s community (āyavaḥ) performs purification as an act of conscious cooperation; Soma responds by generating mahīḥ iṣaḥ—an exchange where human right action awakens divine increase.
Purify delight in the ‘vessel’ of awareness; then watch wholesome impulses arise and rotate steadily.
Manipura (turning force/drive) balanced by Anahata (purified delight)
Square breathing (4-4-4-4) for containment (droṇa), then natural breath while sensing ‘wheel’ movement in the navel region.
Energized clarity—clean force with inner order.
Before chanting, recall one desire/impulse; offer it to cleansing. After chanting, act only from the impulse that feels wide, quiet, and steady (mahī iṣ).
Three-tone Vedic intonation; precise udatta/anudatta/svarita mapping depends on śākhā svara text.
Give a slight lift to etam, mṛjanti, droṇeṣu, pracakrāṇam, mahīḥ iṣaḥ; keep particles light.
mṛjanti : vocalic ṛ, quick and clear, marjyam : ‘rjya’ cluster—don’t insert extra vowel, droṇeṣu : long ō, ṣu crisp, pracakrāṇam : ‘krā’ long ā
Bright, polished tone as if ‘cleansing’ the sound; articulate consonant clusters.
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