Rig Veda 9.16.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 16, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.16
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
क्रत्वा दक्षस्य रथ्यमपो वसानमन्धसा । गोषामण्वेषु सश्चिम ॥
kratvā́ dákṣasya rathyám apó vásānam ándhasā | goṣā́m áṇveṣu saścima ||
अपनी सोच और समझ से वो रास्ता बन जाता है जहाँ काम सही से होता है। पानी में वो रस लेके चलता है। वो छोटे-छोटे रस्तों पर जाता है और चमकदार ज्ञान ढूंढता है।
Word by Word
- क्रत्वा
- by (his) will/resolve, by power of intentionNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करणRoot क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दक्षस्य
- of Dakṣa / of skill, of the able oneNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- रथ्यम्
- fit for a chariot; chariot-worthy (course/way)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-बहुवचन (वैदिक रूप)Role कर्मRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसानम्
- wearing, clothed (in)Participle (Adjective)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; शतृ/शानच्-प्रकार (मध्य/आत्मनेपदी भावः) वर्तमानकालिकRole विशेषण (कर्मणि/अभिधेयस्य)Root √वस् (वस् आच्छादने) → वसाना- (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अन्धसा
- with soma-juice; with the pressed draughtNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करणRoot अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- गोषाम्
- of the cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्वेषु
- in the search; along the quest/tracksIndeclinable phrase (preverb + locative form)अनु = अव्यय; एषु = सप्तमी-बहुवचन (वैदिक प्रयोग: ‘in/along the seeking, in the tracks’)Role अधिकरणRoot अनु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + एषु (√इष्/√एष् ‘to seek’ से; लोकेटिव बहुवचन रूप)
- सश्चिम्
- following, pursuing; attendantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म/विशेष्य (गन्तव्य/अनुगमन-वस्तु)Root सश्चि (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: क्रत्वा | दक्षस्य | रथ्यम् | अपः | वसानम् | अन्धसा | गोषाम् | अन्वेषु | सश्चिम् । 1) ‘रथ्यमपो’ इत्यत्र संहितायां रथ्यम् + अपः (म् + अ → मअ, लेख्ये संधि-लोपाभासः) । 2) ‘वसानमन्धसा’ = वसानम् + अन्धसा (म् + अ → मअ) । 3) ‘गोषामण्वेषु’ = गोषाम् + अन्वेषु (म् + अ → मअ; ‘अन्वेषु’ में न्व्-समूह वैदिक संधि/उच्चारण) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
By will and skill he becomes the chariot-course of dakṣa; clothed in waters with the pressing-essence, he moves on subtle tracks seeking the cows.
Inner meaning
Soma, by kratu (conscious will) and dakṣa (discerning skill), becomes rathyam—the path/chariot-course for effective action: delight creates a workable road for the divine powers in our nature. ‘Clothed in waters’ (apo vasānam) indicates wrapped in purifying currents of consciousness and life-energy; with andhas (pressing essence) he moves through subtle tracks (aṇveṣu)—fine inner pathways of perception and prāṇa—seeking the go (cows) i.e., rays of knowledge/light hidden in the subconscient. Soma thus guides the quest for illumination.
Universal truth
Disciplined will and discernment turn inner joy into a practical path; purified energy then searches subtle channels and recovers the hidden lights of knowledge.
Themes
Inner journey, Purifying waters, Recovery of light, Skill and will
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.16.1
Significance
This is a classic Aurobindonian key: go as rays of knowledge, aṇu-paths as subtle inner tracks, Soma as the power that both purifies and discovers hidden light.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Andhas (pressed essence), Indu, Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra (finder of cows/lights), Sarasvatī (inspired flow), Agni (pathfinder in sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Purifies through waters, opens paths, and helps recover hidden lights for the gods’ work in the human being.
Inner power
Ananda guided by kratu and dakṣa—delight that becomes intelligent, effective movement and discovery.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering; also thematically supports the ‘search for cows’ motif in Soma-Indra context
क्रत्वा॒ दक्ष॑स्य र॒थ्य॑म॒पो वसा॑न॒मन्ध॑सा । गो॒षामण्वे॑षु सश्चिम ॥
क्रत्वा॑ । दक्ष॑स्य । र॒थ्य॑म् । अ॒पः । वसा॑नम् । अन्ध॑सा । गो॒ऽसाम् । अण्वे॑षु । स॒श्चि॒म॒ ॥
kratvā | dakṣasya | rathyam | apaḥ | vasānam | andhasā | go-sām | aṇveṣu | saścima
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4 × ~12
Measured and purposeful, like a chariot rolling on a formed road; subtlety in the latter half (aṇveṣu).
Creates a sense of directed seeking—steady will with fine attention to inner channels.
- क्रत्वा (kratvā)
- Literal: by will, intention. Symbolic: conscious soul-will directing the yoga
- दक्षस्य (dakṣasya)
- Literal: of skill/ability. Symbolic: discerning intelligence; right arrangement of forces
- रथ्यम् (rathyam)
- Literal: chariot-way, course. Symbolic: a workable path for the divine movement in life
- अपः (apaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: purifying currents; life-forces and clarity in the vital-mind
- वसानम् (vasānam)
- Literal: clothed, wearing. Symbolic: enveloped in purification; protected by clarity
- अन्धसा (andhasā)
- Literal: Soma juice/pressed essence. Symbolic: concentrated delight-essence gained by inner pressing
- अण्वेषु (aṇveṣu)
- Literal: in the subtle/fine (tracks). Symbolic: minute inner pathways of perception, nāḍī-like channels
- गोसाम् (go-sām)
- Literal: of the cows. Symbolic: luminous herds: rays of knowledge/illumination to be recovered
- सश्चिम (saścima)
- Literal: he goes/moves along. Symbolic: progressive seeking-movement of consciousness
Soma moving with waters through filtering channels; invoked for winning ‘cows’ (lights) and strengthening dakṣa/kratu in the sacrificer.
During Soma rites emphasizing purification in waters and preparation for offering to Indra/gods
Filtering Soma with water; reciting while directing the flow and intention of the offering
Chant for guidance when one feels ‘blocked’: to form an inner road (rathyam) and discover subtle sources of insight.
kratu is RV ‘will/intelligence’ (not mere ‘sacrifice’), the power that forms action; dakṣa is capacity/skill (√dakṣ ‘be able, be competent’). vasānam from √vas ‘clothe/dwell’ suggests Soma assumes the waters as his medium. go ‘cow’ as ray/knowledge is grounded in RV usage where cows are found/released as lights; aṇu ‘subtle’ indicates fine inner channels of consciousness.
Kratu (formative will), Dakṣa (effective discernment), Go (rays/knowledges) as recovered light
Dakṣa fashions ṛta as a ‘road’: right order becomes a traversable path for force.
The cows/lights are satya-content concealed; Soma helps retrieve them into conscious mind.
Discovery and manifestation: hidden lights are brought out through subtle channels by purified essence.
Vedic psychology leading toward Upanishadic innerization: knowledge as light recovered, not merely learned.
Purified life-energy flows through subtle channels, creating a stable path for action and revealing hidden insights (light-rays) from deeper layers.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The quest for the ‘cows’ (lights/knowledges) along subtle tracks, enabled by Soma clothed in waters: a classic mythic action of recovering light from concealment, here internalized as a movement through fine channels of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- go ‘cow’ continues PIE *gʷōus (with widespread IE mythic valence); √vas ‘clothe/dwell’ reflects PIE *wes- ‘clothe’ (cf. English ‘wear’). The pairing kratu/dakṣa preserves archaic cognitive-power vocabulary typical of Indo-Iranian poetic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns human faculties (kratu, dakṣa) with Soma’s movement; Soma becomes the very ‘way’ (rathyam) of effective action, and the human ‘follows’ (saścima) that divine leading to recover the lights.
Form the inner ‘road’ of right action through will and discernment; then search subtle channels for hidden light.
Ajna (discernment/dakṣa) guiding Manipura (will/kratu); supportive grounding in Muladhara (rathyam/foundation)
Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril) to emphasize ‘aṇu tracks’ and purification by waters; then quiet sitting.
Subtle, investigative clarity with gentle joy.
Set an intention (kratu), invoke discerning order (dakṣa), feel a clear path in the spine. Then listen inwardly for ‘cows’—small, bright insights—without forcing; let them gather naturally as a herd of light.
Three-tone Vedic; exact accentuation requires svara recension.
Sustain kratuvā dakṣasya rathyam with steady weight; lighten into the subtle section (aṇveṣu) with finer articulation; emphasize goṣām.
kratvā : ktv cluster clean, dakṣasya : kṣ cluster; short a, rathyam : th aspirated, apo : short a; visarga lightly, aṇveṣu : retroflex ṇ; v-eṣu smooth, goṣām : long ō; ṣ distinct
Focused, even tone; articulate clusters clearly to preserve ‘path-making’ precision.
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