Rig Veda 9.2.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 2, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.2
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
महान्तं त्वा महीरन्वापो अर्षन्ति सिन्धवः । यद्गोभिर्वासयिष्यसे ॥
mahā́ntaṃ tvā mahī́r ánv ā́po arṣanti síndhavaḥ | yád góbhir vāsayiṣyáse ||
बड़े पानी, बड़ी नदियाँ, तुम्हारे पीछे बह रहे हैं। तुम बड़े हो, तुम्हारी चमक बड़ी है। जब तुम ज्ञान की किरणों से ढक जाओगे, तब तुम और भी चमकने लगोगे। खुशी को ज्ञान के रूप में लपेट दिया जाता है।
Word by Word
- महत्
- greatAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मणि विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot महत् (प्रातिपदिक; adj.)
- त्वा
- you (acc.)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- महीः
- great, mighty (fem. pl.)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot मही (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; adj./noun)
- अनु
- after, alongIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- आपः
- watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अप्/आप् (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्षन्ति
- they flow/streamVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot ऋष् (धातु; ‘to flow, rush’)
- सिन्धवः
- rivers/streamsNounपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सिन्धु (पुं. प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- when/thatIndeclinable (relative) / Pronounअव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (सम्बन्धसूचकं ‘when/that’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गोभिः
- with cows; with kineNoun(सामान्यतः स्त्रीलिङ्ग) तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot गो (स्त्री./पुं. प्रातिपदिक)
- वासयिष्यसे
- you will cause (to be) clothed/covered; you will clothe (yourself/it)Verbलृट् (भविष्यत्), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot वासय् (√वस् ‘to clothe/dwell’ का णिच् causative; भविष्यत्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: महान्तं त्वा महीर् अनु आपः अर्षन्ति सिन्धवः । यत् गोभिः वासयिष्यसे ॥ 1) महीः + अनु → महीरनु (रेफ-सन्धि: विसर्ग/ईः-समाप्तेः परे स्वरादौ ‘र्’)
- 2) अनु + आपः → अन्वापः (उ + आ = वा; ‘अनु’ → ‘अन्व्’ परे स्वरादौ)
- 3) यत् + गोभिः → यद्गोभिः (त् + ग् → द्ग्, जश्त्व/व्यञ्जनसन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The great waters, the mighty rivers flow after you, O great one, when you are to be clothed with cows (rays).
Inner meaning
When Soma becomes vast in us, the great currents of consciousness (āpaḥ, sindhavaḥ) follow and support its movement. At the culminating moment, Soma is ‘clothed with cows’—wrapped in go, the rays/forms of illumination—so delight is not merely felt but shaped into clear knowledge-forms that can act and endure.
Universal truth
A full spiritual transformation requires both flow and form: widened consciousness must converge with illumination so that joy is vested in knowledge and becomes a stable power of life.
Themes
Waters follow Soma, Rays of knowledge, Inner investiture, Release of light
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.33 (Rivers), RV 7.49 (Waters), RV 7.76 (Uṣas)
Family tradition
Known for river/water symbolism and for seeing the cosmic order as a harmonized movement of forces toward illumination.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s vision often joins widening (waters) with illumination (go): the being expands, then is formed by light—integral transformation rather than escape.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- mahān (vast), pavamāna (purifying)
- Related deities
- Āpaḥ, Uṣas (illumination), Indra (illumined mind)
Cosmic role
Leads the widening currents and receives the rays of illumination, becoming a luminous substance fit for offering and inner realization.
Inner power
Ananda that expands consciousness and then crystallizes into knowledge-forms.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification accompanied by waters; preparation for offering where Soma is clarified and ‘brightened’
म॒हान्तं॑ त्वा म॒हीरन्वापो॑ अर्षन्ति॒ सिन्ध॑वः । यद्गोभि॑र्वासयि॒ष्यसे॑ ॥
म॒हान्त॑म् । त्वा॒ । म॒हीः । अनु॑ । आपः॑ । अ॒र्ष॒न्ति॒ । सिन्ध॑वः । यत् । गोभिः॑ । वा॒स॒यि॒ष्यसे॑ ॥
mahāntam | tvā | mahīḥ | anu | āpaḥ | arṣanti | sindhavaḥ | yat | gobhiḥ | vāsayiṣyase
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3 × 8
Expansive in imagery yet compact in beat; a sense of ‘following flow’ then a concluding ‘clothing’ cadence.
Induces widening of breath and awareness; ends with a bright sealing of the experience in light.
- mahāntam
- Literal: great, vast. Symbolic: Vastness of consciousness; widened being
- āpaḥ / sindhavaḥ
- Literal: waters / rivers. Symbolic: Large currents of awareness and life-energy that cleanse and widen
- anu arṣanti
- Literal: flow after, follow. Symbolic: Supportive movements that align behind the leading delight-force
- gobhiḥ
- Literal: with cows. Symbolic: With rays of light/knowledge (go = illumination)
- vāsayiṣyase
- Literal: you will be clothed. Symbolic: Delight invested with luminous forms—knowledge clothing joy
During the flowing/straining, waters accompany Soma; the verse ritually corresponds to Soma’s mixing with waters and symbolically to Soma’s investiture with ‘cows’ (rays) before offering.
During/after straining and washing, as Soma becomes clear and shining.
Chant to invoke supportive waters and the luminous ‘clothing’ (clarification/brightening).
For emotional overwhelm: first widen (allow feelings to flow as waters), then ‘clothe with go’—bring clear understanding and naming to the experience so joy/peace can reappear.
√arṣ ‘flow’ (intensive river-motion) supports Soma’s streaming. sindhu ‘river’ is an old hydronymic word; here symbolic of large life-currents. go ‘cow’ from PIE *gʷou- is re-read in Vedic symbolism as ‘ray’ (common RV usage: gāvaḥ = lights), justified by frequent collocation with dawn/illumination and ‘releasing cows’ as releasing light/knowledge. √vas ‘clothe/dwell’ indicates investiture: Soma ‘wears’ the rays—delight taking form in knowledge.
Expansion (mahān) as widening of consciousness, Go (rays) as knowledge-release aligned with ṛta
Rivers following the Soma indicate aligned forces moving in right order behind the leading truth-delight.
Go as rays: truth-forms that clothe and stabilize the widened delight.
From undifferentiated vastness (waters) to articulated light-forms (rays) that shape manifestation.
Integral-psychological: expansion (widening consciousness) plus illumination (knowledge) yields transformation.
dawn-like (implicit illumination through go)
Waters/rivers = widening and cleansing consciousness; cows/rays = illuminations that give form and clarity; clothing = embodiment/integration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘rivers follow Soma’ and ‘Soma clothed with cows (rays)’ mythologem: cosmic waters attend Soma’s course; the cows as light-powers invest him. Psychologically, life-energies align behind purified delight when it is invested with illumining knowledge.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- go ‘cow’ (< PIE *gʷou-) is a strong IE inheritance, but RV extends it poetically to ‘rays’, showing how inherited pastoral vocabulary is elevated into a light-myth. √vas ‘clothe/dwell’ continues IE themes of ‘garment’ as form/manifestation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames a conditional inner law: when Soma accepts the rays (knowledge), the waters (energies) naturally follow. The devatā is thus not begged for an external event but invoked as a principle of inner ordering—knowledge-clothed delight draws supportive currents.
Widen first, illumine next: allow consciousness to become vast like rivers, then invite clear rays of insight to ‘clothe’ the felt delight.
Viśuddha (clarifying expression—clothing in forms) and Sahasrāra/Ājñā (rays of illumination)
Open-awareness breathing: longer exhale to widen (waters), brief pause, then gentle inhale imagining rays entering and forming clarity; 10 cycles.
Spacious, luminous, integrated.
In meditation, expand awareness to include the whole body and surroundings (mahīḥ āpaḥ). Then ask for one precise insight (go) that gives form—write a single sentence afterward to ‘clothe’ the experience.
Sustain a slightly broader phrasing on ‘mahāntaṃ tvā’ to convey vastness; keep udātta rises clean on key nouns (ā́paḥ, síndhavaḥ, góbhih).
Let the first two pādas flow legato; articulate the final clause ‘yad gobhir…’ with brighter clarity.
mahāntaṃ: nasal ‘ṃ’ at end; long ā, sindhavaḥ: dental dh; final ḥ light, vāsayiṣyase: long ā; keep ṣy cluster clear (ṣya), not ‘shya’
Spacious and resonant; brighten on ‘gobhiḥ’ as if rays enter the sound.
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