Rig Veda 9.22.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 22, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.22
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एते सोमास आशवो रथा इव प्र वाजिनः । सर्गाः सृष्टा अहेषत ॥
eté somāsa āśávo ráthā iva prá vājínaḥ | sárgāḥ sṛṣṭā́ aheṣata ||
यह सोम की शक्तियाँ बहुत तेज़ हैं, जैसे रथ दौड़ती है आगे। यह खुशाली लाने वाली शक्तियाँ हैं। इन्हें धारा में छोड़ दिया गया है, और वो ज़ोर से बह रही हैं।
Word by Word
- एते
- thesePronoun/Determinerपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (कर्तृपदस्य)Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / एष-प्रातिपदिक
- सोमासः
- Soma (drops/juices)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- आशवः
- swiftAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (सोमासः)Root आशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- रथाः
- chariotsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role उपमानम् (इव-योगे)Root रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थक-अव्ययम्Role सम्बन्धसूचकः (उपमा)Root इव (निपात)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableप्रवृत्त्यर्थकः (आगे/प्रकर्षे) उपसर्गःRole क्रियाविशेषणम्Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वाजिनः
- prize-winning, swift (lit. possessing vāja)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (सोमासः) / सहवाच्य-विशेषणम्Root वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सर्गाः
- streams, rushes (outpourings)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (द्वितीयः कर्तृसमूहः/अप्पोज़िशन)Root सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; √सृज्-सम्बद्धः)
- सृष्टाः
- released, let looseParticiple (Adjectival) / Kṛdantaपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP)Role विशेषणम् (सर्गाः)Root √सृज् (धातु) → सृष्ट (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि/क्त)
- अहेषत
- neighed/roared (made a rushing sound)Verbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रिया (कर्तृ=सोमासः/सर्गाः)Root √हिष्/√हेष् (धातु; ‘हेष्’ = हिनहिनायाम्/शब्दे)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एते | सोमासः | आशवः | रथाः | इव | प्र | वाजिनः | सर्गाः | सृष्टाः | अहेषत । (सोमास आ॒शवो॒ = सोमासः आशवः; रथा॑ इव॒ = रथाः इव; वा॒जिन॑: = वाजिनः; सर्गा॑: = सर्गाः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
These swift Soma-juices, like chariots, go forth as vājins; released as streams, they thunder.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma energies surge forward like well-yoked chariots: organized forces of movement in consciousness. As vājins they carry plenitude—effective power and joy of accomplishment. Their ‘thundering’ is the impactful descent of force that breaks inner dullness and announces a new intensity of life and mind under the pressure of delight.
Universal truth
When the inner essence is released and rightly directed, it becomes a swift, organized power that advances the journey and transforms inertia into vibrant movement.
Themes
Soma-ritual, victory-force, purified flow, inner dynamism
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.22 (hymn context)
Significance
The seer-voice emphasizes Soma as a dynamic evolutionary force: not merely cleansing, but releasing a swift, organized advance (ratha) that carries plenitude (vāja).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- āśu/āśava (swift), vājī (plenitude-bearer), pavamāna (purifying)
- Related deities
- Indra (receives strength/illumination), Maruts (roaring force; thematic), Agni (drives inner sacrifice; thematic)
Cosmic role
Sets the life of the worlds in motion by releasing the essence as streams that strengthen gods and men.
Inner power
Mobilizes aspiration and progress; turns delight into effective forward movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna Soma chants during filtration
ए॒ते सोमा॑स आ॒शवो॒ रथा॑ इव॒ प्र वा॒जिन॑: । सर्गा॑: सृ॒ष्टा अ॑हेषत ॥
ए॒ते । सोमा॑सः । आ॒शवः॑ । रथाः॑ऽइव । प्र । वा॒जिनः॑ । सर्गाः॑ । सृ॒ष्टाः । अ॒हे॒ष॒त॒ ॥
ete | somāsaḥ | āśavaḥ | rathāḥ-iva | pra | vājinaḥ | sargāḥ | sṛṣṭāḥ | aheṣata
32
4 × ~8 (probable)
Swift, rolling momentum; onomatopoetic force in aheṣata.
Builds energy and forward drive; helpful for overcoming tamas and lethargy.
- somāsaḥ
- Literal: Soma juices. Symbolic: currents of delight-consciousness
- āśavaḥ
- Literal: swift. Symbolic: rapid responsiveness of purified force
- rathā iva
- Literal: like chariots. Symbolic: organized, directed energies; instruments of progress
- pra
- Literal: forth, forward. Symbolic: evolutionary advance; outward manifestation of inner gain
- vājinaḥ
- Literal: bearers of vāja (prize/plenitude). Symbolic: energies of accomplishment and plenitude
- sargāḥ
- Literal: streams, outflows, releases. Symbolic: released movements of consciousness
- sṛṣṭāḥ
- Literal: let loose, released. Symbolic: unblocked flow after purification
- aheṣata
- Literal: they roared/thundered. Symbolic: powerful impact of force in the being
Pavamāna verses for the Soma flow during pressing/filtration in Soma-yajña
As Soma is released/strained and made ready for offering
Recitation to accompany the flowing Soma and invoke its swift, strengthening movement
Use when beginning a project or sadhana cycle—invoke ‘swift chariot-like’ movement of purified energy.
āśu/āśavá ‘swift’ (root √aś ‘to move quickly, to pervade’); rátha ‘chariot’ (vehicle of directed force in Indo-European poetics); sárga ‘sending forth, emission’ from √sṛj ‘to let go, release, pour’; aheṣata from √heṣ ‘to neigh/whinny, resound’—often used of horses and rushing sound; here bridges the chariot/horse image with the roaring of released Soma.
dynamic advance toward fulfillment (vāja), release of energies through purification (sṛj/sarga)
The ordered surge ‘like chariots’ suggests ṛta as coordinated progress rather than scattered impulse.
Truth manifests as effective movement when the essence is released without mixture.
Release (sṛṣṭi) as a creative act—streams of force entering manifestation.
Dynamic Vedantic/integral reading: Ananda becomes shakti for progress.
A released inner current surges forward with organized power, sounding through the being as transformative force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic image is the ‘released Soma’ as a chariot-host rushing forward with a thunderous sound. In inner terms, purified delight-energy becomes a disciplined vehicle of progress, carrying the being forward with victorious momentum (vāja).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sṛj ‘release’ continues PIE *sreg-/*sreig- ‘to let go/throw’ (semantic parallels in ‘streaming’ and ‘casting forth’). The chariot simile (rátha) is part of a widely attested Indo-European poetic complex of ‘vehicle of power/war’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer witnesses and affirms Soma’s forward surge; the hymn functions as a verbal ‘yoking’—by naming Soma as swift chariots, the rishi aligns the inner energies to move in an ordered, victorious direction rather than dispersing.
Feel a swift, clean current rising and moving forward through the system, like a chariot-drive of consciousness.
maṇipūra (mobilizing force)
brisk but smooth ujjāyī (light) for a few rounds, then settle into natural breath while chanting mentally
energized clarity; forward aspiration
Use to break inertia: chant standing or seated upright; after chanting, take one deliberate action aligned with your highest intention.
Tri-svara as per śākhā; if reciting simply, maintain a quick, even cadence and let ‘aheṣata’ land with a firm finish.
Let ‘ete somāsa’ begin clearly; slight emphasis on āśavaḥ, vājinaḥ, aheṣata to mark speed-power-roar.
āśavo: long ā; ś is palatal, rathā iva: keep hiatus lightly—‘rathā-iva’, sargāḥ: hard g; long āḥ, aheṣata: retroflex ṣ; ‘he-ṣa-ta’
full, resonant, forward
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
