Rig Veda 9.38.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 38, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.38
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एतं त्यं हरितो दश मर्मृज्यन्ते अपस्युवः । याभिर्मदाय शुम्भते ॥
etaṃ tyaṃ harito daśa marmṛjyante apasyuvaḥ | yābhir madāya śumbhate ||
दस पीले घोड़े इस सोम को चमका रहे हैं। वो काम में लगे हैं। इससे वो ताकत और मस्ती के लिए तैयार होता है।
Word by Word
- एतम्
- this (him/it)Pronoun/Determinerपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (सन्दर्भतः पुं.), द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्यम्
- that (yonder), the well-known onePronoun/Determinerपुंलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भतः), द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्म (एतम् इत्यस्य विशेषण-रूपेण)Root त्यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हरितः
- the tawny/greenish ones (bays; i.e., the fingers/streams that cleanse Soma)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot हरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दश
- tenNumeralअव्ययवत्; ‘हरितः’ इत्यस्य संख्या-निर्देशःRole कर्तृ (हरितः इत्यस्य विशेषण)Root दशन् (संख्या-शब्द)
- मर्मृज्यन्ते
- they cleanse/purify themselves (they keep rubbing/cleansing)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम पुरुष, बहुवचनRole (स्वकर्मक/मध्यस्थ) कर्तृ-क्रिया; ‘हरितः’ कर्तारःRoot मृज् (धातु; पुनरुक्त/इंटेन्सिव्-आकृतिः: मर्मृज्)
- अपस्युवः
- active, industrious, eager in work/ritual actionAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (हरितः इत्यस्य विशेषण)Root अपस् + यु (प्रातिपदिक: अपस्यु)
- याभिः
- with which (fem. instruments)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करणRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मदाय
- for exhilaration/intoxication (rapture)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)Root मद (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुम्भते
- he/it adorns itself, becomes splendidVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम पुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-क्रिया (अध्याहृतः कर्ता: सोमः/एतं त्यं)Root शुभ् (धातु; आत्मनेपद)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एतं | त्यं | हरितः | दश | मर्मृज्यन्ते | अपस्युवः | याभिः | मदाय | शुम्भते || 1) एतं त्यम्: सर्वनाम-द्वितीया एकवचन-द्वयम्
- ‘त्यम्’ एतस्य विशेषणवत् (emphatic ‘that very’). 2) हरितो दश: ‘हरितः’ + ‘दश’ (संख्या-विशेषण)
- संहितायां ‘हरितो’ इति ओ-रूपं पदपाठे ‘हरितः’ (प्रथमा बहु.)। 3) याभिर्मदाय: याभिः + मदाय (विसर्ग/र्-सन्धिः; ‘याभिः’ अन्त्य-ः परे म-कारे ‘र्’ इव श्रूयते)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The ten tawny ones polish this Soma—eager workers—by whom he is adorned for exhilaration (mada).
Inner meaning
The ‘ten tawny steeds’ are the ten powers/instruments that carry and refine the Soma-force—often read as the ten senses (jñānendriyas + karmendriyas) when turned toward the divine work, or as ten currents of prāṇa/energies that become ‘tawny’ when suffused with light. They ‘polish’ (marmṛjyante) the Soma: the raw delight is clarified by disciplined functioning of the instruments. The result is not intoxication of desire but ‘mada’ as spiritual ecstasy—an empowered joy that adorns consciousness for divine action.
Universal truth
Joy becomes transformative when the whole instrumentation participates in purification. Ecstasy is not escape; it is a refined energy that beautifies and empowers life.
Themes
Purification technique, Ten powers/fingers symbolism, Ecstasy (mada), Soma adornment
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.83 (polishing/clarifying Soma), Rig Veda 9.97 (Soma adorned, shining), Rig Veda 9.86 (filters and purification)
Family tradition
Pavamāna seer tradition emphasizing purification by the instruments and the collective powers of the being.
Significance
The verse is a practical psychology: transformation requires the cooperation of the ‘ten’—the whole embodied system—so delight becomes luminous power.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Hari (tawny), Pavamāna, Śukra/Indu (bright essence; implied)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Maruts (energies; thematic)
Cosmic role
Purifier and energizer; he becomes fit for the gods by being clarified, then gives rapture and strength to the sacrificer.
Inner power
Turns sensory-vital life into a luminous collaborator; converts habit into aspiration and work into worship.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna chanting during Soma clarification (straining/polishing).
ए॒तं त्यं ह॒रितो॒ दश॑ मर्मृ॒ज्यन्ते॑ अप॒स्युव॑: । याभि॒र्मदा॑य॒ शुम्भ॑ते ॥
ए॒तम् । त्यम् । ह॒रितः॑ । दश॑ । म॒र्मृ॒ज्यन्ते॑ । अ॒प॒स्युवः॑ । याभिः॑ । मदा॑य । शुम्भ॑ते ॥
etam | tyam | haritaḥ | daśa | marmṛjyante | apasyuvaḥ | yābhiḥ | madāya | śumbhate
24
3 × 8 (approx.)
Repetitive, rubbing/polishing feel—short beats suited to iterative purification.
Encourages steadiness and cheerful effort; evokes the shine that comes from repeated practice.
- हरितः (haritaḥ)
- Literal: tawny ones; often ‘steeds’. Symbolic: luminous energies/instruments carrying the force forward
- दश (daśa)
- Literal: ten. Symbolic: totality of the instruments (senses/forces) when harmonized
- मर्मृज्यन्ते (marmṛjyante)
- Literal: they polish, cleanse, rub bright. Symbolic: refinement of consciousness through repeated practice and right functioning
- अपस्युवः (apasyuvaḥ)
- Literal: eager for work. Symbolic: instruments turned from inertia to divine workmanship (seva of the sacrifice)
- मदा (madā)
- Literal: intoxication, exhilaration. Symbolic: spiritual rapture/empowered delight that increases capacity
- शुम्भते (śumbhate)
- Literal: is adorned, shines forth. Symbolic: beautification of the being; radiance of purified Ananda
Soma purification by repeated cleansing; ‘ten’ evokes fingers/agents of pressing and filtering; preparation for Indra’s inspired exhilaration
While Soma is being refined and prepared; accompanying the ‘brightening’ process.
Recitation with focus on purification and readiness for offering; symbolic ‘polishing’ through sound.
A mantra for habit-transformation: repeat while doing disciplined practice (āsana, study, service) to convert routine into luminous work.
daśa ‘ten’ from PIE *deḱm̥(t). marmṛj- intensive/reduplicated from √mṛj ‘wipe, cleanse, polish’. apasyu from apas ‘work’ (PIE *h₃ep- ‘work, produce’ possible) + -yu ‘desiring’. mada from √mad ‘be exhilarated’ (cf. madhu ‘sweet’, semantic neighbor). śumbh from √śubh ‘shine, adorn’.
repetition as refinement (marmṛj-), joy/ecstasy as spiritual intensity (mada), beautification as manifestation of inner light (śubh)
Ṛta appears as coordinated right action of the many instruments (the ten) producing a single clarified essence.
Truth manifests as ‘shine’ (śumbhate) when the instruments cease distortion.
From multiplicity to unity: many forces polish one essence; unity then radiates back as empowered joy.
Yoga of transformation (Aurobindo): integral participation of body-life-mind in spiritualization.
Horses = vital energies; ten = total instrument set; polishing = repeated sadhana; shine = emergence of sattwic-luminous consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘ten’ who purify Soma—classically the ten fingers/agents of pressing, mythically rendered as haritaḥ (tawny steeds/energies). Innerly it is the coordinated action of multiple faculties refining delight into luminous intensity (mada).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- daśa is a clear PIE inheritance (*deḱm̥t). √mṛj ‘wipe/polish’ has potential cognate patterns in Indo-European cleansing verbs (formal cognates debated), while √mad ‘exhilarate’ participates in an Indo-Iranian semantic field of inspired intoxication.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi emphasizes process: Soma becomes fit for spiritual exhilaration only through repeated, eager work (apasyu). The seer thus instructs an inner discipline—purification by many coordinated energies—so the divine delight can ‘shine’ in the practitioner.
Bring all ‘ten’ instruments into one offering: feel senses and energies turning inward, polishing the heart’s delight into a steady radiance.
Svādhiṣṭhāna (Soma/ananda) refined toward Anāhata (pure joy)
Even-count breathing (4-4 or 6-6). With each exhale, imagine ‘polishing’ a golden drop at the heart.
Joyful discipline—ecstasy grounded in work.
Before chanting, briefly resolve to use senses as servants of the soul. During chanting, notice one instrument at a time relaxing and aligning; end by resting in a quiet, bright gladness.
Give crisp consonants in ‘marmṛjyante’ to convey the polishing action; keep ‘madāya śumbhate’ luminous and lifted.
haritaḥ: dental t; short a; visarga at end, marmṛjyante: vocalic ṛ; cluster -rj- clear, apasyuvaḥ: short a; palatal y; visarga, śumbhate: palatal ś; bh aspirated
Rhythmic, workmanlike at first, then more resonant on the final pāda.
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