Rig Veda 9.38.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 38, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.38
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एष स्य मद्यो रसोऽव चष्टे दिवः शिशुः । य इन्दुर्वारमाविशत् ॥
eṣa sya madyo raso 'va caṣṭe divaḥ śiśuḥ | ya indur vāram āviśat ||
यह मीठा रस है जो आसमान से आया है। यह नीचे दिखता है। यह चमकता हुआ सोम अंदर घुस आया है।
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्यः
- he/that very (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (एषः इत्यस्य सह-निर्देशकः) अथवा विशेषण-भावःRoot स्य (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; एष/सः-सम्बद्धः वैदिक-रूपः)
- मद्यः
- intoxicating, exhilaratingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (एषः/स्यः) अथवा रसस्य विशेषणम्Root मद्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘मद’ से)
- रसः
- juice, sap (Soma-juice)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (चष्टे इत्यस्य) / विषयःRoot रस (प्रातिपदिक)
- अव
- down, forth (as a preverb/intensifier)Indeclinableअव्ययम्Role क्रियाविशेषणम् (चष्टे) — ‘नीचे/प्रकटतया’Root अव (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- चष्टे
- appears, is seen / shows itselfVerbलट्, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot चक्ष् (धातु; वैदिक ‘चष्टे’ = ‘देखता/प्रकट करता/कथयति’)
- दिवः
- of heaven, of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः (द्यौः), षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘of heaven’Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक ‘दिव्’/‘द्यौ’)
- शिशुः
- child, young oneNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (चष्टे) / रसस्य अपि विशेषण-भावःRoot शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoRelative pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (आविशत्) — सम्बन्धवाक्य-प्रवर्तकःRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दुः
- Indu (Soma), the bright dropNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (आविशत्) / यः इत्यस्य विशेष्यःRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वारम्
- covering, enclosure; (ritual) filter/spaceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (आविशत्) — ‘into the enclosure/covering’Root वार (प्रातिपदिक)
- आविशत्
- entered, went intoVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot विश् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एषः स्यः मद्यः रसः अव चष्टे दिवः शिशुः । यः इन्दुः वारम् आविशत् ॥ मुख्य सन्धि-निर्णय: (1) रसोऽव = रसः + अव (विसर्ग + अ → ‘ओऽ’)
- (2) इन्दुर्वारम् = इन्दुः + वारम् (विसर्ग-लोपः, रुत्व/उकार-सन्धि; संहितायां ‘र्’ प्रादुर्भावः)
- (3) आविशत् = आ + अविशत् (उपसर्ग-संयोग; धातु विश् का लुङ् रूप)
The meaning
Outer meaning
His honeyed essence is seen here below—the child of heaven—this bright drop that has entered the enclosure.
Inner meaning
The ‘honeyed rasa’ is Soma’s sweetness as conscious essence: Ananda made perceptible in the lower nature (‘seen below’). ‘Child of heaven’ indicates its origin in higher consciousness, not in the mixed impulses of desire. The ‘enclosure’ (vāra) is the protected vessel/field—both the ritual container and, inwardly, the guarded heart-space where delight can be held without leakage. When Indu enters this vāra, bliss becomes stable nourishment, not a passing mood.
Universal truth
The highest joy can become tangible in ordinary life when it is received into a protected, disciplined inner space. What descends from above must be contained rightly to be lived truly.
Themes
Rasa doctrine (proto-form), Descent of light, New birth, Enclosure/indwelling
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.74 (Soma as honey/essence), Rig Veda 9.109 (Soma entering vessels/filters), Rig Veda 1.90 (madhu/honeyed delight motifs; thematic)
Family tradition
Soma-Pavamāna contemplatives focusing on manifestation: the heavenly essence made visible in the lower world through right containment.
Significance
A key experiential claim: Ananda is not abstract; it can be ‘seen below’ when the heart becomes a proper vessel (vāra).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Madhu (honeyed; implied by madya/rasa), Divāḥ śiśu (child of heaven), Indu
- Related deities
- Agni (who receives offerings), Indra (who drinks), Aśvins (healing sweetness; thematic)
Cosmic role
Heaven-born essence that descends as nourishment for gods and humans; makes the lower world taste the higher truth.
Inner power
Stabilizing sweetness: heals, integrates, and sustains aspiration; gives a tangible sense of divine presence.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and presentation in vessels (grahas), with emphasis on the visible, clarified juice.
ए॒ष स्य मद्यो॒ रसोऽव॑ चष्टे दि॒वः शिशु॑: । य इन्दु॒र्वार॒मावि॑शत् ॥
ए॒षः । स्यः । मद्यः॑ । रसः॑ । अव॑ । च॒ष्टे॒ । दि॒वः । शिशुः॑ । यः । इन्दुः॑ । वार॑म् । आ । अवि॑शत् ॥
eṣaḥ | syaḥ | madyaḥ | rasaḥ | ava | caṣṭe | divaḥ | śiśuḥ | yaḥ | induḥ | vāram | ā | aviśat
24
3 × 8 (approx.)
Gentle, tasting cadence—less driving, more revelatory.
Brings sweetness and quiet clarity; helps the listener ‘feel’ essence rather than think about it.
- मद्य (madya)
- Literal: honeyed, sweet; also intoxicating. Symbolic: sweet ecstasy of Ananda (not sensory intoxication)
- रस (rasa)
- Literal: sap, juice, essence. Symbolic: essential consciousness-flavor; the felt substance of delight
- अव चष्टे (ava caṣṭe)
- Literal: is seen below. Symbolic: becomes manifest in embodied awareness
- दिवः शिशु (divaḥ śiśu)
- Literal: child of heaven. Symbolic: born of higher plane; pure origin of delight
- इन्दु (indu)
- Literal: bright drop. Symbolic: concentrated luminous bliss
- वार (vāra)
- Literal: enclosure, cover, protective space. Symbolic: guarded heart-vessel; right containment/discipline that preserves the nectar
The visible ‘rasa’ after purification; Soma entering the vāra (filter/vessel/enclosure) and appearing ‘below’ as drinkable essence
After or during filtration when Soma becomes clear and is placed within the ritual enclosure/vessels.
Consecratory recitation to acknowledge Soma’s manifested sweetness and heavenly origin.
Chant as a gratitude practice: after meditation, recognize the ‘honeyed essence’ present in the body and seal it in the heart with a quiet resolve.
madya from √mad ‘be exhilarated’ (intoxicating/honeyed). rasa from √ras ‘taste, sap’ → essence. caṣṭe from √cakṣ ‘see’ (PIE *kweks- ‘see’ debated; but Sanskrit cakṣ- is archaic). śiśu ‘child’ (nursery term; Indo-Iranian). ā-viśat from √viś ‘enter’ (PIE *weys- ‘enter, settle’).
descent of heavenly essence into embodiment, birth of a new consciousness-force (śiśu), indwelling in protected truth-space (vāra)
Right order includes right ‘vesselhood’: the descent is conserved by lawful containment (vāra).
The ‘child of heaven’ indicates truth-origin; what is true can appear in the lower when received rightly.
Descent of higher essence into form; manifestation of heaven in earth-consciousness.
Vedāntic-Ananda emphasis (Taittirīya resonance) within Vedic sacrifice symbolism.
Honeyed rasa = felt Ananda; child of heaven = higher consciousness-born joy; enclosure = disciplined heart-space; brightness = clarity of delight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘child of heaven’ appearing below: Soma as a newly born heavenly essence that becomes visible/manifest in the human realm after entering the protective enclosure. Mythically: descent and birth; psychologically: emergence of a fresh delight-essence in embodied awareness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √viś ‘enter’ corresponds to PIE *weys- ‘enter, settle’ (cf. Latin vīsere is unrelated; but Germanic ‘wise’ is unrelated—better: Tocharian and Baltic have possible parallels; the PIE root is widely posited). √sad is not here; but div- (heaven/light) again reflects PIE *dyew-. The semantic of rasa as ‘sap/essence’ parallels widespread IE metaphors of ‘sap’ as vitality.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi stresses perceptibility (‘is seen below’): the divine is to be realized in experience, not only praised. Soma’s entry into vāra implies that when the practitioner creates protected order (ṛta-like enclosure), the heavenly rasa is born and becomes directly manifest.
Rest in the tasted essence of bliss: recognize a ‘honeyed’ presence and gently contain it in the heart-vessel without excitement.
Viśuddha (rasa/taste, nectar quality) and Anāhata (vessel of sweetness)
Bhrāmarī (soft humming) or simple nasal breathing; after each exhale, pause briefly to ‘see below’ the sweetness present.
Settled sweetness; quiet revelation.
Do not chase intensity. Let the ‘child of heaven’ be protected: reduce speech, avoid overstimulation, and keep a simple inner boundary (vāra) for a few hours after practice.
Let ‘madyo raso’ be savored (slightly elongated vowels), and ‘vāram āviśat’ be firm, sealing the containment.
madyaḥ: dy cluster clear; visarga at end, rasaḥ: short a; visarga, caṣṭe: retroflex ṣṭ; e long, divaḥ: dental d; short i, śiśuḥ: palatal ś; short i; visarga, āviśat: long ā; palatal ś
Soft, nectar-like, sustained resonance.
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