Rig Veda 9.42.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 42, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.42
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वावृधानाय तूर्वये पवन्ते वाजसातये । सोमाः सहस्रपाजसः ॥
vāvṛdhānā́ya tū́rvaye páʋante vā́ja-sātaye | sómāḥ sahásra-pājasaḥ ||
सोम की ताकत बढ़ती रहती है, वो तेज़ी से आगे बढ़ता है। यह जीतने के लिए साफ होता है। इसमें हज़ारों रोशनी की ताकत है।
Word by Word
- वावृधानाय
- to/for the growing (one); for the increaserविशेषण (कृदन्त-रूपेण)पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम् (दत्तिविभक्ति) — ‘वावृधानाय’Role सम्प्रदान (यस्यार्थे/याय) — ‘वर्धमानाय/वर्धिताय’Root √वृध् (वर्धते) / प्रातिपदिक: वावृधान- (वृध्-धातोः क्त/क्विप्-आधारितः ‘वर्धमान/वर्धित’ अर्थे)
- तूर्वये
- to Turvi (a person/hero); for Turviसंज्ञा/विशेषणपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम् — ‘तूर्वये’Role सम्प्रदान — ‘तूर्वि-नाम्ने’Root प्रातिपदिक: तूर्वि- (पुरुषनाम/विशेषण; ‘तूर्वि’ इति)
- पवन्ते
- they flow/purify themselvesक्रियालट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् — ‘(ते) पवन्ते’Role (अकर्मक) कर्तृ-क्रिया; कर्ता = ‘सोमाः’Root √पू (पवते) ‘शुद्धौ/प्रवाहे’
- वाजसातये
- for the winning/attainment of prize (strength, booty)संज्ञास्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम् — ‘वाजसातये’Role सम्प्रदान — ‘वाज-प्राप्त्यर्थम्’Root प्रातिपदिक: वाजसाति- (वाज + साति ‘प्राप्ति/विजय/लाभ’)
- सोमाः
- the Soma (drops/juices)संज्ञापुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् — ‘सोमाः’Role कर्ता — पवन्ते इति क्रियायाःRoot प्रातिपदिक: सोम-
- सहस्रपाजसः
- having thousandfold might/splendourविशेषणपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् — ‘सहस्रपाजसः’ (सोमाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्ता-विशेषणम् (सोमाः)Root बहुव्रीहिः/तत्पुरुषसमास-प्रातिपदिक: सहस्र-पाजस्- (पाजस् ‘तेजस्/बलम्/शक्ति’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वावृधानाय | तूर्वये | पवन्ते | वाजसातये | सोमाः | सहस्रपाजसः । 1) ‘वावृधानाय’ = वावृधान- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + चतुर्थी एकवचन -आय। 2) ‘वाजसातये’ = वाजसाति- + चतुर्थी एकवचन -ए (इ-प्रातिपदिकस्य दत्तौ -ए)। 3) ‘सहस्रपाजसः’ समासः (सहस्र + पाजस्) तथा प्रथमा बहुवचन -असः। बाह्य-सन्धिः विशेषः न
- मन्त्रे पदान्त-विरामः ‘।’।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma streams purify themselves for the ever-growing swift one, for the winning of vāja (prize/plenty); they are Somas of a thousand powers.
Inner meaning
Purified delight (Soma) is directed to strengthen the ‘swift force’ in us—an inner dynamic power that grows by right increase (vāvṛdhāna) and drives toward victory in the battle for light (vājasātaye). ‘Thousand powers’ indicates the multiplicity of luminous energies released when delight becomes pure: inspirations, intensities, capacities for right action.
Universal truth
True growth accelerates when joy is purified of desire and restlessness; then it becomes a many-powered energy that wins plenitude and effective action.
Themes
Soma-ritual, purification, winning of vāja (plenitude/force), illumination-power (pajas)
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.42.1-6, RV 9.44 (Soma as strength and victory), RV 9.86 (Soma’s many powers)
Significance
The verse reflects a yogic psychology of ‘increase’ and ‘victory’: Soma is not passive bliss but an energizer of swift right action and expansion.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavamāna, sahasra-pājas (thousand-powered)
- Related deities
- Indra (victory and illumination), Maruts (swift forces), Agni (will)
Cosmic role
Gives victorious strength (vāja) to the gods; multiplies powers through purification.
Inner power
Ananda transformed into dynamic śakti—swift, growing force guided by light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification chants to empower the sacrificer and the invoked gods for ‘vāja’ (victorious plenitude)
वा॒वृ॒धा॒नाय॒ तूर्व॑ये॒ पव॑न्ते॒ वाज॑सातये । सोमा॑: स॒हस्र॑पाजसः ॥
व॒वृ॒धा॒नाय॑ । तूर्व॑ये । पव॑न्ते । वाज॑ऽसातये । सोमाः॑ । स॒हस्र॑ऽपाजसः ॥
vavṛdhānāya | tūrvaye | pavante | vāja-sātaye | somāḥ | sahasra-pājasaḥ
Likely Jagatī (common in RV 9; 4 pādas tendency, but here appears 2 lines with internal division—often rendered as Jagatī/Triṣṭubh variants in editions)
48
12+12+12+12 (approx.)
Driving and expansive; suitable for ‘swift force’ and ‘winning’.
Energizes the listener; builds forward momentum and confidence.
- वावृधानाय (vāvṛdhānāya)
- Literal: to/for the ever-increasing. Symbolic: to the soul-force that grows by right expansion (integral increase)
- तूर्वये (tūrvaye)
- Literal: swift, impetuous. Symbolic: rapid executive energy; the dynamic force that breaks inertia
- पवन्ते (pavante)
- Literal: they purify/flow. Symbolic: streams of delight clarifying themselves in consciousness
- वाजसातये (vājasātaye)
- Literal: for winning vāja (prize, strength, plenty). Symbolic: for conquest of plenitude—light, force, and right enjoyment
- सहस्रपाजसः (sahasra-pājasaḥ)
- Literal: of a thousand ‘pājas’ (strengths/lights). Symbolic: innumerable luminous energies; manifold powers of illumination
Soma-pavamāna stotras in Soma sacrifice (pressed Soma purified through the filter; standard usage in Agniṣṭoma/Soma-yāga contexts)
During active filtering/flow, especially when invoking strength and success for the rite.
Chanting while Soma runs through the pavitra; intention toward increase and victorious fulfillment.
For periods requiring sustained growth and effective action: chant before focused work, training, or disciplined sādhanā to convert joy into power.
vavṛdhānāya: perf./intensive sense from √vṛdh ‘increase’; dative singular, ‘for the increasing one/power’. tūrvaye: dative singular of tūrví-/tūrví ‘impetuous, swift’, conveying forward-driving energy. pavante: 3pl middle of √pū/√pav ‘to purify, clarify; to flow bright’. vā́ja-sātaye: dative of compound vā́ja ‘strength, plenitude, victorious force’ + sāti ‘winning’ (√san/√sā ‘to gain’). sahásra-pājasaḥ: bahuvrīhi/plural adjective ‘whose pajas are thousandfold’; pájas from √paj/semantic field ‘glow, vigor, brilliance’.
Rita as right movement/order in the purification, inner increase (vṛddhi) of consciousness-force, transmutation of vital energy into luminous power
Right increase (vāvṛdhāna) implies growth by ṛta, not by egoic inflation.
Victory (vājasāti) is the manifestation of truth-force in action.
Multiplication of powers (‘thousand’) through purification—one essence expressing as many effective energies.
Integral yoga psychology: ananda as fuel for tapas and victorious transformation.
A rapid, bright current in the subtle body that clears heaviness and supplies many-pointed energy for right action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The self-purifying Soma-streams rushing toward ‘vāja-sāti’ (the winning of plenitude). Mythically, Soma is the divine essence that must be clarified to become fit for the gods; psychologically, the delight-essence is refined into a thousandfold luminous power (sahasra-pajas) that increases the inner being (vavṛdhāna).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh ‘grow’ aligns with PIE *werdh- ‘to grow’ (cf. English ‘worth’ in semantic development via ‘increase/value’). The semantic field of √pū/√pav ‘purify/clarify’ participates in the Indo-European tendency to link brightness/cleanness with truth/ritual fitness. vāja as ‘strength/plenitude’ corresponds to archaic Indo-European poetic diction where ‘prize/strength/food’ converge as a single value-term.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer frames Soma not as an external drink alone but as a conscious power that ‘purifies itself’ for an inner victory. The reciprocity is implicit: the human aspiration supports the purification-process, and Soma returns as the force of increase and thousandfold radiance enabling the seeker’s attainment (vāja-sāti).
Convert joy into disciplined, swift force; feel Soma as a bright current that increases capacity and conquers tamas.
Maṇipūra (dynamic power) supported by Anāhata (pure joy).
Bhastrikā-light or kapalabhāti-mild (if suitable), followed by calm breathing to ‘purify’ the energy.
Vīrya with sattvic exhilaration—power without agitation.
Invoke growth (vāvṛdhāna) first, then direct the awakened joy toward a single right aim (vājasāti); end by widening to ‘thousand powers’—many capacities harmonized.
Follow Saṃhitā accenting; keep the melodic rise on key power-words (vāvṛdhānāya, tūrvaye, vājasātaye).
Do not overlengthen consonant clusters; keep ‘vājasātaye’ clearly segmented (vāja-sātaye).
vāvṛdhānāya: long ā’s sustained; ṛ as vocalic ‘ri’, tūrvaye: long ū; ‘rv’ cluster clean, sahasrapājasaḥ: aspirate ‘ph’ not present—here ‘pā’; long ā; final ḥ audible
Bright, forward, invigorating; avoid harshness.
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