Rig Veda 9.43.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 43, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.43
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तं नो विश्वा अवस्युवो गिरः शुम्भन्ति पूर्वथा । इन्दुमिन्द्राय पीतये ॥
táṃ no víśvā avasyúvo gíraḥ śúmbhanti pū́rva-thā́ | índum índrā́ya pītáye ||
हमारी सारी दुआएं उस सोम को सजाती हैं, जैसे पुराने ज़माने में होता था। यह चमकता हुआ बूंद है। इंद्र के लिए है ताकि वो पी सके और ताकत पाए।
Word by Word
- तम्
- him / that (Soma)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / for usPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वाः
- allAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवस्युवः
- desirous of help/favor (seeking aid)Adjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot अवस्यु (प्रातिपदिक; अवस् + यु)
- गिरः
- songs / hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुम्भन्ति
- adorn / make splendidVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root शुभ् (धातु)
- पूर्वथा
- as before / in the former mannerIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पूर्वथा (अव्यय; पूर्व + था)
- इन्दुम्
- the drop (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पीतये
- for drinkingNoun (action noun)स्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot पीति (प्रातिपदिक; √पा ‘to drink’ से भाव/क्रिया-नाम)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: (1) गिरः शुम्भन्ति = गिरः + शुम्भन्ति (visarga before ś- remains in saṃhitā as ḥ). (2) इन्दुमिन्द्राय = इन्दुम् + इन्द्राय (final -म् before vowel i- gives m + i in saṃhitā).
- accents as in saṃhitā text
The meaning
Outer meaning
All our seeking songs adorn him as in the ancient way—this Indu for Indra to drink.
Inner meaning
The whole being’s aspirations (viśvā avasyuvaḥ giraḥ) gather to beautify and strengthen the purified delight. This clarified Soma is offered to Indra—the illumined Mind—so that the power of revelation can ‘drink’ joy and grow: bliss becomes fuel for higher discernment and victorious clarity.
Universal truth
When aspiration is unified and faithful to the perennial method, joy becomes nourishment for illumination; delight and discernment must collaborate.
Themes
Indra-Soma synergy, hymnic consecration, inner aid (avas), assimilation (pīti)
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.43.1, Rig Veda 9.43.3, Rig Veda 9.43.4, Rig Veda 9.43.5
Family tradition
Soma hymns often function as ‘collective sādhanā’: many voices/impulses converge to prepare the offering to Indra.
Significance
The ‘ancient way’ points to a transmitted inner science: aspiration and mantra-craft refine delight so illumination can assimilate it without distortion.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (offered to Indra)
- Epithets
- Indu (bright), Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Soma becomes the strengthening draught for Indra’s victory over obscurity; it is the nectar that increases luminous power.
Inner power
Joy that empowers the discerning mind; a sweetness that becomes force (śakti) in thought.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing/filtration chants with offering intention toward Indra
तं नो॒ विश्वा॑ अव॒स्युवो॒ गिर॑: शुम्भन्ति पू॒र्वथा॑ । इन्दु॒मिन्द्रा॑य पी॒तये॑ ॥
तम् । नः॒ । विश्वाः॑ । अ॒व॒स्युवः॑ । गिरः॑ । शु॒म्भ॒न्ति॒ । पू॒र्वऽथा॑ । इन्दु॑म् । इन्द्रा॑य । पी॒तये॑ ॥
tam | naḥ | viśvāḥ | avasyuvaḥ | giraḥ | śumbhanti | pūrva-thā | indum | indrāya | pītaye
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2 padas of ~11 syllables each (as presented)
Collecting-and-offering rhythm: a gathering swell then a clear ‘handing over’.
Encourages a sense of unified aspiration culminating in a decisive inner offering.
- अवस्युवः (avasyuvaḥ)
- Literal: desiring help/favor. Symbolic: aspiring movements of the soul seeking the Divine
- गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: songs, utterances. Symbolic: inspired thoughts/words that shape consciousness
- शुम्भन्ति (śumbhanti)
- Literal: adorn, make splendid. Symbolic: refine and harmonize the inner state
- पूर्वथा (pūrvathā)
- Literal: as of old, in the ancient way. Symbolic: the perennial yogic law: purification → offering → illumination
- इन्दुम् (indum)
- Literal: bright drop. Symbolic: concentrated delight-essence, clarified awareness
- इन्द्राय पीतये (indrāya pītaye)
- Literal: for Indra to drink. Symbolic: for the illumined mind to assimilate bliss as strength
Soma offered for Indra’s draught; hymns ‘adorn’ the offering in traditional manner
Before/around Indra’s Soma draught in Soma-yāga sequences
Stotra/śastra-style praise to empower the offering
Before study, decision-making, or insight-work: chant to ‘feed Indra’—offer purified joy to the mind so it becomes luminous and strong.
avasyú-: from avas ‘help, favor’; ‘seeking aid’. śúmbhanti: 3pl of √śubh ‘adorn/shine’. índu: ‘drop, bright point’ (Soma-drop), standard epithet. pītáye: dative of action-noun from √pā ‘drink’, indicating purpose—assimilation by Indra.
Indra as the awakened luminous intelligence-force, tradition (pūrva-thā) as continuity of inner method, speech as consecration
Following pūrvathā aligns personal striving with cosmic order; then illumination can safely expand.
Giraḥ as satya-vāk: speech/thought that truly reflects the inner light.
Increase of Indra: growth of luminous consciousness through assimilated delight.
Integral-psychological Veda: Soma (Ananda) as a necessary support for Indra (illumined mentality).
Refined bliss is ‘drunk’ by the higher mind, becoming courage and clarity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The offering of Indu to Indra for drinking: Soma empowers Indra. Psychologically, the clarified delight-essence is offered to the inner Indra (luminous will-intelligence) for assimilation, so that the governing power can act victoriously against obscurity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘drink’ reflects PIE *peh₃- ‘drink’ (cf. Latin pōtus). The formula ‘X for Y to drink’ is a recurrent IE sacrificial idiom. √śubh ‘shine/adorn’ shows the common IE link between brightness and consecration.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s ‘seeking’ hymns (avasyuvaḥ giraḥ) actively adorn and prepare Soma so Indra may drink—i.e., the human aspiration prepares the inner essence for the ruling luminous power to assimilate and act.
Unify aspiration; offer purified joy upward to the illumined mind for insight and victory over confusion.
Maṇipūra (strength/will) supported by Ājñā (illumination)
4-4-6 breathing: inhale gather (viśvā giraḥ), hold offer (indu), exhale release into clarity (Indra drinks).
Bright, confident, upward-pressing clarity.
Chant 12 times before contemplation; after the last repetition, sit 2 minutes and notice the mind becoming ‘stronger’ without strain.
Rigvedic accenting with lifts on śumbhanti, indum, indrāya; keep the offering phrase pītaye clean and slightly emphasized.
Make ‘pūrvathā’ steady and reverent; let ‘indum indrāya pītaye’ sound like a clear oblation.
viśvāḥ: ‘śv’ conjunct crisp, avasyuvaḥ: keep ‘yu’ distinct, śumbhanti: nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘bh’, pītaye: long ī; dental ‘t’
firm, bright, offering-tone (less ornament, more clarity).
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