Rig Veda 9.48.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 48, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.48
- Devata
- Soma
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
संवृक्तधृष्णुमुक्थ्यं महामहिव्रतं मदम् । शतं पुरो रुरुक्षणिम् ॥
saṃvṛ́kta-dhṛṣṇum ukthyàṃ mahā́mahi-vrataṃ mádam | śatáṃ púro rurukṣáṇim ||
यह सोम रस साफ है और बहुत ताकतवाला है। इसकी महिमा गाने लायक है। यह बड़े-बड़े कानों का मद करता है। यह सौ जगह से हमला रोकेगा।
Word by Word
- संवृक्त
- well-mixed, thoroughly blendedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (acc. sg. m.)—qualifying मदम्Role विशेषण (of कर्म)Root सम् + वृज्/वृञ्ज् (to mix, to blend) → kṛdanta pp. संवृक्त-
- धृष्णुम्
- bold, impetuousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (acc. sg. m.)—qualifying मदम्Role विशेषण (of कर्म)Root धृष्णु- (prātipadika from √धृष् ‘to dare/be bold’)
- उक्थ्यम्
- worthy of hymns/praiseAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (acc. sg. m.)—qualifying मदम्Role विशेषण (of कर्म)Root उक्थ्य- (from उक्थ ‘hymn, praise’; adjectival)
- महामहिव्रतम्
- of very great/mighty observanceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (acc. sg. m.)—qualifying मदम्Role विशेषण (of कर्म)Root महामहिव्रत- (compound: महा + महि + व्रत ‘great-mighty vow/observance’)
- मदम्
- exhilaration, rapture (of Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (acc. sg.)Role कर्म (object—‘(they produce/bring) exhilaration’)Root मद- (prātipadika; ‘intoxication, exhilaration, rapture’)
- शतम्
- a hundredAdjective/Numeralनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (acc. sg. n.)—used adverbially/quantitatively with पुरःRole विशेषण (quantifier)Root शत- (numeral prātipadika)
- पुरः
- in front, beforeIndeclinable (adverbial)अव्ययम्Role अधिकरण/देश (locative sense: ‘in front/before’)Root पुरस्/पुरः (indeclinable/adverb ‘before, in front’; also acc. pl. of पुर ‘fort’ in other contexts; here adverbial ‘before’)
- रुरुक्षणिम्
- shining, flashing (radiant)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (acc. sg. m.)—qualifying मदम् (or the Soma-juice implied)Role विशेषण (of कर्म)Root रुरुक्षणि- (intensive/desiderative-type formation from √रुक्ष्/√रुह्? Vedic ‘to shine/flash, be bright’; lexicalized adj. ‘bright, shining’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: संवृक्त-धृष्णुम्-उक्थ्यम्-महामहिव्रतम्-मदम् । शतम् पुरः रुरुक्षणिम् । 1) संवृक्तधृष्णुमुक्थ्यम् = संवृक्त + धृष्णुम् + उक्थ्यम् (अन्त्य-व्यञ्जन-संयोग/सन्धि-लोपः; no vowel sandhi needed between -म् + उ- in recitation)
- 2) महामहिव्रतं मदम् = महामहिव्रतम् + मदम् (final -म् before m-; anusvāra/parasavarṇa in saṃhitā)
- 3) पुरो रुरुक्षणिम् = पुरः + रुरुक्षणिम् (visarga before r → o in saṃहितापाठ: पुरो)
- Accents as given are Vedic (udātta/svarita markers) and do not change the morphological segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma, purified and bold, praised by hymns, is a mighty intoxication under a vast law; it guards a hundred fronts (forts/gates) against attack.
Inner meaning
The clarified Soma-consciousness (purified delight) becomes a fearless, hymn-awakened ecstasy that establishes the seeker in a “vast and mighty vow/law” (mahā-mahi-vrata): a stable inner discipline of Truth. It then protects the many “fronts” of the being—physical, vital, mental, and their sub-parts—against the assaults of confusion, desire, and inertia.
Universal truth
When delight is purified and yoked to a higher law (ṛta-dharma), it becomes a courageous, organizing power that fortifies the whole personality against disruptive forces.
Themes
protection, ecstasy, rite and order, boldness
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.48.1, Rig Veda 9.48.3, Rig Veda 9.48.4, Rig Veda 9.48.5
Family tradition
Mandala 9 is largely attributed to multiple seer-families (e.g., Kāṇva, Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa lineages) arranged by ritual-liturgy; this specific verse is transmitted without a stable single-rishi attribution in the provided source.
Significance
The anonymous seer-voice here represents a collective yogic realization: Soma as an inner ecstasy disciplined by a vast law, capable of defending the integrality of the seeker’s nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (Pavamāna)
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), ukthya (hymn-worthy), dhṛṣṇu (bold), gopā (protector/guardian—implicit in ‘rurukṣaṇim’)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
The purifying current of delight that flows through the worlds, strengthening the gods (powers) and establishing ṛta in the sacrifice.
Inner power
Ananda made luminous—ecstatic clarity that both uplifts and organizes the being, creating inner immunity to hostile movements.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma Pavamāna chants during Soma pressing and purification (pavitra)
संवृ॑क्तधृष्णुमु॒क्थ्यं॑ म॒हाम॑हिव्रतं॒ मद॑म् । श॒तं पुरो॑ रुरु॒क्षणि॑म् ॥
सव्ँम्वृ॑क्तऽधृष्णुम् । उ॒क्थ्य॑म् । म॒हाऽम॑हिव्रतम् । मद॑म् । श॒तम् । पुरः॑ । रु॒रु॒क्षणि॑म् ॥
saṃvṛkta-dhṛṣṇum | ukthyam | mahāmahivratam | madam | śatam | puraḥ | rurukṣaṇim
Anuṣṭubh (probable; Mandala 9 commonly uses Triṣṭubh/Jagatī, but this pāda-length suggests Anuṣṭubh-like cadence)
32
4 pādas × ~8 syllables (approximate)
Compact, hammer-like assertion; protective and declarative.
Builds firmness and vigilance; the rhythm supports the sense of ‘guarding the fronts’—a mantra for inner fortification.
- saṃvṛkta
- Literal: well-prepared, refined, purified. Symbolic: consciousness clarified by discrimination and aspiration; delight made fit for the inner sacrifice
- dhṛṣṇu
- Literal: bold, daring, impetuous. Symbolic: fearless will to ascend; spiritual courage in transformation
- ukthya
- Literal: worthy of hymn/praise. Symbolic: that which responds to mantra—illumination awakened by inspired speech
- mahāmahivratam
- Literal: having a great and mighty vow/law. Symbolic: the wide law of ṛta held as inner discipline; steadfast spiritual orientation
- mada
- Literal: intoxication, ecstasy. Symbolic: divine rapture/bliss that energizes and uplifts the being
- śatam puraḥ
- Literal: a hundred fronts/forts/gates. Symbolic: the many gates of the nature—senses, impulses, thoughts—needing protection and right ordering
- rurukṣaṇim
- Literal: guarding, protecting. Symbolic: the vigilant consciousness that repels hostile suggestions and preserves the truth-movement
Soma as protective and invigorating force in the rite; inner correlate: ecstatic clarity that guards the many ‘fronts’ of consciousness
During Soma filtration/flow in Soma-yajña sequences; also as part of Pavamāna stotras in recitation traditions.
Chant while Soma is strained and offered; invocation of purified Soma’s strengthening and protective power.
Use as a protective meditation-chant before work, travel, or sādhanā—invoking disciplined ecstasy that guards the senses and mind.
dhṛṣṇu from √dhṛṣ ‘be bold, dare’. ukthya ‘praiseworthy/fit for hymn’. vrata from √vṛ ‘choose, will’ → ‘chosen law/vow’; in Vedic often ‘ordinance’ of a power, aligning with ṛta. mada from √mad ‘be exhilarated/intoxicated’ → ecstasy. pura ‘fort/front’ becomes inner ‘protective formations’. rurukṣaṇi- desiderative/intensive from √rakṣ ‘protect’ → ‘eagerly guarding’.
vrata as ordinance of ṛta, mada as uplift into luminous intensity
Explicit via ‘mahāmahivratam’—Soma as ecstasy aligned to the vast law of ṛta.
Protection of the being’s ‘fronts’ so truth can remain unbroken by falsehood and dispersion.
Purification as a cosmogonic act: clarified delight becomes a world-ordering force.
Proto-Vedāntic and integral-yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): Soma as Ananda-principle supporting ascent and integration.
Soma’s ‘flow’ is the streaming of clarified delight through the nervous-mental system; the ‘forts’ are the guarded sense-doors and psychological centers.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘fortress-guarding’ mythologem: Soma as an ecstatic power that protects the forts/fronts. Inner sense: clarified delight becomes a vigilant strength that defends the seeker’s many openings against hostile forces of ignorance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √rakṣ ‘protect’ corresponds to a common IE semantic of guarding (though exact cognates vary); vrata as ‘ordinance’ parallels IE notions of ‘chosen law’ (will-bound order). mada from √mad has Indo-Iranian correspondences (Avestan mad- ‘be intoxicated/excited’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi invokes Soma as ukthya: responsive to inspired speech. The devata returns as mada (uplift) and as rurukṣaṇi (protector), stabilising the seeker in the great ordinance (mahā-mahi-vrata).
Purified delight as a protective sheath: let a clear joy fill the body-mind and stand watch at the sense-doors.
Manipura (will/force) and Anahata (joy/expansion)
Slow nasal breathing with gentle internal ‘offering’ on exhale; feel a bright stream descending through the front of the body.
Steady exhilaration—alert peace (śānta-vīra).
Before chanting, set an intention to align joy with truth (ṛta). While repeating, sense ‘hundred fronts’ as the many habits and impulses; let the mantra establish firm, luminous boundaries.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita as per Rigvedic accenting; preserve the marked svaras in ‘saṃvṛkta-’, ‘saṃvṛkta-…’, ‘madam’, ‘pur’.
Keep the udatta (raised) crisp on accented syllables; let svarita glide downward; avoid flattening compounds (e.g., mahāmahivratam).
saṃvṛkta: nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘v’, and ṛ as a short vocalic ‘r’, dhṛṣṇu: aspirate ‘dh’, retroflex ‘ṣ’, ukthyam: ‘kth’ cluster articulated cleanly, rurukṣaṇim: roll the repeated ‘ru-ru’, keep ‘kṣ’ as ‘k’+‘ṣ’
Firm, bright, protective—steady chest resonance without strain.
27
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.
