Rig Veda 9.48.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 48, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.48
- Devata
- Soma, with suparṇa motif
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अतस्त्वा रयिमभि राजानं सुक्रतो दिवः । सुपर्णो अव्यथिर्भरत् ॥
atáṣ tvā rayím abhí rājā́naṃ sukrato diváḥ | supárṇo avyathír bharat ||
इसलिए एक सुंदर पंछी आसमान से तुम्हारे लिए धन लाता है। वो रास्ते में कभी घबराता नहीं। यह तुम्हारे लिए राज्य जैसा धन है। तुम्हाला बुद्धि बहुत स्ट्रांग है।
Word by Word
- अतः
- therefore; from thatIndeclinableअव्यय (अपादानार्थे/हेतौ: ‘अतः’ = ‘तस्मात्/अतः’)Role हेतु/सम्बन्ध (क्रियाविशेषण)Root अतः (अदस्-प्रातिपदिकात्; अव्यय) अथवा इदानींतन-निपात
- त्वा
- you (thee)Noun (Pronoun)द्वितीया-एकवचन (एनक्लिटिक रूप)Role कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रयिम्
- wealth; treasureNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (उपपद-सम्बन्धे ‘अभि’ सह)Root रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards; uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/उपपद; ‘towards, upon’ (द्वितीयां/अधिकरणं प्रति)Role दिशा/सम्बन्ध (क्रियाविशेषण)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/उपपद)
- राजानम्
- king; sovereignNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (अभि…राजानम्)Root राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुक्रतो
- O good-minded/strong-willed oneAdjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचन (हे सोम)Role सम्बोधनRoot सु-क्रतु (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवः
- of heaven; of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी: ‘of heaven’)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ)
- सुपर्णः
- the fair-winged one (bird)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot सु-पर्ण (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- अव्यथिः
- unshaking; untroubledAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root अ-व्यथि (नञ्-समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- भरत्
- bore; carried; broughtVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √भृ (भरणे)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: अतः | त्वा | रयिम् | अभि | राजानम् | सुक्रतो | दिवः | सुपर्णः | अव्यथिः | भरत् । (1) अत॑स्त्वा = अतः + त्वा (विसर्ग-लोप/संधि)
- (2) र॒यिम॒भि = रयिम् + अभि (म् + अ → म्-अवस्थैव; संहितायां अनुनासिक-स्पर्श)
- (3) राजा॑नं सुक्रतो = राजानम् + सुक्रतो (संधि नहीं; पदसीमा)
- (4) दि॒वः सु॒प॒र्णो = दिवः + सुपर्णः (विसर्गः पूर्वं; संहितायां ओ-रूप ‘सुपर्णो’ = सुपर्णः)
- (5) अ॑व्य॒थिर्भ॑रत् = अव्यथिः + भरत् (विसर्ग-लोप/रेफ-प्रवेश: ः + भ → र्भ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Therefore the fair-winged bird, untroubled, brings abundance from heaven to you, O king, O wise in right intelligence.
Inner meaning
When Soma is established as the inner king (master-delight), the ‘suparṇa’—the higher winged power of the soul-mind (often the ascending/descending carrier between heaven and earth)—brings down rayi: plenitude of light, force, and joy from the luminous planes. ‘Avyathi’ indicates an unshaken movement: the descent is steady, not distorted by vital agitation.
Universal truth
A stabilized inner sovereignty attracts a spontaneous descent of higher resources; when the carrier-consciousness is untroubled, abundance arrives without distortion.
Themes
descent of plenitude, soaring consciousness, sovereignty, Soma myth
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.48.2, Rig Veda 9.48.4, Rig Veda 9.48.5
Family tradition
As with many Mandala 9 verses, the voice is part of a collective Soma-yoga tradition rather than a single named rishi in the provided data.
Significance
The seer emphasizes the ‘descent’ principle: higher abundance is carried down when Soma becomes king—anticipating later yogic doctrines of stable receptivity and divine influx.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (Pavamāna)
- Epithets
- rājā (king), sukratu (right-willed/wise), divya (heavenly—implied by divaḥ)
- Related deities
- Suparṇa (as motif), Indra, Vāyu
Cosmic role
Connector between heaven and earth through the flow of delight; attracts celestial plenitude into the sacrifice.
Inner power
Receptive sovereignty: a calm, ruling joy that enables the descent of higher light and force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna recitation during Soma purification and offering
अत॑स्त्वा र॒यिम॒भि राजा॑नं सुक्रतो दि॒वः । सु॒प॒र्णो अ॑व्य॒थिर्भ॑रत् ॥
अतः॑ । त्वा॒ । र॒यिम् । अ॒भि । राजा॑नम् । सु॒क्र॒तो॒ इति॑ सुऽक्रतो । दि॒वः । सु॒ऽप॒र्णः । अ॒व्य॒थिः । भ॒र॒त् ॥
ataḥ | tvā | rayim | abhi | rājānam | sukrato itisu-krato | divaḥ | su-parṇaḥ | avyathiḥ | bharat
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4 × ~8 (approximate)
Swift, airborne cadence; suggests ‘carrying’ and descent.
Creates a feeling of uplift and then a gentle settling—like wings gliding into a calm landing.
- rayi
- Literal: wealth, abundance. Symbolic: plenitude of inner riches—light, strength, harmony, delight
- rājānam
- Literal: king. Symbolic: Soma as sovereign Ananda governing the nature; the true ruler within
- sukratu
- Literal: of good intelligence/will (su-kratu). Symbolic: right discernment and effective will aligned to truth
- divaḥ
- Literal: from heaven. Symbolic: from higher consciousness (supramental/illumined mind planes in integral reading)
- suparṇa
- Literal: fair-winged bird. Symbolic: the winged consciousness that mediates ascent/descent; soul’s messenger or illumined mind
- avyathiḥ
- Literal: untroubled, unshaken. Symbolic: equanimity; a descent not disturbed by desire or fear
- bharat
- Literal: bears, brings. Symbolic: the act of inner transmission—bringing down higher powers into embodied life
Allusive to Soma’s celestial acquisition/bringing (śyena myth); ritually, Soma is ‘brought’ and offered; inwardly, higher light bears plenitude to the sovereign delight
During the flowing/filtration when Soma is invoked as king and bringer of wealth.
Chant to invite ‘rayi’ (abundance) into the yajña; ritually, prosperity; inwardly, higher influx.
Use when seeking guidance/resources: chant to cultivate equanimity (avyathi) and receptivity to higher solutions.
kratu- ‘will, resolve, intelligence’ (Vedic: purposeful power of thought), from √kṛ ‘do’ with instrumental nuance of effective planning; ‘su-kratu’ = good/effective kratu. suparṇa ‘good-winged’ evokes the bird-carrier motif (often eagle/śyena imagery in Soma lore). bharat from √bhṛ ‘bear, carry’ (PIE *bher-).
kratu as right-willed intelligence (instrument of ṛta), transmission between planes (higher to lower consciousness)
The ‘su-kratu’ intelligence implies right-ordered action; abundance descends according to ṛta.
Untroubled carriage (avyathi) preserves the truth of what descends—no distortion.
Descent of heavenly plenitude into the human field through a mediating power.
Integral-yogic Vedantic resonance: descent (avataraṇa) into embodied consciousness.
The bird is the winged movement of consciousness (aspiration and receptivity); heaven is the illumined plane; rayi is the harvest of inner light and power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-bird carrier motif (śyena/suparṇa): a bird brings the heavenly treasure. Inner sense: a higher, unshaken movement of consciousness carries down plenitude from the luminous mind to establish Soma’s kingship in the seeker.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- divaḥ from √div reflects PIE *di̯ew- ‘sky/day’. bharat from √bhṛ reflects PIE *bher- ‘carry’ (cf. English bear, Latin ferō).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi addresses Soma as rājā and sukratu, acknowledging sovereignty and right intelligence. The devata reciprocates by arranging a ‘bearing’ of rayi from the higher plane—grace as ordered descent, not random gift.
Become ‘avyathi’ (untroubled) and allow the ‘winged’ higher mind to bring down abundance into the heart and head.
Ajna (descent of guidance) and Anahata (receiving abundance as joy)
Inhale imagining wings lifting awareness upward; exhale receiving a gentle descent of light into the chest.
Quiet receptivity with luminous expectancy.
Chant softly until the mind becomes unshaken; then pause in silence to ‘receive’—note what higher intuition or calm energy arrives.
Observe marked accents (e.g., अत॑ः, राजा॑नम्) with clear udatta; keep compounds smooth (suparṇo’vyathiḥ).
Let ‘rājānam’ carry a dignified lift; avoid over-accenting enclitics (tvā, abhi).
sukrato: pronounce as su-kratu (two parts), not ‘sukrato’ slurred, suparṇaḥ: retroflex ‘ṇ’, avyathiḥ: clear ‘th’ aspirate, bharat: dental ‘t’ at end, not retroflex
Clear, open-throated, slightly airy (to match bird motif) but steady.
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