Sukta 49
Sukta 9.49
This short Pavamāna Soma hymn invokes Soma’s self-purification as a cosmic and ritual cleansing that brings rain-like nourishment and powerful, health-giving impulses to the worshippers. Soma is asked to stream in a clear, ghee-like flow through the sacrifice, repel hostile forces, and rekindle the ancient lights of truth and order.
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
पवस्व वृष्टिमा सु नोऽपामूर्मिं दिवस्परि । अयक्ष्मा बृहतीरिषः ॥
अपने आप को साफ कर और हम पर बारिश बरसा। यह पानी की लहर आसमान से आती है। यह बड़ी ताकत लाए और कोई बीमारी नहीं लाए।
Mantra 2
तया पवस्व धारया यया गाव इहागमन् । जन्यास उप नो गृहम् ॥
उस धारा से अपने आप को साफ करो। जिस धारा से रोशनी की किरणें यहाँ आती हैं। उसी से अपने रिश्तेदार शक्तियाँ तुम्हारे घर की तरफ आती हैं।
Mantra 3
घृतं पवस्व धारया यज्ञेषु देववीतमः । अस्मभ्यं वृष्टिमा पव ॥
घी जैसी चमक के साथ बहता हुआ धारा बन के यज्ञ में आओ। देवताओं को सबसे ज़्यादा पसंद आने वाले, तू साफ हो के हमारे लिए बारिश ला। यह खुराक और बरकत की बारिश है।
Mantra 4
स न ऊर्जे व्यव्ययं पवित्रं धाव धारया । देवासः शृणवन्हि कम् ॥
वो हमारे लिए ताकत बढ़ाने के लिए चलता है। यह कभी खत्म नहीं होता। छन्नी के थ्रू धारा की तरह बहता है। देवता उस पुकार को सुनते हैं जो हमारे अंदर होती है।
Mantra 5
पवमानो असिष्यदद्रक्षांस्यपजङ्घनत् । प्रत्नवद्रोचयन्रुचः ॥
जब वो साफ होता है तो आगे बढ़ता है। अंधेरे की शक्तियों को भगा देता है। पुराने रिशियों की तरह वो फिर से रोशनी चमका देता है।
Inside Sukta 49
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
A direct call to Soma to purify and pour down vṛṣṭi—imagined as a heavenly ‘wave of waters’—bringing great, healthful impulses.
- Development
Soma’s flow is emphasized as steady and luminous, ‘ghṛta-like,’ welcomed by the gods within the sacrifice and directed toward the worshippers’ welfare.
- Climax
The purified Soma surges forth as a force that strikes down rakṣas and hostile obscurity, restoring the ancient radiances.
- Where it settles
The hymn settles on Soma’s enduring role as purifier and illuminator: nourishment descends, dangers are repelled, and light is re-established.
The deity: Soma
- Cosmic functionMediator of vitality and fertility: he links waters, rain, and growth; he energizes the gods in yajña and sustains ṛta by cleansing and illuminating.
- Inner significanceThe purified Soma symbolizes clarified consciousness—thought and speech refined through discipline—so that inspiration becomes ‘healthy’ (free from affliction) and inner light overcomes confusion and fear.
The seer
- AnonymusRepresentative of the Soma-Pavamāna hymn tradition in Mandala 9, where the focus is on Soma’s purification, potency, and beneficence rather than on a named family seer.
Famous verses
apām ūrmiṃ divas pari
घृतं पवस्व धारया यज्ञेषु देववीतमः । अस्मभ्यं वृष्टिमा पव ॥rakṣāṃsy apajaṅghanat
Attributes of the deity
- Purifier (pavamāna) flowing through the filter
- Rain-bringer and nourisher (vṛṣṭi, apām ūrmi)
- Ghee-like brilliance (ghṛta, ruc)
- Protector who repels hostile forces (rakṣāṃsi)
- Bestower of strength, impulse, and uplift (iṣaḥ)
Also by this seer
- Associated broadly with the Pavamāna (purifying Soma) corpus of Rig Veda Mandala 9
- Contributes to the recurring Soma themes of cleansing, rain/nourishment, and protection from rakṣas
The rite, step by step
- Pressing of Soma (extraction of juice) and preparation for filtration
- Filtering/purifying through the strainer (pavitra), while reciting Pavamāna verses
- Letting Soma stream steadily into the collecting vessel as an offering-current in the yajña
- Invocation for vṛṣṭi (rain/nourishing descent) and for healthful, expansive impulses (bṛhatī iṣaḥ)
- Apotropaic intent: prayer that the purified Soma drives away rakṣas and rekindles the lights
Offerings
- Purified Soma libations
- Ghee (ghṛta) and associated oblations within the sacrifice
- Water as ritual accompaniment (symbolically linked to apām ūrmi, the wave of waters)
Frequently Asked Questions
It asks Soma to purify himself in the ritual flow and to bring nourishing rain-like abundance, strong uplifting energy, and protection for the worshippers.
It poetically links Soma’s purified stream with cosmic waters and rainfall, suggesting that ritual purification supports fertility and nourishment in the world.
Rakṣas represent harmful, obstructing forces; Soma’s purification symbolizes clearing those obstacles so clarity, truth, and inner illumination can shine again.
Ask anything about Sukta 49 of the Rig Veda
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.
