Rig Veda 9.49.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 49, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.49
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
स न ऊर्जे व्यव्ययं पवित्रं धाव धारया । देवासः शृणवन्हि कम् ॥
sá na ūrjé ví avyáyaṃ pavítraṃ dhāva dhā́rayā | devā́saḥ śṛṇávann hí kam ||
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।
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one; Soma)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊर्जे
- for nourishment, for strengthNounचतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot ऊर्ज् (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषक)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- अव्ययम्
- imperishable, undecayingAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक; a- + व्यय)
- पवित्रम्
- purifier; filter (sieve)Noun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- धाव
- run! flow swiftly!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot धाव् (धातु)
- धारया
- with a stream, by a flowNounतृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot धारा (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवासः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- शृणवन्
- hearing, listeningVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot श्रु (धातु)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (हेतौ/बलार्थे)Root हि (निपात)
- कम्
- whom?/what? (interrogative; object)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सः नः ऊर्जे वि अव्ययम् पवित्रम् धाव धारया । देवासः शृणवन् हि कम् ॥ 1) न॑ ऊ॒र्जे = नः + ऊर्जे (विसर्ग-लोपः/सन्धिः; एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’)
- 2) व्य१॒॑व्ययं॑ = वि + अव्ययम् (इ + अ → य्; ‘वि’ उपसर्गस्य यणादेशः)
- 3) शृ॒णव॒न्हि = शृणवन् + हि (नकारान्त-शतृन्तस्य पदान्त ‘न्’ + ‘हि’ इति संहितायाम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
He runs, imperishable, through the filter in a streaming current for our increase of strength; the gods hear indeed that call.
Inner meaning
Soma, the imperishable delight, rushes through the inner filter (pavitra)—the discriminating consciousness that separates truth from mixture. This clarified flow increases ūrj (vital plenitude, sustaining power). As the inner call (kam—desire/cry of aspiration) rises, the gods (higher faculties/powers) hear and respond, indicating an established line of communication between human and divine levels of being.
Universal truth
Steady purification increases life-power and makes aspiration audible to higher consciousness; response comes when the channel is clear.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Invocation-response, Vital nourishment, Purification
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.49
Significance
This verse highlights the key Aurobindonian movement: purification (pavitra) → increase of ūrj → effective invocation heard by the gods—showing the mechanics of inner sacrifice.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Avyaya (imperishable), Pavitra-vāha (borne through the filter, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni (priest of sacrifice), Indra (illumined mind responding)
Cosmic role
Deathless delight that, once clarified, becomes sustaining power for gods and mortals.
Inner power
Discriminative purification and energizing nourishment; establishes upward communication (prayer heard).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma straining (pavamāna)
स न॑ ऊ॒र्जे व्य१॒॑व्ययं॑ प॒वित्रं॑ धाव॒ धार॑या । दे॒वास॑: शृ॒णव॒न्हि क॑म् ॥
सः । नः॒ । ऊ॒र्जे । वि । अ॒व्यय॑म् । प॒वित्र॑म् । धा॒व॒ । धार॑या । दे॒वासः॑ । शृ॒णव॑न् । हि । क॒म् ॥
saḥ | naḥ | ūrje | vi | avyayam | pavitram | dhāva | dhārayā | devāsaḥ | śṛṇavan | hi | kam
44
4 x 11 (approx.)
Quick, running momentum (dhāva) with a firm closure (śṛṇavan hi kam).
Energizes and clears; ends with a satisfying sense of being ‘heard’—confidence in invocation.
- ऊर्जे (ūrje)
- Literal: for strength/nourishment. Symbolic: vital plenitude, sustaining energy for the path
- अव्ययम् (avyayam)
- Literal: imperishable. Symbolic: deathless element of delight-consciousness
- पवित्रम् (pavitram)
- Literal: filter/strainer. Symbolic: inner discernment, purifying agency that clarifies thought and impulse
- धाव (dhāva)
- Literal: run, rush. Symbolic: swift movement of purified force through the being
- देवासः शृणवन्ति (devāsaḥ śṛṇavan)
- Literal: the gods hear. Symbolic: higher powers respond when aspiration becomes clear
- कम् (kam)
- Literal: desire/pleasure/cry. Symbolic: the soul’s call, the psychic urge toward the divine
Recitation during Soma’s filtration (pavitra), aligning the physical straining with inner clarification and energizing (ūrj).
As Soma runs through the pavitra during pressing rites
Chant while filtering/collecting; affirming divine reception
Use when seeking strength and guidance: chant while focusing on discernment—letting only truth-movements pass into speech and action.
ūrj- denotes sap/refreshment and ‘increase of life-force’; √dhāv ‘run’ frames Soma as a dynamic current. avyaya ‘imperishable’ encodes Soma’s amṛta-like status. pavitra is both instrument and principle: the ‘sieve’ that separates truth from mixture, aligning with √pū ‘purify’ semantics.
imperishability of the luminous essence (avyaya), ūrj as vital plenitude, divine hearing/response to invocation
The filter symbolizes Ṛta’s discriminating order; what accords with Ṛta passes and becomes strength.
The ‘heard call’ implies alignment with truth; the gods respond to satya-vāk/true aspiration.
The ‘imperishable’ moving through forms without loss—spirit entering and sustaining life.
Integral yoga resonance: purification as prerequisite for descent/response of higher powers.
Discernment filtering the mind; a swift current of clarified joy-energy increasing vitality; aspiration becoming effective.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘running Soma through the filter’ that becomes imperishable nourishment; the gods ‘hear’ and thus empower the rite. Innerly, clarified consciousness, once sifted, becomes enduring strength (ūrj) and establishes a channel of response from higher powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ is robustly PIE (cf. Latin clu-eo ‘be spoken of’, Greek klúō ‘hear’), supporting the archaic Indo-European motif: gods are those who ‘hear’ the right-formulated call. The vivid motion-verb √dhāv reinforces old poetic diction of ‘liquid/force as runner’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames Soma as mediator: the human need is ūrj (sustaining force), and Soma’s purified movement becomes the communicative act that the gods recognize. The relationship is transactional only on the surface; inwardly it is alignment—when the inner filter is active, the divine powers naturally ‘hear’.
Strength through purification: let thoughts pass through an inner ‘filter’ before assent; keep only what is luminous and calm.
Maṇipūra (ūrj/strength) with Ājñā (discernment)
Even breathing with a brief pause after inhale (clarify), then exhale (release impurities).
Bright, strong, centered; a sense of upward connection.
On ‘pavitram’ feel a subtle sieve at the brow; on ‘ūrje’ feel warm strength in the navel; end by offering the inner ‘cry’ and resting in the sense of being heard.
Chant with clear accent peaks; keep the ‘dhāva dhārayā’ as a flowing run; close firmly on ‘śṛṇavan hi kam’.
Crisp retroflex in ‘avyayam’; aspirate dh in ‘dhāva’; do not swallow visarga in ‘devāsaḥ’.
ūrje: long ū; rj cluster clean, avyayam: v-y glide; avoid extra vowel, pavitram: pavitraṃ with anusvāra nasalization, dhāva: aspirated dh; long ā, śṛṇavan: palatal ś; vocalic ṛ; v soft, kam: short a; light m closure
Energetic but controlled; a ‘running’ flow in the middle, grounded ending.
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