Rig Veda 9.5.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 5, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.5
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उभा देवा नृचक्षसा होतारा दैव्या हुवे । पवमान इन्द्रो वृषा ॥
ubhā́ devā́ nṛ-cákṣasā hótārā daívyā huve | pávamāna índro vṛ́ṣā ||
मैं दो देवताओं को बुलाता हूँ जो लोगों की मदद करते हैं। इन्हें होतर कहते हैं, यह वो पंडित हैं जो पूजा करते हैं। सोम में इंद्र की ताकत है। इंद्र जैसे बैल है, बहुत ताकतवाला।
Word by Word
- उभा
- both (two)विशेषणपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole विशेष्य-विशेषण (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)Root उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवा
- the two godsनामपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (स्तुत्यौ देवौ)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- नृचक्षसा
- having men as (their) sight; man-seeingविशेषणपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole विशेषण (देवयोः)Root नृ-चक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)
- होतारा
- the two Hotṛ-priests / invokersनामपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (हुवे इत्यस्य)Root होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- दैव्या
- divineविशेषणपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole विशेषण (होतॄणाम्)Root दैव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- हुवे
- I invoke / I callक्रियालट् (वेदे प्रायः वर्तमानार्थे), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (आह्वानम्)Root √ह्वे (ह्वा/ह्वे) ‘आह्वाने’
- पवमान
- the purifying (Soma)विशेषण/नाम (कृदन्त)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विषय (स्तुत्यः सोमः)Root √पू ‘पवने/शोधने’ → पवमान (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
- इन्द्रः
- Indraनामपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole समनाधिकरण/अप्पोज़िशन (पवमानस्य)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषा
- the bull; the mighty oneविशेषण/नामपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole समनाधिकरण (इन्द्रस्य)Root वृषन्/वृष (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वृषा’ नपुंसक/पुं विशेष-रूपः, RV में प्रायः पुं प्रथमा एकवचन)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: उभा | देवा | नृचक्षसा | होतारा | दैव्या | हुवे || पवमान | इन्द्रः | वृषा || 1) ‘देवा नृचक्षसा’ इत्यत्र संधिः न (अ + नृ = अनृ इति न भवति; पदसीमा)
- 2) ‘होतारा दैव्या’ इत्यत्र दीर्घ-आ + द्… संधिः पदान्त-दीर्घः यथावत्
- 3) ‘पवमान इन्द्रः’ इत्यत्र अ + इ → ए सम्भवः, किन्तु पदपाठे पृथक् ‘पवमान | इन्द्रः’ (पदसीमा) इति ग्रहणम्
The meaning
Outer meaning
I call the two divine Hotars who have human-seeing; in the self-purifying Soma is Indra the Bull.
Inner meaning
The ‘two divine Hotars’ (hotārā daivyā) are twin priest-powers in the inner sacrifice—often read as dual operations such as aspiration and illumination, or will and knowledge—who ‘see with the human gaze’ (nṛcakṣasā): they translate divine action into the terms of our evolving nature. When Soma is purified, Indra (illumined mind) stands present as the Bull (vṛṣā): forceful clarity that conquers obstruction. Soma becomes the medium that empowers Indra in us.
Universal truth
Inner transformation needs both right invocation (priestly function) and illumined power (Indra). Purified delight fuels victorious clarity.
Themes
invocation, Indra-Soma synergy, victory over ignorance
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 1.1 (Agni as Hotar—parallel priest symbolism), RV 8.13 (Indra empowered by Soma—theme)
Family tradition
Soma seers frequently invoke assisting priest-powers (hotṛ-functions) as inner agencies; this verse is strongly psychological in its structure.
Significance
Marks the coordination of inner ritual: invoking the mediating powers and awakening Indra through Soma’s purification.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (with Indra)
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Indra vṛṣā (Indra the Bull)
- Related deities
- Agni (inner priest/fire), Bṛhaspati (word of illumination), Uṣas
Cosmic role
Soma purifies and energizes; Indra uses that energy to illumine and overcome resistance, establishing widened truth-consciousness.
Inner power
Soma: clarified joy; Indra: decisive illumination and victorious mental force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering sequences with Indra association
उ॒भा दे॒वा नृ॒चक्ष॑सा॒ होता॑रा॒ दैव्या॑ हुवे । पव॑मान॒ इन्द्रो॒ वृषा॑ ॥
उ॒भा । दे॒वा । नृ॒ऽचक्ष॑सा । होता॑रा । दैव्या॑ । हु॒वे॒ । पव॑मानः । इन्द्रः॑ । वृषा॑ ॥
ubhā | devā | nṛ-cakṣasā | hotārā | daivyā | huve | pavamānaḥ | indraḥ | vṛṣā
Likely Gāyatrī (common in concise invocatory lines)
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3 pādas × 8 syllables (approx.; saṃhitā sandhi can affect counting)
Compact, mantra-like, with a clear call-and-response feel.
Quickly gathers attention; evokes invocation and decisive force.
- ubhā
- Literal: both, the two. Symbolic: twin inner functions required for integral progress
- hotārā
- Literal: two Hotars/priests. Symbolic: powers that call, place, and offer inner movements to the Divine
- daivyā
- Literal: divine. Symbolic: supraphysical agencies of the yoga, not merely human effort
- nṛcakṣasā
- Literal: having human-seeing. Symbolic: mediating powers that work within human consciousness
- pavamānaḥ
- Literal: self-purifying (Soma). Symbolic: clarified Ananda as sacrificial substance
- indraḥ
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: divine mind/illumination that breaks the coverer
- vṛṣā
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: victorious force, potency of illumined action
Invocation within Soma rite; calling priestly/divine agencies and Indra as Soma-drinker.
When Soma is offered to Indra or when invoking priestly functions in the Soma rite.
Calling assisting deities/priest-powers before or during offering.
Before challenging work or inner effort: chant to align invocation (hotar-powers) and illumined courage (Indra).
nṛ-cakṣasā: compound linking nṛ ‘man’ with √cakṣ ‘see’—divine powers that take account of human conditions. hotṛ from √hu ‘invoke, call’—the priestly function; ‘two Hotars’ often points to paired agencies of invocation/mediation (can be read as dual aspects of the Word). Indra as vṛṣā: Indra’s force is fecund and victorious; in Soma hymns Indra is empowered by Soma—psychologically, clarified delight feeds the will-to-conquer ignorance.
divine mediation through Word/Hotṛ function, Indra as victorious force against obstruction, Soma as empowerment of will
The ‘hotar’ powers enact Ṛta by placing offerings in right order within the being.
Indra embodies the breakthrough of Satya into mind.
Creation as progressive victory over coverings through empowered illumination.
Integral Yoga reading: coordinated faculties (invocation + illumination) supported by Ananda.
Bull-force = dynamic victorious energy; priest-powers = inner functions of offering and alignment; Soma = purified delight fueling the ascent.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the alliance: Soma’s purification calls in the divine priest-powers and establishes Indra the Bull. The inner ritual summons mediating faculties (hotārā) so that Indra-force can act—victory becomes possible because Soma supplies clarified delight and strength.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √hū ‘call/invoke’ is an archaic ritual verb (performative speech as action). The priestly title Hotṛ is a specialized development of that root within Indo-Iranian ritual culture, reflecting inherited sacral-poetic institutions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions himself as caller (huve) who activates divine functions in the human field (nṛ-cakṣasā). Soma is addressed as the condition for Indra’s presence: purification is the prerequisite for the awakened will-force to operate rightly.
Invoke inner priest-functions; then call Indra-force to break a specific inner obstruction.
Maṇipūra (force/will) and Ājñā (illumination)
Brisk, controlled exhale (to ‘call’) followed by steady inhale (to ‘receive’); keep throat relaxed.
Dynamic clarity; mobilized will with inner joy.
Name inwardly the obstruction (a ‘coverer’), chant once, pause, feel Indra’s clear force descend; repeat 3–9 cycles.
Keep crisp accentuation on ‘hotārā’ and ‘indraḥ’; allow a strong rise on udātta-marked syllables.
First hemistich as clear invocation; second as proclamation—slightly stronger stress on ‘indraḥ vṛṣā’.
nṛcakṣasā: syllabic ṛ; cluster ‘kṣ’ clean, hotārā: long ā; roll lightly into rā, vṛṣā: retroflex ṣ; long ā
Clear, firm, forward-projected without strain.
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