Rig Veda 9.55.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 55, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.55
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
इन्दो यथा तव स्तवो यथा ते जातमन्धसः । नि बर्हिषि प्रिये सदः ॥
índo yáthā táva stávो yáthā te jātám ándhasaḥ | ní barhíṣi priyé sadáḥ ||
इन्दु, तेरी महिमा जैसी है, तेरी ताकत उतनी ही है। आजा, प्यारे घास पर बैठ जा। हमारे मन में अपनी जगह बना ले।
Word by Word
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (address)Root इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- यथा
- as, just asIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थक अव्ययRoot यथा (अव्यय)
- तव
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तवः
- praise, hymnNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विषय (subject/topic)Root स्तव (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तु ‘to praise’ से)
- यथा
- as, just asIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थक अव्ययRoot यथा (अव्यय)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी-एकवचन (वेदे दत्तिवत् प्रयोगोऽपि सम्भवति; अत्र ‘of you’)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जातम्
- born, producedParticiple (past passive)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनRole विशेषण/कर्म (qualifier; with ‘अन्धसः’)Root √जन् (to be born) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्धसः
- of the Soma-juice, of the draughtNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, intoIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः (अवरोह/अधः-स्थापनार्थ)Root नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- बर्हिषि
- on/into the sacred grass (barhis)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचनRole अधिकरण (locus)Root बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रिये
- dear, belovedAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचन (बर्हिषि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role अधिकरण-विशेषणRoot प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
- सदः
- seat, abode, sessionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म/लक्ष्य (goal; ‘seat/abode’ as what is reached/occupied)Root सदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इन्दो | यथा | तव | स्तवः | यथा | ते | जातम् | अन्धसः | नि | बर्हिषि | प्रिये | सदः || 1) ‘इन्दो’ = इन्दु (सम्बोधन-एकवचन) का वैदिक रूप। 2) ‘जातम् अन्धसः’ में ‘जातम्’ (PPP) ‘अन्धसः’ (षष्ठी) के साथ ‘उत्पन्नं सोमरसस्य’ अर्थ देता है। 3) ‘नि’ उपसर्ग/अव्यय होकर ‘(नि)सदः/सद्’ भाव के साथ ‘नीचे/अन्तः’ स्थापना सूचित करता है। 4) ‘बर्हिषि प्रिये’ सप्तमी-सप्तमी सामनाधिकरण्य: ‘प्रिय’ विशेषण ‘बर्हिषि’ का।
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Indu, as is thy praise-hymn, as is the birth of thy essence, so sit down on the beloved barhis (sacred grass/seat).
Inner meaning
The hymn (stava) is not flattery but an affirmation that calls Soma into manifestation; the ‘birth of the essence’ is the arising of purified Ananda in consciousness. The rishi asks Soma to ‘sit’ on the beloved barhis—symbolically, to become established on the prepared inner seat: the clarified, receptive field of awareness laid out by aspiration and discipline. When Soma is seated, the inner sacrifice becomes effective and the being becomes a stable vessel of delight.
Universal truth
Realization depends on preparation and receptivity: when aspiration and affirmation prepare the inner seat, the higher joy descends and abides.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Invocation/installation, Descent of power, Preparedness
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.55.1, Rig Veda 9.55.3
Significance
The seer emphasizes the mechanics of inner realization: affirmation (stava) and preparation (barhis) invite a stable descent/abidance of Ananda rather than transient uplift.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu, Pavamāna, Priya-sad (who sits on the beloved seat)
- Related deities
- Agni (host of sacrifice), Indra (receiver of Soma), Bṛhaspati (word/praise power)
Cosmic role
Guest of the sacrifice; the divine essence that must be ‘seated’ to distribute its boons.
Inner power
Capacity of delight to become stable in the mind-field, turning it into a luminous altar.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invitation (āhavana) and seating of Soma in the ritual space during Soma-yajña
इन्दो॒ यथा॒ तव॒ स्तवो॒ यथा॑ ते जा॒तमन्ध॑सः । नि ब॒र्हिषि॑ प्रि॒ये स॑दः ॥
इन्दो॒ इति॑ । यथा॑ । तव॑ । स्तवः॑ । यथा॑ । ते॒ । जा॒तम् । अन्ध॑सः । नि । ब॒र्हिषि॑ । प्रि॒ये । स॒दः॒ ॥
indo iti | yathā | tava | stavaḥ | yathā | te | jātam | andhasaḥ | ni | barhiṣi | priye | sadaḥ
Requires exact saṃhitā syllable count per pāda.
Directive and settling; a cadence that ‘places’ the deity on the seat.
Facilitates invocation-to-abidance transition; helps the mind ‘set’ into receptivity.
- stavaḥ
- Literal: praise, hymn. Symbolic: mantric affirmation; the soul’s consenting call that shapes experience
- jātam andhasaḥ
- Literal: the birth of the essence/juice. Symbolic: emergence of Ananda from within or descent from above after purification
- barhiṣi
- Literal: on the sacred grass (barhis). Symbolic: the prepared inner field/seat of consciousness; receptive expanse
- priye
- Literal: beloved, dear. Symbolic: the soul’s delight in the true seat; readiness without coercion
- sadaḥ
- Literal: sit, seat, session. Symbolic: abiding establishment; stabilization of the experience
Invitation for Soma to take seat on the barhis in the soma offering; corresponds to formally installing the clarified Soma in the ritual space.
When Soma is ready/purified and is to be offered/received
Recitation accompanying the placing/receiving of Soma; sanctifying the barhis
Use before meditation as an ‘invitation’ for higher peace/joy to settle; treat the body-mind as barhis—prepared, clean, and open.
stava from √stu ‘praise’ as a force that ‘builds’ the deity in the human field; jātam (√jan ‘be born’) indicates manifestation of Soma-essence; barhis is ritual grass-seat—innerly a symbol of a prepared, purified foundation in consciousness where the divine can ‘sit’ (√sad ‘sit, settle’). ni- marks descent/settling: the higher essence establishing itself in the lower instrument.
manifestation (jāti) of essence, descent and establishment (ni-sad)
Right placing (‘ni…sadaḥ’) suggests order: each power must take its true seat for harmony.
The ‘birth of essence’ indicates truth-manifestation, not mental fabrication.
Word (stava) calls forth manifestation (jāta) and establishes it in a field (barhis).
Mantra-śakti orientation: sound/affirmation as formative power enabling descent and stabilization.
A prepared, quiet inner field allows the purified essence of joy to be born and to abide steadily.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The installation of Soma on the sacred seat (barhis): the manifested essence is invited to settle. Innerly, the hymn and aspiration prepare a ‘beloved’ foundation so the descending delight-consciousness can become stable in the embodied field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan (birth) and √sad/√sthā family of ‘sitting/settling’ are deep Indo-European roots used to encode manifestation and establishment. The ritual ‘seat’ becomes a linguistic bridge from concrete action to abstract stabilization of consciousness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s stava is not mere description but a formative act: it assists the ‘birth’ of Soma’s essence in the human field. Soma reciprocates by ‘sitting’—taking up residence in the prepared consciousness-symbolized barhis.
Prepare the inner seat; invite delight to settle and remain.
anahata (seat of offering) / ajna (steady awareness)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) gently; during hold, feel a ‘seat’ widening in the heart-space.
Receptive stillness; gentle descent of sweetness.
Before sitting, ‘lay the barhis’: relax the body, quiet the breath, affirm with the mantra; then pause after chanting to let a subtle joy take its seat without chasing it.
Keep a settling downward resolution at ‘ni barhiṣi…sadaḥ’; udatta peaks should be clear on the key invocatory words (índo / stávaḥ). Exact contour needs śākhā accent marks.
Do not rush ‘ni barhiṣi priye’; let it feel like placing something gently.
(stavo): ‘st’ cluster clean; ‘v’ soft, (jātam): long ā; dental ‘t’, (barhiṣi): ‘rh’ sequence; ‘ṣ’ retroflex, (priye): ‘pr’ cluster; short ‘e’, (sadaḥ): final visarga lightly before pause
Soft, inviting, with a gentle downward cadence at the end.
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