Rig Veda 9.55.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 55, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.55
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उत नो गोविदश्ववित्पवस्व सोमान्धसा । मक्षूतमेभिरहभिः ॥
utá no go-víd aśva-vít páv asva sómā́ndhasā | mákṣū-tamebhir áha-bhiḥ ||
सोम, हमारे लिए भी साफ हो। रोशनी और ताकत ढूँध के ला। जल्दी से आ, दिन जल्दी निकल रहे हैं। हमारी तरक्की में रोशनी और ताकत बढ़ा।
Word by Word
- उत
- and; also; moreoverIndeclinableconj./particle (indeclinable)Root उत
- नः
- of us; for usPronoungenitive plural (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary/for us)Root अस्मद्
- गोविद्
- finder/winner of cowsAdjective (compound)nominative singular masculine (agreeing with implied ‘सोमः’)Role Kartā (as epithet of the agent Soma)Root गो + विद् (√विद् ‘to find/know’)
- अश्ववित्
- finder/winner of horsesAdjective (compound)nominative singular masculine (agreeing with implied ‘सोमः’)Role Kartā (epithet)Root अश्व + विद् (√विद् ‘to find/know’)
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow (pure)Verbimperative, 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRole (finite verb)Root √पू (pū) / √पव् (pav) ‘to purify, become pure, flow (as Soma)’
- सोम
- O SomaNounvocative singular masculineRole Sambodhana (address)Root सोम
- अन्धसा
- with (your) juice; with the Soma-draughtNouninstrumental singular neuterRole Karaṇa (means)Root अन्धस्
- मक्षूतमेभिः
- with the swiftestAdjectiveinstrumental plural masculine/neuter (used adverbially with the following noun; agreeing with ‘अहभिः’)Role Karaṇa (means: ‘with the swiftest…’)Root मक्षू-तम (from avyaya ‘मक्षू’ ‘quickly’ + superlative suffix -तम)
- अहभिः
- with days; in/through daysNouninstrumental plural masculineRole Karaṇa (means/time-instrument)Root अह (Vedic) ‘day’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: सो॒मान्ध॑सा → सोम + अन्धसा (final -a of सोम + initial a- of अन्धसा gives a single a in saṃhitā; written as ‘सोमान्धसा’). Other items are already padic forms
- compounds गोविद्, अश्ववित् are tatpuruṣa-like (X+√विद्) used adjectivally. मक्षूतमेभिः is a superlative formation (मक्षू + तम) declined in instr. pl. to qualify अहभिः
The meaning
Outer meaning
And for us, O Soma, purify thyself with thy essence as a finder of cows and finder of horses; with the swiftest days flow swiftly.
Inner meaning
Soma is invoked as govid and aśvavit: not cattle and horses, but the discoverer of rays of knowledge (go) and the finder/releaser of vital energies for action (aśva). The seeker asks Soma to purify itself within us—so that delight becomes both illumination and dynamic power. ‘With the swiftest days’ indicates an accelerated progression: when delight is pure, evolution quickens; the right inner time (ahaḥ) becomes a force of rapid advance, not delay.
Universal truth
Purified joy is not passive; it uncovers knowledge and releases energy, quickening our right progress through time.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Cow-finding (light recovery), Horse-finding (energy recovery), Acceleration of progress
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.55.1, Rig Veda 9.55.2
Significance
The seer links Ananda to siddhi in knowledge and action: delight becomes the revealer (govid) and the energizer (aśvavit), and it hastens the journey by aligning us with the ‘swift days’ of right progress.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Govíd, Aśvavít, Indu
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined force), Maruts (dynamic energies), Uṣas (dawn-illumination)
Cosmic role
Releaser of light and force; accelerant of evolutionary time; purifier that turns essence into effective movement.
Inner power
Ananda translating into illumination (go) and dynamic energy (aśva), producing swift progress.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification with aspiration for boons (light and power)
उ॒त नो॑ गो॒विद॑श्व॒वित्पव॑स्व सो॒मान्ध॑सा । म॒क्षूत॑मेभि॒रह॑भिः ॥
उ॒त । नः॒ । गो॒ऽवित् । अ॒श्व॒ऽवित् । पव॑स्व । सो॒म॒ । अन्ध॑सा । म॒क्षुऽत॑मेभिः । अह॑ऽभिः ॥
uta | naḥ | go-vit | aśva-vit | pavasva | soma | andhasā | makṣu-tamebhiḥ | aha-bhiḥ
Quick, urging cadence (makṣu…); a forward-driving rhythm.
Energizes and sharpens; supports a felt ‘quickening’ of prāṇa and clarity.
- govit
- Literal: finder of cows. Symbolic: finder of rays of light/knowledge; discovery of illumining insights
- aśvavit
- Literal: finder of horses. Symbolic: finder of vital energies; release of force for right action
- pavasva
- Literal: purify thyself, flow purified. Symbolic: self-clarification of consciousness; refinement of delight into power
- andhasā
- Literal: with essence/juice. Symbolic: the concentrated Ananda-substance that fuels transformation
- makṣūtamebhiḥ
- Literal: with the swiftest. Symbolic: accelerated tapas; quickened movement of consciousness
- ahabhiḥ
- Literal: with days. Symbolic: with right times/periods of progress; successive steps of inner evolution
Petition for Soma’s swift purification and bestowal of ‘cows and horses’ (wealth in ritual idiom); used to accelerate the rite’s efficacy and the sacrificer’s gains.
During Soma flow/straining, especially when invoking strength and success
Recitation to impel Soma’s swift flow and to obtain ‘go’ and ‘aśva’ (light and force)
Use before study (govid) or disciplined action (aśvavit); a mantra for quickening progress without agitation.
go-vit ‘cow-finder’ is a classic Vedic epithet: go as rays/knowledges ‘found’ from concealment; aśva-vit ‘horse-finder’: aśva as dynamic energies and life-forces harnessed for the journey. pavasva (√pū) indicates self-purification as self-manifestation. makṣu ‘swift’ + superlative -tama intensifies urgency; aha- ‘day’ can symbolize successive stages of practice/time-steps in inner progress.
recovery of light/knowledge (go), release of dynamic energies (aśva)
The ‘swiftest days’ imply alignment with the right rhythm of ṛta rather than chaotic haste.
Go as truth-rays; Soma uncovers satya concealed by limitation.
Release of hidden light and force; acceleration of ascent through successive ‘days’ of consciousness.
Vedic evolutionary symbolism: unveiling (light) + energizing (force) → accelerated transformation.
day (ahaḥ) emphasized
Rays of insight and vital energies are released by purified delight, speeding the natural rhythm of inner growth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘finding of cows and horses’: the recovery of light (go) and the acquisition of force (aśva). Innerly, Soma’s purification brings back hidden illuminations and releases harnessable energies, and it asks for swift realization across the ‘days’—successive stages of the work.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- go- and aśva- are central Indo-European cultural lexemes (cow/horse) that Vedic poetry elevates into spiritual symbols. The superlative formation (-tama) is inherited morphology, used here to encode intensity of inner hastening.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Soma to act specifically ‘for us’: to become the revealer of light and the giver of energies within the human journey. Soma’s role is both purifier and discoverer—responding to aspiration by unveiling knowledge and empowering movement.
Invoke purified joy to reveal one clear insight (go) and release one clean energy for action (aśva).
ajna (insight/go) and manipura (power/aśva)
Brisk-but-smooth ujjayi-like constriction lightly (optional) for 12 breaths; synchronize ‘makṣu’ sense with exhale to feel forward movement.
Dynamic clarity; energized will with inner sweetness.
After chanting, choose a single obstacle (vṛtra-like inertia) and apply ‘go + aśva’: see clearly what to do, then do it immediately in one small decisive step—this is the ‘swift day’.
Let ‘pávasva’ carry a clear lift; keep ‘góvid aśvávit’ crisply articulated; accelerate slightly on ‘makṣū…ahabhiḥ’ while preserving accent integrity (exact svara needs śākhā marks).
Two emphases: (1) ‘govid aśvavit’ as a double boon; (2) ‘makṣu’ as the propulsion word—do not blur consonant clusters.
(govit): ‘go’ long; final ‘t’ crisp, (aśvavit): ‘śv’ cluster; short ‘a’, (pavasva): ‘sv’ cluster clean, (somāndhasā): keep nasal ‘n’ before ‘dh’, (makṣūtamebhiḥ): retroflex ‘kṣ’; long ū; ‘bh’ voiced aspirate, (ahabhiḥ): light ‘h’; ‘bh’ aspirated
Bright, forward, slightly more forceful; end with clean release.
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