Rig Veda 9.61.12: Mandala 9, Sukta 61, Mantra 12
Sukta 9.61
- Rishi
- Traditionally attributed within the Pavamāna Soma corpus to Soma-pavamāna seers
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
स न इन्द्राय यज्यवे वरुणाय मरुद्भ्यः । वरिवोवित्परि स्रव ॥
sá na indrā́ya yájyave váruṇāya marúdbhyaḥ | varivóvit pári srava ||
हे सोम, हमारे आस-पास बहो। तुम बहुत बड़े हो, जगह जानते हो। इंद्र की ताकत, वरुण के नियम, मरुत के चलाव, सब हमारे अंदर आएँ। सब योग्य हो जाएँ।
Word by Word
- स
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सः < तद्) सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक
- नः
- for us / of usPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक
- इन्द्राय
- to/for IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot इन्द्र- प्रातिपदिक
- यज्यवे
- to the worship-worthy (one)Adjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot यज्य- (यज् धातु से) प्रातिपदिक
- वरुणाय
- to/for VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot वरुण- प्रातिपदिक
- मरुद्भ्यः
- to/for the MarutsNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot मरुत्- प्रातिपदिक
- वरिवोवित्
- finder/procurer of wide space (boon)Noun (agent, compound)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वरिवस्- ("wide space, room, favor"), √विद् (विद्/विन्द्) कृत्-प्रत्यय
- परि
- around; forth (as preverb with ‘स्रव’)Indeclinable (preverb) / Adverbअव्ययम्Root परि
- स्रव
- flow! / stream forth!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √स्रु (स्रवति)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: स | नः | इन्द्राय | यज्यवे | वरुणाय | मरुद्भ्यः | वरिवोवित् | परि | स्रव । विशेष-सन्धि: (1) ‘स नः’ इति एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ (अस्मद्-षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-प्रयोगेषु) पूर्वपदेन सह उच्चारण-सम्बन्धः
- लेख्यरूपे सन्धि-परिवर्तनं नास्ति। (2) ‘मरुद्भ्यः’ = मरुत् + भ्यस् (उद्-आगम/सन्धि-रूप: -द्भ्यः). (3) ‘वरिवोवित्’ ऋग्वैदिक-समासः: वरिवस् + वित् (√विद् कृत्), अर्थः ‘वरिवस्-विन्दकः’। (4) ‘परि’ उपसर्गः ‘स्रव’ (लोट्) इत्यनेन सह क्रियायोगे ‘परि स्रव’ = ‘परितः/प्रसरन् स्रव’।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Flow around us, O Soma, knower of wide spaces, for Indra worthy of worship, for Varuṇa, for the Maruts.
Inner meaning
Soma is invoked as ‘varivovit’—the knower/finder of wide spaces (varivas): the power that creates inner room, freedom from constriction, and a field where the gods can act. ‘Pari srava’—flow around—means let the clarified consciousness encircle our being like a luminous current, protecting and permeating. Then Indra (illumined mind) becomes truly yajyá (worship-worthy, effective) within; Varuṇa (vast law, purity, truth-order) is established; and the Maruts (dynamic impulses, life-forces of the higher) move in right harmony.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires inner space. When consciousness widens and surrounds the being, illumination, law, and dynamic energies can collaborate without conflict.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Invocation of multiple deities, Wideness/Release, Consecration (yajyá)
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seers
- Other hymns
- RV 9.61
Family tradition
Soma-Pavamāna line: widening (varivas) and harmonizing multiple divine powers in the seeker.
Significance
This verse is a concise integrative formula: widen the vessel (varivas) so illumination (Indra), law (Varuṇa), and force (Maruts) can be rightly established.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Varivovit (knower of wide spaces), Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra, Varuṇa, Maruts
Cosmic role
Opens vastness and circulates as a protective-pervading current enabling other gods’ action.
Inner power
Widening Ananda that harmonizes mind (Indra), truth-law (Varuṇa), and dynamic energies (Maruts).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration and offering to multiple deities
स न॒ इन्द्रा॑य॒ यज्य॑वे॒ वरु॑णाय म॒रुद्भ्य॑: । व॒रि॒वो॒वित्परि॑ स्रव ॥
सः । नः॒ । इन्द्रा॑य । यज्य॑वे । वरु॑णाय । म॒रुत्ऽभ्यः॑ । व॒रि॒वः॒ऽवित् । परि॑ । स्र॒व॒ ॥
saḥ | naḥ | indrāya | yajyave | varuṇāya | marut-bhyaḥ | varivaḥ-vit | pari | srava
44
4 × 11 (Triṣṭubh norm)
Strong and directive; the imperative ‘pari srava’ gives a circling motion in sound.
Felt as a widening field around the body—protective spaciousness and readiness for higher force.
- परि स्रव (pari srava)
- Literal: flow around. Symbolic: permeate and protect the whole nature; create a circumambient field of clarity
- वरिवोवित् (varivovit)
- Literal: knower/finder of wide space. Symbolic: power that opens freedom, removes inner congestion and limitation
- इन्द्राय यज्यवे (indrāya yajyave)
- Literal: for Indra worthy of worship. Symbolic: for the illumined mind to become the rightful leader in us
- वरुणाय (varuṇāya)
- Literal: for Varuṇa. Symbolic: for truth-law, purity, and vastness to govern the being
- मरुद्भ्यः (marudbhyaḥ)
- Literal: for the Maruts. Symbolic: for right impulsions—energetic movements aligned with the higher
Pavamāna purification: Soma is made fit for the gods; here Soma is asked to pervade as an ‘opener of space’ so the offering reaches Indra/Varuṇa/Maruts (outer) and installs their powers in the adhvaryu’s and sacrificer’s consciousness (inner).
When Soma is prepared to empower Indra and allied gods in the rite
Chant to consecrate Soma for divine powers; invoke protection around the sacrificer
Use before challenging tasks: chant to create ‘inner space’ so clarity, ethical order, and energy work together.
varívas ‘wide space, free room, opportunity’ from √vṛ ‘to cover/encompass’ with semantic evolution toward ‘expanse/room’; in inner sense, release from constriction. varivo-vit: -vit from √vid ‘to know, find’, ‘knower/finder of wide spaces’. srava from √sru ‘to flow’ (PIE *sreu- ‘flow’, cf. Eng. stream), a key Soma verb indicating both physical streaming and psychic pervasion. yajyá- from √yaj ‘to sacrifice, worship’, implying ‘fit for conscious offering’.
R̥ta as Varuṇa’s law upheld by purified offering, wideness (uru/varivas) as a condition for truth-consciousness, integration of powers (Indra-Force, Varuṇa-Law, Marut-Impulsion)
Varuṇa and Indra function rightly when the field is widened and purified by Soma.
Varuṇa represents satya-ṛta governance; Soma makes it experiential.
From constriction to vastness: the cosmos and the psyche expand by opening spaces for divine action.
Integral Vedic yoga: wideness as prerequisite for supramental harmonization (anticipatory).
A circulating current of clarity creates psychological spaciousness and protection.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the ‘opener of the wide space’ (varivo-vit): the mythic action of releasing constricted existence into vastness so the gods can descend/operate—an inner counterpart to the rite where Soma’s stream reaches the deities.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sru ‘flow’ continues PIE *sreu- (flow/stream), a common archaic poetic verb across IE traditions. √vid ‘know/find’ continues PIE *weid- ‘see/know’ (Lat videō, Eng. wit), supporting ‘vit’ as ‘knower/finder’ rather than merely ‘possessor’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks Soma’s pervasion as enabling condition: Soma prepares the inner field so Indra/Varuṇa/Maruts become ‘yajyá’—not only recipients of libation but awakened capacities in the practitioner, established by the encompassing flow (pari).
Establish a ‘field of wideness’ around the body-mind; invite illumined mind, truth-law, and right impulses to operate within it.
Anahata (expansive space) with Ajna (Indra) and Vishuddha (Varuṇa’s purity/truth)
Box breathing with expansion: inhale feel space widen, hold feel Soma encircle, exhale release constriction; repeat with pari srava mentally
Spacious, protected, harmonized dynamism.
Chant once, then sit 2 minutes sensing an ‘aura of wideness’; notice thoughts/impulses aligning without strain.
Rigvedic accents; keep imperatives crisp; maintain circling continuity across pādas.
Strike ‘sa na’ cleanly; lift on indrāya; deepen on varuṇāya; quicken slightly on marudbhyaḥ; end with a flowing ‘pari srava’.
varivovit: articulate ‘vari-vo-vit’ without swallowing vowels, marudbhyaḥ: cluster ‘dbh’ clear; visarga light, pari: short i; roll into srava with ‘sr’ cluster
Round, enveloping tone (as if ‘circling’ the listener)
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