Rig Veda 9.62.25: Mandala 9, Sukta 62, Mantra 25
Sukta 9.62
- Rishi
- Jamadagni
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
पवस्व वाचो अग्रियः सोम चित्राभिरूतिभिः । अभि विश्वानि काव्या ॥
pávasva vācó agriyáḥ sóma citrā́bhir ūtíbhiḥ | abhí víśvāni kā́vyā ||
हे सोम, तू खुद को साफ कर। तू सबसे बड़ा बोलने वाला है। तेरे पास कई रंग की ताकत है। इनसे सब कविता के राज़ को जगा दे।
Word by Word
- पवस्व
- purify yourself / flow forth (as purified)VerbLoṭ (imperative), 2nd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole (predicate; addressed to Soma)Root √पू (pū) / √पव् (pav) ‘to purify, flow’
- वाचः
- of speech / from speechNounFeminine, Genitive singular (Vedic also allows gen. as ‘from/with respect to’)Role Apādāna (source/point of reference) / Adhikaraṇa (sphere)Root वाच्- (f.)
- अग्रियः
- foremost / pre-eminentAdjectiveMasculine, Nominative singularRole Kartā (as epithet of Soma, agreeing with implied ‘सॊमः’)Root अग्रिय- (adj.) < अग्र ‘foremost’
- सोम
- O SomaNounMasculine, Vocative singularRole Sambodhana (address)Root सोम- (m.)
- चित्राभिः
- with bright / wondrousAdjectiveFeminine, Instrumental pluralRole Karaṇa (means) (qualifying ‘ऊतिभिः’)Root चित्रा- (adj.) ‘bright, variegated’
- ऊतिभिः
- with aids / with protectionsNounFeminine, Instrumental pluralRole Karaṇa (means)Root ऊति- (f.) ‘help, aid, protection’
- अभि
- towards / over / uponIndeclinablePreverb/preposition governing accusative; directional/intensiveRole (modifies verbal sense ‘towards/over’)Root अभि (prep./upasarga)
- विश्वानि
- all (things)Adjective (substantivized)Neuter, Accusative pluralRole Karma (object of implied action with अभि)Root विश्व- (adj./pron.) ‘all’
- काव्या
- poetic (utterances) / inspired poemsNounNeuter, Accusative plural (Vedic ending -ā for -āni)Role Karma (in apposition to ‘विश्वानि’)Root काव्य- (n.) ‘poetic works/poems; inspired utterances’
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi is minimal in this pāda
- ‘चित्राभिरूतिभिः’ is resolved as ‘चित्राभिः ऊतिभिः’ (visarga before vowel → r)
- Final ‘काव्या’ is a Vedic neuter acc. pl. form for classical ‘काव्यानि’, in apposition to ‘विश्वानि’
The meaning
Outer meaning
A call to Soma in the act of purification (pavamāna): “Purify yourself, O Soma, foremost of speech; with variegated helps, press upon all poetic inspirations.”
Inner meaning
Soma is the clarified delight-consciousness rising through the inner “filter” of discernment. As it becomes pure, it becomes the leading power of Vāc (inspired speech)—the mantric intuition. The ‘many-colored helps’ are the differentiated soul-powers (ūtayaḥ) that awaken all latent creative truths (kāvyā) in the being.
Universal truth
When delight is purified of mixture (ego, desire, inertia), it becomes a luminous force that unlocks inspiration, creativity, and truth-speaking; true speech arises from clarified consciousness, not from the surface mind.
Themes
Vāc and Soma, Inspiration, Purification, Manifold divine aid
The seer
- Rishi
- Jamadagni
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu (Bhārgava)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.62.1-30 (Soma Pavamāna sequence attributed to Jamadagni in many listings)
Family tradition
Bhṛgu-Aṅgiras line associated with tapas, fiery discernment, and mantric precision; Jamadagni is a seer of intense inner heat (tapas) and exact speech.
Significance
Jamadagni’s vision emphasizes purification as the condition for inspired word and right action: the inner sacrifice is perfected by clarity, austerity, and illumined expression.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Indu (drop), Kavi (seer, implicit through kāvya), Agriya (foremost)
- Related deities
- Indra, Vāc, Agni
Cosmic role
The streaming principle of delight and immortality that, when purified, supports the gods (powers) and establishes luminous order in the worlds.
Inner power
Ananda that becomes a discriminating, inspiring current—turning feeling into luminous intuition and speech.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma Pavamāna chants in the Soma sacrifice (pressing and purification sequences)
पव॑स्व वा॒चो अ॑ग्रि॒यः सोम॑ चि॒त्राभि॑रू॒तिभि॑: । अ॒भि विश्वा॑नि॒ काव्या॑ ॥
पव॑स्व । वा॒चः । अ॒ग्रि॒यः । सोम॑ । चि॒त्राभिः॑ । ऊ॒तिऽभिः॑ । अ॒भि । विश्वा॑नि । काव्या॑ ॥
pavasva | vācaḥ | agniyaḥ | soma | citrābhiḥ | ūti-bhiḥ | abhi | viśvāni | kāvyā
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4 pādas × 12 syllables (Jagatī norm)
Long, forward-driving cadence suitable for ‘flowing’ imagery and sustained inner pressure.
Produces a sense of continuous streaming and widening—helpful for meditation on purification and the emergence of inspired speech.
- pavasva
- Literal: purify/flow clear. Symbolic: let consciousness be clarified through inner discrimination; let delight become luminous
- vācaḥ agriyaḥ
- Literal: foremost of speech. Symbolic: leader of inspired utterance; intuition guiding expression
- soma
- Literal: Soma (pressed juice). Symbolic: divine Ananda, nectar of consciousness refined into bliss-force
- citrābhiḥ ūtibhiḥ
- Literal: with many-colored helps. Symbolic: multiple supportive soul-forces: faith, aspiration, clarity, courage, joy—each a distinct ‘color’ of the Shakti
- abhi
- Literal: toward/upon. Symbolic: a pressure of consciousness that awakens and brings forward
- viśvāni kāvyā
- Literal: all poetic works/secrets. Symbolic: all mantric intuitions and hidden truths in the being awaiting revelation
Chanted to intensify Soma’s purification and to invoke Soma as inspirer of vāc (sacred speech) during Soma rites.
During Soma pressing/straining (pavamāna phase), especially in sequences that ‘raise’ Soma for the gods.
Chant while Soma is filtered; offering and invitation of Soma’s clarified essence.
Use as a mantra for refining emotion into luminous speech: before teaching, writing, chanting, or difficult conversations—invoke ‘pure speech from pure delight’.
pavasva: middle imperative of √pū ‘purify’ (pavamāna ‘self-purifying’). vāc: from √vac ‘speak’, but in RV a cosmic creative principle. agriya: from agra ‘forepart, summit’. citra: ‘bright, variegated’ (often of luminous forms). ūti: ‘help, protection’ (possibly from √av/√ū ‘to help’ in Vedic usage). kāvya: from kavi ‘seer-poet’ (√ku/√kav in sense ‘to see/shine/wise’ in traditional etymologies), denotes inspired formulation.
Vāc (creative Word), inspiration (kāvya), purification as emergence of truth-expression
Purification aligns inner currents with R̥ta; inspired speech becomes truthful and effective.
Vāc becomes satya-vāc when Soma is clarified—speech that carries force because it carries truth.
Revelation/manifestation: hidden ‘kāvyā’ are brought out from within by the pressure of purified delight.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent from mixed vital-emotional substance to illumined Ananda and intuition.
unspecified
unspecified
A current of bliss-consciousness filtered by discernment, refracting into multiple lights (faculties) that awaken intuition and mantric speech.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the inspirer and purifier of Vāc: the god is not only a drink but the leading power of true speech, releasing ‘kāvya’ (seer-knowledge). Innerly, purified delight makes the Word luminous and effective.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vāc from √vac aligns with PIE *wekʷ- ‘speak’ (cf. Latin vox, English ‘voice’). The verse preserves an archaic IE linkage between sacred drink/rapture and inspired speech, paralleled typologically across IE poetries.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Soma to become ‘foremost of speech’: Soma’s reciprocity is to empower the poet’s utterance with citra-ūti (manifold aids), so all kāvya within the seer-nature becomes active and articulate.
“Let delight be clarified into intuition; let speech arise from truth.” Rest attention in the heart/inner head-space where speech originates.
viśuddha (throat)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow exhale-focused japa to ‘filter’ impulses before expression.
From rajasic/vital mixture to sattvic-luminous flow; entry into intuitive (vijñāna-tinted) calm.
Chant, then sit silently: observe thoughts/speech-impulses; allow only those that feel ‘clear, bright, and kind’ to rise. Offer the rest into the inner fire for purification.
Use Rigvedic accenting: preserve udātta (raised), anudātta (lower), svarita (falling) as per śākhā tradition; this verse is commonly chanted in a steady pavamāna flow.
Lean on the udātta syllables to create ‘forward pressure’ (abhi); keep anudātta soft to suggest filtration/purification.
pavásva: keep ‘va’ clear, avoid ‘pavasva’ becoming ‘pabasva’, vāco: long ā in vā-, and ‘co’ as ‘cho’ not required—keep dental clarity, agriyaḥ: hard ‘g’, and visarga ḥ lightly aspirated, citrābhiḥ: aspirate bh; long ā in -trā-, ūtibhiḥ: long ū; dental t; aspirate bh, kāvyā: long ā; ‘vy’ conjunct crisp
Clear, flowing, slightly resonant (as if ‘streaming’); avoid harshness.
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