Rig Veda 9.63.28: Mandala 9, Sukta 63, Mantra 28
Sukta 9.63
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer-poets
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
पुनानः सोम धारयेन्दो विश्वा अप स्रिधः । जहि रक्षांसि सुक्रतो ॥
punānáḥ soma dhā́rayéndo víśvā apa srídhaḥ | jahí rákṣāṃsi sukrato ||
सोम, तू खुद को साफ कर रहा है बहते पानी में। तू बुरी हरकतों को दूर कर दे। अंधेरी ताकतों को मार डाल, तू जो सही काम करता है उसमें बलवान है।
Word by Word
- पुनानः
- being purified; purifying (himself)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वर्तमानकाले आत्मनेपदे शतृ-प्रत्ययः; ‘being purified/purifying himself’)Role Kartā (of the imperatives जहि, and of the action implied)Root √पू (पूञ्) / prātipadika: पुनान- (pres. mid. participle)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (apposition to पुनानः)Root prātipadika: सोम-
- धारये
- in the stream; in the flowNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (Vedic locative; ‘in/at the stream’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot prātipadika: धारा- (from √धृ ‘to hold/flow’ → ‘stream’)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (bright drop, Soma)Noun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role (Sambodhana; addressed entity)Root prātipadika: इन्दु-
- विश्वाः
- all (of them)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (agreeing with implied feminine plural object, e.g., ‘धियः/दुरिताः’ etc.; here with अप)Role Karma (with अप ‘away’)Root prātipadika: विश्व-
- अप
- away; offIndeclinableupasarga/particle meaning ‘away, off’Role (modifies verbal idea; governs separation sense)Root avyaya: अप
- स्रिधः
- hindrances; harms; hostilitiesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role Karma (object to be removed ‘away’)Root prātipadika: स्रिध्- (Vedic; ‘obstruction, harm, hostile act/hostility’)
- जहि
- slay; strike downVerbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (verbal action; addressed to इन्दु/सोम)Root √हन् (to strike, slay)
- रक्षांसि
- demons; harmful spirits (rakṣas)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot prātipadika: रक्षस्-
- सुक्रतो
- O good-minded/strong-willed oneAdjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role (Sambodhana; addressed to Soma/Indu)Root prātipadika: सु-क्रतु-
Sandhi Notes
- पुनानः सोमः: no sandhi beyond juxtaposition (apposition). सोम धारयेन्दो → सोमः धारये इन्दो: visarga of सोमः dropped before voiced consonant ध- in saṃhitā
- धारये + इन्दो coalesces to धारयेन्दो (vowel sandhi: -e + i- → -e(y)i- written as -ेन्दो). विश्वा अप: ‘विश्वाः’ (acc. pl. f.) + ‘अप’ (particle)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Purifying yourself in the streaming current, O Soma/Indu, drive away all crookedness; slay the rakṣas, O strong in right action.
Inner meaning
As Soma purifies in its own flow (dhārā), it straightens what is twisted (sridh)—the deviations, false turns, and perversions in mind and vital—and strikes down rakṣas: obscuring, devouring forces of the subconscient that distort aspiration. ‘Sukratu’ is Soma’s right-effective intelligence in action.
Universal truth
True purification is both cleansing and corrective: it removes distortion and actively protects the inner work from forces that feed on confusion and inertia.
Themes
protection against rakṣas, purification of intention, truth-alignment
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer-poets (Soma Pavamanas)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.66 (Soma as rakṣo-han), RV 9.79 (Soma removing crookedness)
Family tradition
Pavamāna hymns often combine purification with protection (rakṣo-han), showing the seers’ practical psychology of obstacles.
Significance
The rishi-vision treats inner life as a battlefield of truth vs. distortion; Soma is invoked as purifier and protector so the sacrifice (sādhana) can proceed safely.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Punāna (purifying), Indu (bright), Sukratu (right-effective)
- Related deities
- Agni (burns rakṣas; purifier by heat), Indra (slays Vṛtra; opens light), Bṛhaspati (breaks the caves of obstruction)
Cosmic role
Guardian-purifier of the rite: Soma cleanses the offering and keeps hostile forces away, enabling the gods’ presence.
Inner power
A discerning bliss-force that straightens the nature and destroys obscuring subconscient formations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and apotropaic (protective) recitation in Soma-yajña
पु॒ना॒नः सो॑म॒ धार॒येन्दो॒ विश्वा॒ अप॒ स्रिध॑: । ज॒हि रक्षां॑सि सुक्रतो ॥
पु॒ना॒नः । सो॒म॒ धार॑या । इन्दो॒ इति॑ । विश्वा॑ । अप॑ । स्रिधः॑ । ज॒हि । रक्षां॑सि । सु॒क्र॒तो॒ इति॑ सुऽक्रतो ॥
punānaḥ | soma | dhārayā | indo iti | viśvā | apa | sridhaḥ | jahi | rakṣāṃsi | sukrato itisu-krato
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4×12; imperative verbs (‘apa… jahi’) give sharp closures within the longer meter.
Streaming first half, forceful second half; a ‘flow then strike’ rhythm.
First induces cleansing calm, then mobilizes protective strength and decision.
- punānaḥ
- Literal: purifying oneself/being purified. Symbolic: self-transforming process of consciousness becoming clear
- dhārayā
- Literal: by the stream/current. Symbolic: the continuous flow of practice and grace; steady descent of force
- indu
- Literal: bright drop. Symbolic: concentrated point of luminous Ananda
- sridhaḥ (sṛdhaḥ)
- Literal: crookedness, deceit, obliquity. Symbolic: twisted movements of desire, wrong thought-habits, evasions of truth
- rakṣāṃsi
- Literal: rakṣas-beings, demons. Symbolic: subconscient obscurers; forces that ‘guard’ ignorance and attack clarity
- sukrato
- Literal: of good/right action (good kratu). Symbolic: right-effective will/intelligence; the power to act according to ṛta
Apotropaic purification: Soma through the filter removes ‘sridh’ and repels rakṣas during Soma offering
During filtration and before/with offerings when protection from impurity is emphasized.
Chanted while Soma runs in the dhārā; intention to remove defects and repel hostile presences.
Use as a daily ‘inner hygiene’ mantra: clear distortions (self-deception, compulsions) and strengthen protective clarity before meditation.
punāna: from √pū ‘purify’; sridh: Vedic term for ‘deceit/crookedness, failure’, semantic of distortion/obstruction; rakṣas: from √rakṣ ‘guard’ in later sense, but in RV ‘harmful nocturnal beings/obstructions’; sukratu: su ‘good’ + kratu ‘effective will’ (not mere ‘ritual’ but power of right intention).
right will (su-kratu), removal of distortion (sridh) as alignment to Ṛta, battle of light vs darkness
‘Sukratu’ aligns kratu (will/intention) with ṛta; crookedness is a fall from ṛta.
Removing sridh restores satya—straight seeing and straight speech.
Purification as prerequisite for manifestation of the divine in life; protection of the emergent truth against devouring obscurity.
Yoga of transformation: obstacles as rakṣas/sridhaḥ; higher force as corrective and protective.
A steady inner stream that washes the system, then a decisive cutting away of intrusive darkness and twisted habits.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The purifier as demon-slayer: Soma in his stream removes ‘crookedness’ and strikes rakṣas. Innerly, the clarified delight-force destroys obscuring impulses and hostile subconscient formations, restoring straightness to the movement toward Ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- su- is a common IE prefix meaning ‘good’ (cf. Greek eu-); √han ‘slay’ is PIE *gʷhen-; kratu as ‘effective will’ is a distinct Indo-Iranian religious-psychological term (Avestan xratu- ‘wisdom/mental power’ is a close cognate), showing shared Indo-Iranian heritage.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi appeals to Soma as sukratu—right-effective will—because the protection sought is not only external but a rectification of inner movement (sridh). Soma is invoked to make the aspirant’s will straight and victorious over darkness.
Detect ‘crookedness’ as subtle self-justification or compulsive turn; let the Soma-current straighten it into simple truth.
maṇipūra (will)
Kapalabhati (mild) or strong exhale emphasis on ‘apa’ and ‘jahi’ (only if stable and not anxious).
Purified will with protective clarity.
Chant 3, 9, or 27 times; after each round, silently name one ‘sridh’ (distortion) to release, then rest in the clear stream for a minute.
Keep the imperatives ‘apa’ and ‘jahi’ clearly articulated; observe marked accents; avoid monotone especially across ‘viśvā apa sridhaḥ’.
Make ‘jahi rakṣāṃsi’ firm but not shouted; let ‘punānaḥ’ be smooth and flowing.
punānaḥ: long ā; final ḥ audible., dhārayā: long ā; yā as yaa., sridhaḥ: cluster ‘sr’; retroflex ḍh if reading sṛḍhaḥ variant; keep it crisp., rakṣāṃsi: kṣ conjunct; nasal ṃ before s.
Flowing first line, then authoritative and protective in the second.
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