Rig Veda 9.68.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 68, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.68
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
मन्द्रस्य रूपं विविदुर्मनीषिणः श्येनो यदन्धो अभरत्परावतः । तं मर्जयन्त सुवृधं नदीष्वाँ उशन्तमंशुं परियन्तमृग्मियम् ॥
mandrásya rūpáṃ vívidur manīṣíṇaḥ śyénो yád ándho ábharat parāvátaḥ | táṃ márjayanta su-vṛ́dhaṃ nadī́ṣv ā́ uśántam aṃśúṃ paríyantam ṛ́gmiyam ||
सोचने वाले लोगों ने उसका रूप ढूंढ लिया। एक बाज़ ने दूर से सोम को लाया था। वो उसे नदियों में साफ करते हैं। यह चमकता हुआ किरण है जो गानों के लय के साथ चलता है।
Word by Word
- मन्द्रस्य
- of the gladdening/pleasant (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root मन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- रूपम्
- form, appearanceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (object)Root रूप- (प्रातिपदिक)
- विविदुः
- they have found/recognizedVerbलिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट); परस्मैपद; ३ पुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √विद् (विदँ ‘to know/find’)
- मनीषिणः
- the sages, the wiseNoun (agent noun)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (subject)Root मनीषिन्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wise, thoughtful’)
- श्येनः
- the falcon/eagleNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (of the subordinate clause)Root श्येन- (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- which (that)Pronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (correlative to ‘अन्धः’)Role कर्म (relative object marker)Root यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्धः
- the Soma-juice (pressed draught)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (object)Root अन्धस्- (प्रातिपदिक; सोमरस)
- अभरत्
- brought, carriedVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट); परस्मैपद; ३ पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √भृ (भृञ् ‘to bear, bring’)
- परावतः
- from afar, from the distant regionNoun (ablatival use)स्त्रीलिङ्ग (परावत्-); पञ्चमी एकवचनRole अपादान (source)Root परावत्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘far away, distant region’)
- तम्
- him/that (Soma)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (object)Root तद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्जयन्त
- they cleansed/purifiedVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट); परस्मैपद; ३ पुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √मृज् (मृजँ ‘to wipe/clean/purify’)
- सुवृधम्
- well-grown, well-strengthenedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (qualifying ‘तम्’)Role कर्म (object-qualifier)Root सु-वृध- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘well-grown, greatly strengthened’)
- नदीषु
- in the streams/rivers (i.e., in the waters)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकरण (locus)Root नदी- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आन्
- indeed, quite (emphatic)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot आन् (वेदिक particle; intensifier/augment-like)
- उशन्तम्
- desiring, eagerParticiple (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (qualifying ‘अंशुम्’)Role कर्म (object-qualifier)Root √वश्/उश् (उश् ‘to desire, wish’ → उशन्त्- present participle)
- अंशुम्
- the Soma-stalk/beam (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (object; apposition to ‘तम्’)Root अंशु- (प्रातिपदिक; Soma-stalk/beam)
- परियन्तम्
- going around, circulatingParticiple (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (qualifying ‘अंशुम्’)Role कर्म (object-qualifier)Root √या (या ‘to go’) with परि-; यन्त्- present participle
- ऋग्मियम्
- hymn-worthy, praised in ṛksAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (qualifying ‘अंशुम्’)Role कर्म (object-qualifier)Root ऋग्मिय- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘worthy of hymns/ṛc’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: मनी॒षिण॑: → मनीषिणः (visarga in saṃhitā)
- अभ॑रत्परा॒वत॑: → अभरत् परावतः (t + p sandhi)
- न॒दीष्वाँ → नदीषु आन् (Vedic sandhi with enclitic/particle आन् after loc. pl.)
- उ॒शन्त॑मं॒शुं → उशन्तम् अंशुम् (m + a sandhi)
- प॑रि॒यन्त॑मृ॒ग्मिय॑म् → परियन्तम् ऋग्मियम् (m + ṛ sandhi). Accent marks retained in source but not reproduced per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
The sages have known the form of the rapturous one, when the eagle brought the Soma-essence from the far beyond. They cleanse him, well-growing, in the rivers—the desired ray moving around, fit for the hymn.
Inner meaning
The ‘eagle’ (śyena) is the soaring intuition that retrieves the Soma-essence (andhas) from the supraphysical ‘far beyond’ (parāvataḥ)—a higher plane of consciousness. The manīṣiṇaḥ (deep thinkers) recognize the true ‘form’ (rūpa) of delight when it descends as a living experience. The cleansing in the ‘rivers’ signifies purification in the flowing currents of consciousness—life-movements, prāṇic streams, and mental currents—until Soma becomes ‘suvṛdha’ (well-increasing) and turns into a luminous ‘aṃśu’ (ray) that circulates through the being, inspiring true rhythm (ṛgmiyam).
Universal truth
Highest inspiration is fetched by a power of ascent (intuition) from beyond ordinary mind, but it must be purified in the streams of life and thought to become stable, growth-giving, and expressive as true speech and song.
Themes
Soma brought by the eagle (śyena-myth), Purification in rivers, Soma as desired ray, Mantra-worthiness
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.68.1-9, Rig Veda 9.61-9.62 (śyena/bringing Soma motifs occur in the Soma cycle—general thematic proximity)
Significance
The mantra presents a collective rishi-function: the manīṣiṇaḥ who ‘find the form’—suggesting the seerhood is a shared inner faculty awakened by Soma.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- mandra (rapturous), suvṛdha (well-growing), aṃśu (ray)
- Related deities
- Indra (receiver of Soma), Bṛhaspati (lord of inspired word), Sarasvatī (river/speech power)
Cosmic role
Brings delight from the beyond into the world-streams; becomes hymn-force that establishes ṛta-rhythm in speech.
Inner power
Ananda descending via intuition, then refined into luminous inspiration and true expression.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration chants (pavamāna)
म॒न्द्रस्य॑ रू॒पं वि॑विदुर्मनी॒षिण॑: श्ये॒नो यदन्धो॒ अभ॑रत्परा॒वत॑: । तं म॑र्जयन्त सु॒वृधं॑ न॒दीष्वाँ उ॒शन्त॑मं॒शुं प॑रि॒यन्त॑मृ॒ग्मिय॑म् ॥
म॒न्द्रस्य॑ । रू॒पम् । वि॒वि॒दुः॒ । म॒नी॒षिणः॑ । श्ये॒नः । यत् । अन्धः॑ । अभ॑रत् । प॒रा॒ऽवतः॑ । तम् । म॒र्ज॒य॒न्त॒ । सु॒ऽवृध॑म् । न॒दीषु॑ । आ । उ॒शन्त॑म् । अं॒शुम् । प॒रि॒ऽयन्त॑म् । ऋ॒ग्मिय॑म् ॥
mandrasya | rūpam | vividuḥ | manīṣiṇaḥ | śyenaḥ | yat | andhaḥ | abharat | parāvataḥ | tam | marjayanta | su-vṛdham | nadīṣu | ā | uśantam | aṃśum | pari-yantam | ṛgmiyam
44
4 × ~11
Expansive with lift—mirrors the eagle’s ascent and the circulating ray.
Elicits uplift and clarity; supports a felt ‘descent’ of sweetness followed by purification.
- मन्द्र (mandra)
- Literal: sweet, rapturous, gladdening. Symbolic: bliss-tone of consciousness; delight that uplifts
- मनीषिणः (manīṣiṇaḥ)
- Literal: thinkers, sages. Symbolic: inner discerners who recognize truth-forms
- श्येनः (śyenaḥ)
- Literal: eagle/falcon. Symbolic: intuitive mind that ascends and brings down divine essence
- अन्धः (andhaḥ)
- Literal: Soma-juice/essence. Symbolic: concentrated bliss-substance of consciousness
- परा॒वत् (parāvat)
- Literal: far beyond. Symbolic: higher plane beyond ordinary mentality
- नदीषु (nadīṣu)
- Literal: in the rivers. Symbolic: streams of consciousness/life-currents where purification occurs
- अंशु (aṃśu)
- Literal: ray, filament. Symbolic: luminous strand of delight becoming light and inspiration
Invokes the Soma-bringing myth (śyena) while describing cleansing in ‘rivers’ (streams/filters). Supports the ritual identification of Soma’s descent from the supramental ‘beyond’ into the sacrificial flow.
While Soma is washed/strained and made ready for offering
Recitation alongside cleansing in waters and passage through filter
Use when seeking inspiration: chant before creative work or japa, imagining intuition bringing ‘essence’ from above, then letting it clarify in the breath-stream.
śyena ‘eagle/falcon’ is central to Soma-bringing myth; √bhṛ ‘bear/bring’ (PIE *bher-) marks transfer from ‘far beyond’ (parāvat). √mṛj ‘wipe/cleanse’ indicates purification. ṛgmiya from ṛc/ṛg ‘hymn’ denotes suitability for mantra—linking purified Soma to inspired speech.
Descent of delight/knowledge from the beyond (parāvat), Purification as making the divine essence fit for Vāc (ṛgmiya)
‘ṛgmiyam’ implies alignment with the true rhythm of the ṛk—speech in ṛta.
‘rūpaṃ vividur’—recognition of the true form (satya-rūpa) of delight.
Descent of higher essence into manifest streams; transformation into expressive power.
Aurobindonian symbolism: intuition (śyena) mediates supramental delight into mind-life
Ascent (eagle) → descent of essence → purification in life-currents (rivers) → illumination (ray).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-theft/bringing myth: the śyena (eagle) carries Soma from the far beyond. Interpreted inwardly, a swift supramental power brings the delight-essence into human reach; then the sages ‘cleanse’ it in the flowing streams so it becomes fit to inhabit and empower sacred speech (ṛgmiya).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘bring’ is PIE *bher-. √vid ‘know/find’ is PIE *weyd-. The mythic ‘bird as bringer’ resonates with wider IE messenger motifs, but the specific Soma-eagle narrative is distinctively Vedic in articulation and ritual anchoring.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi (as manīṣin) recognizes Soma’s true form and participates in his purification (mārjana). Soma is not passive matter; he is ‘desired’ and ‘circulating’, and once cleansed he becomes the ally of the hymn—supporting the Rishi’s inspired utterance with delight and luminous clarity.
Invoke intuitive ascent (śyena) and receive purified delight as a circulating ray in the system.
Sahasrāra/Ājñā (parāvat, intuition) integrating into Viśuddha (ṛgmiyam—true speech)
Ujjāyī (soft) 3–5 minutes to create ‘river-like’ steady flow, then chant
Inspired receptivity → luminous articulation.
Visualize an eagle-like upward leap of awareness; on inhalation receive ‘andhas’ as sweetness; on exhalation let it wash through inner channels, clarifying thought and speech.
Maintain Vedic accents as marked (e.g.,, :,,, :,,, ). Exact melodic contour depends on śākhā.
Give slight lift on udātta; keep compounds clean (parāvat-aḥ).
śyena: palatal ś, not s, andhaḥ: keep dh aspirated, nadīṣv ām̐: articulate the sandhi smoothly (nadīṣu ā) without hard break
Bright, uplifted, flowing—like a river current.
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