Rig Veda 9.70.8: Mandala 9, Sukta 70, Mantra 8
Sukta 9.70
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
शुचिः पुनानस्तन्वमरेपसमव्ये हरिर्न्यधाविष्ट सानवि । जुष्टो मित्राय वरुणाय वायवे त्रिधातु मधु क्रियते सुकर्मभिः ॥
śúcīḥ punānáḥ tanvàm arepásam ávye hárir ny àdhāviṣṭa sánāvi | júṣṭo mitrā́ya váruṇāya vāyáve tri-dhā́tu mádhu kriyate su-kármabhiḥ ||
वोह साफ है और अपने आप को और भी साफ कर रहा है, कोई दाग नहीं। वोह पीले रंग का है और उन ऊन के ऊपर बैठ जाता है। मित्र, वरुण और वायु उसको अपना लेते हैं। अच्छे काम से तीसरा बना हुआ मधु तैयार होता है।
Word by Word
- शुचिः
- pure, brightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण हरिः-इत्यस्य)Root शुचि- (प्रातिपदिक) < √शुच् (दीप्तौ/शौचे)
- पुनानः
- purifying (himself/itself)Participle (verbal adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वर्तमानकाले, आत्मनेपदीयः)Role Kartā (हरिः-इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root √पू (पवने/शोधने) → पुनान- (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययः, आत्मनेपदीयः)
- तन्वम्
- body, selfNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तनू- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरेपसम्
- stainless, without blemishAdjective(तन्वम् इति पदस्य) स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (रूपेण -अम्)Role Karma (तन्वम्-विशेषणम्)Root अ-रेपस्- (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-पूर्वकः ‘रेपस्’)
- अव्ये
- in/through the sheep’s wool (filter)Noun/Adjective (locative)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अवि- (प्रातिपदिक) → अव्य- (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- हरिः
- the tawny one (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot हरि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, intoIndeclinableउपसर्गःRoot नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अधाविष्ट
- ran/flowed (upon, over)Verbलुङ् (आगम-रहितः/वैदिक-लुङ्), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role Kriyā (कर्तृ=हरिः)Root √धाव् (गत्यर्थे) + अधि- (उपसर्ग) → अधाविष्ट
- सानवि
- on the ridge/summit (of the filter/pressing place)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सानु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- जुष्टः
- pleasing, welcomedParticiple (past passive)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (हरिः-इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root √जुष् (सेवने/प्रीतौ) → जुष्ट- (क्त-प्रत्यय)
- मित्राय
- for MitraNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot मित्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणाय
- for VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot वरुण- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वायवे
- for VāyuNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम् (वैदिक-सम्बोधन/दत्तिः-रूपः: वायवे)Role SampradānaRoot वायु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्रिधातु
- threefold-constitutedAdjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अव्यक्त-कारकं; मधु-विशेषणम्)Role Karma (मधु-विशेषणम्)Root त्रि- + धातु- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धातु’ = constituent/element)
- मधु
- sweetness, honey (Soma’s sweet draught)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (क्रियते इत्यस्य)Root मधु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रियते
- is made, is preparedVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम् (कर्मणि-प्रयोगः)Role KriyāRoot √कृ (करणे) → क्रियते
- सुकर्मभिः
- by good works/skillful ritesNoun (instrumental plural)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot सु- + कर्मन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Pure and purifying, Soma makes his body stainless; the tawny one settles on the woolen ridge. Welcomed by Mitra, Varuṇa, and Vāyu, the threefold honey is fashioned by good works.
Inner meaning
Soma is both the agent and the process of purification: delight clarifies the being until it is ‘stainless’ (arepasam). The ‘woolen ridge’ is the filter—symbolically, the discerning layer of the mind/heart that strains impulses and leaves a clear essence. Accepted by Mitra (harmony), Varuṇa (vast truth-law), and Vāyu (life-breath), Soma becomes ‘threefold honey’—a sweetness of consciousness formed in three levels (body-life-mind, or earth-midspace-heaven) through right action (sukarmabhiḥ).
Universal truth
Purity is not suppression but right processing: when life-breath, truth-law, and harmony consent, delight becomes a stable sweetness across all layers of the being.
Themes
purification technology and inner discrimination, formation of delight, alignment with cosmic law
The seer
- Rishi
- An unknown seer of the Soma Pavamāna mandala (Rig Veda 9)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.70.1-9
Significance
The seer emphasizes ethical-psychological workmanship (sukarman): purification culminates not in ecstasy alone but in a crafted, stable ‘honey’ across the being.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (offered to Mitra–Varuṇa–Vāyu)
- Epithets
- śuci (pure), hari (tawny), pavamāna
- Related deities
- Mitra, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Indra (indirectly through Soma’s empowerment)
Cosmic role
Mediator that becomes acceptable to the cosmic regulators (Mitra-Varuṇa) and the life-current (Vāyu), producing a threefold sweetness that sustains the worlds.
Inner power
Purifying ananda that harmonizes relationships (Mitra), aligns with truth-law (Varuṇa), and lifts prāṇa (Vāyu).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration; offering to Mitra-Varuṇa-Vāyu
शुचि॑: पुना॒नस्त॒न्व॑मरे॒पस॒मव्ये॒ हरि॒र्न्य॑धाविष्ट॒ सान॑वि । जुष्टो॑ मि॒त्राय॒ वरु॑णाय वा॒यवे॑ त्रि॒धातु॒ मधु॑ क्रियते सु॒कर्म॑भिः ॥
शुचिः॑ । पु॒ना॒नः । त॒न्व॑म् । अ॒रे॒पस॑म् । अव्ये॑ । हरिः॑ । नि । अ॒धा॒वि॒ष्ट॒ । सान॑वि । जुष्टः॑ । मि॒त्राय॑ । वरु॑णाय । वा॒यवे॑ । त्रि॒ऽधातु॑ । मधु॑ । क्रि॒य॒ते॒ । सु॒कर्म॑ऽभिः ॥
śuciḥ | punānaḥ | tanvam | arepasam | avye | hariḥ | ni | adhāviṣṭa | sānavi | juṣṭaḥ | mitrāya | varuṇāya | vāyave | tri-dhātu | madhu | kriyate | sukarma-bhiḥ
32
4 × ~8
Clear, even, ‘purifying’ cadence; balanced triadic naming gives a stabilizing symmetry.
Cleansing and harmonizing; steadies breath and mind while keeping a bright clarity.
- śuciḥ / punānaḥ
- Literal: pure / purifying. Symbolic: intrinsic clarity and the active force of self-cleansing consciousness
- tanvam arepasam
- Literal: body stainless/spotless. Symbolic: being freed from mixture, stain, and inner falsehood
- avye sānavi
- Literal: on the woolen ridge. Symbolic: on the filtering discernment that refines experience into essence
- juṣṭaḥ
- Literal: welcomed/accepted. Symbolic: harmonized with higher powers; consent of the divine order
- mitra-varuṇa-vāyu
- Literal: deities of harmony, law, and wind. Symbolic: psychic concord, vast truth-discipline, and pranic uplift working together
- tridhātu madhu
- Literal: threefold honey. Symbolic: sweetness of consciousness established in three planes/parts of being
- sukarmabhiḥ
- Literal: by good works. Symbolic: right practice (sādhana) that embodies truth
Directly tied to Soma filtration through wool (āvya) and preparation for specific deities; inner ritual: purification through discrimination, producing threefold delight.
When Soma is prepared for specific deity-cups/offerings; sequences invoking social-cosmic harmony and prāṇa
Filter Soma on wool; dedicate portions to the deities; recite to sanctify the ‘threefold honey’
A purification-and-balance mantra: use to align breath (Vāyu), ethics/truthfulness (Varuṇa), and relational harmony (Mitra) before meditation or difficult conversations.
(avya) from avi ‘sheep’ → wool; ritually the filter, symbolically a discriminating medium. (mitra) from √mi ‘to bind’ → harmonising power. (varuṇa) from √vṛ ‘encompass’ → vast containment/law. (vāyu) from √vā ‘blow’ → life-breath. (madhu) ‘honey/sweetness’ has PIE *médʰu (cf. English ‘mead’), supporting ‘delight’ as an inherited poetic concept.
purity (śuci), threefold formation (tri-dhātu), harmony-law-life (Mitra-Varuṇa-Vāyu)
Mitra-Varuṇa embody Ṛta; Soma becomes fit by aligning with that order.
Arepasam (stainless) implies freedom from false mixture—truth in substance.
Threefold honey as the delight-substance that supports differentiated existence while remaining one essence.
Integral psychology: triune formation (mind-life-body) transformed by purified ananda.
Filter = discrimination; honey = condensed sweetness of realization; wind = prāṇa moving the offering upward.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma’s passage through the woolen filter and his acceptance by Mitra-Varuṇa-Vāyu—mythically the consecration of the drink for specific gods; psychologically the refinement of the instrument until delight becomes ‘threefold’ and can serve harmony, law, and life-force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu ‘honey/mead’ is a classic PIE inheritance (*médʰu), preserved widely (Skt madhu, Av. maδu, OE medu). This supports the deep Indo-European association of sweetness with inspired intoxication/delight.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi emphasises that right workings (su-karman) are the condition for Soma’s acceptability to the cosmic powers. The offering is reciprocal: the sacrificer refines Soma (and self), and the gods receive and in turn stabilise harmony, law, and vital force in the practitioner.
Let the mind act as a gentle filter: allow experience to pass through without stain, leaving a clear sweetness (madhu) in awareness.
Viśuddha (purity of vibration) and Anāhata (harmony)
Slow, even breathing with slight lengthening of exhale (Vāyu alignment)
Clear, stainless equanimity with subtle sweetness.
Chant, then contemplate three alignments: (1) Mitra—goodwill; (2) Varuṇa—truth-discipline; (3) Vāyu—free breath. Feel a ‘threefold honey’ spreading through body, life, and mind.
Keep the opening ‘śuciḥ punānaḥ’ bright and level; give distinct udatta emphasis when naming ‘mitrāya varuṇāya vāyave’.
Mark the triad clearly with slight pauses: mitrāya | varuṇāya | vāyave.
śuciḥ: palatal ś, short ‘u’, final visarga light, punānas: long ‘ā’, arepasam: a-re-pa-sam (do not turn ‘p’ into ‘ph’), avye: ‘av-ye’ two-part articulation, tridhātu: dental ‘t’, aspirate ‘dh’ in dhātu, sukarmabhiḥ: ‘su-kar-ma-bhiḥ’, keep ‘bh’ voiced aspirate
Clear, cool, and even; avoid force—aim for ‘stainless’ tone.
12
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
