Rig Veda 9.71.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 71, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.71
- Rishi
- Soma-Pavamāna tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
प्र कृष्टिहेव शूष एति रोरुवदसुर्यं वर्णं नि रिणीते अस्य तम् । जहाति वव्रिं पितुरेति निष्कृतमुपप्रुतं कृणुते निर्णिजं तना ॥
prá kṛṣṭihéva śūṣá eti rórūvad asuryàṁ várṇaṁ ní riṇīte asya tám | jahā́ti vavrím pitúr eti niṣkṛtám upaprútam kṛṇute nirṇíjaṁ tánā ||
वो आगे बढ़ता है जैसे कोई जीतने वाला खिलाड़ी, और ज़ोर से आवाज़ करके अंधेरा हटा देता है। वो पुरानी पिछड़ी हुई चीज़ छोड़ देता है, और पिता के घर की तरफ जाता है। अपनी ताकत से वो अपना नया रूप बनाता है, और साफ चमकदार कपड़ा पहन लेता है।
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- कृष्टि-हा
- slayer/overcomer of the peoples (or: of cultivated lands)Noun (compound)masculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot कृष्टि (prātipadika) + हन् (dhātu)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableparticle of comparisonRoot इव
- शूषः
- impetuosity, vigorNounmasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to implied Soma/subject)Root शूष (prātipadika)
- एति
- goes, advancesVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot इ (धातु: इ/ए ‘to go’)
- रोरुवत्
- roaring, loudly-soundingAdjective/Participleneuter/masc. nominative singular used adverbially/qualificativelyRoot रु (धातु ‘to roar/cry’)
- असुर्यम्
- non-solar, sunless; demonicAdjectiveneuter, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot असुर्य (prātipadika)
- वर्णम्
- color, appearanceNounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot वर्ण (prātipadika)
- नि
- down, away, intoIndeclinableupasarga (down, into)Root नि (upasarga)
- रिणीते
- strips off, removesVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepadaRoot री/रि (धातु ‘to flow/let go’; Vedic: ‘to remove/strip off’)
- अस्य
- of him/itPronoungenitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot इदम् (sarvanāman)
- तम्
- that (one/that thing)Pronounmasculine/neuter, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot तद् (sarvanāman)
- जहाति
- leaves, abandonsVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot हा (धातु ‘to leave, abandon’)
- वव्रिम्
- covering, veil; enclosureNounfeminine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot वव्रि (prātipadika)
- पितुः
- of the fatherNounmasculine, genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot पितृ (prātipadika)
- एति
- goesVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot इ (धातु: इ/ए ‘to go’)
- निष्कृतम्
- made ready; brought out; preparedAdjective (PPP)neuter, accusative singularRole Karma/Goal (as object of motion)Root निष्-√कृ (धातु ‘to make, do’) → निष्कृत (ppp)
- उप
- towards, nearIndeclinableupasarga (near, towards)Root उप (upasarga)
- प्रुतम्
- sprung forth, leaping; rushingAdjectiveneuter, accusative singularRole Karma (qualifier of nirṇijam / or of the action)Root प्रुत (prātipadika; from √पृ/√प्रु ‘to leap/spring’ in Vedic usage)
- कृणुते
- makes for himself, fashionsVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepadaRoot कृ (धातु ‘to make, do’)
- निर्णिजम्
- bright garment, shining covering (radiance)Nounfeminine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot निर्णिज्/निर्णिज (prātipadika)
- तना
- by extension; along (in a stretched-out way)Indeclinableinstrumental-adverb (Vedic)Role Karaṇa (adverbial means/manner)Root तना
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved main sandhis: कृ॑ष्टि॒हेव॑ → कृष्टि-हा + इव
- रोरु॑वदसु॒र्यं → रोरुवत् + असुर्यम्
- वर्णं॒ नि → वर्णम् + नि
- नि रि॑णीते → नि + रिणीते
- अस्य॒ तम् → अस्य + तम्
- पि॒तुरे॑ति → पितुः + एति
- निष्कृ॒तमु॑प॒प्रुतं → निष्कृतम् + उप + प्रुतम्
- नि॒र्णिजं॒ तना॑ → निर्णिजम् + तना. Accent marks are retained in the source but not re-applied per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
He advances with force like a winner for the peoples; crying out, he removes the asuric colour, the darkness. He abandons the enclosing sheath, goes to the Father’s prepared home, and makes for himself a purifying robe, crossing beyond obstruction.
Inner meaning
Soma’s movement is the soul-force pressing forward for the ‘peoples’—the many parts of the being needing liberation. The ‘asuric colour’ is the false hue of ego-vital desire and obscuring power that stains consciousness; purification strips it away with a resounding awakening call (roruvat). Casting off the vavri (covering sheath) is the yogic moment when the inner being drops the hardened casing of habit and tamas. ‘Father’ (pitṛ) signifies the originating Truth (often the solar/creative source, or the supreme principle behind the gods); reaching his ‘prepared home’ is arriving in the native plane of truth-consciousness. The ‘nirṇij’ (luminous robe) is self-formed purity: the being, by its own awakened substance (tanā), becomes clothed in light and crosses beyond the lower obstruction (upaprutam).
Universal truth
Progress requires removing the false colouring of consciousness, shedding protective-but-limiting shells, and returning to the source; true purity is not imposed from outside but formed by the awakened substance of one’s being.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Unveiling/Apavāda of darkness, Asuric obstruction, Return to origin
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma-Pavamāna seer tradition (specific Anukramaṇī attribution varies)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.71.1, RV 9.71.3, RV 9.71.4
Family tradition
Book 9’s Soma seers speak from the experiential process of pressing, cleansing, and ascent—often linked in tradition to Āṅgirasa currents, but not uniform for each verse.
Significance
This verse is a classic psychological map: remove the asuric stain, shed the sheath, return to the Father-source, and self-form the robe of light—an inner initiation sequence.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavamāna, śūṣavant (forceful), roruvat (resounding)
- Related deities
- Sūrya (as father-source resonance), Indra (illumined receiver), Agni (purifying will)
Cosmic role
Agent of purification that overpasses darkness and restores the being to its origin in the Father principle.
Inner power
Transformative ananda that breaks coverings and reconstitutes the nature in luminous purity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma straining/purification sequences in Soma-yajña
प्र कृ॑ष्टि॒हेव॑ शू॒ष ए॑ति॒ रोरु॑वदसु॒र्यं१॒॑ वर्णं॒ नि रि॑णीते अस्य॒ तम् । जहा॑ति व॒व्रिं पि॒तुरे॑ति निष्कृ॒तमु॑प॒प्रुतं॑ कृणुते नि॒र्णिजं॒ तना॑ ॥
प्र । कृ॒ष्टि॒हाऽइ॑व । शू॒षः । ए॒ति॒ । रोरु॑वत् । अ॒सु॒र्य॑म् । वर्ण॑म् । नि । रि॒णी॒ते॒ । अ॒स्य॒ । तम् । जहा॑ति । व॒व्रिम् । पि॒तुः । ए॒ति॒ । निः॒ऽकृ॒तम् । उ॒प॒ऽप्रुत॑म् । कृ॒णु॒ते॒ । निः॒ऽनिज॑म् । तना॑ ॥
pra | kṛṣṭihā-iva | śūṣaḥ | eti | roruvat | asuryam | varṇam | ni | riṇīte | asya | tam | jahāti | vavrim | pituḥ | eti | niḥ-kṛtam | upa-prutam | kṛṇute | niḥ-nijam | tanā
48
4 × 12 (probable)
Strong onward stride; emphatic verbs (pra…eti…jahāti…eti…kṛṇute) create a marching progression.
Supports determination and catharsis—useful when breaking inertia or tamasic moods.
- śūṣa (शूष)
- Literal: impulse, force. Symbolic: upward-driving tapas/effort of transformation
- asurya varṇa (असुर्यं वर्णम्)
- Literal: asuric colour. Symbolic: egoic/tamasic hue; false power that darkens perception
- tam (तम्)
- Literal: darkness. Symbolic: ignorance, unconsciousness clinging to the nature
- roruvat (रोरुवत्)
- Literal: resounding/crying. Symbolic: awakening vibration; decisive inner call that breaks inertia
- vavri (वव्रि)
- Literal: covering, sheath. Symbolic: enclosing habits, protective shell of tamas
- pitṛ (पितुः)
- Literal: father. Symbolic: originating truth/source-consciousness (solar/supreme)
- niṣkṛta (निष्कृत)
- Literal: prepared, made ready; cleared out. Symbolic: pre-established higher station in consciousness
- nirṇij (निर्णिज्)
- Literal: bright garment, cleansing robe. Symbolic: luminous purity formed by inner being
- upapruta (उपप्रुत)
- Literal: crossing over/overpassing. Symbolic: surpassing lower obstruction and mixed movements
Pavamāna recitation during purification; thematically tied to removal of impurity (dark ‘varṇa’) in Soma and in the sacrificer.
As Soma is clarified and directed to the offering place; invoked for cleansing and overcoming hostile influences.
Chanted to affirm Soma’s removal of darkness and readiness for offering.
A mantra for inner detox: use when releasing old patterns, addictions, or depressive coverings.
: ni- + √ri/√rai ‘to separate, loosen’ → removing a covering; supports the psychological reading ‘uncovering the sunlit consciousness’. : either ‘sunless’ (a-sūrya) or ‘asuric’; both converge on the idea of obscuration of sūrya (illumined mind). : ‘covering/enclosure’, cognate with notions of wrapping; in RV often the hiddenness that must be cast off. : ‘father’ from PIE *ph₂tḗr; here a metaphysical origin rather than a human parent. : instrumental of tanū ‘body/self’, emphasizing transformation in one’s own substance, not merely external rite.
Unveiling of sūrya-consciousness (removal of asuryam varṇam), Return to the Father/source (pitṛ), Self-transformation in substance (tanū)
The ‘overpassing’ is movement into right order beyond mixed lower currents.
Father-home signifies the station of Satya behind appearances.
Re-creation of the being: shedding sheath → entering source → clothing in light.
Yoga of transformation; anticipates Upanishadic ‘sheath’ (kośa) imagery in seed form.
Colour = psychic tint of consciousness; sheath = hardened habit; home = native truth-plane; crossing = transition to higher consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The unveiling myth: Soma advances, roars, and removes the ‘sunless/asuric’ covering (asuryam varṇam), abandoning the sheath (vavri). This echoes the wider RV myth of releasing light from concealment—here internalized as stripping away the obscuring layer of consciousness to reach the Father/source.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pitúḥ reflects PIE *ph₂tḗr (father), a stable Indo-European inheritance. The motion verbs (eti) preserve archaic deictic-forward narrative typical of PIE poetics. The semantic opposition of light (sūrya implied) vs. darkness (tam) is a common Indo-European formulaic polarity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi witnesses Soma as the agent of inner catharsis: Soma does not merely get filtered; he actively removes the ‘asuric’ coloration from the practitioner’s being, enabling a movement toward the Father’s prepared station—suggesting grace that responds to aspiration and effort.
Identify the ‘asuric tint’ (distorting desire/fear) and consciously strip it away; rest in the sense of returning to the source.
anāhata (shedding defensive sheath) or ājñā (removing false colouring)
On inhale: ‘pra…eti’ (advance); on exhale: ‘ni riṇīte… tam’ (release darkness). 12 cycles.
Purifying intensity leading to luminous relief.
Journal one recurring distortion (asurya-varṇa) daily; chant once, then visualize it dissolving like dye washing out, and feel a bright robe forming around the mind-heart.
Maintain Vedic accents; emphasize the forward drive on ‘prá’ and keep the fall/rise distinctions clear around ‘asuryaṃ varṇam’.
Let each main verb carry a slight stress: prá…éti / ní riṇīte / jahāti / éti / kṛṇute.
‘kṛṣṭiheva’ keep the cluster kṛṣṭi- clear; avoid inserting extra vowel., ‘asuryaṃ’ with anusvāra lightly nasal before y., ‘vavrim’ pronounce vav-rim (short i)., ‘nirṇijaṃ’ with retroflex ṇ; keep ‘jaṃ’ nasalized.
Firm, cutting through heaviness; end each pāda cleanly.
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