Rig Veda 9.72.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 72, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.72
- Rishi
- Soma-Pavamāna tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
नाभा पृथिव्या धरुणो महो दिवोऽपामूर्मौ सिन्धुष्वन्तरुक्षितः । इन्द्रस्य वज्रो वृषभो विभूवसुः सोमो हृदे पवते चारु मत्सरः ॥
nā́bhā pṛthivyā́ dharúṇo mahó divó ’pām ū́rmau síndhuṣv antár ukṣitáḥ | índrasya vājró vṛṣabhó vibhū́vasuḥ sómo hṛdé pavate cā́ru matsaráḥ ||
सोम धरती का नाभी है, आसमान को पकड़ के रखता है। पानी की लहरों में, नदियों में यह बह रहा है। यह इंद्र की वज्र है, एक ताकत वाला बैल है। दिल में यह साफ हो के बह रहा है और खुशी देता है।
Word by Word
- नाभा
- at/with the navel (centre)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: नाभा = नाभ्या)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot नाभि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथिव्याः
- of the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root पृथिवी- (प्रातिपदिक)
- धरुणः
- support, upholderNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (as predicate-nominative) / ViśeṣyaRoot धरुण- (प्रातिपदिक; धृ ‘धारणे’ से)
- महो
- of the greatAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (महतः > महो, वैदिक)Role Sambandha (Genitive)Root महत्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवः
- of heaven/skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root द्यौ-/दिव्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपाम्
- of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root अप्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊर्मौ
- in the wave/surgeNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot ऊर्मि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सिन्धुषु
- among/in the rivers (streams)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सिन्धु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तः
- within, insideIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (locative sense) / UpapadaRoot अन्तर् (अव्यय/उपसर्गीय)
- उक्षितः
- sprinkled, bedewedParticipleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle) ‘sprinkled/bedewed’Role Kartā (as predicate-nominative) / ViśeṣaṇaRoot उक्ष् (धातु: उक्ष् ‘सिञ्चने/वर्षणे’; क्त)
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वज्रः
- the thunderboltNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (as predicate-nominative) / AppositionRoot वज्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषभः
- the bull (strong one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (as predicate-nominative) / AppositionRoot वृषभ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- विभूवसुः
- all-rich, widely splendidAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (as predicate-nominative) / ViśeṣaṇaRoot विभूवसु- (प्रातिपदिक; वि- + भू + वसु ‘wealth’/‘splendour’)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot सोम- (प्रातिपदिक)
- हृदे
- in the heartNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (वैदिक/छान्दस)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot हृद्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवते
- purifies/flows (as purified)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथम पुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole KriyāRoot पू (धातु: पू ‘पवने/शोधने’; आत्मनेपद)
- चारुः
- lovely, pleasingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole ViśeṣaṇaRoot चारु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मत्सरः
- intoxicating exhilaration (rapture)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (appositional to सोमः) / ViśeṣyaRoot मत्सर- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): नाभा पृथिव्याः धरुणः महो दिवः अपाम् ऊर्मौ सिन्धुषु अन्तः उक्षितः । इन्द्रस्य वज्रः वृषभः विभूवसुः सोमः हृदे पवते चारुः मत्सरः ॥ 1) दिवोऽपाम् = दिवः + अपाम् (अः + अ → ओऽ). 2) सिन्धुष्वन्तरुक्षितः = सिन्धुषु + अन्तः + उक्षितः (उ + अ → व; अन्तः + उक्षितः में विसर्ग-लोप/संधि से ‘अन्तरुक्षितः’). 3) वैदिक रूप: नाभा (तृ.एक.) = नाभ्या
- महो (षष्ठी एक.) = महतः
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, set as the navel of earth and the firm support of the great heaven, placed within the wave of waters and among the rivers, flows/purifies; it is Indra’s thunderbolt, a bull of force, rich in abundance, and the lovely intoxicating ecstasy flows purified in the heart.
Inner meaning
The clarified Soma (divine Ananda) becomes the central nexus (nābhi) of the embodied nature (pṛthivī) and the support of the higher consciousness (maho divaḥ). It is ‘set within the waters’—within the flowing life-movements and subtle currents—yet remains inwardly established (antar ukṣitaḥ), not scattered. When Soma is purified, it turns into Indra’s vajra: the concentrated power of illumined mind that breaks the coverer. The ‘bull’ image signals an irresistible, upward-driving force. The true place of this purification is the heart (hṛd), where delight becomes a clear, beautiful ecstasy (cāru matsaraḥ) that can empower inner victory rather than outer intoxication.
Universal truth
When delight is refined by discernment and offered inwardly, it becomes the stable center of life and a support for higher truth; purified joy concentrates into spiritual power that breaks inner darkness and establishes a luminous, courageous being.
Themes
cosmic soma, inner heart-flow, support of heaven and earth, ecstatic delight
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.72 (Pavamāna Soma hymn; adjacent verses 9.72.1-9)
Significance
In the Soma-Pavamāna corpus the ‘seer’ voice is often a collective of inspired priests/inner workers describing the psychological alchemy of purification: delight is pressed, clarified, and made fit to empower Indra (illumined mind) and to found the ascent between Earth and Heaven.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavamāna (self-purifying), indu (bright drop), cāru (beautiful), matsara (ecstatic), vibhūvasu (wide in riches), vṛṣabha (bull of force), indrasya vajra (Indra’s thunderbolt)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Uṣas, Maruts
Cosmic role
Purifying current of delight that links the waters (life) to the heaven (luminous mind), generating power for the gods and stability for the worlds.
Inner power
Ananda refined into a concentrated spiritual energy that awakens the psychic heart and arms the illumined mind against obscurity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavamāna stotra context)
नाभा॑ पृथि॒व्या ध॒रुणो॑ म॒हो दि॒वो॒३॒॑ऽपामू॒र्मौ सिन्धु॑ष्व॒न्तरु॑क्षि॒तः । इन्द्र॑स्य॒ वज्रो॑ वृष॒भो वि॒भूव॑सु॒: सोमो॑ हृ॒दे प॑वते॒ चारु॑ मत्स॒रः ॥
नाभा॑ । पृ॒थि॒व्याः । ध॒रुणः॑ । म॒हः । दि॒वः । अ॒पाम् । ऊ॒र्मौ । सिन्धु॑षु । अ॒न्तः । उ॒क्षि॒तः । इन्द्र॑स्य । वज्रः॑ । वृ॒ष॒भः । वि॒भुऽव॑सुः । सोमः॑ । हृ॒दे । प॒व॒ते॒ । चारु॑ । म॒त्स॒रः ॥
nābhā | pṛthivyāḥ | dharuṇaḥ | mahaḥ | divaḥ | apām | ūrmau | sindhuṣu | antaḥ | ukṣitaḥ | indrasya | vajraḥ | vṛṣabhaḥ | vibhu-vasuḥ | somaḥ | hṛde | pavate | cāru | matsaraḥ
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (typical Triṣṭubh cadence)
Strong, forward-driving, with a ‘support-and-release’ movement suited to images of foundation and surging flow.
Builds inner steadiness (dharuṇa) while simultaneously intensifying the upward surge of purified delight; good for energizing yet centered recitation.
- नाभा (nābhā)
- Literal: navel, central knot. Symbolic: psychic center; integrative hub where higher and lower meet
- पृथिव्याः (pṛthivyāḥ)
- Literal: of the earth. Symbolic: embodied nature; physical-vital base
- धरुणः (dharuṇaḥ)
- Literal: support, foundation. Symbolic: that which holds the ascent; inner stability
- महो दिवः (maho divaḥ)
- Literal: of the great heaven. Symbolic: higher mind/supramental ranges; luminous consciousness
- अपाम् ऊर्मौ (apām ūrmau)
- Literal: in the wave of waters. Symbolic: life-currents, subconscious/vital movements to be clarified
- सिन्धुषु (sindhuṣu)
- Literal: in the rivers. Symbolic: multiple channels of prāṇa and experience
- अन्तरुक्षितः (antar ukṣitaḥ)
- Literal: sprinkled/placed within, inwardly established. Symbolic: inward consecration; inner seat of the divine flow
- इन्द्रस्य वज्रः (indrasya vajraḥ)
- Literal: Indra’s thunderbolt. Symbolic: decisive illumined force that breaks obstruction
- वृषभः (vṛṣabhaḥ)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: sovereign dynamic energy; victorious impetus
- सोमः (somaḥ)
- Literal: Soma. Symbolic: divine delight/Ananda; truth-joy in consciousness
- हृदे (hṛde)
- Literal: in the heart. Symbolic: psychic being; inner altar of offering
- चारु मत्सरः (cāru matsaraḥ)
- Literal: lovely exhilaration/intoxication. Symbolic: beautified ecstasy—rapture disciplined into clarity
Pavamāna recitation highlighting Soma’s cosmic placement and inner descent into hṛd; used during purification/flowing stages.
During Soma-yajña sequences, especially while Soma is filtered/clarified and offered
Chanting over the flowing Soma through the filter; consecration of the juice for offering and for Indra
Use as a heart-centered purification mantra: ‘let delight become clear and powerful within, supporting higher consciousness’.
nābhi ‘navel’ (center); dharuṇa from √dhṛ ‘hold, support’ (PIE *dʰer-); √ukṣ ‘sprinkle/moisten’ (related to ‘bull’ ukṣan in other contexts; here passive ‘poured’); vajra (weapon/force-symbol); hṛd ‘heart’ (PIE *ḱerd-). Psychological pivot: Soma’s true place is ‘in the heart’—the central nābhi-like seat where earth (embodiment) and heaven (mind/vision) are joined.
Heart as inner seat (hṛd), Axis/center (nābhi) linking earth and heaven, Breaking obstruction (vajra principle)
Ṛta (right order) as the hidden harmony linking earth, waters, and heaven; Satya (truth) as the clarified essence sought in purification; Tapas as the pressure/ardor that refines the flow into power
Soma as the inner current that stabilizes the worlds and aligns life-movements to Ṛta.
Purified Soma in the heart becomes truth-delight rather than mixed vital excitement.
Axis of worlds (earth–waters–heaven) established through a central ‘navel’ where energies converge and are clarified.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: Ananda as a fundamental plane whose purification supports ascent to higher mind.
Earth = body/base; Heaven = luminous consciousness; Waters/rivers = life-currents and subconscious streams; Wave = emotional-vital surge; Thunderbolt = concentrated discrimination-power; Bull = victorious dynamism; Heart = psychic altar where delight is purified.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the cosmic center and as Indra’s vajra: mythically, Soma pervades waters and rivers; inwardly, the delight-force becomes the heart’s purified ecstasy and the decisive power that breaks coverings—linking earth-body and heaven-mind through a central axis (nābhi).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- hṛd/hṛdaya relates to PIE *ḱerd- (‘heart’), showing continuity of the heart as a central psycho-cosmic organ. √dhṛ ‘support’ (dharuṇa) reflects PIE *dʰer- (‘hold’), used here for the world-supporting function.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi relocates the ritual flow into an inner geography: Soma is invoked not only in rivers but ‘in the heart.’ The devatā thus becomes an inward operative power—ecstasy and vajra-force—sustaining and transforming the practitioner’s cosmos.
Purifying delight in the heart until it becomes a steady power for illumination.
Anāhata (heart center)
Nadi-śodhana-like gentle alternate awareness; inhale ‘gather the waters’, exhale ‘clarify into the heart’ (no strain).
Centered, luminous, quietly ecstatic (ānanda with steadiness).
Begin with attention in the chest; feel scattered impulses as ‘rivers.’ Offer them inwardly; let a clear sweetness collect at the center; then invoke ‘vajra’—a decisive, calm discrimination to cut through dullness.
Use Vedic accenting as marked: udatta on accented syllables, svarita/anudatta per recensional tradition; maintain clear rise on udatta and controlled fall after.
Do not flatten ‘nā́bhā’; keep the accented syllables prominent: nā́bhā, sindhúṣu, índrasya, vájraḥ, sómaḥ, cā́ru.
Keep retroflex vs dental clear: ‘dharuṇaḥ’ (dh), ‘sindhuṣu’ (ṣ), ‘ukṣitaḥ’ (kṣ)., Lengthen long vowels: nābhā, pṛthivyā, divo, ūrmau, hṛde, pavate., Cluster care: ‘antar ukṣitaḥ’—light pause at sandhi; ‘vibhūvasuḥ’ keep bhū as long.
Warm, resonant, heart-focused; avoid harshness—let ‘pavate’ feel like a flowing stream.
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