Rig Veda 9.72.9: Mandala 9, Sukta 72, Mantra 9
Sukta 9.72
- Rishi
- Soma-Pavamāna tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ तू न इन्दो शतदात्वश्व्यं सहस्रदातु पशुमद्धिरण्यवत् । उप मास्व बृहती रेवतीरिषोऽधि स्तोत्रस्य पवमान नो गहि ॥
ā́ tū́ na indo śatádātu áśvyaṃ sahásradātu paśumád dhíraṇyavat | úpa māsva bṛhatī́ revátīr íṣo ’dhi stótrasya pavamāna no gahi ||
हे इंदु, हमारे पास आ। सौ गिफ्ट ला, हज़ार गिफ्ट ला। घोड़े की ताकत ला, गाय-बैल ला, सोना ला। बड़ी दौलत हमारे पास ला। हे पवमाना, हमारे गाने पर आ जा।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- तु
- but, indeedIndeclinableसमुच्चय/विरोधार्थक निपातRoot तु (निपात) / tu
- नः
- of us, ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic gen. pl.)Role सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक) / asmad
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) / indu
- शतदातु
- hundred-giving, bestowing a hundredAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (acc. sg.; agreeing with अश्व्यम्)Role विशेषण (of the object)Root शत-दातु (समास; शत + दातु) / śata-dātu
- अश्व्यम्
- horse(-wealth), horsesNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (object of गहि/आ-गम्)Root अश्व्य (प्रातिपदिक; अश्व ‘horse’ से) / aśvya
- सहस्रदातु
- thousand-givingAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (acc. sg.; agreeing with पशुमत्)Role विशेषण (of the object)Root सहस्र-दातु (समास) / sahasra-dātu
- पशुमत्
- rich in cattleAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (object; coordinated with अश्व्यम्)Root पशु-मत् (मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त) / paśu-mat
- हिरण्यवत्
- possessing goldAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (agreeing with the requested wealth)Role विशेषणRoot हिरण्य-वत् (वतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त) / hiraṇya-vat
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) / upa
- मास्व
- (particle-group)Indeclinable (prohibitive particle + enclitic)निषेधार्थक ‘मा’ (Vedic particle); here used as fixed particle-group in the pada-textRoot मा + स्व (enclitic) / mā + sva
- बृहतीः
- the great (ones)Adjective (f.)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (of ‘come/approach’ implied)Root बृहती (प्रातिपदिक) / bṛhatī
- रेवतीः
- the rich, splendid (ones)Adjective (f.)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (coordinated with बृहतीः)Root रेवती (प्रातिपदिक) / revatī
- इषः
- refreshments, invigorating draughtsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition to बृहतीः रेवतीः)Root इष् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘refreshment/impulse’) / iṣ
- अधि
- upon, overIndeclinableअव्यय (governing locative) / preverbial sense ‘upon’Role अधिकरण (with स्तोत्रस्य)Root अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) / adhi
- स्तोत्रस्य
- of the hymn, of the praiseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive with अधि: ‘upon/over the hymn’)Root स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक) / stotra
- पवमान
- O Pavamāna (self-purifying Soma)Participle (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पवमान (कृदन्त; √पू ‘to purify’ + शानच्) / pavamāna
- नः
- usPronounद्वितीया बहुवचन (enclitic acc. pl.)Role कर्म (object: ‘us’)Root अस्मद् / asmad
- गहि
- come, approachVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √गम् (गच्छति) / √gam
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: शतदा॒त्वश्व्यं॑ = शतदातु + अश्व्यम् (उ + अ → व् संधि)
- इषोऽधि = इषः + अधि (ः + अ → ’/अवग्रह)
- अन्यत्र ‘आ’, ‘उप’, ‘अधि’ उपसर्ग/अव्यय रूपेण यथावत्। ‘मास्व’ पदपाठे कण्ठ्य-समूहः (मा + स्व) रूपेण दृश्यते।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come to us, O Indu, with hundredfold gifts—steed-power; thousandfold gifts, rich in cattle and gold. Bring near the great and opulent impulsions; O Pavamāna, come to our hymn and sit upon it.
Inner meaning
Indu (the bright Soma-drop) is invoked as the giver of energies: ‘aśvya’ is not merely horses but the force of action and victorious life-energy; ‘paśumat’ becomes the abundance of living powers (instincts and capacities) disciplined to the soul; ‘hiraṇyavat’ is the golden light of higher mind. Soma is asked to bring ‘iṣaḥ’—impulsions, inspirations, right enjoyments—vast (bṛhatīḥ) and opulent (revatīḥ), i.e., large in scope and rich in substance. Finally Soma is invited to ‘sit on the hymn’: the mantra becomes a seat (āsana) for the descending delight; when Soma takes that seat, speech becomes charged with Ananda and the practice becomes effective.
Universal truth
A life made receptive to purified joy receives not only inward peace but concrete powers—energy to act, capacities to grow, and light to discern; inspired speech becomes a stable seat for higher forces to work through us.
Themes
boons of abundance, invocation to Soma, empowerment of hymn, vitality and light
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.72 (Pavamāna Soma hymn)
Significance
The seer speaks as the aspirant-community calling the descending Ananda to become operative in speech and life-energy—classic Soma psychology: delight is invited to ‘take seat’ in the mantra so that consciousness and action are transformed.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- indu, pavamāna, śatadātu, sahasradātu, hiraṇyavat
- Related deities
- Indra, Uṣas, Sarasvatī
Cosmic role
Bestower of energies and illuminations; the descending delight that makes the hymn a vehicle for divine action.
Inner power
Gives speed and force (aśva), living capacities (paśu), and golden discernment (hiraṇya), harmonized by Ananda.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing; invitation for Soma to the stotra
आ तू न॑ इन्दो श॒तदा॒त्वश्व्यं॑ स॒हस्र॑दातु पशु॒मद्धिर॑ण्यवत् । उप॑ मास्व बृह॒ती रे॒वती॒रिषोऽधि॑ स्तो॒त्रस्य॑ पवमान नो गहि ॥
आ । तु । नः॒ । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । श॒तऽदा॑तु । अश्व्य॑म् । स॒हस्र॑ऽदातु । प॒शु॒ऽमत् । हिर॑ण्यऽवत् । उप॑ । मा॒स्व॒ । बृ॒ह॒तीः । रे॒वतीः॑ । इषः॑ । अधि॑ । स्तो॒त्रस्य॑ । प॒व॒मा॒न॒ । नः॒ । ग॒हि॒ ॥
ā | tu | naḥ | indo iti | śata-dātu | aśvyam | sahasra-dātu | paśu-mat | hiraṇya-vat | upa | māsva | bṛhatīḥ | revatīḥ | iṣaḥ | adhi | stotrasya | pavamāna | naḥ | gahi
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Invocatory rise (‘ā tū na’) with expansive middle; concluding imperative cadence inviting descent.
Energizes and opens receptivity; good for invoking force before meditation or work.
- इन्दो (indo)
- Literal: Indu, bright drop. Symbolic: luminous delight descending into mind-life
- शतदातु / सहस्रदातु (śatadātu / sahasradātu)
- Literal: hundred-giving / thousand-giving. Symbolic: abundant, repeated bestowal; inexhaustible supply
- अश्व्यम् (aśvyam)
- Literal: pertaining to horses. Symbolic: vital energy, force of action, speed of progress
- पशुमत् (paśumat)
- Literal: rich in cattle. Symbolic: rich in living powers/resources; mastered instincts
- हिरण्यवत् (hiraṇyavat)
- Literal: gold-bearing. Symbolic: golden light of illumination; luminous wealth
- इषः (iṣaḥ)
- Literal: impulsions, refreshments. Symbolic: inspirations, right motivations and enjoyments
- बृहतीः (bṛhatīḥ)
- Literal: vast. Symbolic: wide consciousness; large force
- रेवतीः (revatīḥ)
- Literal: opulent, rich. Symbolic: plenitude with substance and joy
- अधि स्तोत्रस्य (adhi stotrasya)
- Literal: upon the hymn. Symbolic: taking seat in mantra-consciousness; empowering speech
- गहि (gahi)
- Literal: come. Symbolic: descent/arrival of the divine force into the practitioner
Concluding/augmenting petition within Pavamāna liturgy for abundance (śata-/sahasra-dātu) and for Soma to ‘sit upon’ the stotra—i.e., make the chant effective.
During chants that accompany Soma’s flow and offering; also as an invitatory to Soma in the Pavamāna sequence
Calling Soma to the hymn/seat; requesting boons
Use as an invocation for ‘right energy + right light’: before study, creative work, or sadhana sessions.
śata/sahasra as abundance numerals; aśva ‘horse’ used as symbol of dynamic energy and victorious force; paśu ‘cattle/creatures’ extended to vital powers; hiraṇya ‘gold/radiance’; iṣ from √iṣ ‘to impel, invigorate’ → impulsions/nourishments; √gam ‘go/come’ (PIE *gʷem-). Symbolic justification: ‘gifts’ are not material only but increments of force, light, and life-power that Soma brings when purified.
Iṣ (impulsion/nourishment) as divine energy, Pavamāna (self-purifying process) as inner clarification, Bṛhat (vastness) in bṛhatī iṣaḥ
The ‘iṣaḥ’ sought are the ṛta-moving impulses—energies aligned to truth.
Hiraṇyavat indicates truth-light that makes abundance safe and luminous.
Divine force ‘seats’ itself in speech to manifest as effective action and widening consciousness.
Integral yoga reading: gifts are powers of consciousness (force, capacity, light) rather than mere externals.
Horse = pranic dynamism; herd = multiple energies/capacities; gold = illumination; Soma-drop = distilled delight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the lavish giver who comes to the hymn: the mythic action is the god-essence approaching with ‘hundreds and thousands’ of gifts; psychologically, purified delight brings a superabundance of dynamic force (aśva), vital powers (paśu), and golden light (hiraṇya), and enthrones itself upon the mantra to make it efficacious.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam ‘come’ corresponds to PIE *gʷem-; the use of numerals śata/sahasra for hyperbolic abundance parallels Indo-European poetic diction. aśva reflects the Indo-European horse-culture lexicon (PIE *h₁éḱwos), here interiorized as ‘steed-force’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi requests Soma to ‘come to the stotra’—a direct statement that the hymn is a seat for the god. The exchange is clear: the poet provides the formed chant; Soma responds by entering it and delivering expansive iṣ (impulsions) as lived spiritual wealth.
Invite purified delight to enter speech and energize right impulses.
Viśuddha (mantra-seat) with support from Maṇipūra (force)
3 rounds: inhale ‘ā tū na’, exhale ‘pavamāna no gahi’; then silent rest in the throat and heart.
Bright, inspired, empowered receptivity.
Chant, then pause: feel a ‘seat’ above the throat/within the head where the mantra becomes luminous; allow impulses (iṣaḥ) to arise only from that clarity.
Maintain clear udatta rises on accented syllables (॑); keep imperatives (‘ā’, ‘gahi’) crisp without clipping vowels.
Key accents: índo, śatádātu, sahásradātu, híraṇyavat, bṛhatī́ḥ, revatī́ḥ, pavamāna.
‘śatadātv aśvyam’: link tv a smoothly; avoid inserting extra vowel., ‘hiraṇyavat’: retroflex ṇ; keep ‘ya’ light., ‘revātīr iṣo’: pronounce iṣ as ‘ish’ with short i (iṣ).
Bright, uplifting, forward-moving; end each pāda with a clean cadence.
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