Rig Veda 9.77.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 77, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.77
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
स पूर्व्यः पवते यं दिवस्परि श्येनो मथायदिषितस्तिरो रजः । स मध्व आ युवते वेविजान इत्कृशानोरस्तुर्मनसाह बिभ्युषा ॥
sá pū́rvyaḥ pavate yáṃ divás pári śyénō mathā́yad iṣitás tiró rájaḥ | sá mádhva ā́ yuvate vévijāna ít kṛśā́nōr ástuḥ mánasā́ha bíbhyuṣā ||
वो पुराना सोम रस पवित्र होके बह रहा है। एक बाज़ ने उसे आसमान से लाया था, दुनिया के पार से। वो मीठा रस लेके जल्दी-जल्दी आ रहा है, ताकत से काँप रहा है। एक तीर मारने वाले ने उससे डरना चाहा था, पर वो भी डर गया।
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one, Soma)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पूर्व्यः
- ancient, primevalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot पूर्व्य- (पूर्व + यत्/य प्रत्यय; विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- पवते
- purifies/flows (as purified Soma)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role KartāRoot √पू (पूञ् पवने) / √पु (पवते इति आत्मनेपदम्)
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवः
- of heaven, from heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः (द्यौः), षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot दिव्/द्यौ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around, from around/overIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- श्येनः
- the falcon (mythic bird)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot श्येन- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मथायति
- churns, agitates, brings forth by churningVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KartāRoot √मथ् (मथँ विलोडने/मन्थने) + णिच्
- इषितः
- impelled, urged onParticipleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (श्येनः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot √इष् (इषँ गतौ/प्रेरणे) → इषित (कृदन्त, क्त)
- तिरः
- across, beyondIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot तिरस् (अव्यय/उपपद)
- रजः
- the mist/space/dust (the airy region)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रजस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मध्वः
- of sweetness/honey (of Soma’s sweetness)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot मधु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- युवते
- joins/attaches himself, hastens towardVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role KartāRoot √यु (युजँ मिश्रणे/यु गतौ; युवते आत्मनेपदम्) / युव् (युवते)
- वेविजानः
- trembling/quickly moving, in eager motionParticipleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot √विज्/√विज् (विजँ पृथग्भावे/वेग) → वेविजान (कृदन्त, शानच्; पुनरुक्त-प्रत्यययुक्तः)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (particle)Root इत् (निपात/अव्यय; emphatic particle)
- कृशानोर्
- of the blazing one (Agni/flame)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (कृशानोः → कृशानोर् पदान्त-रेफः)Role ApādānaRoot कृशानु- (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि/ज्वाला-नाम)
- अस्तुः
- of the dwelling/houseNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अस्तु- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘home/abode’)
- मनसा
- with the mindNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot मनस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अह
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (particle)Root अह (निपात/अव्यय; expletive/emphatic)
- बिभ्युषा
- with one who is afraid / by (his) fearParticipleपुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसक-सम्भवः, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (सह-तृतीया)Role KaraṇaRoot √भी (भीञ् भये) → बिभ्युष् (कृदन्त, उष्/उषन्-प्रत्यय; ‘fearing’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): सः | पूर्व्यः | पवते | यम् | दिवः | परि | श्येनः | मथायति | इषितः | तिरः | रजः || सः | मध्वः | आ | युवते | वेविजानः | इत् | कृशानोः | अस्तुः | मनसा | अह | बिभ्युषा || मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) दिवस् + परि → दिवः परि (स्-लोपः पदान्ते)
- (2) रजः । सः → रजः सः (विसर्गः पदान्ते यथावत्)
- (3) कृशानोः अस्तुः → कृशानोर् अस्तुः (ओः + अ → ओर् अ; पदान्त-रेफादेशः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The ancient Soma streams in purification; the falcon brought him from heaven across the mid-region. He rushes with honey, trembling with energy; even Kṛśānu the archer feared him in mind.
Inner meaning
Soma, the primeval delight-principle in consciousness, descends from the supramental heights (divas pari) into the intermediate field (rajaḥ) when the soul’s swift aspiration (śyena) bears it down. Its movement is a vibrating intensification (vevijāna) of ananda that overcomes the hostile guarding force (Kṛśānu)—the vigilant resistance that tries to keep the nectar from the human being. Fear ‘in mind’ indicates the mental-vital guardians recoil when bliss begins to invade and transform them.
Universal truth
When higher joy and truth descend into ordinary life, inner resistances arise; steady aspiration and purification allow the delight to cross the intermediate turbulence and establish itself.
Themes
Soma brought from heaven, overcoming guardians, descent motif
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma-Pavamāna seers of the Ninth Maṇḍala (exact rishi uncertain)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.77.1, Rig Veda 9.77.3, Rig Veda 9.77.4, Rig Veda 9.77.5
Significance
The anonymity fits the Soma book’s collective yogic voice: the seer speaks from the sacrificial process itself—purification, descent, and conquest of inner resistances—rather than from personal lineage.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pūrvyaḥ (ancient), madhu (honeyed), pavamāna (self-purifying)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Uṣas
Cosmic role
The streaming delight and luminous essence that descends from the higher worlds and prepares the gods’ work in the human vessel.
Inner power
Ananda-force that vibrates through mind and life, breaking guardianship of fear and opening the way for illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna-stotra sequence)
स पू॒र्व्यः प॑वते॒ यं दि॒वस्परि॑ श्ये॒नो म॑था॒यदि॑षि॒तस्ति॒रो रज॑: । स मध्व॒ आ यु॑वते॒ वेवि॑जान॒ इत्कृ॒शानो॒रस्तु॒र्मन॒साह॑ बि॒भ्युषा॑ ॥
सः । पू॒र्व्यः । प॒व॒ते॒ । यम् । दि॒वः । परि॑ । श्ये॒नः । म॒था॒यत् । इ॒षि॒तः । ति॒रः । रजः॑ । सः । मध्वः॑ । आ । यु॒व॒ते॒ । वेवि॑जानः । इत् । कृ॒शानोः । अस्तुः॑ । मन॑सा । अह॑ । बि॒भ्युषा॑ ॥
saḥ | pūrvyaḥ | pavate | yam | divaḥ | pari | śyenaḥ | mathāyat | iṣitaḥ | tiraḥ | rajaḥ | saḥ | madhvaḥ | ā | yuvate | vevijānaḥ | it | kṛśānoḥ | astuḥ | manasā | aha | bibhyuṣā
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4 pādas × 12 syllables
Long, rolling cadence suited to ‘streaming’ imagery.
Creates a sustained, descending flow; supports visualization of Soma crossing planes and settling into the heart-mind.
- पू॒र्व्यः (pūrvyaḥ)
- Literal: ancient, primeval. Symbolic: the original divine Ananda always existent above the mind
- पवते (pavate)
- Literal: purifies, flows. Symbolic: self-purifying descent of consciousness-energy
- द्यिवः परि (divas pari)
- Literal: from/around heaven. Symbolic: from supramental/light-world planes
- श्येनः (śyena)
- Literal: falcon. Symbolic: swift upward-downward movement of aspiration/intuition that brings the Soma
- तिरो रजः (tiro rajaḥ)
- Literal: across the mid-region. Symbolic: crossing the intermediate vital-mental world with its obscurities
- मध्वः (madhvaḥ)
- Literal: honey, sweetness. Symbolic: bliss-flavour of Soma, delight that nourishes the being
- वेविजानः (vevijānaḥ)
- Literal: quivering, vibrating. Symbolic: intensified ecstatic vibration of awakened consciousness
- कृशानुः (kṛśānuḥ)
- Literal: (name) archer; also ‘fire-flame’. Symbolic: the guarding force/resistance that shoots doubt, desire, and fear to keep the nectar away
Recalls the Soma-bringing myth during purification, reinforcing Soma’s supracelestial origin and the overcoming of guardians/resistances.
During Soma-yajña, while Soma is filtered and offered
Chanting over the flowing/filtered Soma; invoking descent of madhu and removal of obstacles
Use as a meditation on receiving higher joy while observing and disarming inner resistance patterns.
śyena (falcon) is the classic Soma-bringer myth. rajas as midspace/atmosphere; also 'obscuring dust'—crossing it suggests passage beyond mixed consciousness. kṛśānu as guardian/archer indicates resistance to the descent of delight. √bhī 'fear' → bibhyuṣā reflects the tension of acquisition: the higher delight is won against guarding forces.
descent of higher delight, resistance/guardianship as inner obstruction, madhu as ananda-force
The ‘crossing of rajaḥ’ implies a lawful passage of consciousness from higher to lower under R̥ta.
Soma brought from ‘divas’ is Satya’s taste entering mind-life.
Descent of the higher essence into the mid-world to remake the human formation.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral yoga reading (Aurobindo-Kashyap): ascent-descent and transformation.
Falcon = swift intuitive will; honey = bliss; mid-region = turbulent vital-mental; streaming = continuous purification of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-bringer (śyena) retrieving Soma from heaven across rajas, despite the guardian archer Kṛśānu: mythically the theft/recovery of the divine delight from beyond, psychologically the bringing down of higher ananda through zones of mixture and resistance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The 'bird bringing divine substance' motif has broad IE comparanda (eagle/falcon as celestial carrier). √bhī 'fear' continues PIE *bʰeyH- 'fear'. The spatial triad (div/rajas) reflects archaic cosmological layering common in IE poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi aligns with the mythic acquisition: by recalling Soma’s origin and the overcoming of Kṛśānu, the hymn becomes a psychological instruction—persist through inner fear/resistance so the supramental delight can hasten into the human field.
Receive descending delight from above the mind; watch and dissolve fear-guards (Kṛśānu) at the threshold.
Anahata (heart) and Ajna (descent of light-joy)
Slow inhale ‘drawing from above’; longer exhale ‘spreading sweetness through the mid-region’.
Quiet uplift with vibrant ananda-current.
Begin with 3 minutes of upward aspiration; chant slowly; after chanting, sit and sense a ‘honeyed stream’ descending behind the forehead into the heart; when resistance appears, name it softly and return to the sweetness.
Use the Rigvedic three-tone contour as marked in the pada text tradition (udātta on accented syllables; svarita as falling; anudātta as low). Exact svara requires a śākhā-specific notation source.
Lean on the verbal beats: pū́rvyaḥ pá-vate / śyéno mathā́yat / tíro rájaḥ / mádhva ā́ yuvate / vevíjānaḥ.
Maintain retroflex in rajaḥ (ra-jaḥ) with clear visarga., śyena: ‘śye-’ palatal ś, not s., kṛśānoḥ: kṛ with vocalic ṛ; long ō in -noḥ., vevijānaḥ: articulate repeated ‘vi’ lightly, keep nasalization minimal unless in your tradition.
Flowing, resonant, slightly rising on udātta; let the line ‘stream’.
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