Rig Veda 9.78.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 78, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.78
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
समुद्रिया अप्सरसो मनीषिणमासीना अन्तरभि सोममक्षरन् । ता ईं हिन्वन्ति हर्म्यस्य सक्षणिं याचन्ते सुम्नं पवमानमक्षितम् ॥
samudriyā́ apsáraso manīṣíṇam āsī́nā antár abhí sómam akṣaran | tā́ īṃ hinvanti harmyásya sákṣaṇiṃ yā́cante súmnaṃ pávamānam ákṣitam ||
समुंदर से आई हुई अप्सराएं, अंदर बैठ के, सोम को सोचने वाले पे डालती हैं। वो उसे बड़े घर की तरफ ले जाते हैं जहां सब साथ में रहते हैं। वो साफ हो रहे सोम से ऐसी दुआ मांगते हैं जो कभी खत्म न हो।
Word by Word
- समुद्रियाः
- ocean-born / belonging to the seaAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot समुद्रिय (समुद्र-सम्बद्ध) < समुद्र
- अप्सरसः
- Apsarases (celestial nymphs)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अप्सरस्
- मनीषिणम्
- the wise / inspired oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मनीषिन्
- आसीनाः
- sittingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (कृदन्तः, भूतकृदन्त/क्त-भाव)Role कर्तृRoot आस् (√ās) → आसीन
- अन्तः
- within, insideIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकारणRoot अन्तर्
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सोम
- अक्षरन्
- they caused to flow / they let flowVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot क्षर् (√kṣar)
- ताः
- those (women)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद्
- ईम्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपातRoot ईम्
- हिन्वन्ति
- they impel, set in motionVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot हि (√hi / √hinv)
- हर्म्यस्य
- of the mansion / lofty houseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot हर्म्य
- सक्षणिम्
- the companion / attendant (helper)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सक्षणि
- याचन्ते
- they ask, requestVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot याच् (√yāc)
- सुम्नम्
- favor, graceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सुम्न
- पवमानम्
- the purifying one (Soma)Participleपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमान कृदन्तः)Role कर्मRoot पु (√pū) → पवमान
- अक्षितम्
- un-decaying, imperishableAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कृदन्त-विशेषण)Role कर्मRoot क्षि (√kṣi) + a- (निषेध) → अक्षित
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: समुद्रियाः अप्सरसः मनीषिणम् आसीनाः अन्तः अभि सोमम् अक्षरन् । ताः ईम् हिन्वन्ति हर्म्यस्य सक्षणिम् याचन्ते सुम्नम् पवमानम् अक्षितम् ॥ मुख्य-सन्धि/संयोग: (1) अन्तरभि = अन्तः + अभि (विसर्गलोपः, र्-आगम/संयोगः वैदिकपाठे) । (2) ता ईं = ताः + ईम् (विसर्गलोपः) । (3) सोममक्षरन् = सोमम् + अक्षरन् (म् + अ- आरम्भे संयोगः; लेखन में संयुक्त) । (4) पवमानमक्षितम् = पवमानम् + अक्षितम् (म् + अ- आरम्भे संयोगः) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Ocean-born Apsarases, seated within, have poured Soma upon the thinker. They impel him toward companionship in the high house; they ask from the purifying Soma an undiminishing grace.
Inner meaning
The ‘Apsarases’ are subtle delight-forces and luminous inspirations arising from the deep (samudra—ocean of consciousness). Seated within (antaḥ), they rain the Soma-current upon the manīṣi— the inward thinker/seer—so his mind becomes suffused with Ananda. They then drive him toward the ‘high house’ (harmya): the higher planes of consciousness and stable inner home of the soul. From Soma the purifier they seek akṣita sumnam—an inexhaustible grace: a steady, non-wasting delight that can support sustained realization.
Universal truth
When the deeper springs of consciousness release delight into the reflective mind, aspiration naturally rises toward higher dwelling; grace becomes stable when joy is purified and made inexhaustible.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Apsaras as inner powers, Grace and stability, Ascent from depths
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.78.2, Rig Veda 9.78.4
Family tradition
RV IX preserves a collective soma-mysticism; this verse speaks from the standpoint of inner experience rather than a single named family seer.
Significance
The ‘seer’ here is the manīṣi within each practitioner—awakened by delight-forces from the deep and led toward higher communion.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Akṣita-sumna (giver of undiminishing grace), Samudriya-source (born of the ocean-depths)
- Related deities
- Apsarases (delight-forces), Indra, Sarasvatī
Cosmic role
Mediator between the deep waters and the high house; purifier that turns raw rasa into stable grace.
Inner power
Releases subtle inspirations (apsaras-forces), establishes inner sweetness, and lifts consciousness into higher communion.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna Soma chants during filtration/clarification
स॒मु॒द्रिया॑ अप्स॒रसो॑ मनी॒षिण॒मासी॑ना अ॒न्तर॒भि सोम॑मक्षरन् । ता ईं॑ हिन्वन्ति ह॒र्म्यस्य॑ स॒क्षणिं॒ याच॑न्ते सु॒म्नं पव॑मान॒मक्षि॑तम् ॥
स॒मु॒द्रियाः॑ । अ॒प्स॒रसः॑ । म॒नी॒षिण॑म् । आसी॑नाः । अ॒न्तः । अ॒भि । सोम॑म् । अ॒क्ष॒र॒न् । ताः । ई॒म् । हि॒न्व॒न्ति॒ । ह॒र्म्यस्य॑ । स॒क्षणि॑म् । याच॑न्ते । सु॒म्नम् । पव॑मानम् । अक्षि॑तम् ॥
samudriyāḥ | apsarasaḥ | manīṣiṇam | āsīnāḥ | antaḥ | abhi | somam | akṣaran | tāḥ | īm | hinvanti | harmyasya | sakṣaṇim | yācante | sumnam | pavamānam | akṣitam
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4 pādas of ~12 syllables
Undulating, oceanic movement with a steady lift toward the ‘high house’.
Induces inwardness and ascent; supports a felt descent of sweetness followed by upward aspiration.
- समुद्रियाः (samudriyāḥ)
- Literal: ocean-born. Symbolic: arising from the depths of being/subconscient and the vast causal sea
- अप्सरसः (apsarasaḥ)
- Literal: Apsarases (nymphs). Symbolic: subtle delight-powers, inspirations moving in the ‘waters’ of consciousness
- मनीषिणम् (manīṣiṇam)
- Literal: the thinker/seer. Symbolic: the reflective intelligence turning inward toward truth
- आसीनाः अन्तर् (āsīnāḥ antaḥ)
- Literal: seated within. Symbolic: established in the inner being, not outer sense-mind
- सोमम् अक्षरन् (somam akṣaran)
- Literal: poured out Soma. Symbolic: released a flow of Ananda into awareness
- हर्म्यस्य सक्षणिम् (harmyasya sakṣaṇim)
- Literal: companionship in the high house. Symbolic: communion with higher consciousness; stable inner abode
- सुम्नम् (sumnam)
- Literal: grace/favor. Symbolic: descending help of the divine Delight
- पवमानम् (pavamānam)
- Literal: the purifying. Symbolic: Ananda clarified of mixture and turbulence
- अक्षितम् (akṣitam)
- Literal: undiminishing. Symbolic: inexhaustible joy and support that does not collapse after experience
Soma hymns often personify assisting powers; ritually, the flow into vessels and toward the ‘seat’ of gods; psychologically, inner powers aiding ascent
While Soma is being purified and made ready as a ‘grace’ for the gods and the sacrificer.
Chant accompanies the flow/filtration; invokes auspicious support (sumnam).
Meditation for receiving ‘inner grace’: sit quietly, feel a descent of sweetness from the crown/space above into the heart-mind, then rest in uplifted communion.
apsaras (ap- ‘waters’ + √sṛ ‘to move’) are ‘those who move in the waters’: here read as subtle currents of delight/creation arising from depths (samudriya). √kṣar (akṣaran) is the flow-root also behind kṣara ‘flowing’; akṣitam (a- + √kṣi) explicitly encodes ‘not diminishing’, supporting the psychological aim of stable grace rather than transient pleasure. harmya ‘high house’ signals ascent to a higher inner station.
Inner being (antaḥ), Undiminishing grace (akṣita sumnam), Ascent to higher plane (harmya)
The movement from ocean-depths to high house is R̥ta’s vertical order—descent and ascent in harmony.
Akṣita (undiminishing) implies truth of experience stabilized, not momentary.
The deep waters yield delight-forms that nourish the seer and build a higher dwelling of consciousness.
Integral Vedantic psychology: descent of Ananda and ascent to higher planes.
Ocean = depth-consciousness; Apsarases = delight-waves; pouring = descent of Ananda; high house = higher mind/overmind home of the soul.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Ocean-born Apsarases pouring Soma: a mythic image of powers from the deep bringing delight to the seer-mind, enabling ascent to the ‘high house’ (harmya). It encodes the transformation of subconscient energies into conscious grace.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sṛ ‘to flow/move’ in apsaras and √kṣar ‘to flow’ are part of archaic Indo-European hydrodynamic metaphors for power. The privative a- in akṣitam is inherited Indo-European negation strategy (PIE *n̥-/ *a- developments in Indo-Iranian).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi is ‘manīṣin’—the formed thinker—acted upon by inner feminine powers that pour Soma within. The devatā (Soma) responds by granting akṣita sumnam, a lasting felicity enabling stable participation in the higher consciousness (harmya-sakṣaṇi).
Receive the ‘ocean-born’ sweetness from within; let it anoint the thinking mind and lift you into inner communion.
Sahasrāra (descent of grace) to Ājñā (manīṣā/thinker) and Anāhata (stable sweetness).
4-4-6 gentle breathing; pause after inhale to ‘receive’, long exhale to ‘settle’ the grace.
Receptive, inward, quietly uplifted.
Sit ‘within’ (antaḥ); feel the deep waters below the navel as still; invite a cool sweet flow to the head and heart; end with a silent asking for akṣita sumnam (steady support in daily life).
Vedic accent with marked udatta/anudatta/svarita; preserve lifts on words like,,,,.
Keep ‘samudriyā́ apsáraso’ as a smooth linked phrase; do not over-pause before ‘pavamānam akṣitam’.
apsarasaḥ: pronounce ap-sa-ra-saḥ (clear s), manīṣiṇam: long ī; retroflex ṣ, akṣaran: kṣ cluster cleanly (ak-ṣa-ran), harmyasya: aspirate h; keep ‘ry’ conjunct
Cool, inward, even—like a gentle pour.
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