Rig Veda 9.82.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 82, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.82
- Rishi
- Not securely inferable from the excerpt alone
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
असावि सोमो अरुषो वृषा हरी राजेव दस्मो अभि गा अचिक्रदत् । पुनानो वारं पर्येत्यव्ययं श्येनो न योनिं घृतवन्तमासदम् ॥
asā́vi sómo aruṣó vṛ́ṣā hárī rājéva dasmó abhí gā́ acikradat | punā́nó vā́raṃ páry ety avyáyaṃ śyéno na yóniṃ ghṛtávantam āsádam ||
सोम निकला है, लाल रंग का और ताकतवाला। राजा की तरह वो चीखता है और रोशनी की तरफ देखता है। वो साफ होके उस छेदे के पास जाता है जो कभी खत्म नहीं होता। बाज़ की तरह अपने घरों की तरफ जाता है जहाँ घी भी है।
Word by Word
- असावि
- was pressed/has been expressedVerbलुङ् (aorist), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम्-पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √सु (सुनोति) / सव् (प्रसवने)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरुषः
- ruddy, tawnyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सोमः-विशेषण)Role Kartā (विशेषण)Root अरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषा
- bull; vigorous oneNoun (used adjectivally)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सोमः-विशेषण)Role Kartā (विशेषण)Root वृषन्/वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
- हरी
- the two tawny (steeds/bright ones)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (सोमस्य हरि-रूपौ/हरितौ)Role Kartā (सहचर/विशेषणभाव)Root हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- राजा
- a kingNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (उपमान)Root राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- दस्मः
- wondrous, mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सोमः-विशेषण)Role Kartā (विशेषण)Root दस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)उपसर्ग/उपपदRoot अभि
- गाः
- the cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- अचिक्रदत्
- cried out, roaredVerbलिट् (perfect; intensive/reduplicated stem), परस्मैपद, प्रथम्-पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √क्रन्द् (क्रन्दते/क्रन्दति)
- पुनानः
- purifying himself; being purifiedParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपदी, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सोमः)Role KartāRoot √पू (पुनाति) → पुनान (शतृ/शानच्)
- वारम्
- the strainer; filterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वार (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around, throughIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot परि
- एति
- goes, passesVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम्-पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √इ (एति)
- अव्ययम्
- unfailing, imperishableAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वारम्-विशेषण)Role Karma (विशेषण)Root अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्येनः
- a falconNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (उपमान)Root श्येन (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot न
- योनिम्
- womb; seat; resting-placeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- घृतवन्तम्
- rich in ghee; ghee-filledAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (योनिम्-विशेषण)Role Karma (विशेषण)Root घृतवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आसदम्
- a seat; a settling-placeNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (योनिम्-विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन)Role Karma (विशेषण)Root आसद् (प्रातिपदिक; from √सद् with आ-)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: असावि सोमः अरुषः वृषा हरी राजा इव दस्मः अभि गाः अचिक्रदत् । पुनानः वारम् परि एति अव्ययम् श्येनः न योनिम् घृतवन्तम् आसदम् ॥ प्रमुख-सन्धयः: सोमो अरुषः → सोमः अरुषः (विसर्ग-लोपः ओ-आदेशः)
- राजेव → राजा इव (अ + इ → ए)
- पर्येति → परि एति (इ + ए → ये)
- योनिं घृतवन्तम् → योनिम् घृतवन्तम् (अनुस्वारस्य परसवर्णः/मकारादेशः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma is pressed out—ruddy, powerful, tawny—like a king; he cries out toward the cows. Purifying, he moves around the imperishable filter, like a hawk to its nest, to a ghee-rich seat.
Inner meaning
The pressed Soma is awakened Ananda emerging from the pressure of tapas (inner effort). ‘Ruddy, bull-like’ indicates forceful delight that conquers inertia. ‘Like a king’ signals sovereignty of bliss over the nature. His cry toward the ‘cows’ is the surge of delight toward the rays of illumination (go = knowledge-light), seeking to release and possess them. The ‘imperishable filter’ is the discerning, truth-separating faculty (pavitra) through which experience is clarified. Like a hawk (śyena)—swift, upward-seeing will—Soma finds its ‘yoni’ (native seat): a consciousness rich in ghṛta, i.e., luminous clarity and warm truth-substance.
Universal truth
True joy is not mere sensation; when purified through discernment, it becomes sovereign power that naturally seeks and supports illumination, returning to its home in clear awareness.
Themes
Soma pressed out, Hawk to the nest, Cows of light, Imperishable filter, Clarified ghee seat
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.82 (hymn context)
Significance
The seer describes the phenomenology of inner Ananda: its release, its seeking of illumination (go), its self-purification through discernment (pavitra), and its settling into a stable luminous seat (ghṛta-yoni).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- aruṣa (ruddy), vṛṣā (bull of force), dasma (wondrous), pūyamāna/punāna (purifying)
- Related deities
- Indra (often receiver of Soma), Agni (carrier of offering), Uṣas (ruddy illumination; color-echo)
Cosmic role
Soma as kingly delight that energizes the gods, releases light, and establishes immortality in the sacrifice.
Inner power
Ananda as a dynamic sovereign force that both purifies and illumines; it ‘calls’ the rays of knowledge and seats itself in clarified mind-stuff.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and filtration (pavamāna) recitations.
असा॑वि॒ सोमो॑ अरु॒षो वृषा॒ हरी॒ राजे॑व द॒स्मो अ॒भि गा अ॑चिक्रदत् । पु॒ना॒नो वारं॒ पर्ये॑त्य॒व्ययं॑ श्ये॒नो न योनिं॑ घृ॒तव॑न्तमा॒सद॑म् ॥
असा॑वि । सोमः॑ । अ॒रु॒षः । वृषा॑ । हरिः॑ । राजाऽइ॑व । द॒स्मः । अ॒भि । गाः । अ॒चि॒क्र॒द॒त् । पु॒ना॒नः । वार॑म् । परि॑ । ए॒ति॒ । अ॒व्यय॑म् । श्ये॒नः । न । योनि॑म् । घृ॒तऽव॑न्तम् । आ॒ऽसद॑म् ॥
asāvi | somaḥ | aruṣaḥ | vṛṣā | hariḥ | rājā-iva | dasmaḥ | abhi | gāḥ | acikradat | punānaḥ | vāram | pari | eti | avyayam | śyenaḥ | na | yonim | ghṛta-vantam | āsadam
44
4 pādas × 11 syllables (common for RV 9 descriptive verses).
Driving and royal; suitable for the ‘king Soma’ movement and the hawk-like rush.
Generates uplift and forward momentum; supports a felt ascent and clarifying focus.
- असावि (asāvi)
- Literal: has been pressed out. Symbolic: Ananda released by inner pressure/aspiration
- अरुष (aruṣa)
- Literal: ruddy. Symbolic: dawn-like glow of awakened delight
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull, powerful one. Symbolic: irresistible force of bliss that fertilizes consciousness
- हरी (harī)
- Literal: tawny/golden. Symbolic: luminous vital energy yoked to the ascent
- राजेव (rājeva)
- Literal: like a king. Symbolic: sovereignty of the higher delight over nature
- गाः (gāḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of knowledge/illumination
- पुना॒नः (punānaḥ)
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: self-clearing movement of consciousness
- वारम् (vāram)
- Literal: filter/strainer. Symbolic: discriminating truth-filter (pavitra) in the mind
- अव्ययम् (avyayam)
- Literal: imperishable. Symbolic: unchanging principle of truth discernment / immortal law
- श्येनः (śyenaḥ)
- Literal: hawk. Symbolic: swift will/vision that carries offerings to higher planes
- योनि (yoni)
- Literal: womb, seat, home. Symbolic: native poise of consciousness where Ananda rests
- घृतवन्तम् (ghṛtavantam)
- Literal: ghee-rich. Symbolic: luminous clarity, warm truth-substance (ghṛta = clarified light)
Soma pressed and strained through the filter (vāra/pavitra) into the settling vessels; imagery of hawk/nest marks swift attainment of the luminous seat.
During the flow/filtration stage when Soma is ‘going around the filter’.
Accompanying the purification and offering; affirming Soma’s kingly potency and right channeling.
Use as a meditation cue for ‘purify joy’: let delight rise, then pass it through discernment; direct it toward insight (rays of knowledge) rather than craving.
asāvi: passive/aorist of √su 'press out' (Soma technical). aruṣa/hari: color epithets mapping to radiance. acikradat: reduplicated aorist of √krand 'cry'—a vivid performative sound-image. vāra: strainer/filter (pavitra) with symbolic sense of discriminating purity. śyena: hawk—standard RV figure for swift ascent and seizure of Soma/vision. ghṛta: clarified butter, symbol of clarified luminous substance (often linked with thought-light).
Discrimination/purification as approach to imperishable (avyaya), Recovery/activation of rays of knowledge (gāḥ), Ghṛta as clarified light-substance of thought
The avyaya filter symbolizes ṛta as the discerning law that separates truth from mixture.
Ghṛta as truth-substance: clarity where Soma can ‘sit’ without distortion.
Release of light (go) by the sovereign delight; establishment of a luminous seat in consciousness.
Vedic psychological symbolism (Aurobindo): Soma as Ananda seeking and founding knowledge-light.
dawn-like (aruṣa suggests dawn coloration)
Joy released by aspiration rises like a bright current; the hawk-will carries it to its home in clarified awareness; illumination is sought and gathered.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The 'hawk and the Soma' / 'hawk to the nest' mythologem fused with 'cows of light': Soma, sovereign like a king, calls to the rays of knowledge and, purified, reaches the ghee-rich seat via the imperishable filter. Inner sense: swift ascending discernment carries delight to its true home in clarified luminous consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The kingly and raptor imagery reflects an inherited heroic-poetic idiom: sovereignty (rājā-iva) and swift bird-ascent (śyena) as symbols of power and attainment. The reduplicated aorist (a-cikradat) is an archaic Indo-Iranian stylistic feature emphasizing vivid action.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi witnesses and intensifies Soma’s transformation: by voicing the imagery of pressing, filtering, and reaching the luminous seat, he participates in the devatā’s movement from raw potency to clarified, knowledge-bearing radiance, which then becomes available to the sacrificer’s inner economy.
Track the ‘Soma current’: feel joy arise, then refine it through discrimination; direct it toward insight.
Maṇipūra (pressing/force) rising to Ājñā (filter/discernment) and Sahasrāra (seat/home).
Inhale: sense Soma ‘pressed out’ (release). Exhale: let it ‘circle the filter’ (refine). Pause: rest in ‘ghṛta-seat’ (clear stillness).
Uplifted, bright, sovereign joy.
When joy arises, do not disperse it outward. Hold it, purify it of agitation, and let it call forth the ‘cows’—moments of understanding, right perception, and luminous decision.
Requires RV svara source for exact udātta/anudātta/svarita; not inferable reliably from plain saṃhitā line here.
Keep strong lift on ‘asāvi sómo’ and ‘rājeva’; give a quick, bright articulation to ‘śyeno na yónim’.
aruṣo: ṣ retroflex; keep ‘ru’ clear., vṛṣā: vocalic ṛ; long ā., acikradat: articulate the repeated ‘kra’ cluster cleanly., ghṛtavantam: ghṛ with vocalic ṛ; avoid inserting extra vowel.
Bright, forward, slightly triumphant (kingly).
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