Rig Veda 9.82.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 82, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.82
- Rishi
- Ascribed in the Soma Pavamāna corpus to seers of the Pavāmāna tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavāmāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यथा पूर्वेभ्यः शतसा अमृध्रः सहस्रसाः पर्यया वाजमिन्दो । एवा पवस्व सुविताय नव्यसे तव व्रतमन्वापः सचन्ते ॥
yáthā pū́rvebhyaḥ śatásā́ amṛ́dhraḥ sahasrasā́ḥ pár yayā vā́jam indo | evā́ pavasva suvitā́ya návyase táva vratám anv ā́paḥ sacante ||
इन्दु, पहले भी तुम गए थे और सौ गुना, हज़ार गुना जीता था, बिना कोई हार। अब भी ऐसे ही अपने आप को साफ करो, ताकि नई और बड़ी खुशी मिले। पानी तुम्हारा काम फ़ॉलो करता है, तुम्हारे तरीके से चलता है, तुम्हारे डिसीज़न को सपोर्ट करता है।
Word by Word
- यथा
- as, just asIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थे अव्ययम्Role Adhikaraṇa (उपमान-सम्बन्ध)Root यथा (अव्यय)
- पूर्वेभ्यः
- from/for the former ones (ancients)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गे (सामान्यतः), पञ्चमी/चतुर्थी बहुवचनम्Role Apādāna (abl.) / Sampradāna (dat.)Root पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- शतसा
- with a hundred (fold), by hundredsNoun (numeral) / Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot शत (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृध्रः
- unfailing, unerringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अमृध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहस्रसाः
- winning/procuring by thousandsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सहस्रस (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहिः)
- पर्ययाः
- thou hast gone around / hast attainedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/परोक्श), मध्यमपुरुषः एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KriyāRoot परि + या (धातु: या गतौ)
- वाजम्
- prize, strength, bootyNounपुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- एवा
- thus, just soIndeclinableनिश्चय/उपमानार्थे अव्ययम्Role (particle)Root एव (अव्यय)
- पवस्व
- purify thyself, flow pureVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुषः एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role KriyāRoot पू (धातु: पू पवने/शोधने; आत्मनेपद)
- सुविताय
- for good passage/prosperityNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot सुवित (प्रातिपदिक)
- नव्यसे
- for the newer (one/act), for renewed (good)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot नव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- तव
- of thee, thyPronounषष्ठी एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- व्रतम्
- vow, ordinance, sacred ruleNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- after, along, according toIndeclinable (preverb)अनुगमन/अनुसरणार्थेRole (preverb)Root अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- आपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सचन्ते
- they accompany, they follow, they attach themselvesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role KriyāRoot सच् (धातु: सच समवाये/सेवायाम्; आत्मनेपद)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यथा | पूर्वेभ्यः | शतसा | अमृध्रः | सहस्रसाः | पर्ययाः | वाजम् | इन्दो || एवा | पवस्व | सुविताय | नव्यसे | तव | व्रतम् | अनु | आपः | सचन्ते || 1) शतसा अमृध्रः: विसर्ग/स्वर-सन्धिः न
- पदान्त ‘-सा’ + ‘अ-’ यथावत्। 2) सहस्रसाः पर्ययाः: ‘साः’ + ‘प-’ संधि-परिवर्तनं न। 3) वाजम् इन्दो: ‘-म्’ + स्वरारम्भः—अनुस्वारः यथावत्। 4) एवा पवस्व: अव्यय + क्रियापद, संधि-परिवर्तनं न। 5) नव्यसे तव: ‘-े’ + ‘त-’ संधि-परिवर्तनं न। 6) व्रतम् अनु: ‘-म्’ + स्वरारम्भः—अनुस्वारः यथावत्। 7) अनु आपः: ‘अनु’ + ‘आपः’ (दीर्घ ‘आ’)—सन्धिः न
- पदद्वयम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
As in former times Soma (Indu) went around winning vāja a hundredfold and thousandfold without failing, so now he should purify himself for a new felicity. The Waters follow his vrata (law/working), consenting to his ordained movement.
Inner meaning
Soma’s past victories are remembered as recurring realizations: when delight is purified, it yields ‘vāja’—effective force, plenitude, and victorious energy in the being—again and again. The call is for a fresh widening (navyase suvitāya): a new stage of right-going. The ‘Waters’ are consciousness-forces (āpaḥ) that naturally align with the true law (vrata) of Ananda; when delight takes its right movement, the supporting currents of life and mind consent and cooperate.
Universal truth
When the principle of joy is purified and made true, it becomes a reliable power for progress; the supportive currents of life follow a higher law when consciousness is aligned with it.
Themes
continuity of revelation, Soma purification, ṛta-aligned action, victory-plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavāmāna Soma seers (exact attribution for RV 9.82 not fixed from the provided excerpt)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.82 (hymn context), RV 9.83 (pavitra/tapas imagery continues nearby)
Family tradition
Pavamāna lineage of Soma hymns emphasizing repeated purification and victorious gain (vāja) through clarified delight.
Significance
The seer’s method is remembrance of previous realizations to summon present transformation—faith (śraddhā) grounded in experienced recurrence of inner victory.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavāmāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu, Pavamāna, Amṛdhra (unfailing)
- Related deities
- Āpaḥ (waters), Indra (receiver of Soma; illumination), Varuṇa (ṛta-law; consent of cosmic order)
Cosmic role
Brings victorious plenitude (vāja) and right-going (suvitā) through purification; governs the waters’ movement by his truth-law.
Inner power
Ananda that organizes life-currents; a law-bearing delight that makes progress inevitable when consented to.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification chant during pressing/straining; invocation for successful gain (vāja)
यथा॒ पूर्वे॑भ्यः शत॒सा अमृ॑ध्रः सहस्र॒साः प॒र्यया॒ वाज॑मिन्दो । ए॒वा प॑वस्व सुवि॒ताय॒ नव्य॑से॒ तव॑ व्र॒तमन्वाप॑: सचन्ते ॥
यथा॑ । पूर्वे॑भ्यः । श॒त॒ऽसाः । अमृ॑ध्रः । स॒ह॒स्र॒ऽसाः । प॒रि॒ऽअयाः॑ । वाज॑म् । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । ए॒व । प॒व॒स्व॒ । सु॒वि॒ताय॑ । नव्य॑से । तव॑ । व्र॒तम् । अनु॑ । आपः॑ सचन्ते ॥
yathā | pūrvebhyaḥ | śata-sāḥ | amṛdhraḥ | sahasra-sāḥ | pari-ayāḥ | vājam | indo iti | eva | pavasva | suvitāya | navyase | tava | vratam | anu | āpaḥ | sacante
Triṣṭubh (probable; to be verified against full pada scansion)
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Triṣṭubh’s stride suits ‘winning’ and ‘right-going’; a confident, progressive cadence.
Encourages resolve and forward momentum; supports the sense of an unfailing inner law carrying the practitioner.
- इन्दो (indo)
- Literal: Indu, Soma (drop/bright one). Symbolic: luminous delight-force in motion
- वाजम् (vājam)
- Literal: prize, vigor, plenitude. Symbolic: effective power for action and growth; victorious energy
- अमृध्रः (amṛdhraḥ)
- Literal: unfailing, not negligent. Symbolic: steadfast tapas and sincerity; delight that does not collapse into desire
- पवस्व (pavasva)
- Literal: purify yourself, flow clear. Symbolic: clarify consciousness; let Ananda become sattvic and luminous
- सुविताय (suvitāya)
- Literal: for good going, felicity. Symbolic: right movement on the path; inner well-being and fortunate progress
- नव्यसे (navyase)
- Literal: for the newer. Symbolic: for a fresh wideness; next evolutionary step
- व्रतम् (vratam)
- Literal: law, vow, ordained working. Symbolic: the intrinsic truth-law of the divine power; right rhythm of transformation
- आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: streams of consciousness and life-energy that carry and support realization
Soma purification hymn: reinforces continuity with ‘former seers’ and requests renewed efficacy in the current pressing.
During Pavamāna stotras/śastras associated with Soma flow and preparation for offering
Chant while Soma is strained/mixed with waters; affirming its unfailing movement and the waters’ cooperation
For beginning a new phase (project, sādhanā cycle): recite to align one’s life-currents with a higher ‘vrata’ and invite supportive flow.
amṛdhra- (a- + √mṛdh ‘to fail, be negligent/hostile’) → unfailing. suvitá- (su- ‘good’ + √i ‘go’) ‘good going’, hence felicity and right progress. vratá- from √vṛ ‘to choose/will’ or ‘to enclose/ordain’ → a chosen/established law of action; in RV often the fixed working of a god (ṛta-supporting).
vrata as divine law aligned with ṛta, suvitā (right-going felicity), tradition/lineage of seers
Explicit: waters follow Soma’s vrata—cosmic order as consent to truth-movement.
Amṛdhra (unfailing) implies fidelity to truth; progress without deviation.
Renewal (navya) through repeated purification—evolution by cycles of clarification and gain.
Integral-psychological Vedism: cosmic law mirrored as inner discipline; waters as conscious energies.
Waters → supporting currents of consciousness; purification → clarification of motives and vibrations; ‘hundredfold/thousandfold’ → multiplying capacities when aligned with truth-law.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the repeatable victory of Soma across generations: Soma previously won vāja in vast measures; now he is invoked to do the same anew. The waters ‘follow the vrata’, showing the cosmos consenting to the god’s right law—an image of ṛta as cooperative order.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- suvitá (su- + √i) preserves the archaic ‘life as a path’ metaphor common in IE poetics. The inherited prefixal morphology (su-, a-) and motion-root √i show how Vedic builds ethical/spiritual meanings (‘felicity’) from basic locomotion semantics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi appeals to precedent (‘as for the former ones’) and asks Soma to renew the same law of victory now. Soma’s ‘vrata’ is presented as a dependable spiritual technology: when Soma acts, the waters (supporting energies) align and accompany, enabling the seeker’s suvitā.
Align your inner currents (‘waters’) with a chosen truth-law (vrata) and let delight purify motivation.
Maṇipūra (effective force, vāja) supported by Anāhata (joy)
Rhythmic breathing 4-4-6 (inhale-hold-exhale) while mentally repeating ‘pavasva… suvitāya navyase’.
Steady, victorious wideness; felt sense of being supported by a higher order.
Choose one clear inner vow (truthful speech, non-reactivity, steady practice). Chant, then visualize the ‘waters’ of mind and life flowing in one direction under that vow, with a cool Soma-joy at the center.
Vedic accenting per śākhā; emphasize udatta peaks on key verbs and nouns (, ) as guided by an accented text.
Keep ‘pavasva’ crisp and directive; let ‘suvitāya navyase’ widen with longer vowels; ‘āpaḥ sacante’ should sound like following waves.
: ‘ya-thā’ (long ā), /: keep compound clarity, light aspiration, : ‘par-ya-yāḥ’ (distinct y), : dental ‘t’, not retroflex, : long ā, final ḥ audible but soft
Clear, confident, slightly bright; maintain even breath to convey ‘unfailing’.
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