Rig Veda 9.86.20: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 20
Sukta 9.86
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
मनीषिभिः पवते पूर्व्यः कविर्नृभिर्यतः परि कोशाँ अचिक्रदत् । त्रितस्य नाम जनयन्मधु क्षरदिन्द्रस्य वायोः सख्याय कर्तवे ॥
manīṣíbhiḥ pavate pū́rvyaḥ kavír nṛ́bhir yatáḥ pári kośā́ṃ acikradat | tritásya nā́ma janáyan mádhu kṣárad índrasya vāyóḥ sakhyā́ya kártave ||
वो पुराने रिशि जो सब समझते हैं, वो खुद को साफ करते हैं। लोगों की ताकत से वो बर्तन के आस-पास घूमता है। वो त्रित नाम के देवता को पैदा करता है और मीठा रस टपकता है। यह सब इंद्र और वायु की दोस्ती बनाने के लिए होता है।
Word by Word
- मनीषिभिः
- by/with the sages (thoughtful seers)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole करणRoot मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक) < मनीषा
- पवते
- purifies/flows (as Soma)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole कर्तृ (स्वयं) / क्रियाRoot √पू (पवते) / √पु (शुद्धौ)
- पूर्व्यः
- ancient, primevalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot पूर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक) < पूर्व
- कविः
- the seer/poet (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- नृभिः
- by/with menNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole करणRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- यतः
- from where, whenceIndeclinableअव्यय (अपादानार्थे/सम्बन्धे)Role अपादान (स्रोत/उद्गम) / सम्बन्धRoot यतस् (अव्यय; यद्-प्रातिपदिक-सम्बन्ध)
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्ग)Role (क्रियाविशेषण)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- कोशान्
- vessels, tubs (Soma-containers)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
- अचिक्रदत्
- he cried out/roaredVerbलुङ् (अorist, injunctive/augmental aorist); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √क्रन्द् (क्रन्दने) with reduplication (चि-क्रद-) + अ- (augment)
- त्रितस्य
- of TritaNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root त्रित (प्रातिपदिक; देव/ऋषि-नाम)
- नाम
- nameNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनयन्
- generating, producingVerbशतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (कर्तरि)Role कर्तृ (सहक्रिया) / क्रियाविशेषणRoot √जन् (जनने) → causative √जनय्; वर्तमान-कृदन्त
- मधु
- sweetness, honey (sweet Soma)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षरत्
- flows, streamsVerbलट्; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √क्षर् (स्रवणे)
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वायोः
- of VāyuNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सख्याय
- for friendship, for companionshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक) < सखि
- कर्तवे
- to do, to accomplishVerbतुमुन्/तवेन्-प्रकार (वैदिक infinitive -तवे); अव्ययवत् प्रयोगRole प्रयोजन (क्रियार्थ) / सम्प्रदान-सम्बन्धRoot √कृ (करणे) → कर्तृ (कर्तव्) infinitive
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved Vedic sandhi/word-joins: कविः + नृभिः → कविर्नृभिः
- नृभिः + यतः → नृभिर्यतः
- परि + कोशान् (no change)
- अचिक्रदत् is a reduplicated aorist of √क्रन्द्
- त्रितस्य नाम (no sandhi)
- जनयन् मधु (no sandhi)
- क्षरत् इन्द्रस्य (external sandhi not applied in pada-text)
- इन्द्रस्य वायोः (no sandhi)
- सख्याय कर्तवे (Vedic infinitive -तवे). Accent marks in the saṃhitā are not reproduced in the pada-forms here
The meaning
Outer meaning
With illumined understandings Soma purifies, the ancient seer; supported by human powers he ranges around the vessels. Bringing to birth the name of Trita, he drips sweetness, to establish the friendship of Indra and Vayu.
Inner meaning
Soma is ‘pūrvyaḥ kaviḥ’—the ancient inner seer-force: delight itself contains a secret wisdom. It purifies with manīṣā (illumined intelligence), but is also ‘supported by nṛbhiḥ’—the human faculties (mind, life, body disciplined) that hold the process steady. Circling the vessels suggests repeated refinement around the instruments of reception. ‘Generating the name of Trita’ points to awakening the triple principle (trita = the third): the third status beyond ordinary dualities, or the triple-world harmony in the being; Soma’s sweetness drips as the sign of that emergence. This sweetness establishes the alliance of Indra (illumined mind) and Vāyu (life-breath, vital dynamism): light and prāṇa become friends rather than opponents.
Universal truth
When joy is purified by insight and sustained by disciplined faculties, it awakens a higher ‘third’ principle that reconciles mind and life; then illumination and breath-force cooperate to transform existence.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Trita mythic layer, Indra-Vayu sakhya, Sweetness (madhu) as delight
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.86.19-22, RV 1.134 (Indra–Vāyu joint hymns; thematic kinship), RV 10.8 (Trita motifs elsewhere, broader Vedic network)
Family tradition
Pavamāna Soma seer-current; thematic emphasis on manīṣā and the Indra–Vāyu cooperation frequently found in Soma hymns.
Significance
The rishi-voice reveals a key yogic principle: bliss must be held by disciplined human instruments and illumined intelligence to awaken a higher ‘third’ poise that harmonizes mind and life.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pūrvyaḥ kaviḥ (ancient seer)
- Related deities
- Trita, Indra, Vāyu
Cosmic role
Purifies and mediates alliances among gods; here, it forges Indra–Vāyu synergy enabling victorious action and inspired movement.
Inner power
Ananda as wisdom-substance: it awakens a third poise and reconciles illumination with prāṇic dynamism.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification chants; also suitable in sequences for Indra–Vāyu offerings
म॒नी॒षिभि॑: पवते पू॒र्व्यः क॒विर्नृभि॑र्य॒तः परि॒ कोशाँ॑ अचिक्रदत् । त्रि॒तस्य॒ नाम॑ ज॒नय॒न्मधु॑ क्षर॒दिन्द्र॑स्य वा॒योः स॒ख्याय॒ कर्त॑वे ॥
म॒नी॒षिऽभिः॑ । प॒व॒ते॒ । पू॒र्व्यः । क॒विः । नृऽभिः॑ । य॒तः । परि॑ । कोशा॑न् । अ॒चि॒क्र॒द॒त् । त्रि॒तस्य॑ । नाम॑ । ज॒नय॑न् । मधु॑ । क्षर॑त् । इन्द्र॑स्य । वा॒योः । स॒ख्याय॑ । कर्त॑वे ॥
manīṣi-bhiḥ | pavate | pūrvyaḥ | kaviḥ | nṛ-bhiḥ | yataḥ | pari | kośān | acikradat | tritasya | nāma | janayan | madhu | kṣarat | indrasya | vāyoḥ | sakhyāya | kartave
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4 × 12 syllables (probable)
Measured and explanatory; supports conceptual linkage (Trita → madhu → sakhya).
Encourages reflective absorption; good for contemplating integration of mind and breath.
- पू्र्व्यः कविः (pūrvyaḥ kaviḥ)
- Literal: ancient seer. Symbolic: Primordial wisdom inherent in Ananda
- मनीषा (manīṣā)
- Literal: illumined understanding. Symbolic: Intuitive intelligence guiding purification
- नृभिः (nṛbhiḥ)
- Literal: by men/human powers. Symbolic: Disciplined faculties of the embodied seeker
- कोश (kośa)
- Literal: vessel, container. Symbolic: Sheaths/instruments of consciousness receiving Soma
- त्रित (trita)
- Literal: Trita (a Vedic figure). Symbolic: The ‘third’ state/principle; triple harmony; emergence beyond duality
- मधु (madhu)
- Literal: sweetness. Symbolic: Ananda-rasa as sign of right realization
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: Divine Mind/illumination
- वायु (vāyu)
- Literal: Wind. Symbolic: Prāṇa; life-force and dynamic movement
- सख्य (sakhya)
- Literal: friendship. Symbolic: Integrated cooperation of powers within the being
Soma’s circulation around kośa (vessels) during purification; mythic recollection of Trita; establishment of Indra–Vayu alliance in offering
During Soma filtering/collection; in contexts invoking Indra and Vāyu together.
Recitation accompanying Soma’s movement around vessels and its offering to deities.
Use before prāṇāyāma: invoke harmony of illumination (clarity) and breath-force (vital energy) so practice becomes joyful and steady.
kavi ‘seer’ from √kū/√kav ‘to see/know’ (traditional); signals Soma as a knowing force. acikradat: intensive/reduplicated from √krand ‘to roar/cry’; suggests resonant proclamation around kośa (vessels/sheaths). trita ‘third’ links to the triadic cosmology; ‘name’ (nāma) as a manifesting power—formulation that makes a force operative. sakhyā from sakhā ‘friend’ (PIE *sokʷh- debated) indicates alliance of powers: Indra (illumined will) + Vāyu (life-force).
nāma as formative power, triadic order (Trita), alliance of will (Indra) and life-force (Vayu)
‘Friendship’ of Indra and Vāyu is r̥ta inside the being: right relation of mind and life.
‘Name of Trita’ as nāma = vibration of truth; bringing it to birth is manifesting satya in consciousness.
Birth of a new principle (Trita) through purified essence; creation as emergence of higher order.
Integral yoga psychology: higher triadic poise harmonizing mind and prāṇa.
Wind = prāṇa; dripping honey = subtle joy permeating nerves; vessels = sheaths that must be refined and harmonized.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The evocation of Trita’s name and Soma’s sweet dripping to establish Indra–Vayu friendship. Mythically, Trita is a paradigmatic Soma-associated figure of the ‘third’ domain; naming him reactivates an archetypal victory/ordering. Innerly, the practice brings forward a third-state consciousness (beyond mind and life), and from that state Soma’s delight harmonizes life-force (Vayu) and illumined will (Indra) into a single allied movement.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Vāyu ‘wind’ ties to IE wind/breath semantics (cf. Av. vāyu-). Indra is Indo-Iranian. madhu is strongly IE (mead). div/tri- structures elsewhere reinforce inherited IE triadic and sky-day symbolism; here, trita ‘third’ is an explicitly triadic marker.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s manīṣā is the enabling medium: Soma’s purification is ‘with’ illumined understandings, implying the seer’s consciousness participates in the god’s self-clarification. The result sought is functional: an inner alliance where breath/vitality serves illumined will, both sweetened and unified by Soma-delight.
Let purified joy ‘teach’ the mind; feel a third poise arise that reconciles clarity (Indra) and breath-force (Vāyu).
Ājñā (illumined understanding) with Anāhata (sweetness/union)
Sama-vṛtti (4-4 or 6-6) while mentally repeating ‘madhu kṣarat’; then a few rounds of gentle ujjāyī to sense Vāyu’s smoothness.
Triadic balance—witnessing mind, harmonious breath, and underlying delight.
Chant 12 or 24 times; then sit and observe breath and thought until they feel ‘friendly’—no strain, no dullness—supported by a subtle sweetness.
Maintain Vedic accenting as per Saṃhitā; highlight ‘pūrvyaḥ’ and ‘tritasya’ with clear pitch lift where marked; exact svara needs śākhā text.
Do not rush ‘acikradat’; keep consonant clusters clean; slight emphasis on ‘madhu kṣarat’ to convey dripping sweetness.
kaviḥ: short iḥ at end, nṛbhir: syllabic ṛ clear; avoid ‘nir’, kośān: long ō in kośa, sakhyāya: khy cluster (khyā) articulated without inserting vowel
Soft, inward, with a ‘dripping’ cadence on madhumat phrases.
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