Rig Veda 9.86.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.86
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
प्र त आश्विनीः पवमान धीजुवो दिव्या असृग्रन्पयसा धरीमणि । प्रान्तॠषयः स्थाविरीरसृक्षत ये त्वा मृजन्त्यृषिषाण वेधसः ॥
prá ta āśvínīḥ pavamāna dhī-júvo divyā́ asṛ́gran páyasā dhárīmaṇi | prā́ntar ṛ́ṣayaḥ sthā́virīr asṛkṣata yé tvā mṛjánty ṛṣi-sāṇa vedhásaḥ ||
सोम की ताकतें आगे बढ़ रही हैं, वो साफ़ हो रहा है। ये ताकतें आसमान से आती हैं और दूध जैसा अमृत ले कर आती हैं। रिशि अंदर से नदियाँ निकाल रहे हैं जो कभी सूखी नहीं होती। वो लोग सोम को साफ़ करते हैं और ज्ञान के काम करते हैं।
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot प्र (उपसर्ग) / प्र (अव्यय)
- ते
- to/for youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘ते’ = ‘to/for thee’ दत्तिवः; in RV often dative)Role SampradānaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- आश्विनीः
- Aśvinī (belonging to the Aśvins), Aśvin-like (fem. plur.)Adjective (f.)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot आश्विन (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवमान
- O Pavamāna (self-purifying Soma)Participleपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन (voc.)Root पू (धातु) → पवमान (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- धीजुवः
- the thought-impellers / the wise inspirersAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot धी-जु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘impelling/urging by thought’)
- दिव्याः
- heavenly, divineAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- असृग्रन्
- they let flow, they sent forthVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot सृज् (धातु)
- पयसा
- with milk; with sap/juiceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- धरीमणि
- in the stream/channel (of flow)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (RV usage), सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot धरीमन्/धरीमणि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘stream/channel/flow’ in Soma context)
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot प्र (उपसर्ग) / प्र (अव्यय)
- अन्तः
- within, insideIndeclinableअव्यय (स्थानवाचक)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्तर् (अव्यय/उपपद)
- ऋषयः
- the seersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्थाविरीः
- firm/strong (streams)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन (agreeing with implied ‘धाराः/आपः’ streams)Role KarmaRoot स्थाविर (प्रातिपदिक)
- असृक्षत
- they let loose, they releasedVerbलुङ् (aorist), आत्मनेपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot सृज् (धातु)
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- मृजन्ति
- they cleanse, they purifyVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot मृज् (धातु)
- ऋषिषाण
- O ṛṣi-possessing / O seer-like oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन (voc.)Root ऋषि-षाण (प्रातिपदिक; epithet ‘seers’-like/possessing seers’)
- वेधसः
- the wise ones, inspired priestsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): प्र | ते | आश्विनीः | पवमान | धीजुवः | दिव्याः | असृग्रन् | पयसा | धरीमणि || प्र | अन्तः | ऋषयः | स्थाविरीः | असृक्षत | ये | त्वा | मृजन्ति | ऋषिषाण | वेधसः || Notes: (1) ‘प्रान्तॠषयः’ =_toggle ‘प्र’ + ‘अन्तः’ + ‘ऋषयः’ with external sandhi: अन्तः + ऋषयः → अन्तर्ऋषयः (written here with Vedic orthography as अन्तॠषयः)
- (2) ‘असृग्रन्’ is aorist 3pl of √सृज् with RV ending -ग्रन्
- (3) ‘धरीमणि’ taken as loc. sg. of a Soma-flow noun (RV lexeme)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Your Aśvinī powers go forth, O purified Soma—divine impulsions—bearing milk in the supporting seat. The sages within release firm streams, they who cleanse you, O sage-impeller, craftsmen of sacred knowledge.
Inner meaning
As Soma clarifies, the twin Aśvinī energies—swift harmonizing forces of right movement and healing—emerge as dhī-juvaḥ, impulses driven by vision. They carry payas (essence-milk) into the dharīmaṇi, the stable support in the being where truth can be borne. The inner ṛṣis (intuitive faculties) release steadfast currents of inspiration; by repeated self-cleansing, the seeker becomes vedhas—an artisan of the sacred, shaping consciousness with exact knowledge.
Universal truth
When delight is purified, it releases twin powers of swift right action and restoration, and awakens inner seers who stabilize and channel inspiration into enduring capacities.
Themes
Purification, Inner rishis, Harmonization, Soma distribution
The seer
- Rishi
- Anukramaṇī attribution varies; transmitted within the Soma Pavamāna seer-cycle (Mandala 9), often associated broadly with Kāṇva-oriented preservation.
- Other hymns
- RV 9.86 (sūkta sequence on Soma’s purification), RV 9.61, 9.62 (inner seers/streams motifs in Soma hymns)
Family tradition
Pavamāna verses are especially cultivated in chant traditions; the ‘inner ṛṣis’ motif resonates with the idea of a collective seer-consciousness rather than a single personal author.
Significance
Highlights the emergence of ‘inner helpers’: harmonizing twin forces (Aśvins) and intuitive sages that appear when delight is clarified—key to integral purification.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavamāna, ṛṣiṣāṇa (sage-impeller/possessing seerhood), divya (divine)
- Related deities
- Aśvins, Indra, Sarasvatī (inspiration/streams)
Cosmic role
Carrier of essence that awakens divine impulsions and stabilizes inspired currents in the worlds.
Inner power
Clarified delight that generates right movement (Aśvinī) and inner seeing (ṛṣi).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma straining chants accompanying collection into vessels and preparation for offering
प्र त॒ आश्वि॑नीः पवमान धी॒जुवो॑ दि॒व्या अ॑सृग्र॒न्पय॑सा॒ धरी॑मणि । प्रान्तॠष॑य॒: स्थावि॑रीरसृक्षत॒ ये त्वा॑ मृ॒जन्त्यृ॑षिषाण वे॒धस॑: ॥
प्र । ते॒ । आश्वि॑नीः । प॒व॒मा॒न॒ । धी॒ऽजुवः॑ । दि॒व्याः । अ॒सृ॒ग्र॒न् । पय॑सा । धरी॑मणि । प्र । अ॒न्तः । ऋष॑यः । स्थावि॑रीः । अ॒सृ॒क्ष॒त॒ । ये । त्वा॒ । मृ॒जन्ति॑ । ऋ॒षि॒ऽसा॒ण॒ । वे॒धसः॑ ॥
pra | te | āśvinīḥ | pavamāna | dhī-juvaḥ | divyāḥ | asṛgran | payasā | dharīmaṇi | pra | antaḥ | ṛṣayaḥ | sthāvirīḥ | asṛkṣata | ye | tvā | mṛjanti | ṛṣi-sāṇa | vedhasaḥ
48
4 x ~12 syllables; flowing syntactic sweep typical of Jagatī in Mandala 9
Expansive and processional; suitable for describing ‘going forth’ and ‘releasing streams’.
Creates an opening sensation—energies spreading outward while an inner steadiness forms.
- आश्विनीः (āśvinīḥ)
- Literal: Aśvinī (twin) powers. Symbolic: dual harmonizing energies: swift right action + healing integration
- धीजुवः (dhījuvaḥ)
- Literal: impelled by thought/vision. Symbolic: inspired impulsions arising from illumined intelligence (dhī)
- दिव्याः (divyāḥ)
- Literal: divine. Symbolic: from higher consciousness, not ego-driven
- पयसा (payasā)
- Literal: milk, sap. Symbolic: essence-nourishment of consciousness, refined rasa
- धरीमणि (dharīmaṇi)
- Literal: supporting seat/ground. Symbolic: stable inner foundation where truth-force can rest
- अन्तः ऋषयः (antaḥ ṛṣayaḥ)
- Literal: sages within. Symbolic: intuitive faculties/inner witnesses awakened by purification
- स्थाविरीः (sthāvirīḥ)
- Literal: firm, stable (streams). Symbolic: steady currents of inspiration (not volatile excitement)
- वेधसः (vedhasaḥ)
- Literal: craftsmen, wise builders. Symbolic: those who shape the inner sacrifice with precise knowledge
Soma cleansing (mārjana) and filtration; ‘mṛj’ explicitly aligns with ritual washing/straining
During pavamāna phase as Soma is cleansed and made ready for devas
Straining, guiding flow, consecrating the collected Soma; invoking supportive powers
Chant before practice to invoke ‘twin supports’: clarity in action and healing integration; then sit to sense steady inner currents replacing restless impulses.
āśvinīḥ: linked to Aśvins (√aśva ‘horse’ → speed, healing, right functioning); mṛjanti (√mṛj ‘cleanse’); vedhas (√vidh ‘work/arrange’), the rishi as artisan of ṛta. dharīmaṇi: ‘support/holding-place’ (from √dhṛ ‘hold’). Inner sense: purification is performed by inner sages (disciplined faculties) who stabilize the Soma-streams and distribute swift harmonizing powers.
Inner faculties as ṛṣayaḥ ‘within’, Stabilization of forces (sthāvirīḥ), Healing/harmonizing swift powers (Aśvinī)
Aśvinī powers represent right functioning—swift alignment of parts to ṛta.
‘Firm streams’ indicate truth-currents that do not break under pressure.
Formation of stable channels: consciousness ‘builds’ enduring supports for higher energy.
Integral-psychological Vedic reading: dhī as supramental hint; Soma as ananda-substance shaping mind-life.
Essence-milk = refined rasa; streams = currents of inspiration; ‘supporting seat’ = inner stability; twins = balanced polarities (active/restorative) in sadhana.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The myth of Soma’s purification by seers: swift Aśvin-like powers go forth with the milk of essence, while inner sages cleanse Soma and release stable streams. It portrays the yogic-ritual process where faculties of knowledge purify and distribute the divine draught.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mṛj ‘wipe/cleanse’ and √dhṛ ‘hold’ are old IE roots; the figure of the poet-seer as ‘worker/arranger’ (vedhas from √vidh) matches the IE idea of sacral craft: speech and rite as skilled making that aligns with order.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi is explicitly an agent of purification: those who ‘cleanse you’ are vedhasaḥ—craftsmen of knowledge—suggesting that right thought, mantra, and disciplined inner action refine Soma into stable powers that can act in the foundation of the being.
Invite balanced right action + healing integration; listen for ‘inner ṛṣis’ (quiet intuitive directives).
Anahata (integration/healing) with Ajna (dhī/vision).
Nadi shodhana (alternate nostril) to embody the ‘twin’ Aśvinī balance; then natural breath in stillness.
Supported openness—clear impulses arising without agitation.
After chanting, note the first quiet, helpful impulse that arises; act on it gently, as an Aśvinī movement—precise, restorative, and swift.
Follow RV accenting as per saṃhitā/padapāṭha; keep udatta lifts clear on key verbs (asṛgran/asṛkṣata) and names (āśvinīḥ).
Do not rush clusters: dhī-juvo, dharīmaṇi; maintain vowel lengths (divyāḥ, payasā).
: ‘śv’ cluster clean; long īḥ at end, : dhī long; ‘ju’ light, not ‘jū’ unless marked, : retroflex ṇ if present in your recension; keep ‘maṇi’ dental/retroflex distinctions consistent, : ‘mṛ’ with vocalic ṛ, not ‘mir’
Clear and even, slightly soothing to reflect Aśvinī harmony; avoid harsh attack.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
