Rig Veda 9.86.42: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 42
Sukta 9.86
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
सो अग्रे अह्नां हरिर्हर्यतो मदः प्र चेतसा चेतयते अनु द्युभिः । द्वा जना यातयन्नन्तरीयते नरा च शंसं दैव्यं च धर्तरि ॥
só agré ahnā́ṃ hárir haryató mádaḥ prá cetasā cetayatát ánu dyúbhiḥ | dvā́ jánā yātáyann antárīyate nárā ca śáṃsaṃ daivyáṃ ca dhártari ||
वो चमकता हुआ दिन के आगे है, मस्ती लाता है, रोशनी चलाता है। दिमाग से जागता है, रोशनी के पीछे चलता है। दो किस्म के लोगों के बीच चलता है, दोनों को ले चलता है। इंसान की बात और भगवान की बात, दोनों को संभालता है।
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्रे
- at first, in the beginningIndeclinable (adverbial loc.)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः)Role अधिकरणRoot अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अह्नाम्
- of the daysNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- हरिः
- the tawny one (Soma)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हर्यतः
- of the eager/tawny (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (हरिः-सम्बन्धः)Role सम्बन्धRoot हर्यत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘desirable/impetuous, tawny-going’)
- मदः
- intoxication, exhilarationNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableनिपातःRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- चेतसा
- with (his) mind/intentNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- चेतयतत्
- he/it roused, made (them) awareVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट्), प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (परस्मैपदम्)Role क्रियाRoot चेतय् (धातु; √चित्/चेत् ‘to perceive, make aware’)
- अनु
- along, followingIndeclinableउपसर्गः/निपातःRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- द्युभिः
- with the days / with the lightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot द्यु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘day/sky/light’)
- द्वा
- twoNumeralपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम् (वेदिक-रूपम्)Role कर्तृRoot द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- जनौ
- persons, peoplesNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- यातयन्
- driving/impellingVerb (participle)वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (हरिः/मदः-विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot यातय् (धातु; √यत्/यातय् ‘to set in motion, drive, impel’)
- अन्तरीयते
- moves in between, goes betweenVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमा, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role क्रियाRoot अन्तर् + ई (धातु; √इ ‘to go’ with preverb antar-)
- नरा
- two men (e.g., divine pair)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थकःRoot च (निपात)
- शंसम्
- praise, proclamationNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot शंस (प्रातिपदिक)
- दैव्यम्
- divineAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (शंसम्-विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot दैव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थकःRoot च (निपात)
- धर्तरि
- in/at the supporter (bearer)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot धर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘supporter, bearer’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सः | अग्रे | अह्नाम् | हरिः | हर्यतः | मदः | प्र | चेतसा | चेतयतत् | अनु | द्युभिः || द्वा | जनौ | यातयन् | अन्तरीयते | नरा | च | शंसम् | दैव्यम् | च | धर्तरि || 1) ‘हरि॑र्हर्य॒तो’ = हरिः + हर्यतः (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ः + ह → र्ह)
- 2) ‘अग्रे॒ अह्नां॒’ इति पदसीमा पर सन्धि-निवृत्तिः (अग्रे + अह्नाम्)
- 3) ‘मद॒: प्र’ = मदः + प्र (विसर्गः पदान्ते)
- 4) ‘चेतयत॒त अनु॒’ = चेतयतत् + अनु (त् + अ → त् अ; संहितायां अवग्रह-रहितम्)
- 5) ‘द्वा जना॑’ = द्वा + जनौ (द्विवचन-प्रथमा)
The meaning
Outer meaning
He, the bright one, at the front of the days—an ecstasy that drives the shining—awakens by conscious mind and follows the lights. Between the two peoples he moves, guiding them: the human utterance and the divine hymn are held together in the bearer.
Inner meaning
Soma is ‘at the head of the days’: the first awakener of inner dawns—each new cycle of consciousness begins with a bright ananda. As hari (golden/bright), his madā (ecstasy) impels the shining faculties toward their proper movement. He awakens by prā-cetasā: a forward, intentional consciousness—so delight is not mere emotion but a conscious power. He follows the dyubhiḥ (lights): successive illuminations. Moving ‘between two peoples’ signifies Soma as mediator between human mentality and divine consciousness: he harmonizes nara-śaṃsa (human articulation/aspiration) with daivya śaṃsa (divine mantra/revelation). In the dhartari (bearer/support), both are held together—i.e., in the purified vessel of the being, human speech is uplifted into divine utterance.
Universal truth
Delight, made conscious, becomes the mediator that unites human aspiration and divine revelation; it leads the unfolding days of awakening by following the ascending lights.
Themes
Soma-ritual, mediation, ecstasy as awakening, human-divine concord
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.81 (Soma as awakener and leader), RV 9.97 (Soma’s ecstasy and light), RV 1.113 (Uṣas: leader of days—parallel awakening theme)
Family tradition
Pavamāna seer-tradition emphasizing Soma as awakener and mediator; reflects mantra-yoga where speech is transformed by delight and light.
Significance
A key psychological doctrine: Soma links human speech and divine mantra; the bridge is conscious delight that follows the ascending lights.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- hari (bright/golden), mada (ecstasy), agre ahnām (leader of days)
- Related deities
- Uṣas (dawn/awakening), Indra (illumined mind following lights), Vāc/Bṛhaspati (divine speech and word-power)
Cosmic role
Soma as the luminous exhilaration that precedes and propels the days (dawns), guiding the movement between human and divine domains.
Inner power
Conscious ecstasy that awakens, guides, and harmonizes—turning aspiration into revelation within the bearer.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification chants; also suited to moments of ‘calling’ the gods with human and divine stotra/śastra interplay
सो अग्रे॒ अह्नां॒ हरि॑र्हर्य॒तो मद॒: प्र चेत॑सा चेतयत॒त अनु॒ द्युभि॑: । द्वा जना॑ या॒तय॑न्न॒न्तरी॑यते॒ नरा॑ च॒ शंसं॒ दैव्यं॑ च ध॒र्तरि॑ ॥
सः । अग्रे॑ । अह्ना॑म् । हरिः॑ । ह॒र्य॒तः । मदः॑ । प्र । चेत॑सा । चे॒त॒य॒ते॒ । अनु॑ । द्युऽभिः॑ । द्वा । जना॑ । या॒तय॑न् । अ॒न्तः । ई॒य॒ते॒ । नरा॒ऽशंस॑म् । च॒ । दैव्य॑म् । च॒ । ध॒र्तरि॑ ॥
saḥ | agre | ahnām | hariḥ | haryataḥ | madaḥ | pra | cetasā | cetayate | anu | dyu-bhiḥ | dvā | janā | yātayan | antaḥ | īyate | narā | ca | śaṃsam | daivyam | ca | dhartari
48
4 × 12 syllables
Bright, leading cadence; the first pāda feels ‘front-led’, matching agre ahnām; later pādas weave a bridging motion (between two).
Induces alertness and uplift; supports integration—bringing human speech into resonance with a higher cadence.
- अग्रे अह्नाम् (agre ahnām)
- Literal: in front of the days. Symbolic: leader of awakenings; initiator of inner dawn-cycles
- हरिः (hariḥ)
- Literal: golden, tawny, bright. Symbolic: luminous ananda; brightening power that turns nature upward
- मदः (madaḥ)
- Literal: ecstasy, intoxication. Symbolic: spiritual rapture/force that impels growth and illumination
- प्र चेतसा (pra cetasā)
- Literal: by forward consciousness. Symbolic: intentional, awakened awareness guiding delight
- अनु द्युभिः (anu dyubhiḥ)
- Literal: following the lights. Symbolic: progressive following of higher illuminations
- द्वा जना (dvā janā)
- Literal: two peoples. Symbolic: human and divine consciousness-powers; lower and higher nature
- नराशंस (narāśaṃsa)
- Literal: human praise/utterance. Symbolic: aspiration, mental-vital expression seeking the divine
- दैव्य शंस (daivya śaṃsa)
- Literal: divine hymn/praise. Symbolic: revealed mantra; higher inspiration descending
- धर्तरि (dhartari)
- Literal: in the bearer/support. Symbolic: the purified vessel (mind/heart) that can hold both human and divine speech
Highlights Soma as mediator between human chant and divine hymn during the rite; inwardly, links mental awakening to higher light
During Soma flow and chanting sequences where priestly speech is central; symbolic of linking mortal chant to divine acceptance.
Recitation to consecrate speech and align the sacrificer with the lights.
Use before japa, study, or important communication: to align personal words with a deeper truth-current.
mada from √mad ‘be glad, intoxicated’ → ecstasy as heightened consciousness. dyú from √dyut ‘shine’ (PIE *dyeu- ‘sky/daylight’). dhartṛ from √dhṛ ‘hold’ (PIE *dʰer- ‘hold, support’).
mediation between human and divine, awakening of consciousness (cetas), R̥ta as harmonizing bridge
Soma ‘guides’ between two peoples—restoring right relation between human effort and divine order.
Daivya śaṃsa implies speech that carries satya; Soma helps human utterance approximate it.
Days as successive creations of consciousness; Soma stands at their front as initiator.
Mantric psychology: transformation of vāc through ananda and illumination (integral Vedism).
dawn_threshold (implied by ‘front of days’)
Dawn of awareness; progressive illumination; delight as golden mediator between lower speech and higher mantra.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the mediator ‘between two peoples’—human and divine—carrying and harmonizing their hymns. Psychologically, Soma’s ecstasy awakens the mind to follow the lights and build a bridge where human aspiration becomes divine utterance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyu- ‘sky/day/light’ is from PIE *dyeu- (Zeus, deus, day). √dhṛ ‘hold’ from PIE *dʰer- (Greek thronos ‘seat’ related notion of support; broader cognate set includes ‘firm/hold’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi depends on Soma to translate human śaṃsa into daivya śaṃsa—human speech into divine speech—by awakening cetas. Soma is thus the inner priestly power that holds both orders together in the bearer (dhartari).
Unite aspiration and revelation: let delight become conscious (pra cetasā) and follow the inner lights step by step.
Vishuddha (speech), Ajna (lights/illumination), Anahata (delight as mediator)
Gentle ujjāyī or soft throat-breath to steady speech-center; inhale ‘light’, exhale ‘true word’.
Alert luminous poise; speech and thought become clearer and more truthful.
Chant once, then sit in silence at the ‘front of the day’ feeling; speak one sentence internally from the quietest place—let it be the daivya śaṃsa shaping the nara-śaṃsa.
Rigvedic accents per padapāṭha; keep ‘agre ahnām’ prominently lifted; allow a gentle rise on pra cetasā and a clear forward motion through anu dyubhiḥ.
Mark the bridge in the last half: dvā janā… antar īyate; then articulate the pairing: narāśaṃsaṃ ca daivyaṃ ca.
(agre): clear short a; rolled/light r., (haryataḥ): y cluster smooth; avoid ‘hariyata’., (dyubhiḥ): dy cluster; bh aspirated., (antar īyate): keep vowel separation antar ī- (as in padapāṭha), not slurred.
Bright, precise, slightly elevated in pitch; end with a calm, integrating cadence.
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