Rig Veda 9.86.44: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 44
Sukta 9.86
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
विपश्चिते पवमानाय गायत मही न धारात्यन्धो अर्षति । अहिर्न जूर्णामति सर्पति त्वचमत्यो न क्रीळन्नसरद्वृषा हरिः ॥
vipaścíte pavamānāya gāyata mahī́ ná dhārā́ty ándho arṣati | áhīr ná jūrṇā́m áti sarpati tvácam átyo ná krī́ḷann asarad vṛ́ṣā háriḥ ||
सब गाना गा रहे हैं उसके लिए जो सब समझता है और साफ हो रहा है। बड़ी नदी की तरह निचोड़ा हुआ रस बह रहा है। साँप की तरह वोह पुरानी खाल छोड़ के आगे बढ़ रहा है। खेलते हुए घोड़े की तरह चमकता बैल आगे दौड़ रहा है।
Word by Word
- वि॒प॒श्चिते॒
- to/for the wise (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचन (दत्तिव)Role सम्प्रदानRoot विपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पव॑मानाय
- to Pavamāna (Soma), the purifying oneNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot पवमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पू (पवते) ‘to purify/flow’)
- गायत
- sing (you all)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole (आह्वान) कर्तृ-प्रवृत्तिःRoot √गै (गायति) ‘to sing’
- म॒ही
- the great (stream/power)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot मही (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like/asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- धारा
- a streamNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ता (उपमान) / उपमेय-सम्बन्धRoot धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अत्यन्धः
- the very Soma-juice (intoxicating draught)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ता (अर्षति) / द्रव्यRoot अति (अव्यय-उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्षति
- flows/rushesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √ऋष्/अर्ष् (अर्षति) ‘to flow, rush’
- अहिः
- a serpentNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ता (उपमान)Root अहि (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- जू॒र्णामति
- with (its) worn/old intent; in a winding/aged mannerCompound (Noun/Adj. phrase)(समास/पदसमूह) अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-सदृश प्रयोग; एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role क्रियाविशेषण (रीतिः)Root जू॒र्णा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘worn/old’) + मति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘thought/intent’)
- सर्पति
- creeps/glidesVerbलट्; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √सृप् (सर्पति) ‘to creep, glide’
- त्वचम्
- the skin (surface)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अत्यः
- a steedNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ता (उपमान)Root अत्य (प्रातिपदिक) ‘steed’
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- क्रीळन्
- playing, sportingVerbal participleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ता (विशेषणरूपेण हरिः/वृषा)Root √क्रीळ्/क्रीड् (क्रीळति/क्रीडति) ‘to play, sport’
- असरत्
- ran/streamed (swiftly)Verbअोरिस्ट/इञ्जङ्क्टिव् (वैदिक); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √सृ (सरति) ‘to run/flow’ + अ (उपसर्ग/प्रत्ययात्मक augment in injunctive/aorist usage)
- वृषा
- the bull; the vigorous oneNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ता (हरिः का विशेषणम्)Root वृषन्/वृषा (प्रातिपदिक) ‘bull, vigorous one’
- हरिः
- the tawny one (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘tawny one; Soma/steed’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): विपश्चिते पवमानाय गायत | मही न धारा इव अत्यन्धः अर्षति | अहिः न जूर्णामति सर्पति त्वचम् | अत्यः न क्रीळन् असरत् वृषा हरिः || 1) धारात्यन्धो अर्षति = धारा + इव (उपमा) + अत्यन्धः + अर्षति
- पाठे ‘धारा’ के पश्चात् संधि से ‘धारात्य-’ (आ + अ/इ-सम्बन्ध) रूप। 2) अन्धो॑ = अन्धः (नपुंसक प्रथमा एकवचन; वैदिक उच्चारण/पदपाठ में ओ-प्रत्ययात्मक रूप). 3) अहिर्न = अहिः + न. 4) जूर्णामति को पदसमूह/समासवत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग माना गया। 5) क्रीळन्नसरत् = क्रीळन् + असरत् (नकार-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Sing to the all-discerning Soma as he purifies; the pressed juice streams like a great river. Like a serpent he slips beyond an old skin; like a playful courser the bright bull rushes onward.
Inner meaning
Soma as vipaścit (wide-seeing consciousness) pours in a vast current through the being. The serpent shedding skin signifies consciousness outgrowing worn formations—old habits, identities, and limiting mental coverings. The courser-at-play is liberated life-energy moving joyfully once purification removes heaviness; the Bull is the strong illumined force that charges forward in progress.
Universal truth
Real growth requires periodic shedding of obsolete structures. When inner delight becomes discerning, it renews the whole nature—fluid, adaptive, and powerfully forward-moving.
Themes
Soma-ritual, inner renewal, purifying flow, transformation symbolism
The seer
- Rishi
- Composite/Anonymous (Soma Pavamāna corpus; hymn-level Anukramaṇī needed)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.86 (hymn context), RV 9.61, 9.62 (Soma as seer/knower themes)
Family tradition
Pavamāna singers preserving experiential knowledge of purification through chant and offering.
Significance
The rishi-voice emphasizes Soma not only as delight but as vipaścit—ananda that becomes luminous intelligence, enabling renewal (shedding) and swift progress.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Vipaścit, Hari (Bright/Fawn), Vṛṣan (Bull)
- Related deities
- Indra (drinks Soma for victorious illumination), Rudra (serpent/renewal resonances), Vāyu (swift movement of prāṇa)
Cosmic role
Purifies and energizes the worlds; a vast streaming essence that renews forms and drives evolution.
Inner power
Discerning bliss that dissolves old coverings and releases a playful, swift life-force aligned to truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification chants during pressing/straining
वि॒प॒श्चिते॒ पव॑मानाय गायत म॒ही न धारात्यन्धो॑ अर्षति । अहि॒र्न जू॒र्णामति॑ सर्पति॒ त्वच॒मत्यो॒ न क्रीळ॑न्नसर॒द्वृषा॒ हरि॑: ॥
वि॒पः॒ऽचिते॑ । पव॑मानाय । गा॒य॒त॒ । म॒ही । न । धा॒रा॒ति॒ । अन्धः॑ । अ॒र्ष॒ति॒ । अहिः॑ । न । जू॒णाम् । अति॑ । स॒र्प॒ति॒ । त्वच॑म् । अत्यः॑ । न । क्रीळ॑न् । अ॒स॒र॒त् । वृषा॑ । हरिः॑ ॥
vipaḥ-cite | pavamānāya | gāyata | mahī | na | dhārā | ati | andhaḥ | arṣati | ahiḥ | na | jūṇām | ati | sarpati | tvacam | atyaḥ | na | krīḷan | asarat | vṛṣā | hariḥ
48
4 × ~12 syllables
Alternation of broad flow (mahī… dhārā) with quick gliding and rushing similes (ahir… atyo…).
Induces a sense of cleansing motion—first expansive, then nimble; supports letting-go and forward drive.
- विपश्चित् (vipaścit)
- Literal: all-discerning, widely seeing. Symbolic: illumined awareness that knows by identity and clear discrimination
- पवमान (pavamāna)
- Literal: purifying, self-purifying. Symbolic: the process-power of inner clarification and refinement
- धारा (dhārā)
- Literal: stream, flow. Symbolic: continuous current of consciousness/ananda moving through the instruments
- अन्धस् (andhas)
- Literal: pressed Soma juice. Symbolic: essence of delight-experience released by inner pressure (tapas) and aspiration
- अहि (ahi)
- Literal: serpent. Symbolic: life-force/conscious energy that can renew itself by shedding coverings
- त्वच् (tvac)
- Literal: skin. Symbolic: outer formations: habitual mental-vital sheath that must be outgrown
- अत्य (atya)
- Literal: courser, race-horse. Symbolic: vital energy disciplined and joyfully propelled toward the goal
- वृषा हरिः (vṛṣā hariḥ)
- Literal: the bright/fawn bull. Symbolic: strong luminous force of realization rushing onward
Chanted during the flowing purification; imagery of shedding skin suggests transformative renewal
As Soma streams through the filter and is directed to cups; often sung to accompany the visible flow.
Singing (gāyata) to Soma while the juice runs; aligning sound with the streaming current.
Meditate on ‘shedding the old skin’: chant while releasing a specific habit-pattern; end with a brief resolve to act with fresh, playful energy.
arṣati from √ṛṣ/√arṣ ‘flow, rush’. ahi ‘serpent’ (PIE *h₁ogʷʰis ‘snake’ often proposed; cf. Greek óphis). tvac ‘skin’ related to covering. krīḷ ‘play’ indicates spontaneous, forceful movement when liberated.
renewal through shedding old formations, purification as acceleration of consciousness, vipáścit (discerning truth-sight)
The ‘great river’ image suggests ordered, unstoppable right-flow—ṛta as current.
Vipaścit indicates truth-consciousness emerging from delight.
Renewal through transformation of coverings; evolution by shedding and rushing forward.
Integral yoga resonance: ananda becomes knowledge-force and life-force renewal.
River = continuous consciousness; serpent = kundalinic renewal/shedding; horse = liberated prāṇa; bull = concentrated power of ascent.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma’s transformative renewal: like a serpent shedding its skin, the consciousness-force leaves behind worn coverings; like a playful courser it rushes forward. This is a mythic image of rebirth through purification—old nature is sloughed off, new motion begins.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ahi ‘serpent’ is commonly linked with PIE *h₁ogʷʰis (Greek óphis). √arṣ ‘flow’ may connect with PIE *ers-/*h₁ers- ‘move, flow’ (comparisons vary).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s act is explicit: ‘gāyata’—sing. The response is Soma’s dynamic purification that the chant accompanies and amplifies; mantric speech participates in the shedding of the old skin of consciousness.
Witness the inner stream; consciously let an old ‘skin’ fall away; invite playful forward energy.
Maṇipūra (transformative fire/pressure) rising toward Viśuddha (purified expression).
Breath with a ‘glide’: long exhale imagining the old sheath slipping off; inhale as a fresh current enters.
Clear, renewed, forward-moving luminosity.
Name one ‘worn skin’ (belief/habit). During chant, feel it loosen; after chant, take one small swift action aligned with the new movement.
Maintain Rigvedic accents; the imperative gāyata typically takes a clear udatta lift to cue invocation.
Emphasize vipáścite, pavamānā́ya, mahī́, dhā́rā, áhiḥ, tvácam, átyaḥ, vṛ́ṣā, háriḥ.
vipaścite: ś as palatal ‘sh’, pavamānāya: long ā vowels sustained, jūrṇām: retroflex ṇ, nasalized length, krīḻann: retroflex ḻ (where tradition preserves it) and doubled n
Bright, forward, slightly more dynamic than surrounding verses to mirror ‘rushing onward’.
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