Rig Veda 9.86.45: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 45
Sukta 9.86
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अग्रेगो राजाप्यस्तविष्यते विमानो अह्नां भुवनेष्वर्पितः । हरिर्घृतस्नुः सुदृशीको अर्णवो ज्योतीरथः पवते राय ओक्यः ॥
agrégó rājā ā́pyas taviṣyate vimā́nó ahnā́ṃ bhuvaneṣv árpitaḥ | hárir ghṛtásnuḥ sudṛ́śīko arṇavó jyótīrathaḥ pavate rā́ya okyàḥ ||
जो राजा आगे चलता है, पानी वाला, उसकी ताकत बढ़ रही है। वोह दिन नापता है और दुनिया में स्थित है। चमक वाला, घी जैसा चमकता, देखने में अच्छा, समुंदर जैसा विदेश वाला, रोशनी की रथ में बैठ के साफ हो रहा है। यह संपत्ति के लिए है।
Word by Word
- अग्रेगः
- going in front; foremostAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अग्रेग (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अग्रे-ग’ = अग्रे गच्छति) अथवा ‘अग्रेग’ (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समासाधारित विशेषण)
- राजा
- kingNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अप्यः
- of/connected with the watersAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘waters’) → अप्य (अप्सु भवः/अप्सु जातः)
- स्तविष्यते
- will be praisedVerbलृट् (भविष्यत्), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमा पुरुष, एकवचनRoot स्तु (धातु)
- विमानः
- measuring out; apportioningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot वि-मा (धातु ‘मि/मा’ = मापन/परिमाण; ‘वि’ उपसर्ग) → विमान (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक ‘measuring out, apportioning’)
- अह्नाम्
- of the daysNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRoot अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनेषु
- in the worlds/realmsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्पितः
- set/placed; bestowedParticipleकृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अर्प् (धातु)
- हरिः
- the tawny one (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- घृतस्नुः
- ghee-flowing; rich in gheeAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot घृत + स्नु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘flowing with ghee’)
- सुदृशीकः
- beautiful to beholdAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सु + दृशीक (प्रातिपदिक; ‘good-looking/bright to see’)
- अर्णवः
- flood; ocean; surgeNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
- ज्योतीरथः
- having a chariot of light; light-chariotedNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot ज्योतिस् + रथ (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- पवते
- purifies itself; flowsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमा पुरुष, एकवचनRoot पू (धातु; ‘to purify/flow’)
- रायः
- of wealthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिक), षष्ठी, एकवचनRoot राय्/रायि (प्रातिपदिक ‘wealth’)
- ओक्यः
- household; homely; abiding in the dwellingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot ओक्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘belonging to the house/home’, from ओकस्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): अ॒ग्रे॒गः | राजा | अप्यः | स्तविष्यते | वि॒मानः | अह्नाम् | भुवनेषु | अर्पितः || हरिः | घृतस्नुः | सुदृशीकः | अर्णवः | ज्योतीरथः | पवते | रायः | ओक्यः || प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) राजाप्यः = राजा + अप्यः (आ + अ → आ)
- (2) भुवनेष्वर्पितः = भुवनेषु + अर्पितः (उ + अ → व्-अ; ‘षु’ + ‘अ’ → ‘ष्व’)
- (3) ज्योतीरथः = ज्योतिः + रथः (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + र → र्)
- (4) राय ओक्यः = रायः + ओक्यः (विसर्गः पदान्ते; संहितायां ‘राय ओक्यः’ इति)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The king, belonging to the waters, going in front, grows strong—measuring out the days, established in the worlds. The bright one, dripping with ghee, beautiful to see, an ocean, rides a chariot of light as he purifies for wealth and home.
Inner meaning
Soma as the leading ‘king’ is the sovereign delight-principle guiding the march of consciousness. ‘Measuring out the days’ indicates the ordering of inner time—rhythms of practice and progressive stages—across the worlds of our being. Dripping with ghṛta (luminous richness) he becomes an oceanic wideness; on a chariot of light he carries the seeker toward the inner home (okyaḥ)—a stable station of plenitude in the soul.
Universal truth
When delight becomes sovereign and luminous, life gains right rhythm and wide capacity. True wealth is an inner home in light—stability in a vast consciousness, not mere outer possession.
Themes
Soma-ritual, kingship of light, vastness and order, home of plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Composite/Anonymous (Soma Pavamāna corpus; hymn-level Anukramaṇī needed)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.86 (context), RV 9.2, 9.4 (Soma as king/sovereign themes)
Family tradition
Soma-visionaries describing the kingly governance of Soma over the inner worlds.
Significance
Here the seer stresses Soma’s sovereignty: ananda is not a byproduct but a ruler that measures, orders, and establishes the worlds in luminous rhythm.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Rājā (King), Apya (Watery), Hari (Bright), Jyotīratha (Light-charioted), Arṇava (Oceanic)
- Related deities
- Sūrya (light and measure of days), Indra (sovereign mind-force empowered by Soma), Varuṇa (cosmic order and vastness of waters)
Cosmic role
Establishes luminous order across planes; sustains the rhythm of time and the wideness of worlds through purified essence.
Inner power
A governing bliss that brings measure (mātrā), wideness, and luminous progress into embodied life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering; praise during flow into vessels
अ॒ग्रे॒गो राजाप्य॑स्तविष्यते वि॒मानो॒ अह्नां॒ भुव॑ने॒ष्वर्पि॑तः । हरि॑र्घृ॒तस्नु॑: सु॒दृशी॑को अर्ण॒वो ज्यो॒तीर॑थः पवते रा॒य ओ॒क्य॑: ॥
अ॒ग्रे॒ऽगः । राजा॑ । अप्यः॑ । त॒वि॒ष्य॒ते॒ । वि॒ऽमानः॑ । अह्ना॑म् । भुव॑नेषु । अर्पि॑तः । हरिः॑ । घृ॒तऽस्नुः॑ । सु॒ऽदृशी॑कः । अ॒र्ण॒वः । ज्यो॒तिःऽर॑थः । प॒व॒ते॒ । रा॒ये । ओ॒क्यः॑ ॥
agre-gaḥ | rājā | āpyaḥ | taviṣyate | vi-mānaḥ | ahnām | bhuvaneṣu | arpitaḥ | hariḥ | ghṛta-snuḥ | su-dṛśīkaḥ | arṇavaḥ | jyotiḥ-rathaḥ | pavate | rāye | okyaḥ
48
4 × ~12
Majestic, processional; longer vowels and compounds create a regal, oceanic swell.
Evokes sovereignty and wideness; stabilizes the mind in a grand, ordered movement.
- राजा (rājā)
- Literal: king. Symbolic: sovereign governing power of ananda in the being
- अप्यः (apyaḥ)
- Literal: of the waters. Symbolic: belonging to the flowing planes—life and subconscient waters transformed into clarity
- अग्रेगः (agrego)
- Literal: going in front. Symbolic: the leading force that pioneers the path in consciousness
- विमानः अह्नाम् (vimānaḥ ahnām)
- Literal: measurer of days. Symbolic: ordering inner time, stages, and rhythms of transformation
- घृतस्नु (ghṛtasnu)
- Literal: dripping with ghee. Symbolic: overflowing with clarified light-substance (luminous intelligence)
- अर्णव (arṇava)
- Literal: ocean, flood. Symbolic: vastness of consciousness, wideness of ananda
- ज्योतीरथ (jyotīratha)
- Literal: chariot of light. Symbolic: luminous vehicle of progression—truth-force carrying the being forward
- ओक्य (okya)
- Literal: belonging to the home/dwelling. Symbolic: the inner habitation in plenitude (settled realization)
Culminating praise of Soma’s kingship and luminous vehicle; supports establishment of rayi (plenitude) as ‘home’ in the sacrificer
During the pavamāna sequence when Soma is led forward to cups and offerings.
Recitation/singing to enthrone Soma as rājā in the rite; directing the clarified juice toward offering/home (okas).
Chant to establish ‘inner rhythm’: use at the start of a day’s practice to set a luminous measure for time, work, and rest.
āpya from ap- ‘waters’. vimāna from vi-√mā ‘measure out, distribute’ (PIE *meh₁- ‘measure’). okya from oka ‘home, dwelling’ (root √uc/√ok?; Vedic oka- ‘house’). arṇava ‘flood/ocean’ conveys bṛhat-vastness. ghṛta from √ghṛ ‘shine/sprinkle’ (Vedic ghṛta often ‘clarified light’).
sovereignty of ordered time (vimāna ahnām), vastness (arṇava/bṛhat), establishment of plenitude as stable state (okya)
‘Measuring the days’ is ṛta as right measure in time and action.
Jyoti (light) as the vehicle of truth that carries the being to its proper home.
Worlds are ‘established’ by the sovereign flow; wideness (arṇava) supports manifestation.
Integral Vedism: ananda governs, orders, and widens the planes of being.
day (ahnām)
Ocean = wideness of consciousness; ghee = clarified luminous substance; chariot = progressive force; days = ordered stages of sadhana.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the front-going king riding a chariot of light: a sovereign of waters and time who purifies to establish plenitude as a dwelling. Inwardly, illumination becomes the vehicle; vastness becomes the oceanic consciousness; and rayi becomes a stable home-state, not a passing gain.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mā ‘measure’ (vimāna) is PIE *meh₁- (Greek métron, Latin mēnsus). ap- ‘water’ is Indo-Iranian with PIE *h₂ep- ‘water’ (cf. Latin aqua is different but often discussed in broader water lexemes).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s vision culminates in enthronement: Soma is acknowledged as rājā who orders time and worlds. The implied boon is not enumerated as objects but as a condition—rāya okya—plenitude made inhabitable within the being through Soma’s purification.
Enthrone ananda as the leader; feel a chariot of light carrying awareness into wideness and stability.
Sahasrāra/Ājñā (light and governance) grounded into Anāhata (home of settled joy).
Even-count breathing to ‘measure the days’: e.g., 4-4-6, keeping the mind spacious.
Spacious, ordered, sovereign calm.
Before daily duties, chant once; then pause and set a single ‘measure’ (right rhythm) for the day—one priority, one restraint, one offering.
Traditional three-tone; compounds like jyotī́rathaḥ invite sustained udatta on jyótiḥ with careful glide into svarita where applicable.
Hold clarity on rā́jā, apyáḥ, tavíṣyate, ahnā́m, hárīḥ, ghṛtásnuḥ, jyótiḥ-rathaḥ, pavate.
agrego: keep initial a- short; cluster -gr- clean, taviṣyate: retroflex ṣ, ghṛtasnuḥ: ghṛ with vocalic ṛ; do not insert extra vowel, jyotīrathaḥ: long ī; rathaḥ with clear aspiration th
Steady, regal, resonant; allow phrases to ‘swell’ like an ocean.
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.
