Rig Veda 9.86.48: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 48
Sukta 9.86
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
पवस्व सोम क्रतुविन्न उक्थ्योऽव्यो वारे परि धाव मधु प्रियम् । जहि विश्वान्रक्षस इन्दो अत्रिणो बृहद्वदेम विदथे सुवीराः ॥
páv asva soma kratuvínna ukthyó ’avyó vā́re pári dhāva mádhu priyám | jahí viśvā́n rákṣasa indo atríṇo bṛhád vadema vidáth e su-vī́rāḥ ||
सोम, तू खुद को साफ कर। तू जानता है क्या सही है। लोग तेरे लिए गाना गाते हैं। तू उस कपड़े के फ़िल्टर के पास से गुज़रता है, मीठा पानी ले के। सारी बुरी ताक़तें मारना, जो लोग खाते हैं वो अंधेरा। हम लोग सबके सामने बड़ी बात बोलें, ताकतवाले बन के।
Word by Word
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow forth (as Soma)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (पवस्व) ; Vedic: injunctive/imperative nuanceRoot √पू (पवते) / √पु (शोधन)
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोम- (प्रातिपदिक) < √सु (सवने) ‘pressed’
- क्रतुवित्
- O knower of (ritual) wisdom/resolveAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (सोमस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot क्रतु- + -वित् (कृदन्त, from √विद् ‘to know’)
- नः
- of us; ourPronounषष्ठी (gen.), बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive of relation)Root अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम)
- उक्थ्यः
- worthy of hymns; hymn-invokedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सोमः)Role कर्तृ (पवस्व इत्यस्य)Root उक्थ्य- (प्रातिपदिक) < उक्थ- ‘hymn’
- अव्यः
- (as) the wool-filtered one; passing through the sheep’s woolNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सोमः) / अथवा विशेषणम्Role कर्तृ (पवस्व इत्यस्य)Root अव्य- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘sheep’s (wool), filter’
- वारे
- in/into the water (liquid)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot वार- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘water; liquid’
- परि
- around; all aboutIndeclinableउपसर्गः (धाव इत्यनेन)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- धाव
- run; rush; flowVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √धाव् (धावति) ‘to run/flow’
- मधु
- sweet; honeyedNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (प्रियम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (धाव—what is to be reached/borne)Root मधु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रियम्
- dear; beloved (sweet draught)Adjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot प्रिय- (प्रातिपदिक)
- जहि
- smite; slayVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √हन् (हन्ति) ‘to strike, slay’
- विश्वान्
- allAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (रक्षसः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot विश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- रक्षसः
- demonic powers; RākṣasasNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Vedic: -as accusative plural)Role कर्मRoot रक्षस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma-drop)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘drop; Soma’
- अत्रिणः
- the Atrins (hostile devourers/demons)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अत्रिन्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘devourer; hostile being’
- बृहद्वदेम
- may we speak greatly (loftily)Verbविधिलिङ्/लोट्-सम्भाव्य (Vedic precative-like wish), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √वद् (वदति) ‘to speak’ + बृहद् (अव्यय/विशेषण) ‘greatly, loudly’
- विदथे
- in the rite/assemblyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot विदथ- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘ritual gathering; worship’
- सुवीराः
- having good heroes/strong sons; well-mannedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (वयम् implied)Role कर्तृ (वदेम इत्यस्य)Root सु- + वीर- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (Vedic): क्रतु॒विन्न॑ → क्रतुवित् (final -t before n-; pada-form vit). उ॒क्थ्योऽव्यो॒ → उक्थ्यः अव्यः (’o = अः + अ). परि॑ धाव॒ → परि + धाव (upasarga + verb). विश्वा॑न्र॒क्षस॑ → विश्वान् रक्षसः (n + r sandhi). बृ॒हद्व॑देम → बृहद् + वदेम (t/d assimilation in sandhi; pada split). Accent marks retained in citation but not repeated per pada
- underlying udātta/svarita follow Saṃhitā reading
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma is urged to purify himself, to run around the woollen filter with sweet honeyed essence, to slay the rakṣas and hostile devourers; the singers pray to speak the Vast (bṛhat) in the assembly and gain strong offspring/heroic powers.
Inner meaning
The bliss-consciousness (Soma/Indu) is invoked to pass through the inner ‘filter’ of discernment and aspiration (pavitra/āvi vāra), refining the being. As it clarifies, it destroys formations of darkness and distortion (rakṣas, atriṇas) that ‘eat’ the sacrifice—i.e., forces that steal energy, faith, and clarity. The result is a capacity to utter the Vast—truth-speech from wideness—within the inner ‘assembly’ (vidatha: gathered powers of the being), becoming suvīra: rich in heroic inner energies (courage, perseverance, luminous will).
Universal truth
Real transformation requires refinement: the highest delight must be filtered through sincerity and discrimination; then it becomes a power that dissolves inner obscurities and gives vastness of speech, thought, and action.
Themes
Soma-ritual, inner battle (light vs. devourers), speech of the Vast, purification through the filter
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.86 (hymn-level context needed for exact rishi attribution)
Significance
The ‘seer’ here functions as the collective voice of the inner sacrificers: aspiration calling the descending/ananda current to purify the nature and empower truth-speech (bṛhat-vāc).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- pavamāna (self-purifying), indu (bright drop), kratuvit (knower of will), ukthya (worthy of hymn)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Uṣas, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
The clarifying stream of delight that, when pressed and filtered, becomes a god-power sustaining the sacrifice and strengthening the gods (illumined faculties).
Inner power
Ananda that purifies mind-life-body, turns sweetness into force, and breaks hostile obscurations so wideness and true speech can manifest.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma Pavamāna pressing and filtration (pavamāna-stotra context)
पव॑स्व सोम क्रतु॒विन्न॑ उ॒क्थ्योऽव्यो॒ वारे॒ परि॑ धाव॒ मधु॑ प्रि॒यम् । ज॒हि विश्वा॑न्र॒क्षस॑ इन्दो अ॒त्रिणो॑ बृ॒हद्व॑देम वि॒दथे॑ सु॒वीरा॑: ॥
पव॑स्व । स्म् । क्र॒तु॒ऽवित् । नः॒ । उ॒क्थ्यः॑ । अव्यः॑ । वारे॑ । परि॑ । धा॒व॒ । मधु॑ । प्रि॒यम् । ज॒हि । विश्वा॑न् । र॒क्षसः॑ । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । अ॒त्रिणः॑ । बृ॒हत् । व॒दे॒म॒ । वि॒दथे॑ । सु॒ऽवीराः॑ ॥
pavasva | soma | kratu-vit | naḥ | ukthyaḥ | avyaḥ | vāre | pari | dhāva | madhu | priyam | jahi | viśvān | rakṣasaḥ | indo iti | atriṇaḥ | bṛhat | vadema | vidathe | su-vīrāḥ
48
4 pādas × 12 syllables
Long, rolling cadence suited to ‘flowing’ imagery and sustained aspiration.
Encourages expansive breath and a sense of wideness; supports meditative ‘streaming’ attention as if following the Soma current.
- pavasva
- Literal: purify/flow clear. Symbolic: let the consciousness become clarified and luminous through inner processing
- kratu-vit
- Literal: knower of kratu (will/intention). Symbolic: the delight that understands and supports the soul’s true intention and right resolve
- ukthya
- Literal: worthy of hymns. Symbolic: that which can be affirmed by true speech; a state fit for mantra and revelation
- avyā vāra / vāra
- Literal: woollen strainer/filter. Symbolic: inner sieve of discernment, aspiration, and truth-sense that separates mixture from purity
- madhu priyam
- Literal: dear sweetness/honey. Symbolic: the attractive bliss that reconciles the nature to the divine work
- rakṣas
- Literal: harmers/demons. Symbolic: forces of falsehood, depression, perversion, and obscuring impulses
- atriṇaḥ
- Literal: devourers/hostile eaters. Symbolic: energies that consume clarity and sacrifice—doubt, inertia, desire’s turbulence
- bṛhat
- Literal: the Vast. Symbolic: widened consciousness; truth-consciousness that exceeds ego limits
- vidatha
- Literal: assembly/rite-gathering. Symbolic: inner council of faculties unified around the divine intention
- suvīrāḥ
- Literal: having good heroes/strong sons. Symbolic: possessing heroic inner forces—steadfast will, luminous courage, effective energy
Pavamāna filtration through wool (vāra) during Soma sacrifice; apotropaic intent (rakṣas-nivāraṇa) accompanies purification.
During Soma sacrifice while Soma is being purified through the filter and collected
Chanted as Soma flows through the strainer into the vessel; accompaniment to pressing, filtering, offering
Used as a purification-and-protection mantra before meditation: invoke clarity, sweetness, and removal of inner negativity, then affirm ‘bṛhat’ (vastness) in speech and intention.
krátu- (will, effective intelligence) is central to inner reading: not mere ‘ritual resolve’ but power of conscious formation. rakṣas- and atrín- are treated as psychological obstructers (‘devourers’ of light/clarity). bṛhát is from √bṛh ‘to grow, expand’ → the Vast (Bṛhat), a key RV term for expansive truth-plane.
kratu (formative will), Bṛhat (the Vast), purification as removal of obscurity (rakṣas)
Purification aligns the inner movements to ṛta; rakṣas are ‘anti-ṛta’ distortions.
Speaking the Vast in vidatha implies truth-speaking from widened consciousness rather than ego-impulse.
Refinement of the mixed into the pure—an inner cosmogony where clarity emerges from obscurity.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: Soma as ananda-force enabling transformation.
A descending/ascending current of delight passes through the ‘wool’ of purified nerves and mind, separating luminous essence from obscuring residues; sweetness becomes a weapon against darkness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Purified Soma as warrior and healer: as Soma runs through the filter, he simultaneously destroys rakṣas/atriṇaḥ—mythically the hostile beings, psychologically the devouring obscurities that consume clarity and delight.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √han ‘smite’ (jahi) is an old IE battle-verb (cf. Greek φόνος is not cognate; but Indo-Iranian preserves a strong inherited ‘strike’ lexicon). √vad ‘speak’ is a basic IE verb (cf. Latin vātēs ‘seer’ is not direct cognate but shares the speech/prophecy domain; the inherited speech-root network is prominent in Vedic). The verse links ‘slaying’ and ‘speaking’—victory enables bṛhat-vāc (vast speech).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Soma to purify and to fight within the human field; in return, the rishi-community promises bṛhat-vāda—speech that manifests the Vast in the vidatha. The exchange is power for power: Soma grants inner victory and sweetness; humans give right utterance and a prepared field.
Let a ‘sweet clear stream’ descend through the mind; watch impurities (restlessness, doubt, craving) separate and fall away; end by resting in wideness (bṛhat).
Anahata (sweetness/devotion) to Ajna (clarity/discernment) axis
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana or 1:2 exhale emphasis while repeating ‘pavasva’ mentally
From rajasic mixture to sattvic clarity, then into quiet expansive ananda.
Begin with aspiration; invite Soma as delight-in-truth; whenever negativity arises, inwardly repeat ‘jahi viśvān rakṣasaḥ’ as a will of rejection, then affirm ‘bṛhad vadema’ (speak/think from vastness).
Vedic accents as in Śākala tradition; observe udatta on marked syllables, svarita where applicable; requires pada-based training for exact contour.
Chant by pāda; keep udatta slightly raised, anudatta lowered; avoid flattening on enclitics (naḥ, te).
Hold ‘pav-asva’ with clear ‘va’ (not ‘ba’), Differentiate ‘ś’/‘ṣ’/‘s’: rakṣasaḥ (ṣa), Nasalize ‘ind(o)’ lightly; keep ‘bṛhat’ with vocalic ṛ, Maintain consonant clusters: ‘kratuvin’, ‘vidathe’
Clear, flowing, slightly resonant; emphasize ‘pavasva’ and ‘bṛhat’ as pillars.
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