Rig Veda 9.86.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.86
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
विश्वा धामानि विश्वचक्ष ऋभ्वसः प्रभोस्ते सतः परि यन्ति केतवः । व्यानशिः पवसे सोम धर्मभिः पतिर्विश्वस्य भुवनस्य राजसि ॥
víśvā dhā́māni viśva-cakṣa ṛ́bhvasaḥ pra-bhós te satáḥ pári yanti ketávaḥ | vy-ānaśíḥ pavase soma dhárma-bhiḥ pátir víśvasya bhúvanasya rājasi ||
सोम, तुम सब जगह देख सकते हो और बहुत ताकतवाले हो। तुम्हारी रोशनी के झंडे चारों तरफ फैल गए हैं। तुम सच्चाई के नियम से बह रहे हो और अपने आप को बाँट रहे हो। तुम पूरी दुनिया के मालिक हो और राज कर रहे हो।
Word by Word
- विश्वानि
- all (things)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- धामानि
- abodes; stations; ordinancesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वचक्षः
- O all-seeing oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root विश्व-चक्षस् (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋभ्वसः
- O skillful/ingenious oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप; = ऋभ्वो)Role (सम्बोधन)Root ऋभ्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रभोः
- of the lordNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सतः
- of the being/existent (one)Participle (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root सत् (कृदन्त; √अस्)
- परि
- around; all aboutIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यन्ति
- they go; they moveVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot √या (गत्यर्थ)
- केतवः
- rays; banners; signs (beams)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- व्यानशिः
- O all-pervading/penetrating oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root व्यानशि (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक विशेषण)
- पवसे
- you purify yourself; you flow (as purifier)Verbलट् (आत्मनेपद), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √पू (पवने/शोधने) → पवते
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- धर्मभिः
- with (your) laws/ordinances; by supportsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- पतिः
- lordNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वस्य
- of allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनस्य
- of the world; of the beingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root भुवन (प्रातिपदिक; from √भू)
- राजसि
- you rule; you shine as kingVerbलट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √राज् (दीप्तौ/ईश्वरे) → राजति/राजते
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: विश्वा धामानि विश्वचक्षः ऋभ्वसः प्रभोः ते सतः परि यन्ति केतवः । व्यानशिः पवसे सोम धर्मभिः पतिः विश्वस्य भुवनस्य राजसि ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) विश्वा + धामानि → विश्वा धामानि (स्वर-सन्धि नहीं)
- (2) प्रभोः + ते → प्रभोस्ते (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि: ओः + त → स्त)
- (3) ते + सतः → ते सतः (सन्धि नहीं)
- (4) परि + यन्ति → परि यन्ति (सन्धि नहीं)
- (5) धर्मभिः + पतिः → धर्मभिः पतिः (विसर्ग-सन्धि नहीं; पदान्तः ‘ः’ के बाद प्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
All abodes of being are surrounded by your banners of light, O all-seeing mighty one, by the radiances of your true existence. You flow distributing yourself by the laws; as lord of all becoming you reign over the world.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma becomes viśvacakṣas—an all-seeing delight that illumines every plane (dhāmāni). Its ketavaḥ are not mere lights but truth-radiances of sat (real being) that encircle and occupy the whole nature. Soma ‘flows’ as vyānaśiḥ—pervading distribution—by dharmabhiḥ, the laws of the Truth (ṛta/satya). Thus delight is not private emotion; it becomes sovereign (pati) over becoming, governing life and mind by luminous order.
Universal truth
When delight is aligned with truth-laws, it becomes a pervasive illumination that organizes the whole personality and makes consciousness sovereign over circumstances.
Themes
Cosmic kingship of Soma, Rita/Dharma, All-seeing consciousness, Distribution of truth-force
The seer
- Rishi
- Anukramaṇī varies; part of Mandala 9 Soma Pavamāna seer-current.
- Other hymns
- RV 9.86 (sequence), RV 9.2, 9.4 (Soma as all-seeing and world-pervading)
Family tradition
Soma hymns are a specialized liturgical-poetic corpus; seerhood here is expressed as universal vision (viśvacakṣas) more than personal lineage.
Significance
Marks a mature stage of purification where ananda becomes governing principle—pervasive, lawful, and sovereign.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- viśvacakṣas, ṛbhvasaḥ, prabhu (lord), pati (sovereign)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (ṛta/dharma), Mitra (harmony), Indra (illumined force)
Cosmic role
Pervasive essence that illuminates all worlds and distributes truth-force according to dharma/ṛta.
Inner power
Ananda as organizing intelligence: it lights, pervades, and rules the movements of becoming.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna recitation during Soma purification and offering preparation
विश्वा॒ धामा॑नि विश्वचक्ष॒ ऋभ्व॑सः प्र॒भोस्ते॑ स॒तः परि॑ यन्ति के॒तव॑: । व्या॒न॒शिः प॑वसे सोम॒ धर्म॑भि॒: पति॒र्विश्व॑स्य॒ भुव॑नस्य राजसि ॥
विश्वा॑ । धामा॑नि । वि॒श्व॒ऽच॒क्षः॒ । ऋभ्व॑सः । प्र॒ऽभोः । ते॒ । स॒तः । परि॑ । य॒न्ति॒ । के॒तवः॑ । वि॒ऽआ॒न॒शिः । प॒व॒से॒ । सो॒म॒ । धर्म॑ऽभिः । पतिः॑ । विश्व॑स्य । भुव॑नस्य । रा॒ज॒सि॒ ॥
viśvā | dhāmāni | viśva-cakṣaḥ | ṛbhvasaḥ | pra-bhoḥ | te | sataḥ | pari | yanti | ketavaḥ | vi-ānaśiḥ | pavase | soma | dharma-bhiḥ | patiḥ | viśvasya | bhuvanasya | rājasi
48
4 x ~12; expansive descriptive sweep
Majestic and all-encompassing; less ‘rushing’, more ‘reigning’.
Induces breadth and sovereignty; listener feels surrounded by calm light and order.
- धामा॑नि (dhāmāni)
- Literal: seats, abodes. Symbolic: planes/parts of the being (body-life-mind-soul and higher ranges)
- विश्वचक्षः (viśvacakṣaḥ)
- Literal: all-seeing. Symbolic: integral awareness that sees across all parts without division
- ऋभ्वसः (ṛbhvasaḥ)
- Literal: mighty, skillful. Symbolic: effective power of formation—delight that can build and perfect
- केतवः (ketavaḥ)
- Literal: banners, rays, signs. Symbolic: radiant indicators of truth-consciousness; guiding lights
- सतः (sataḥ)
- Literal: of the Real/being. Symbolic: truth-existence (sat) as the source of authentic radiance
- व्यानशिः (vyānaśiḥ)
- Literal: pervading distribution. Symbolic: diffusion of purified delight through the whole system (like prāṇic vyāna)
- धर्मभिः (dharmabhiḥ)
- Literal: by laws, supports. Symbolic: truth-laws (ṛta-dharma) that hold the right functioning
- पतिः (patiḥ)
- Literal: lord. Symbolic: sovereign mastery of consciousness over nature
Soma as cosmic sovereign in Pavamāna cycle; used to affirm Soma’s universal pervasion during ritual flow
As Soma is strained and presented as fit for the gods; emphasizes Soma’s universal pervasion
Chanting to accompany flow into vessels; consecration of Soma as lordly essence
Use to stabilize practice: after initial purification, chant to ‘spread’ calm delight through all parts and reaffirm inner governance by truth-laws.
sat ‘being/truth’ (from √as ‘be’); ketu ‘banner/light’ (sign of revelation); dharma ‘that which holds/establishes’ (√dhṛ ‘hold’)—here as laws of right functioning aligned to ṛta; rājasi (√rāj ‘rule, shine’). vi-ānaśiḥ: distributive sense (portioning out widely). Inner sense: Soma’s purified being radiates ketus that encompass all dhāmas (planes), establishing a lawful distribution of truth-force across the whole becoming.
Sat (true being), Dharma as law that holds (supports ṛta), Universal sovereignty (pati/rāj)
Dharmabhiḥ indicates lawful distribution—delight functioning as ṛta in the system.
Radiances are ‘of sat’: truth-light, not mental glare.
World-ordering by pervasion: the One essence distributes itself to become the Many while remaining sovereign.
Vedantic integralism: sat → cit (vision) → ananda (Soma) governing becoming.
Light-banners = guiding perceptions; flow = continuous movement of ananda; encircling = integral awareness holding all parts together.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as universal sovereign whose lights encompass all abodes and who distributes himself by dharma (laws of right order). Mythically: the kingly Soma pervades and rules the worlds through luminous signs; psychologically: truth-consciousness organizes and governs the whole being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘being’ lexeme sat (√as ‘be’) is central IE ontology; ‘king/rule’ √rāj is both political and luminous in Indo-Iranian usage. The verse fuses sovereignty with radiance (ketu), a characteristic IE sacral trope where authority is a function of light/truth.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acknowledges Soma not only as a ritual drink but as sat—true being—whose ketus illuminate every plane and whose dharmas regulate distribution. The devotee’s reciprocity is assent and alignment: by invoking Soma’s reign, the seeker consents to be ordered by truth-law rather than by desire and confusion.
Pervade the whole body-mind with a single calm delight; let it organize thoughts and impulses by truth-sense.
Sahasrara/Ajna (all-seeing) with whole-body vyāna distribution.
Whole-body breathing: feel inhale rise to crown, exhale spread through limbs (vyāna).
Expansive equanimity with luminous order.
After chanting, scan ‘all dhāmāni’ (body, life, mind, heart) and let one quiet joy-light occupy each; then resolve one action aligned with dharma.
Maintain clear udatta on viśvacakṣa/ketavaḥ/dharmabhiḥ where accented; follow padapāṭha for svarita transitions.
Give spacious pauses at caesura points; keep compounds smooth (viśvacakṣa ṛbhvasaḥ).
: ‘śv’ cluster; ‘cakṣ’ with kṣ conjunct, : vocalic ṛ; ‘bhv’ cluster lightly articulated, : long ā; ‘śiḥ’ with visarga soft, : ‘j’ voiced; short a’s distinct
Broad, steady, resonant; avoid urgency—carry a ‘kingly’ calm.
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