Rig Veda 9.86.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.86
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seer-tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यज्ञस्य केतुः पवते स्वध्वरः सोमो देवानामुप याति निष्कृतम् । सहस्रधारः परि कोशमर्षति वृषा पवित्रमत्येति रोरुवत् ॥
yajñásya ketúḥ pavate svadhvaráḥ sómo devānām úpa yāti niṣkṛtám | sahásra-dhāraḥ pári kośam arṣati vṛ́ṣā pavítram áty eti rórūvat ||
यज्ञ का संकेत सोम है, वो साफ़ हो कर बह रहा है। वो भगवानों के पास जाता है जहाँ वो प्रकट होते हैं। उसमें हज़ारों धारें हैं और वो बर्तन के चारों तरफ दौड़ता है। एक मज़बूत बैल की तरह वो फ़िल्टर से गुज़र जाता है और आवाज़ करता है।
Word by Word
- यज्ञस्य
- of the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- केतुः
- banner/sign; signalNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवते
- purifies/flows (as purified)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot पू (धातु) [पवते < पूयते/पवते]
- स्वध्वरः
- having a good rite; of good sacrificeAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (केतुः/सोमः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सु-ध्वर (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (for/to the gods; genitive relation)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- towards; nearIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot उप
- याति
- goes/approachesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot या (धातु)
- निष्कृतम्
- the prepared/finished (place/goal); the purification/finished workNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (गन्तव्य/कर्मरूपेण)Role कर्म (गत्यर्थे द्वितीया)Root निष्कृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; नि: + √कृ)
- सहस्रधारः
- thousand-streamedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (सोमस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सहस्र-धार (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारय-समास)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot परि
- कोशम्
- vessel; containerNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (परि-अर्षति इत्यस्य)Root कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्षति
- moves/rushesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot ऋष्/अर्ष् (धातु) [गत्यर्थ]
- वृषा
- bull; potent oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (सोमस्य)Role कर्तृRoot वृषन्/वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवित्रम्
- the filter; purifier (sieve)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (अत्येति इत्यस्य)Root पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अति
- over; beyondIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot अति
- एति
- goesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot इ (धातु)
- रोरुवत्
- roaringly; with a roarAdjective/Participleनपुंसकलिङ्ग; अव्ययवत्/क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोग (एति इत्यस्य प्रकारवाचक)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot रोरुवत् (कृदन्त; √रु/रव् ‘to roar’ का तीव्र/पुनरुक्त-आधार)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठे ‘देवाना॒मुप॑’ = देवानाम् + उप (म् + उ → मुप्, अनुस्वार/मकार-सन्धि)
- ‘निष्कृ॒तम्’ पदरूपेण नि: + कृतम् (उपसर्गपूर्वक कृदन्त)
- ‘सहस्रधारः’ समास (सहस्र + धार)
- ‘परि कोशम्’ उपसर्ग ‘परि’ क्रियायोगे (पर्यर्षति)
- ‘पवित्रम् अत्येति’ = पवित्रम् + अति + एति (उपसर्ग-योगः; अति-एति → अत्येति)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The sign of the sacrifice flows—Soma whose course is well-ordered; he approaches the gods’ open space. Thousand-streamed, he rushes around the sheath; the strong one passes beyond the filter with a resounding cry.
Inner meaning
Soma becomes yajñasya ketuḥ—the luminous indicator of the inner sacrifice: the sure sign that the offering-movement is rightly proceeding (su-adhvara). It moves toward the devas’ niṣkṛta, the cleared, open field of manifestation in consciousness where divine powers can act. As sahasradhāraḥ, it pours in countless currents—multiple forms of joy-knowledge-energy—circling the kośa (sheath of mind-life) to permeate and transform it. Then the vṛṣā (forceful delight) surpasses the filter with roruvat, a victorious roar: the breakthrough of clarified ananda beyond mere mental discrimination into free, overflowing realization.
Universal truth
A true inner offering is known by a luminous sign: when delight becomes ordered, multi-streamed, and breaks through limitations, it opens the being to divine action.
Themes
Soma-ritual, force and overflow, opening of the inner space, illumination as guidance (ketu)
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seer-tradition (Mandala 9); precise personal rishi for 9.86 varies by Anukramaṇī recension.
- Other hymns
- RV 9.86.6 (rays and settling into vessels), RV 9.96 (Soma as banner/sign and multi-streamed)
Family tradition
Pavamāna hymns are tightly linked with Sāman performance; the ‘ketu of yajña’ phrase reflects a liturgical-seer insight into the sign of successful inner/outer offering.
Significance
Defines a criterion of progress: ordered practice yields a luminous sign and an overflowing, many-streamed ananda that breaks through sheaths.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- yajñasya ketuḥ, svadhvaraḥ, sahasradhāraḥ, vṛṣā
- Related deities
- Indra (victory/roar), Agni (sacrifice leader), Viśve Devāḥ (gods’ field of action)
Cosmic role
Purified delight that opens the ‘cleared space’ for gods and carries offerings through manifold streams.
Inner power
Ananda-force that both guides (ketu) and breaks through (atyeti) into a freer consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña pavamāna chanting as Soma is strained and offered; approach to devas’ ‘opened’ space
य॒ज्ञस्य॑ के॒तुः प॑वते स्वध्व॒रः सोमो॑ दे॒वाना॒मुप॑ याति निष्कृ॒तम् । स॒हस्र॑धार॒: परि॒ कोश॑मर्षति॒ वृषा॑ प॒वित्र॒मत्ये॑ति॒ रोरु॑वत् ॥
य॒ज्ञस्य॑ । के॒तुः । प॒व॒ते॒ । सु॒ऽअ॒ध्व॒रः । सोमः॑ । दे॒वाना॑म् । उप॑ । या॒ति॒ । निः॒ऽकृ॒तम् । स॒हस्र॑ऽधारः॑ । परि॑ । कोश॑म् । अ॒र्ष॒ति॒ । वृषा॑ । प॒वित्र॑म् । अति॑ । ए॒ति॒ । रोरु॑वत् ॥
yajñasya | ketuḥ | pavate | su-adhvaraḥ | somaḥ | devānām | upa | yāti | niḥ-kṛtam | sahasra-dhāraḥ | pari | kośam | arṣati | vṛṣā | pavitram | ati | eti | roruvat
48
4 x 12; emphatic verbs at cadence points (pavate, yāti, arṣati, aty eti)
Triumphal and expansive; the final pāda has a punchy ‘breakthrough’ feel.
Elicits uplift and victory; good for energizing and concluding a purification/offerings sequence.
- यज्ञस्य केतुः (yajñasya ketuḥ)
- Literal: banner/sign of the sacrifice. Symbolic: inner certainty and luminous guidance that the yoga-sacrifice is effective
- स्वध्वरः (svadhvaraḥ / su-adhvaraḥ)
- Literal: having a good/right path of sacrifice. Symbolic: rightly ordered practice aligned with truth and aspiration
- निष्कृतम् (niṣkṛtam)
- Literal: cleared/opened place. Symbolic: purified field of consciousness where divine forces descend/act
- सहस्रधारः (sahasradhāraḥ)
- Literal: thousand-streamed. Symbolic: manifold currents of ananda and illumination permeating the being
- कोशम् (kośam)
- Literal: sheath, container. Symbolic: mental-vital coverings that must be pervaded and transformed
- पवित्रम् (pavitram)
- Literal: filter. Symbolic: discriminating purification; threshold between mixed and clarified consciousness
- अत्येति (aty eti)
- Literal: passes beyond. Symbolic: breakthrough beyond limitation into freer truth-consciousness
- रोरुवत् (roruvat)
- Literal: roaring, resounding. Symbolic: triumphant release of force; decisive inner victory
Soma pressing: the moment of Soma’s flow through/over the purifier and its approach to the devatās in the offering-space.
During the flow/collection and just before offerings, marking Soma as fit and ‘manifest’ for devas
Chanting while Soma streams, encircles the strainer/cloth, and is collected; consecration for offering
Use before important work: align intention (svadhvara), open a clear inner space (niṣkṛta), then act from a many-streamed calm joy rather than narrow strain.
svadhvará = su- + adhvara (‘sacrifice/course’), where adhvara is traditionally ‘sacrifice’ but etymologically linked to a ‘course/procedure’; su- marks rightness/ease. niṣ-kṛta ‘made out/cleared’ from √kṛ ‘do/make’ with nis ‘out’; indicates a prepared arena. kośa ‘sheath’ (container/covering) suggests an encasing formation. ati-√i ‘to go beyond’ in atiyeti marks transcendence of the filtering stage.
yajña as transformation, crossing beyond limitation (ati), manifestation-field (niṣkṛta)
svadhvara indicates alignment with ṛta—the right course of the inner journey.
The ‘cleared space’ is a satya-field: unobstructed by falsehood or mixture.
Manifestation through clearing and flowing: the divine acts where space is purified and essence is offered.
Integral yoga reading: sacrifice as inner transformation; Soma as ananda-power enabling descent/ascent and victory over sheaths.
Flow = continuous ananda; thousand streams = multiple faculties illuminated; sheath = limiting formations; roar = decisive liberation of force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic pattern is ‘Soma’s approach to the gods’—the clarified essence moves from the human rite into the divine field (devānām… niṣkṛtam). The ‘sheath’ (kośa) marks an obstacle/containment; Soma’s thousand-streamed force encircles and surpasses it, indicating liberation of the delight-consciousness from limiting coverings.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √i ‘go’ in ati-eti corresponds to PIE *h₁ei- ‘to go’, a frequent poetic verb for transcendence/crossing. √kṛ ‘make/do’ (PIE *(s)ker- is different; but Indo-Aryan √kṛ continues PIE *kwer-/ *ker-?; at minimum it reflects an archaic IE ‘do/make’ verb family), used here to encode ‘preparedness’ (niṣ-kṛta) as a made-open space—ritual making as world-making.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames Soma as the operative light of the yajña (yajñasya ketuḥ): the human act is not primary; the divine power is. The reciprocity is that the aspirant provides the right course (su-adhvara) and the cleared field (niṣkṛta), and Soma in turn enters communion with the gods, enabling the human to participate in that widened divine space.
Recognize the ‘ketu’—the inner sign of right practice: clarity, openness, and overflowing but ordered joy.
Ajna (clear sign/ketu) and Sahasrara (opened space for devas).
3 rounds of kapalabhati (gentle) to ‘clear space’, then steady 6-6 breathing while repeating the mantra mentally.
Victorious openness—forceful yet ordered.
Before action, inwardly ‘clear’ (niṣkṛta) a space by dropping agitation; feel joy become multi-streamed (not fixated); then let one decisive movement break through the sheath of hesitation.
RV svara as per saṃhitā; keep strong udatta on ketuḥ, pavate, sahasradhāraḥ, aty eti; observe svarita falls after udatta.
Let each pāda end cleanly; emphasize the final ‘roruvat’ with controlled resonance, not shouting.
: pronounce as su-adhvara (clear ‘dhv’ cluster), : ‘ṣkṛ’ conjunct with vocalic ṛ, : keep ‘sahasra’ light; long ā in dhāraḥ, : roll r; keep short a at end, crisp t
Bright, triumphant, resonant chest-head balance; end with a vibrating, contained ‘roar’ quality.
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