Rig Veda 9.87.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 87, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.87
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism)
एष सुवानः परि सोमः पवित्रे सर्गो न सृष्टो अदधावदर्वा । तिग्मे शिशानो महिषो न शृङ्गे गा गव्यन्नभि शूरो न सत्वा ॥
eṣá suvānáḥ pári sómaḥ pavítre sárgo ná sṛṣṭó adadhāvad árvā | tigmé śiśāno mahíṣo ná śṛ́ṅge gā́ gavyánn abhí śū́ro ná sátvā ||
यह सोम रस निचोड़ा गया है और छन्नी के पास से गुज़रता है। जैसे पानी की बड़ी लहर आती है, वैसे ही यह दौड़ता है। यह अपने आप को तेज़ करता है जैसे बैंस अपने सींग रगड़ता है। यह चमक ढूंढता है, जैसे कोई बहादुर आदमी आगे बढ़ता है।
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुवानः
- being pressed/expressedParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (सुवान- ‘pressing/producing’)Role KartāRoot √सु (सु- प्रसवे) → सुवान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around, all aboutIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवित्रे
- in/through the filter (sieve)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सर्गः
- a stream, rushNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; √सृज् ‘to let go/emit’)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root न (अव्यय)
- सृष्टः
- released, let looseParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तःRole KartāRoot √सृज् (सृज् विसर्गे) → सृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अदधावत्
- ran, rushedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्टः), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √धाव् (धाव् गतौ) + अ (अग्म-लुङ्) → अदधावत्
- अर्वा
- a steed, swift horseNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वैदिकः रूपभेदः)Role KartāRoot अर्वन्/अर्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
- तिग्मे
- on the sharp (ones)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, द्विवचनम् (शृङ्गे इति द्विवचनानुरूपम्)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot तिग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- शिशानः
- sharpening (himself), whettingParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; वर्तमानकाले आत्मनेपदीय-स्वरूपः ‘whetting/sharpening himself’Role KartāRoot √शा/शी (शा तीक्ष्णीकरणे/शि शाने) → शिशान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- महिषः
- a bull (buffalo), mighty oneNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root न (अव्यय)
- शृङ्गे
- on the two hornsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, द्विवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
- गाः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- गव्यन्
- seeking cows, cow-winningAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘गो-इच्छन्/गो-अन्वेषी’Role KartāRoot गो + √इ (इच्छा/गमन) → गव्य (कृदन्त/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक); गव्यन् = प्रथमा एकवचनम् (वैदिकः)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- शूरः
- a heroNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root न (अव्यय)
- सत्वा
- a strong one, championNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वैदिकः रूपः)Role KartāRoot सत्वन्/सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; ‘strong being/warrior’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (समाधानम्): एषः | सुवानः | परि | सोमः | पवित्रे | सर्गः | न | सृष्टः | अदधावत् | अर्वा | तिग्मे | शिशानः | महिषः | न | शृङ्गे | गाः | गव्यन् | अभि | शूरः | न | सत्वा । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: सोमः पवित्रे (विसर्ग-लोप/परिवर्तनः पदपाठे पृथक्), सृष्टो अदधावत् → सृष्टः + अदधावत् (ओ/अ इति संहितायां), गव्यन्नभि → गव्यन् + अभि (न् + अ → न्न), शूरो न → शूरः + न (विसर्गः संहितायां ‘ओ’ इव)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Pressed Soma runs around the filter like a released flood, rushing forward; sharpening on keen edges like a buffalo on its horns, it seeks the cows; heroic and strong, it presses on.
Inner meaning
The Soma-current, once released by inner pressing (suvānaḥ), becomes an unstoppable surge of Ananda moving through the pavitra (purifying discernment). It is not a soft pleasure but a force that ‘sharpens’ itself on the tigme (keen edges): the austerities, discriminations, and truth-cuts that remove mixture. Like a buffalo honing its horns, the will-to-delight becomes a powerful instrument. Its aim is gāḥ/gavyan—cows/rays: recoveries of lost light, illuminations concealed by the coverer. Soma becomes śūraḥ satvā—heroic being-force: delight transformed into courageous action and steadfastness on the path.
Universal truth
Spiritual joy, when disciplined, becomes strength; it does not escape life but charges forward, cutting through confusion and restoring hidden knowledge.
Themes
Soma as surge, heroic purification, seeking the cows (knowledge)
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma-Pavamāna seer tradition (exact attribution needs Anukramaṇī)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.87.7 (self), RV 9.76 (Soma as rushing stream, purification imagery—theme-level)
Family tradition
Ninth maṇḍala Soma specialists; imagery of surge, sharpening, and light-recovery is characteristic of the inner battle tradition.
Significance
Portrays the yoga’s crucial turn: delight becomes a disciplined power that actively seeks illumination, not a passive enjoyment.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Suvāna (pressed), Pavamāna (purifying), Śūra-satvan (heroic being-force)
- Related deities
- Indra (battle for light), Agni (pressing/aspiration)
Cosmic role
Dynamic current that releases and refines life-energy, enabling the recovery of light.
Inner power
Transforms Ananda into sharpened will and luminous seeking; energizes the conquest of obscurity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration chants (Pavamāna)
ए॒ष सु॑वा॒नः परि॒ सोम॑: प॒वित्रे॒ सर्गो॒ न सृ॒ष्टो अ॑दधाव॒दर्वा॑ । ति॒ग्मे शिशा॑नो महि॒षो न शृङ्गे॒ गा ग॒व्यन्न॒भि शूरो॒ न सत्वा॑ ॥
ए॒षः । सि॒वा॒नः । परि॑ । सोमः॑ । प॒वित्रे॑ । सर्गः॑ । न । सृ॒ष्टः । अ॒द॒धा॒व॒त् । अर्वा॑ । ति॒ग्मे । शिशा॑नः । म॒हि॒षः । न । शृङ्गे॑ । गाः । ग॒व्यन् । अ॒भि । शूरः॑ । न । सत्वा॑ ॥
eṣaḥ | sivānaḥ | pari | somaḥ | pavitre | sargaḥ | na | sṛṣṭaḥ | adadhāvat | arvā | tigme | śiśānaḥ | mahiṣaḥ | na | śṛṅge | gāḥ | gavyan | abhi | śūraḥ | na | satvā
44
4×11 (approx.)
Rapid rush with hard ‘tigm’ consonantal edges
Invokes vigor and cutting clarity; supports a sense of unstoppable forward motion.
- पवित्रे (pavitre)
- Literal: in/around the filter. Symbolic: Purifying discernment; the clarifying medium of yoga
- सर्गः न सृष्टः (sargo na sṛṣṭaḥ)
- Literal: like a stream released. Symbolic: Unblocked flow of consciousness once inner knots are opened
- तिग्मे (tigme)
- Literal: keen, sharp. Symbolic: Sharp truth-force; tapas that refines and cuts away mixture
- महिषः न शृङ्गे (mahiṣo na śṛṅge)
- Literal: like a buffalo on its horns. Symbolic: Powerful being sharpening its instruments of action/knowledge
- गाः (gāḥ) / गव्यन् (gavyan)
- Literal: cows; seeking cows. Symbolic: Seeking rays of light/knowledge hidden in the subconscient
- शूरः न सत्वा (śūraḥ na satvā)
- Literal: like a hero, strong being. Symbolic: Heroic soul-force; steadfast vital energy aligned to the spirit
Dynamic description of Soma rushing through purification; supports the energizing, obstacle-clearing aspect of the pavamāna sequence.
During straining when Soma is made ‘fit’ for offering
Accompanies the visible rushing through the strainer; reinforces the intent of purification and power
Use when lethargy or emotional softness blocks progress—chant to awaken disciplined joy and courage.
sarga ‘surge’ from √sṛj domain of emission/creation. śiśāna (whetting) conveys self-intensification of force. gāḥ again as rays of knowledge/light; Soma ‘seeks the cows’ = seeks/recovers illuminations.
self-whetting force (inner tapas-like intensification), recovery of light (cows as rays), heroic energy in purification
The stream’s right course through the filter images alignment with cosmic order.
Sharpening implies truth-separation from mixture (satya vs. anṛta).
Release of a hidden current that restores concealed light-powers.
Aurobindonian symbolism: Ananda-force as an active agent in the battle for illumination.
A released inner current, refined by tapas, becomes a heroic seeker that recovers rays of knowledge from concealment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as released surge and heroic seeker of cows: the purifying Soma rushes like a discharged torrent and seeks the ‘cows’ (rays). Innerly, clarified delight becomes an intensified power that hunts illumination and presses forward against resistance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sṛj (sṛṣṭa) belongs to the IE sphere of ‘letting go/streaming/creating’ (cf. the semantic neighborhood of ‘flow’ roots in IE poetics). The repeated kinetic verbs (adadhāvat, plus motion particles) show a formulaic IE style: action is encoded by stacked motion markers.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi witnesses Soma’s inner heroism: Soma is not passive liquid but a self-sharpening satvan. By celebrating this, the rishi aligns the practitioner with that forward rush—so the same purified force may become active in the seeker, recovering rays of knowledge.
Feel a current of joy rushing upward; apply discrimination as ‘keen edges’ to refine it; aim it toward inner light.
Maṇipūra (force) to Ājñā (light-seeking)
Brisk japa on exhale; brief kumbhaka after each pāda to ‘sharpen’ attention.
Dynamic concentration; courageous clarity
Identify one muddiness (desire, doubt, inertia); chant while holding it in awareness; let the mantra’s ‘rush’ and ‘sharpness’ cut through, then rest in the clearer flow.
Standard Vedic svara; exact udātta positions require accent-marked saṃhitā.
Give a slight percussive clarity to consonant clusters: sargo, sṛṣṭo, tigme, śiśāno.
śiśāno: keep repeated śi clear, no ‘shi-sha’ blur., mahiṣo: retroflex ṣ., gavyan: nasalization subtle; do not over-nasalize.
Strong, resonant, slightly percussive
7
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