Rig Veda 9.9.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 9, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.9
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ता अभि सन्तमस्तृतं महे युवानमा दधुः । इन्दुमिन्द्र तव व्रते ॥
tā́ abhi sántam ástṛtaṃ mahé yúvānam ā́ dadhuḥ | índum indra táva vraté ||
वो सोम-रस को सही जगह रखते हैं। एक ऐसी शक्ति के पास जो सच में है और कभी गिरा नहीं। यह एक नई जवान शक्ति है। इंद्र, तेरे नियम के लिए यह इंदु को स्थापित करते हैं।
Word by Word
- ताः
- those (them)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, overIndeclinableउपसर्ग/पूर्वपद-अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सन्तम्
- being, existentAdjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सत् (√अस् ‘to be’ → वर्तमान कृदन्त ‘being’)
- अस्तृतम्
- unspread/uncarpeted; (ritually) not yet strewnAdjective (past participial)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot √स्तॄ/स्तृ (स्तरणे ‘to spread/cover’) + नञ्-अ (अ-)
- महे
- for the great (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot महत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- युवानम्
- the young oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- unto, into; (with √धा) ‘in place/into’Indeclinableउपसर्गRole AdhikaraṇaRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- दधुः
- they have placed/they placedVerbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot √धा (धारणे ‘to place/put’)
- इन्दुम्
- Indu; Soma-dropNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तव
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → त्वद्/तव
- व्रते
- in (your) ordinance/vow; in your sacred orderNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: ता अ॒भि सन्त॒मस्तृ॑तं म॒हे युवा॑न॒मा द॑धुः । इन्दु॑मिन्द्र॒ तव॑ व्र॒ते ॥ पद-विभागः (सन्धि-निरास): ताः | अभि | सन्तम् | अस्तृतम् | महे | युवानम् | आ | दधुः | इन्दुम् | इन्द्र | तव | व्रते । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) सन्तम् + अस्तृतम् → सन्तमस्तृतम् (अ + अ = अ; पदसीमा-लोपः). (2) युवानम् + आ → युवानमा (म् + आ → मा; अनुस्वार/मकार-सन्धि). (3) इन्दुम् + इन्द्र → इन्दुमिन्द्र (म् + इ = मि; पदसीमा-लोपः). स्वर-टिप्पणी: उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न (॒/॑) संहिता-पाठानुसार
- पद-पाठे सामान्यतः स्वरचिह्न न लिख्यते।
The meaning
Outer meaning
They place the Soma (Indu) in the right movement toward the truly-present, unfallen, great youthful power; O Indra, they establish Indu in your law/working.
Inner meaning
The inner powers (the ‘they’—our faculties or the assisting godheads) set the purified delight (Indu/Soma) into the true rhythm of action (vrata/ṛta-movement). This movement is directed toward the ‘santam astṛtam’—the Real Being that does not fall or deviate (the stable truth-consciousness), experienced as the ‘mahe yuvānam’—the great ever-young Power (Indra as luminous Mind-force). Thus Ananda is established within Indra’s law: illumination governs the work, and delight becomes the regulated energy of divine functioning rather than a wandering pleasure.
Universal truth
Delight becomes transformative when it is placed in right law and directed to the abiding Real; then the mind’s power acts with youthful strength without deviation.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Establishing the nectar in the divine law, Inner consecration of mind-force (Indra)
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.9 (Soma Pavamāna), Related Indra-Soma interface hymns: RV 9.61, 9.62 (general thematic)
Significance
The seer emphasizes the integration of Soma (delight) with Indra’s vrata (illumined law): a key yogic motif—Ananda must be governed by Truth-mind to become a stable power.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (with Indra addressed)
- Epithets
- Indu, Pavamāna, Madhu
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Maruts (as dynamic forces assisting Indra)
Cosmic role
Soma is the delight that empowers the gods; Indra is the lord of luminous mind who channels that power into victorious right action.
Inner power
Soma: bliss that purifies and energizes; Indra: illumined intelligence that ordains the right movement (vrata) and prevents the ‘fall’.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing/purification with Indra as principal recipient in many Soma offerings.
ता अ॒भि सन्त॒मस्तृ॑तं म॒हे युवा॑न॒मा द॑धुः । इन्दु॑मिन्द्र॒ तव॑ व्र॒ते ॥
ताः । अ॒भि । सन्त॑म् । अस्तृ॑तम् । म॒हे । युवा॑नम् । आ । द॒धुः॒ । इन्दु॑म् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । तव॑ । व्र॒ते ॥
tāḥ | abhi | santam | astṛtam | mahe | yuvānam | ā | dadhuḥ | indum | indra | tava | vrate
Directive and establishing; the cadence supports ‘placing’ and ‘ordaining’ (ā dadhuḥ, vrate).
Creates a sense of alignment—joy placed into order—supporting disciplined, luminous action.
- सन्तम् (santam)
- Literal: being, truly present. Symbolic: the abiding Real (sat), stable presence in consciousness
- अस्तृतम् (astṛtam)
- Literal: unfallen, not overthrown. Symbolic: non-deviating truth-state; consciousness not slipping into falsehood or inertia
- महे युवानम् (mahe yuvānam)
- Literal: the great youthful one. Symbolic: Indra-force as ever-renewing illumination and victorious mental energy
- व्रत (vrata)
- Literal: vow, law, ordained mode of action. Symbolic: ṛta-in-action: the right working of divine intelligence in the being
- इन्दुम् (indum)
- Literal: bright drop (Soma). Symbolic: purified Ananda/essence that feeds illumination
Soma Pavamāna sequence: verses used during Soma purification/flow (pavamāna) in Soma-yajña contexts (e.g., Agniṣṭoma and related Soma sacrifices).
During offerings where Soma is prepared/raised toward Indra; recited to ‘seat’ Soma in the rite’s right course.
Chant while Soma is offered/raised; intention of establishing right working and Indra’s empowerment.
For work, study, or leadership: chant to place joy into disciplined law—turning enthusiasm into steady illumined effectiveness.
Key terms: dadhuḥ < √dhā ‘to place, establish’ (perfect-like injunctive/aorist usage in Vedic narrative); santam < √as ‘to be’ (sat ‘true being’); astṛtam = a- + stṛta (from √stṛ/√star ‘to strew/lay low/overthrow’ → ‘not laid low’); indu ‘bright drop’ (Soma as luminous essence); vrata from √vṛ ‘to choose/will, restrain’ → ‘chosen law, ordinance, right rule’.
Sat (true being), Vrata (divine law/ordinance), R̥ta (implied right order through vrata)
Vrata is the operational face of ṛta—right order expressed as right working.
Astṛtam points to non-falling truth-consciousness as the target of movement.
Establishing the essence (Soma) in the law of action: creation as ordered manifestation of delight through intelligence.
Integral/psychological Veda: Ananda must be held by Truth-mind to become stable power.
Soma = refined joy; offering = conscious consecration; Indra’s law = illumined governance of energies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘establishment of Soma’ within Indra’s vrata: the mythic act is not battle but consecration—purifying powers place the luminous Soma into the ordained divine working so Indra’s victorious consciousness may act.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- santam (from √as ‘be’) continues PIE *h₁es- ‘to be’ (cf. Latin est, English is). dadhuḥ from √dhā continues PIE *dʰeh₁- ‘to put, set’ (cf. Greek τίθημι, Latin faciō is different but ‘do’ overlaps semantically; more direct is Greek thē-). vrata from √vṛ relates to PIE *wel-/*wer- semantic field ‘will/choose/turn’ (Indo-Iranian specialization into ‘ordinance’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer aligns human purification (the ‘they’—ritual/inner forces) with Indra’s divine ordinance: Soma is offered not as commodity but as consciousness-substance, asking Indra to receive it within his law and thereby empower the soul’s victorious movement.
Consecrate joy to truth-governed action: ‘place the Indu in Indra’s vrata’.
Maṇipūra (right action/will) guided by Ājñā (illumination).
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to ‘establish’ steadiness; then chant on a smooth exhale.
Energetic clarity—joy held in luminous discipline.
Before beginning work, chant and visualize a bright drop of Soma settling in the heart, then rising to the brow where Indra’s light ordains the day’s actions.
Not specified (requires svara text).
Lean on the verb-impulses: ā dádhuḥ; keep clarity on índum índra; avoid swallowing consonant clusters.
(astṛtam): keep retroflex ṭ clear, (yuvānam): ‘yu’ light, long ā, (indum): dental ‘d’, nasal ‘m’ audible, (vrate): roll ‘r’, short final ‘e’
Steady, assertive, bright; end each line with a slight settling to convey ‘establishment’.
9
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