Rig Veda 9.92.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 92, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.92
- Rishi
- Rebha Kāśyapa
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
परि सद्मेव पशुमान्ति होता राजा न सत्यः समितीरियानः । सोमः पुनानः कलशाँ अयासीत्सीदन्मृगो न महिषो वनेषु ॥
pári sádmeva paśu-mā́nti hótā rājā́ na satyáḥ sám-itīr iyānáḥ | sómaḥ punānáḥ kalaśā́m̐ ayāsīt sī́dan mṛgó na mahíṣo váneṣu ||
वो ऐसे घूमता है जैसे कोई पंडित जानवरों के बीच में बैठा हो। सच बोलता है, जैसे राजा लोगों के बीच आता है। सोम जी, जो साफ हो रहे हैं, वो मटके में आ गए हैं। वहाँ बैठ गए जैसे जंगल में कोई जानवर, कोई बड़ा भैंस जैसे अपनी जगह पर हो।
Word by Word
- परि
- around, all aboutIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सद्म
- seat, abode, dwellingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सद्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानवाचक अव्ययRoot इव (अव्यय)
- पशुमान्
- possessing cattle, rich in beastsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot पशुमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इति
- thus (so-called)Indeclinableउक्त्यर्थक/निदर्शनार्थक अव्ययRoot इति (अव्यय)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priest, invokerNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (सम्बन्ध/अप्पोज़िशन to सोमः)Root होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- राजा
- kingNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (अप्पोज़िशन)Root राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थक अव्ययRoot न (अव्यय)
- सत्यः
- true, truthfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषण)Root सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- समिती
- in the assembly, in the gatheringNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot समिति (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईरियानः
- moving, advancing, stirringVerbवर्तमानकाले; आत्मनेपदी; शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (सोमः)Root ईर् (धातु) / ईरियान (कृदन्त, शानच्)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुनानः
- purifying himself, being purifiedVerbवर्तमानकाले; आत्मनेपदी; शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (सोमः)Root पू (धातु) / पुनान (कृदन्त, शानच्)
- कलशान्
- jars, vessels (filtering vats)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
- अयासीत्
- came, went toward, reachedVerbलुङ् (अorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole Kartā (सोमः)Root या (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
- सीदन्
- sitting down, settlingVerbवर्तमानकाले; परस्मैपदी; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (सोमः)Root सद् (धातु)
- मृगः
- a wild animal, deerNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (उपमान)Root मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थक अव्ययRoot न (अव्यय)
- महिषः
- buffalo; mighty bullNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (उपमान)Root महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
- वनेषु
- in the woods, in the forestsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वन (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): सद्मे॑व → सद्म + इव
- पशु॒मान्ति॒ → पशुमान् + इति
- समि॑तीरिया॒नः → समिती + ईरियानः
- सोम॑: → सोमः
- कलशाँ॑ → कलशान्
- अयासी॒त्सीद॑न् → अयासीत् + सीदन्. (स्वर/उदात्त-चिह्न पाठानुसार; पदच्छेद में सामान्य रूप रखा गया।)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma moves about like a Hotṛ among wealthy herds, true as a king going to assemblies. Purifying, he has come to the jars; he settles like a wild beast, like a great buffalo in the forests.
Inner meaning
Soma acts as the inner priest (hotā): the bliss-force that ‘recites’ and offers our movements upward, moving among the rich herds—i.e., abundant life-energies and capacities. He is ‘true as a king’: a sovereign principle establishing right order in the gathered parts of the being (assemblies). Entering the jars (kalaśa = prepared mind-vessel), he becomes powerfully seated—like a mighty buffalo in the forest—symbolizing the settled, masterful presence of Ananda in the depths of life-nature once purified.
Universal truth
When delight is purified, it becomes priest and king: it consecrates energies and governs the assembly of the self, settling as a stable strength rather than a fleeting pleasure.
Themes
Soma sovereignty, inner mastery, settling of force, purification into stability
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma Pavamāna anthology; specific rishi not preserved in the provided source.
- Other hymns
- RV 9.92.5 (preceding), RV 9.93.1 (next hymn opening)
Family tradition
Book 9’s Soma hymns are liturgical-seer compilations; this verse bears a strong psychological kingship/priesthood motif typical of Angirasa-inspired inner-sacrifice imagery.
Significance
Presents Soma not only as purified substance but as a governing presence—bridging ritual ‘jar’ and yogic ‘vessel of mind’.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Punāna (purifying), Satya (true), Hotṛ-rūpa (priest-formed, by simile), Rājā (king, by simile)
- Related deities
- Agni (priesthood), Indra (sovereign force/illumination), Varuṇa/Mitra (truth-order, thematic)
Cosmic role
Consecrator of energies and sovereign organizer of the sacrifice; stabilizer of power in the worlds.
Inner power
Ananda as both offering-force and governing clarity; makes life-energy strong yet obedient to truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration and collection into kalaśa; praise during movement of Soma through ritual space.
परि॒ सद्मे॑व पशु॒मान्ति॒ होता॒ राजा॒ न स॒त्यः समि॑तीरिया॒नः । सोम॑: पुना॒नः क॒लशाँ॑ अयासी॒त्सीद॑न्मृ॒गो न म॑हि॒षो वने॑षु ॥
पर् । सद्म॑ऽइव । प॒शु॒ऽमन्ति॑ । होता॑ । राजा॑ । न । स॒त्यः । सम्ऽइ॑तीः । इ॒या॒नः । सोमः॑ । पु॒ना॒नः । क॒लशा॑न् । अ॒या॒सी॒त् । सीद॑न् । मृ॒गः । न । म॒हि॒षः । वने॑षु ॥
par | sadma-iva | paśu-manti | hotā | rājā | na | satyaḥ | sam-itīḥ | iyānaḥ | somaḥ | punānaḥ | kalaśān | ayāsīt | sīdan | mṛgaḥ | na | mahiṣaḥ | vaneṣu
48
4 pādas of ~12 syllables
Majestic, processional rhythm—befitting ‘king to assemblies’.
Grounds the listener; evokes settled strength and sovereign calm.
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: Hotṛ priest. Symbolic: Inner officiant—will of offering guided by luminous delight
- पशुमन्ति (paśumānti)
- Literal: rich in cattle/herds. Symbolic: Abundant life-forces, capacities, and energies to be consecrated
- राजा (rājā)
- Literal: king. Symbolic: Sovereign organizing power in consciousness
- समितीः (samitīḥ)
- Literal: assemblies, gatherings. Symbolic: Gathered parts of the being; collective inner forum of thoughts/impulses
- क॒लशान् (kalaśān)
- Literal: jars. Symbolic: Mind-vessels prepared to receive the clarified essence
- मृगः (mṛgaḥ)
- Literal: wild animal. Symbolic: Free, instinctive power—life-force reclaimed and mastered
- महिṣः (mahiṣaḥ)
- Literal: buffalo/bull. Symbolic: Great vital strength made steady and serviceable
- वनेषु (vaneṣu)
- Literal: in forests. Symbolic: In the depths of life-nature/subconscient terrain
Soma’s movement through ritual spaces to the kalaśa; imagery of sovereignty and priestly function. Inner sense: purified delight becomes the organizing sovereign and invoking power moving through the plenitudes of life and settling firmly in the vessel of consciousness.
As Soma is brought/settled into vessels; accompanying the handling and placement of jars.
Guiding the ‘settling’ of Soma; affirming truth and strength in the rite.
Use when seeking steadiness: chant to ‘seat’ calm power in the body and stabilize scattered energies.
samiti ‘assembly’ from sam- ‘together’ + √i ‘go’: a going-together, convergence. rājā: sovereignty; satyaḥ: truth-founded sovereignty. mahíṣa symbolizes concentrated force (root nuance mah- ‘great’), used for Soma’s powerful settling in the ‘forests’—the unmastered life-regions—now made his domain by purification.
Satya (truth as basis of sovereignty), mastery of life-nature (vana as untamed field), convergence (samiti) of faculties
Soma as king organizes the inner assemblies into Ṛta—right arrangement of movements.
‘Satyaḥ’ indicates the governing principle must be truth-aligned, not merely forceful.
Formation of a stable ‘seat’ of power in the vessel—microcosmic enthronement.
Integral psychology: priesthood/kingdom as functions of consciousness, not social roles.
Forest = subconscious life-depths; buffalo = concentrated vital power; jar = refined mental container; herds = energies to be guided; assembly = integrated personality.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as king and priest moving to the assemblies and settling in the jars: the mythic enthronement of Soma. The animal similes (mṛga/mahíṣa in forests) portray the raw power of delight-force that, once purified, can inhabit and master the wild life-regions rather than be lost in them.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rājā ‘king’ reflects the widespread IE institution of sacral kingship (cf. Latin rēx from *h₃rēǵ-; Sanskrit rā́jan- from the same PIE root). √sad ‘sit’ (sīdan) is an old IE root (*sed-) seen in Latin sedēre, English sit (via Germanic).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi depicts Soma not only as an object of offering but as the inner officiant (Hotṛ-like) and sovereign (rājā-like). The human gathers the ‘assemblies’ (samiti), and Soma advances into them to govern; the reciprocity is governance for offering—truth-founded power (satya) organizes the seeker’s abundant energies (paśu-mant) when welcomed into the vessels (kalaśa).
Enthrone purified delight as the ‘king’ of the inner assembly; let it officiate offerings of thought and impulse.
Manipura (sovereign force) anchored by Muladhara (settling), refined through Anahata (delight).
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; on inhale ‘gather the assembly’, on exhale ‘seat Soma in the jar’ (heart-mind).
Stable, powerful calm; centered governance.
When life-force is wild, do not suppress—purify and seat it. Let joy become disciplined strength rather than restless desire.
Maintain traditional udatta/anudatta flow; treat similes (‘iva’, ‘na’) lightly; exact svara requires accented text.
Keep ‘hotā’ and ‘rājā’ sonorous; articulate ‘somaḥ punānaḥ’ clearly; pause slightly at the caesura before ‘somaḥ’.
pari: light rolling ‘r’, paśumānti: ś (palatal), long ā, kalaśān: retroflex ṣ? (actually ś in kalaśa), keep ‘śa’ soft, mahiṣo: retroflex ṣ, short o at end
Deep, steady, grounded resonance.
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