Rig Veda 9.97.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 97, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.97
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
प्र गायताभ्यर्चाम देवान्त्सोमं हिनोत महते धनाय । स्वादुः पवाते अति वारमव्यमा सीदाति कलशं देवयुर्नः ॥
prá gāyatā́bhy àrcāma devā́nt sómaṃ hinota mahaté dhánāya | svādúḥ pavāte áti vā́ram ávyam ā́ sīdāti kalaśáṃ deva-yúr naḥ ||
गाओ और भगवानों की स्तुति करो। सोम को आगे बढ़ाओ ताकि बड़ा फल मिले। यह मीठा है और कपड़े से फ़िल्टर होके पानी में मिलता है। वो एक बर्तन में आके बैठता है, भगवान का प्यारा बन के।
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- गायता
- sing (you all)!Verbloṭ (imperative), 2nd person plural, parasmaipadaRole Kartā (implicit ‘you’)Root √गै (गाय्) / गाय (verbal stem)
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableupasarga/prepositionRoot अभि (upasarga)
- अर्चाम
- let us praise/singVerbloṭ (imperative), 1st person plural, parasmaipadaRole Kartā (implicit ‘we’)Root √अर्च्
- देवान्
- the godsNounmasculine, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot देव
- सोमम्
- SomaNounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot सोम
- हिनोत
- impel/drive on (you all)Verbloṭ (imperative), 2nd person plural, parasmaipadaRole Kartā (implicit ‘you’)Root √हि (हिनोति)
- महते
- for great (gain)Adjectiveneuter, dative singular (used as adjective)Role Sampradāna (purpose/benefit)Root महत्
- धनाय
- for wealth/prizeNounneuter, dative singularRole Sampradāna (purpose)Root धन
- स्वादुः
- sweet, pleasantAdjectivemasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot स्वादु
- पवाते
- purifies/flows (as purified)Verbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepadaRole KartāRoot √पू (पवते)
- अति
- beyond, overIndeclinablepreposition/adverbRoot अति (upasarga/avyaya)
- वारम्
- the strainer/sieve (wool-filter)Nounneuter, accusative singularRole Karma (object of motion)Root वार
- अव्यम्
- of sheep’s wool, woollenAdjectiveneuter, accusative singularRole Viśeṣaṇa of वारम्Root अव्य
- आ
- to, untoIndeclinableupasarga/preverbRoot आ (upasarga)
- सीदाति
- sits down/settlesVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada (Vedic variant with -आति)Role KartāRoot √सद् (सीदति)
- कलशम्
- the jar, vesselNounmasculine, accusative singularRole Adhikaraṇa (goal/place reached) / Karma (object of entering)Root कलश
- देवयुः
- god-seeking, devoted to the godsAdjectivemasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to Soma)Root देवयु (from देव + √यु ‘to join/seek’; prātipadika देवयु-)
- नः
- of us, ourPronoungenitive plural (enclitic)Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot अस्मद्
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved Vedic sandhi/pada-splitting: गा॑यता॒भ्य॑र्चाम → गायता + अभि + अर्चाम
- दे॒वान्त्सोमं॑ → देवान् + सोमम् (final -न् + initial स- gives -न्त्स- in saṃhitā)
- वार॒मव्य॒म् → वारम् + अव्यम्
- देव॒युर्न॑: → देवयुः + नः (visarga before nasal becomes -र्- in saṃhitā). Accents retained in citation but not encoded per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
The singers are urged to sing and chant to the Gods, driving Soma onward for great wealth. Sweet Soma streams beyond the woolen strainer and settles in the jar; he is ‘devayū’—one who seeks/loves the Gods—for us.
Inner meaning
The mantra calls the aspirant-faculties to intensify mantra (song) and aspiration (hymn) so that Soma—inner delight—may be urged into a greater plenitude (mahān dhana). Passing beyond the ‘wool’ signifies delight refined beyond mixed vital desire, arriving in the ‘kalaśa’—the steady vessel of the heart/mind prepared to hold Ananda. Soma is devayū: the delight that naturally turns toward the Divine, not toward egoic enjoyment.
Universal truth
What we repeatedly celebrate and invoke grows stronger within us; when joy is directed Godward and purified of craving, it becomes sweet, steady, and abundant.
Themes
Soma-ritual, chant and aspiration, collection in vessel
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.97 (same hymn), RV 9.61, 9.62 (similar ‘urge Soma’ imperatives in Pavamāna context)
Significance
This verse embodies the Vedic psychology of ‘mantra as propulsion’: song is not ornament but a force that moves consciousness (Soma) into plenitude.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- svādu (sweet), pavamāna (purifying), devayū (God-seeking)
- Related deities
- Viśve Devāḥ, Indra (principal Soma-drinker in many hymns), Agni (carrier of offering)
Cosmic role
He is the stream of immortal essence that nourishes the gods and establishes abundance in the sacrifice.
Inner power
Sweet Ananda that, once filtered, becomes stable contentment and spiritual richness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration chant (Pavamāna) accompanying the straining into the kalaśa
प्र गा॑यता॒भ्य॑र्चाम दे॒वान्त्सोमं॑ हिनोत मह॒ते धना॑य । स्वा॒दुः प॑वाते॒ अति॒ वार॒मव्य॒मा सी॑दाति क॒लशं॑ देव॒युर्न॑: ॥
प्र । गा॒य॒त॒ । अ॒भि । अ॒र्चा॒म॒ । दे॒वान् । सोम॑म् । हि॒नो॒त॒ । म॒ह॒ते । धना॑य । स्वा॒दुः । प॒वा॒ते॒ । अति॑ । वार॑म् । अव्य॑म् । आ । सी॒दा॒ति॒ । क॒लश॑म् । दे॒व॒ऽयुः । नः॒ ॥
pra | gāyata | abhi | arcāma | devān | somam | hinota | mahate | dhanāya | svāduḥ | pavāte | ati | vāram | avyam | ā | sīdāti | kalaśam | deva-yuḥ | naḥ
48
4 x 12 (approx.)
Directive and processional—fits imperatives (‘sing’, ‘chant’, ‘drive’).
Energizes aspiration; then resolves into sweetness and settling as Soma ‘comes to rest’ in the vessel.
- प्र गायत
- Literal: sing forth. Symbolic: Active invocation; raising consciousness by mantra
- अभि अर्चाम
- Literal: chant/adoration toward. Symbolic: Concentration and offering of the mind
- देवान्
- Literal: the Gods. Symbolic: Luminous powers/faculties of the being
- सोमं हिनोत
- Literal: drive Soma onward. Symbolic: Urge the flow of Ananda upward/forward into manifestation
- महते धनाय
- Literal: for great wealth. Symbolic: For plenitude of consciousness-force, not material gain
- स्वादुः
- Literal: sweet. Symbolic: Pure Ananda, free from bitterness of desire
- वारम् अव्यम्
- Literal: woolen strainer. Symbolic: Purifying discernment/tapas filtering mixed impulses
- कलशम्
- Literal: jar, vessel. Symbolic: Prepared inner receptacle—heart-mind capable of holding delight
- देवयुः
- Literal: God-seeking, God-loving. Symbolic: Delight oriented to the Divine (bhakti-Ananda)
Processional/collecting phase: Soma is urged through the strainer into the kalaśa; accompanying chants (sāman/ṛc) to energize the flow for ‘mahate dhana’.
During pressing/straining; communal chanting to ‘impel’ Soma
Singing (gāyati) and recitation (arc) while Soma passes the filter and is collected
Use before japa/meditation: 1–3 recitations to ‘set the tone’ and place attention into the heart as a vessel for sweetness.
gāyata from √gai ‘sing’; arcāma from √arc ‘shine, praise’ (praise as a shining forth). hinota from √hi ‘to impel’ (causative/imperative nuance). dhana from √dhan ‘to bestow/possess’; interpreted as plenitude of being, not material. svādu from √svād ‘to be sweet/tasty’. kalaśa is a vessel term; symbolically the stabilized container of the refined essence.
plenitude (dhana) as fullness of being, aspiration through song (gāyatra principle broadly), discernment (vāra) as selection of truth
The ‘right passage’ beyond the strainer symbolizes energies moving according to ṛta rather than desire.
Sweetness after filtering implies truth-clarity without distortion.
Descent of refined essence into a stable container—forming a luminous center in the being.
Integral-psychological Vedism (Aurobindo): mantra as force; Ananda as a plane that can descend into mind/heart.
Voice = mantra-shakti; stream = delight-current; strainer = discrimination; jar = heart-mind stability.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic movement of Soma: urged by chant, he passes beyond the filter and becomes established in the jar—i.e., the delight is not only purified but ‘seated’ in a stable receptacle. Inner sense: aspiration (song) drives the clarifying current into a concentrated, usable state of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gai ‘sing’ corresponds to PIE *geh₂- ‘sing’ (cf. Old Irish gáid ‘prays/sings’—comparanda vary by tradition). √as in deva-yuḥ’s ‘seeking’ is not present; but the preverb system and imperatives (gāyata, hinota) reflect archaic injunctive/imperative style typical of early Indo-European hymn-address.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi-community actively ‘drives’ Soma by voice and praise, indicating collaboration: human aspiration provides the channel; Soma provides the sweet force that yields ‘great plenitude’. Soma is called deva-yuḥ—mirroring the aspirant: both move toward the gods, one as offering, one as seeker.
Let mantra-song ‘impel’ a sweet current; feel it pass through discernment and settle in the heart-vessel.
Anahata (kalaśa as heart-vessel)
Inhale on ‘pra gāyatā’, long exhale on ‘svāduḥ pavāte… ā sīdāti’ to embody streaming and settling.
Sweet, collected devotion; centered abundance.
Chant 3x, then sit silently: imagine a white filter at the brow/upper chest; allow only the sweet, clear joy to descend and pool in the heart as a steady glow.
Follow Saṃhitā accent marks (e.g., गा॑यत, सो॑मं, धना॑य, प॒वा॒ते॒, अव्य॑म्).
Keep imperatives crisp; slight lift on udātta to convey ‘impulsion’; soften into a smoother line on ‘svāduḥ pavāte… ā sīdāti’.
hinota: clear hi-no-ta (no nasalization), svāduḥ: long ā; visarga as light breath, vāram avyam: distinct v-ā-raṃ; avyam with clear ‘vy’, kalaśam: retroflex ḷ not present—use dental ‘la’, and ‘ś’ as palatal
Bright and inviting at start; then warm and sweet as it ‘settles’.
3
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