Rig Veda 9.101.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 101, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.101
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अयं पूषा रयिर्भगः सोमः पुनानो अर्षति । पतिर्विश्वस्य भूमनो व्यख्यद्रोदसी उभे ॥
ayáṃ pūṣā́ rayír bhágaḥ sómaḥ punānó arṣati | pátir víśvasya bhū́mano vy àkhyad ródasī ubhé ||
Inilah Soma—sedang disucikan—mengalir sebagai Pūṣan, sebagai Rayi (kelimpahan), sebagai Bhaga (pemberi bahagia); tuan seluruh keluasan, ia menyingkapkan kedua-duanya, Langit dan Bumi, dalam kebenarannya.
Word by Word
- अयम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (कर्तृ-पदस्य)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पूषा
- Pūṣan (the god Pūṣā)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot पूषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रयिः
- wealth, bountyNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (समनाधिकरणम्)Root रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- भगः
- Bhaga (dispenser of fortune), fortuneNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (समनाधिकरणम्)Root भग (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (समनाधिकरणम्)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुनानः
- being purified, purifying himselfParticipleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; वर्तमानकालिकः, आत्मनेपदी शानच्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root पू (धातु) → पुनान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय, आत्मनेपदी वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अर्षति
- flows, rushesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot ऋष्/अर्ष् (धातु: ‘to flow, rush’)
- पतिः
- lord, masterNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (समनाधिकरणम्)Root पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वस्य
- of all, of the wholeAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे (अर्थतः), षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भूमनः
- of greatness, of abundanceNounपुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसकलिङ्गः (वेदे ‘भूमान्’ = greatness/abundance), षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root भूमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, widely, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Role क्रियाविशेषणम्Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- अख्यत्
- proclaimed, made manifestVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot ख्या (धातु: ‘to make known, proclaim, appear’)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (heaven and earth)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, द्विवचनम्Role कर्मRoot रोदसी (द्विवचन-प्रातिपदिक; ‘heaven-and-earth’)
- उभे
- bothAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, द्विवचनम् (रोदसी इति विशेष्ये)Role कर्म-विशेषणम्Root उभ (सर्वनाम/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अयम् | पूषा | रयिः | भगः | सोमः | पुनानः | अर्षति | पतिः | विश्वस्य | भूमनः | वि | अख्यत् | रोदसी | उभे । सन्धि/रूप-टिप्पणी: (1) ‘रयिर्भगः’ = ‘रयिः भगः’ (विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः: ः + भ → र्भ). (2) ‘पुना॒नो अ॑र्षति’ = ‘पुनानः अर्षति’ (ओ/अः + अ इत्यत्र पदपाठे पृथक्; संहितायां स्वर-संयोगः). (3) ‘व्य॑ख्यत्’ = ‘वि + अख्यत्’ (उपसर्ग ‘वि’ + अकारादि धातुरूपे संहितायां ‘व्य’). (4) ‘द्रोदसी’ इति संहितापाठे ‘रोदसी’ (द्विवचन) एव
- ‘द्’ आगमः/प्रक्षेपः पाठभेद-प्रभावः—पदपाठानुसारं ‘रोदसी’ गृह्यते
The meaning
Outer meaning
This Soma, purifying, flows as Pūṣan (Nourisher), as Rayi (wealth), as Bhaga (dispenser of fortune). Lord of the whole expanse, he has made Heaven and Earth manifest.
Inner meaning
As Soma clarifies, it reveals itself as the sustaining force (Pūṣā), the inner plenitude of powers (rayiḥ), and the giver of felicity (bhagaḥ). When delight becomes pure, it assumes sovereignty over wideness (bhūman) and makes the two poles—higher consciousness (Heaven) and embodied nature (Earth)—stand revealed in their right relation and truth.
Universal truth
Purified joy is not escape but integration: it nourishes, enriches, and harmonizes, unveiling the unity of spirit and matter.
Themes
Soma as many deities (functional identity), Plenitude and felicity, Revelation of worlds, Vastness
The seer
- Rishi
- Anonymously transmitted (Soma Pavamāna collection; later attributions vary)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.101 (shared theme: Soma as sovereign power revealing truth), RV 1.23 (Pūṣan as guide/nourisher—functional resonance)
Family tradition
The hymn belongs to the specialized Soma book (Maṇḍala 9), often treated as a liturgical-seer anthology rather than a single-family hymn.
Significance
The seer perceives Soma not only as ecstasy but as divine functions—nourishment, wealth, felicity—integrated in a single purified consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (manifesting Pūṣan and Bhaga functions)
- Epithets
- Pūṣā (Nourisher), Rayi (Plenitude), Bhaga (Giver of felicity), Viśvasya pati (Lord of all), Bhūmanaḥ pati (Lord of wideness)
- Related deities
- Pūṣan, Bhaga, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Soma as the sustaining delight that distributes gifts and reveals the ordered manifestation of Heaven and Earth.
Inner power
Integrative Ananda: it nourishes the path, enriches the being, grants right enjoyment, and reveals the unity of the two worlds.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering; praise of Soma’s powers and gifts
अ॒यं पू॒षा र॒यिर्भग॒: सोम॑: पुना॒नो अ॑र्षति । पति॒र्विश्व॑स्य॒ भूम॑नो॒ व्य॑ख्य॒द्रोद॑सी उ॒भे ॥
अ॒यम् । पू॒षा । र॒यिः॑ । भगः॑ । सोमः॑ । पु॒ना॒नः । अ॒र्ष॒ति॒ । पतिः॑ । विस्व॑स्य । भूम॑नः । वि । अ॒ख्य॒त् । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । उ॒भे इति॑ ॥
ayam | pūṣā | rayiḥ | bhagaḥ | somaḥ | punānaḥ | arṣati | patiḥ | viśvasya | bhūmanaḥ | vi | akhyat | rodasī iti | ubhe iti
48
4 x ~12 syllables
Expansive and declarative; fits the ‘bhūman’ (wideness) assertion.
Creates a sense of revelation and integration; the listener feels ‘worlds’ opening and aligning.
- पूषा (pūṣā)
- Literal: nourisher, Pūṣan. Symbolic: the fostering power that leads and sustains the journey
- रयिः (rayiḥ)
- Literal: wealth, abundance. Symbolic: plenitude of inner capacities and spiritual riches
- भगः (bhagaḥ)
- Literal: dispenser of fortune. Symbolic: felicity, right enjoyment, gracious distribution of gifts
- सोमः पुनानः (somaḥ punānaḥ)
- Literal: Soma purifying. Symbolic: delight clarified of mixture—ananda becoming luminous
- भूमनः (bhūmanaḥ)
- Literal: wideness, vastness. Symbolic: the infinite/expansive consciousness (bhūman) that holds all
- रोदसी उभे (rodasī ubhe)
- Literal: both Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: higher mind/spirit and physical-vital nature brought into manifested harmony
- वि अख्यत् (vi akhyat)
- Literal: made visible, revealed. Symbolic: revelation—seeing things in their truth
In Soma purification hymns, Soma is praised as embodying multiple divine functions (nourishment, felicity, plenitude) and as revealer of the worlds—supporting both offering and inner illumination.
During Soma flow/pressing; also suitable in sequences praising Soma as bestower of boons
Chanted to affirm Soma’s beneficent functions and cosmic manifestation
Use when seeking integration—bringing spiritual insight into daily life: nourish (pūṣā), enrich (rayi), rejoice rightly (bhaga).
pūṣan- (from √puṣ ‘thrive, prosper, nourish’) as nourisher/guide; bhaga- from √bhaj ‘apportion, share’ → giver of portion/felicity; rayi- spiritual plenty; √arṣ ‘flow/rush’ in arṣati; bhūman- ‘fullness, vastness’ (from √bhū ‘become/be’ → being-fullness); √khyā ‘see, make known’ in akhyat; rodasī dual ‘two worlds’ (a fixed Vedic formula).
Rayi (plenitude of being), Bhaga (right share/felicity as harmony of ṛta), Manifestation of the worlds through revelation (vi akhyat), Bhūman (the Vast)
Heaven and Earth ‘made manifest’ implies restoration of right relation—ṛta as harmony between planes.
‘Vi akhyat’ is revelation—satya as seeing, not belief.
Manifestation as unveiling: the two worlds are disclosed by the clarified essence.
Vedantic resonance of ‘bhūman’ (later Upaniṣadic term), read psychologically as wideness of consciousness.
Purified joy reveals the higher and lower nature and aligns them within a vast consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the polymorphic divine power: he is Pūṣan (nourisher/guide), Rayi (plenitude), Bhaga (felicity/distribution), and lord of the Vast who reveals Heaven-and-Earth. The mythic action is revelation/manifestation of the two worlds; innerly, Soma’s purified delight organizes guidance, fullness, and right apportionment, making the higher and lower planes of the being consciously manifest.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- bhaga- from √bhaj has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan baga- ‘god, distributor’), and the semantic of ‘apportion/share’ is widely IE. √khyā ‘make known’ aligns with IE ‘show/know’ fields. The dyadic ‘two worlds’ (rodasī) is a formulaic poetic structure comparable to IE binary cosmologies (sky/earth).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer experiences Soma as immediately present (ayam) and recognizes him as the integrator of multiple divine functions. The reciprocity is that as Soma is purified (punānaḥ), he confers guidance (Pūṣan), plenitude (rayi), felicity (bhaga), and the revelatory vision that makes both worlds ‘seen’ in the practitioner.
Contemplate Soma as the force of nourishment, plenitude, and felicity; let it reveal the unity of higher and lower nature.
Anāhata (nourishment/joy) with Sahasrāra (wideness/bhūman)
Heart-centered breathing: inhale ‘pūṣā’, exhale ‘bhagaḥ’ softly; then sit in wideness.
Integrated wideness—joy that includes body and mind in a single field.
1) Invoke inner nourishment (support). 2) Feel plenitude (capabilities awakening). 3) Allow gratitude/auspicious joy. 4) Visualize Heaven and Earth within you becoming transparent and aligned.
Keep compound epithets distinct: pūṣā | rayiḥ | bhagaḥ; observe udātta peaks as transmitted; avoid slurring ‘punāno arṣati’.
Slight emphasis on the three identifications (pūṣā/rayiḥ/bhagaḥ), then broaden tone on ‘bhūmano’.
pūṣā: long ū; retroflex ṣ, bhagaḥ: aspirated ‘bh’, punānaḥ: long ā, rodasī: long ī; ‘d’ dental
Warm, expansive, gently triumphant.
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