Rig Veda 9.4.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 4, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.4
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अभ्यर्ष स्वायुध सोम द्विबर्हसं रयिम् । अथा नो वस्यसस्कृधि ॥
abhý arṣa svāyudha sóma dvibárhasaṃ rayím | áthā no vásyasas kṛdhi ||
Mengalirlah menuju kami, wahai Soma, bersenjata baik; bawalah kekayaan yang menguatkan dua kali lipat. Kemudian bentuklah kami menuju keadaan yang lebih baik.
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग (preverb), governs motion/aim towardRoot अभि (उपसर्ग) < PIE *h₂epi
- अर्ष
- flow! rush forth!Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) —Root ऋष् (धातु) ‘to flow, rush’
- स्वायुध
- self-armed, having one’s own weapon/powerAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे/विशेषणरूपेण सोमस्य)Role सम्बोधन (addressed to Soma)Root स्व- + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक) ‘own + weapon/armed’
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्विबर्हसम्
- twofold-great/lofty (wealth)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रयिम् इति विशेषयति)Role कर्म (रयिम्-शब्दस्य विशेषणम्)Root द्वि- + बर्हस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘twofold height/strength; lofty’
- रयिम्
- wealth, bountyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘wealth, bounty’
- अथ
- then, thereafterIndeclinableअनन्तरार्थक/अनुक्रमणार्थक निपातRoot अथ (निपात)
- नः
- of us, for usPronounषष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन; encliticRole सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (our/for us) संदर्भःRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- वस्यसः
- of the better (condition), betterAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (अभ्यर्थितस्य ‘better (state/thing)’)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive with कृधि: ‘make (it) of better (for us)’)Root वस्यस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘better, more excellent’ (comparative of वसु/वसियस्-type)
- कृधि
- make! do!Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) —Root कृ (धातु) ‘to make, do’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अभि | अर्ष | स्वायुध | सोम | द्विबर्हसम् | रयिम् | अथ | नः | वस्यसः | कृधि । 1) अभ्य॑र्ष = अभि + अर्ष (इ-आ/अ संधिः: इ + अ → य्; ‘अभि’ उपसर्गः क्रियापदेन सह संहितायाम्)
- 2) स्वायुध॒ = स्व + आयुध (स्व + आ- आरम्भे दीर्घः: स्वायुध; समास/संधि)
- 3) अथा॑ = अथ + आ (अथ + आ → अथा; दीर्घसंधिः)
- 4) नो॒ = नः (विसर्गलोपः/एन्क्लिटिक-रूपम्)
- 5) वस्य॑सस्कृधि = वस्यसः + कृधि (विसर्गस्य लोपः; संहितायां सः-पूर्वरूपेण ‘वस्यसस्’ इति दृश्यते)
- उच्चारण-स्वराः (उदात्त/अनुदात्त/स्वरित) संहितापाठानुसारं: अभ्य॑र्ष, स्वायुध॒, सोम॑, द्वि॒बर्ह॑सम्, अथा॑, नो॒, वस्य॑सस्- इत्यादि।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Flow toward us, O Soma, well-armed; bring a wealth that is doubly-strengthening. Then make us into the better state.
Inner meaning
Soma is invoked as ‘svāyudha’—armed with its own inherent power (self-effective delight that defeats depression and inertia). The requested ‘rayi’ is not material wealth but a twofold strengthening: illumination plus force, or knowledge plus power—supporting both mind and life to endure the inner battle. This empowers the ascent into a better formation of being.
Universal truth
True prosperity is the inner resource that strengthens both understanding and action; joy that is self-powered becomes a weapon against inner resistance and enables transformation.
Themes
Descent of power, Spiritual wealth, Strengthening, Protection in inner battle
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.4.5, Rig Veda 9.4.6, Rig Veda 9.4.8, Rig Veda 9.4.9
Significance
The seer emphasizes the ‘armed’ Soma: delight is not passive pleasure but a militant shakti aiding the inner conquest.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Svāyudha (self-armed), Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra (victory), Agni (will)
Cosmic role
Gives victorious resources and strengthens the sacrificer for the inner and outer battles of growth.
Inner power
Ananda as protective power; it arms the will and nerves with resilience and luminous courage.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification/pressing chants
अ॒भ्य॑र्ष स्वायुध॒ सोम॑ द्वि॒बर्ह॑सं र॒यिम् । अथा॑ नो॒ वस्य॑सस्कृधि ॥
अ॒भि । अ॒र्ष॒ । सु॒ऽआ॒यु॒ध॒ । सोम॑ । द्वि॒ऽबर्ह॑सम् । र॒यिम् । अथ॑ । नः॒ । वस्य॑सः । कृ॒धि॒ ॥
abhi | arṣa | su-āyudha | soma | dvi-barhasam | rayim | atha | naḥ | vasyasaḥ | kṛdhi
32
4×8 syllables
More dynamic than the previous verses; ‘abhy arṣa’ gives a forward surge.
Energizes and fortifies; suitable for invoking strength and resource in practice.
- अभि अर्ष (abhi arṣa)
- Literal: flow toward. Symbolic: Let the current of delight descend/enter the being and move it forward
- स्वायुध (svāyudha)
- Literal: well-armed, self-weaponed. Symbolic: Self-effective spiritual power; delight as a force that can combat inertia and obscurity
- रयि (rayi)
- Literal: wealth, riches. Symbolic: Inner riches: capacities, energies, luminous resources for sadhana
- द्विबर्हसम् (dvi-barhasam)
- Literal: doubly strengthening/augmenting. Symbolic: Twofold increase—knowledge and power; clarity and endurance; peace and dynamic force
- वस्यस् (vasyas)
- Literal: better condition. Symbolic: A higher poise of nature and consciousness
Invocation during the flowing/pressing: Soma requested to ‘flow’ bringing strengthening plenitude
During the flowing of Soma, especially when invoking strength and prosperity for the sacrificer
Recited to invite Soma’s empowering influx and the granting of rayi
Use before demanding work or sadhana sessions: invite ‘svāyudha’ strength—joy that becomes energy and protection.
arṣa < √ṛṣ ‘to flow, rush’ (imperative). āyudha ‘weapon/arm’ from √yudh ‘to fight’ with ā- prefixal formation; here ‘svāyudha’ = ‘having good weapons’ (su-). rayí is Vedic ‘wealth’ from √rā ‘to give’/related to ‘gift, abundance’; interpreted inwardly as abundance of force and delight. dvibárhasaṃ: dvi- ‘two’ + barhas ‘strengthening/heightening’ (from √bṛh ‘to grow, be great’).
bṛhat (increase/growth of force), inner wealth (rayi) as fullness of being
Rayi that is ‘doubly strengthening’ supports the ordered advance of the being in ṛta.
Increase (barhas) as evolutionary growth—consciousness expanding by Soma’s force.
Integral Vedic yoga: delight as a power that builds capacity for higher life.
A strong, bright current in the subtle body—like a protective, energizing stream that fortifies nerves and mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the ‘armed’ warrior-stream: the drink is a combatant power that arrives with weapons (energies) and confers a strengthening wealth—mythic language for inner empowerment against darkness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bṛh ‘grow’ corresponds to PIE *bʰerǵʰ- ‘to rise, high’ (cf. German Berg ‘mountain’). √yudh ‘fight’ has Indo-European parallels in martial vocabulary; while exact PIE reconstruction is debated, the root is securely Indo-Iranian and central to inherited poetic diction of battle.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer calls Soma to a targeted descent (‘abhí arṣa’) and asks not for material gain but for a ‘rayi’ that strengthens the being for the work—Soma is treated as an active ally in transformation.
Invoke delight as a protective strength; receive inner resources that strengthen both mind and life-force.
Maṇipūra (power) supported by Anāhata (joy)
Brisk but controlled ujjāyī (light) for 1–3 minutes, then chant softly to settle the energy.
Dynamic equanimity—energized, fearless steadiness.
When tamas or discouragement arises, call ‘abhy arṣa’—let a wave of sweetness/force enter; feel it as armor around the heart and belly; ask for ‘dvi-barhasam rayim’—a twofold gift: clear mind + strong life-energy; end with ‘vasyasas kṛdhi’ to stabilize the gain.
Keep the initial imperative ‘abhy arṣa’ crisp; preserve udatta accents as marked in the text tradition (e.g., on when accented in recitation lineages).
Slight emphasis on ‘svāyudha’ and ‘dvi-barhasam’; do not rush the refrain.
abhy: pronounce as ‘abhi’ + y glide (not ‘abbi’), svāyudha: long ‘ā’; ‘yudh’ with clear ‘dh’, dvi: short, crisp ‘dvi’, barhasam: aspirate ‘bh’ if in your śākhā pronunciation; keep ‘rh’ cluster clear, rayim: ‘yi’ glide, not ‘ra-im’
Firm, energized, controlled; end softly on the refrain to integrate.
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