Rig Veda 9.86.34: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 34
Sukta 9.86
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
पवमान मह्यर्णो वि धावसि सूरो न चित्रो अव्ययानि पव्यया । गभस्तिपूतो नृभिरद्रिभिः सुतो महे वाजाय धन्याय धन्वसि ॥
pavamāna máhy árṇo ví dhāvasi sū́ro ná citró avyáyāni pávyayā | gábhasti-pūto nṛ́bhir ádri-bhiḥ sutó mahé vā́jāya dhányāya dhanvasi ||
Wahai Pavamāna, engkau melaju bagaikan banjir yang maha-luas, laksana matahari yang cemerlang, melalui lintasan-lintasan pemurnian yang tak binasa. Disucikan oleh tangan, diperas oleh manusia dengan batu-batu, engkau berjuang bagi Vāja yang agung—kelimpahan daya—dan bagi kepenuhan yang diberkahi.
Word by Word
- पवमानः
- purifying (Soma), flowing/purifying oneAdjective (participle)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot पवमान (√पू ‘to purify/cleanse’ → पवते; present participle)
- महि
- greatly; a great (thing/measure)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः)Role कर्मRoot महि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्णः
- flood, wave, surgeNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinable (preverb)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- धावसि
- you run/stream, you rushVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √धाव्
- सूरः
- the sunNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role उपमान (कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे)Root सूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableRoot न (निपात, उपमा)
- चित्रः
- bright, splendid, variegatedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (पवमानस्य विशेषणम्)Root चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अव्ययानि
- imperishable (things), unfailing (gifts)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
- पव्यया
- with the strainer/filter (pavitrī)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot पव्या (प्रातिपदिक; ‘purifying/straining’)
- गभस्तिपूतः
- purified by the hands/raysAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (पवमानस्य विशेषणम्)Root गभस्ति-पूत (समास; गभस्ति ‘hand/ray’ + पूत ‘purified’ < √पू)
- नृभिः
- by men, by priestsNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्रिभिः
- with stones (pressing-stones)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतः
- pressed (Soma)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (पवमानस्य विशेषणम्)Root सु-त (कृदन्त; √सु ‘to press’ → सुत)
- महे
- for the great (one/goal)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot महि/मह (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजाय
- for strength/prize (victory)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- धन्याय
- for prosperity/wealth; for the fortunate gainAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- धन्वसि
- you speed/stream, you courseVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √धन्व्/धनु (Vedic; ‘to run/stream, to speed’)
Sandhi Notes
- पव॑मान॒ मह्यर्णो॒ → पवमानः + महि + अर्णः (मह्यर्णो इति संहितायां ‘महि अर्णः’ संयोगः; पदपाठे महि अर्णः)
- सूरो॒ न → सूरः + न
- चि॒त्रो अव्य॑यानि → चित्रः + अव्ययानि
- पव्य॑या → पव्या + आ (तृतीया एकवचन)
- गभ॑स्तिपूतो॒ → गभस्ति + पूतः (समास)
- नृभि॒रद्रि॑भिः → नृभिः + अद्रिभिः (विसर्ग-लोप/रेफ-संधि)
- सु॒तो म॒हे → सुतः + महे
- वाजा॑य॒ धन्या॑य → वाजाय + धन्याय
The meaning
Outer meaning
Pavamāna rushes forth as a vast flood, radiant like the sun, through imperishable passages of purification. Purified by hands and pressed with stones, he strives for the great Vāja and for blessed fullness.
Inner meaning
The Soma-current, once set in motion, becomes a mighty surge of consciousness—luminous, clarifying, sun-like in revelation. The ‘imperishable passages’ are enduring inner disciplines and channels (pavyā) through which experience is refined. Human ‘hands’ and ‘stones’ symbolize deliberate effort and firm will (pressure of tapas) that extract the essence. The goal is Vāja: not mere food, but plenitude of force—effective power for the soul’s work—and dhanya: a state of blessedness and inner prosperity.
Universal truth
Lasting transformation requires both a descending grace (the flood of higher consciousness) and an active pressure of practice. From this arises stable power (vāja) and a blessed fullness that supports life.
Themes
Soma pressing, solarization, force and plenitude, purification
The seer
- Rishi
- Composite/anonymous Soma-Pavamāna tradition (RV Book 9 anthology)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.86 (context), RV 9.76, RV 9.79 (themes: flood-like Soma, purification, vāja)
Family tradition
Transmitted within Soma-liturgical collections
Significance
Represents the Vedic insight that illumination (sun-like) and purification (pavitra) are inseparable: the true ‘flood’ is a clarified force aimed at vāja—spiritual efficacy.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavamāna (purifying), mahy arṇaḥ (vast flood), sūraḥ citraḥ (radiant, splendid like the sun), gabhastipūta (purified by hands/rays)
- Related deities
- Sūrya (as archetype of illumination), Indra (receiver of Soma-force), Agni (as priestly will that tends the process)
Cosmic role
As purifier, Soma carries the essence upward into the godheads, empowering their functions and renewing the worlds.
Inner power
Ananda becoming luminous power: joy clarified into effective force (vāja) through tapas-like pressure.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing/filtration recitation during savanas
पव॑मान॒ मह्यर्णो॒ वि धा॑वसि॒ सूरो॒ न चि॒त्रो अव्य॑यानि॒ पव्य॑या । गभ॑स्तिपूतो॒ नृभि॒रद्रि॑भिः सु॒तो म॒हे वाजा॑य॒ धन्या॑य धन्वसि ॥
पव॑मान । महि॑ । अर्णः॑ । वि । धा॒व॒सि॒ । सूरः॑ । न । चि॒त्रः । अव्य॑यानि । पव्य॑या । गभ॑स्तिऽपूतः । नृऽभिः॑ । अद्रि॑ऽभिः । सु॒तः । म॒हे । वाजा॑य । धन्या॑य । ध॒न्व॒सि॒ ॥
pavamāna | mahi | arṇaḥ | vi | dhāvasi | sūraḥ | na | citraḥ | avyayāni | pavyayā | gabhasti-pūtaḥ | nṛ-bhiḥ | adri-bhiḥ | sutaḥ | mahe | vājāya | dhanyāya | dhanvasi
48
4 x ~12 syllables
Driving, forward-rushing cadence matching ‘vi dhāvasi’ (you run forth).
Energizes the listener; supports a sense of cleansing momentum and purposeful striving.
- अर्णः (arṇaḥ)
- Literal: flood, wave, sea. Symbolic: vast surge of consciousness beyond the small mind
- सूरः (sūraḥ)
- Literal: sun. Symbolic: illumined mind; revealing light
- अव्ययानि (avyayāni)
- Literal: imperishable. Symbolic: enduring inner laws/paths that do not decay with circumstance
- पव्यया (pavyayā)
- Literal: by/through purification (pavitra ways). Symbolic: disciplines of clarification; inner filtering
- गभस्तिपूतः (gabhastipūtaḥ)
- Literal: purified by the hands/rays. Symbolic: cleansed by conscious touch/attention; also by rays of insight
- अद्रिभिः (adribhiḥ)
- Literal: with stones (press-stones). Symbolic: firm will, concentrated force (tapas) that presses out the essence
- वाजाय (vājāya)
- Literal: for vāja (strength/prize). Symbolic: plenitude of effective force and victorious capacity
- धन्याय (dhanyāya)
- Literal: for blessedness, prosperity. Symbolic: inner abundance and fortunate harmony of life
Pressing and running of Soma: stones (adri) and hands (gabhasti) in Soma-yajña
During active pressing and flow toward the vessels; suitable when Soma is described as ‘pressed by men with stones’.
Pressing (savana) with adri stones; filtering; offering the clarified Soma.
Chant as a ‘practice mantra’ before sādhanā: invoke steady effort (hands/stones) and the luminous flood of clarity; useful before demanding work requiring sustained force and purity.
vāja is semantically ‘strength, prize, winning force’ (linked to vigour and plenitude). dhāv ‘run’ (PIE *dʰew- ‘run/flow’ debated). gabhastí ‘hand/ray’ is multivalent; here ‘hand-purified’ supports the psychological reading: operative powers refine Soma. adrí ‘stone’ becomes symbol of firm pressure of will/concentration.
imperishable channels (avyaya), vāja as force-plenitude, blessedness (dhanya) as inner felicity
Implied: the ‘imperishable passages’ suggest fixed laws of right process in transformation.
Purification aims at truth-power rather than mixed desire; vāja as effective truth-force.
Extraction of essence from the raw becomes power that sustains the worlds—microcosm mirrors cosmic refinement.
Integral Yoga reading: tapas + grace; ananda transmuted into tejas and effective śakti (vāja).
midday (suggested by sun imagery)
Flood = widened consciousness; sun = illumination; stones = concentrated will; hands = mindful action; passages = stable yogic methods/inner channels.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as a solar flood pressed out by stones: the mythic pattern is extraction and release of a radiant power that then strives toward vāja (victorious plenitude) and dhanya (felicity).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Possible IE inheritance is clearer in ‘sun/sky’ lexicon than in technical Soma terms; nonetheless, the poetic equation ‘sun-like’ for luminous consciousness is an IE-style natural symbol elevated to divine function.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Human agency (hands, stones, pressing) collaborates with Soma’s own striving: the rishi’s discipline concentrates the flow, and Soma returns as force-plenitude and blessed fullness for the being.
Contemplate a radiant flood washing through the system; pair it with deliberate inner ‘pressing’—gentle but firm concentration extracting the essence of experience into clarity.
Maṇipūra (force/vāja) with Ājñā (illumination)
Brisk-leaning ujjāyī or kapalabhāti-light (if appropriate) followed by calm equal breathing; imagine each exhale ‘presses’ and each inhale ‘brightens’.
From dispersed energy to concentrated luminous force; purification into effective power.
Work in cycles: (1) energize (run forth), (2) press (concentrate), (3) filter (discern), (4) offer (dedicate action).
Three-tone Vedic accents; keep udātta peaks clean on verbs (dhāvasi, dhanvasi) and key nouns (arṇaḥ, vājāya).
Maintain forward momentum; avoid dragging in compounds like gabhastipūtaḥ and avyayāni.
pavamāna: keep ‘va’ light, not ‘ba’, avyayāni: distinct ‘vy’ cluster, adri-bhiḥ: dental ‘d’ in adri; aspirate visarga lightly in bhiḥ, vājāya: long ā vowels clear
Bright, projecting, with a ‘sunlit’ timbre; steady articulation.
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