Rig Veda 9.96.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 96, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.96
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
सोमः पवते जनिता मतीनां जनिता दिवो जनिता पृथिव्याः । जनिताग्नेर्जनिता सूर्यस्य जनितेन्द्रस्य जनितोत विष्णोः ॥
sómaḥ pavate janitā́ matīnā́ṃ janitā́ divó janitā́ pṛthivyā́ḥ | janitā́gner janitā́ sū́ryasya janiténdrasya janitó uta víṣṇoḥ ||
Soma mengalir dalam kemurnian: ia sang pelahir ilham-ilham; pelahir langit, pelahir bumi; pelahir Agni, pelahir Sūrya; pelahir Indra, dan bahkan pelahir Viṣṇu.
Word by Word
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवते
- flows/purifies itselfVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √पू (पवते) / √पु (पवते) ‘to purify, flow’
- जनिता
- begetter/producerNoun (agent) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण सोमस्य)Root √जन् + तृ (तृन्-प्रत्यय) → जनितृ/जनिता
- मतीनाम्
- of thoughts/hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (जनिता-सम्बन्धः)Root मती (प्रातिपदिक) < √मन् ‘to think’
- जनिता
- begetterNoun (agent) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root √जन् + तृ → जनिता
- दिवः
- of heavenNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot दिव्/द्यौः (प्रातिपदिक) ‘sky, heaven’
- जनिता
- begetterNoun (agent) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root √जन् + तृ → जनिता
- पृथिव्याः
- of the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनिता
- begetterNoun (agent) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root √जन् + तृ → जनिता
- अग्नेः
- of AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनिता
- begetterNoun (agent) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root √जन् + तृ → जनिता
- सूर्यस्य
- of Sūrya (the Sun)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनिता
- begetterNoun (agent) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root √जन् + तृ → जनिता
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनिता
- begetterNoun (agent) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root √जन् + तृ → जनिता
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRole समुच्चय/वाक्यसम्बन्धRoot उत (निपात/अव्यय)
- विष्णोः
- of ViṣṇuNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): सोमः | पवते | जनिता | मतीनाम् | जनिता | दिवः | जनिता | पृथिव्याः | जनिता | अग्नेः | जनिता | सूर्यस्य | जनिता | इन्द्रस्य | जनिता | उत | विष्णोः । विशेषाः: (1) ‘जनिताग्नेः’ = ‘जनिता + अग्नेः’ (अ + अ → आ). (2) ‘जनितेन्द्रस्य’ = ‘जनिता + इन्द्रस्य’ (अ + इ → ए). (3) ‘जनितोत’ = ‘जनिता + उत’ (अ + उ → ओ). स्वरचिह्नाः (उदात्त/स्वरित) संहितापाठे यथादत्ताः
- पदपाठे सामान्यतः स्वरचिह्न-लोपः/भेदः दृश्यते।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma flows purified as the begetter of inspirations, of heaven and earth, and of the divine powers—Agni, Sūrya, Indra, and even Vishnu.
Inner meaning
Clarified Soma (delight-essence) generates the inner faculties and worlds: matīnāṃ janitā—birth-giver of inspired thoughts (intuitions, right discernments). It founds ‘heaven’ (divaḥ: luminous mind) and ‘earth’ (pṛthivyāḥ: the stable field of embodied life). From that delight arise the operative powers: Agni (divine will), Sūrya (illumined truth-vision), Indra (lord of luminous mind-force), and Vishnu (all-pervading stride of consciousness, the expansive movement that measures the worlds). Thus ānanda is not a by-product but a creative principle that brings the gods into manifestation within the seeker.
Universal truth
When the core of experience becomes clear delight, it spontaneously gives birth to higher cognition, stable embodiment, and the luminous powers of will, insight, victorious intelligence, and expansive consciousness.
Themes
Cosmogony (inner and outer), Soma as generative principle, Deity-interrelation, Illumination and will
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma Pavamāna corpus; specific rishi not firmly identified for this verse in widely used listings.
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.96.1-28 (Soma as source of powers), Rig Veda 9.61 (Soma generating light and inspiration)
Family tradition
Ninth Maṇḍala seer-traditions centered on Soma as purifier and creator of the gods within; the voice is collective-initiatic rather than biographical.
Significance
The rishi-consciousness discovers ānanda as the ‘mother-substance’ of spiritual faculties: inspirations, luminous mind, stable life-base, and the great god-powers as realizations.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Janitā (Begetter), Pavamāna (Purifying), Indu (Bright drop)
- Related deities
- Agni, Sūrya, Indra, Vishnu
Cosmic role
A creative essence that, once clarified, founds the worlds and brings forth the gods’ functions.
Inner power
Generative bliss: it produces inspiration, establishes inner heaven/earth, and awakens will, illumination, victorious mind, and vast pervasion.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification hymns in Soma sacrifice
सोम॑: पवते जनि॒ता म॑ती॒नां ज॑नि॒ता दि॒वो ज॑नि॒ता पृ॑थि॒व्याः । ज॒नि॒ताग्नेर्ज॑नि॒ता सूर्य॑स्य जनि॒तेन्द्र॑स्य जनि॒तोत विष्णो॑: ॥
सोमः॑ । प॒व॒ते॒ । ज॒नि॒ता । म॒ती॒नाम् । ज॒नि॒ता । दि॒वः । ज॒नि॒ता । पृ॒थि॒व्याः । ज॒नि॒ता । अ॒ग्नेः । ज॒नि॒ता । सूर्य॑स्य । ज॒नि॒ता । इन्द्र॑स्य । ज॒नि॒ता । उ॒त । विष्णोः॑ ॥
somaḥ | pavate | janitā | matīnām | janitā | divaḥ | janitā | pṛthivyāḥ | janitā | agneḥ | janitā | sūryasya | janitā | indrasya | janitā | uta | viṣṇoḥ
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Declarative, world-building rhythm; each ‘janitā’ acts like a hammer-stroke of creation.
Produces a sense of origin and empowerment—like invoking the source-code of higher faculties.
- janitā
- Literal: begetter/producer. Symbolic: creative source in consciousness; that which makes higher powers manifest
- matīnāṃ
- Literal: of thoughts/inspirations. Symbolic: intuitions, inspired discernments, mantric insights
- divaḥ (dyu)
- Literal: heaven. Symbolic: luminous mind-plane; clarity and light
- pṛthivyāḥ
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: embodied stability; the wide foundation of life
- Agni
- Literal: fire. Symbolic: divine will and inner priest of transformation
- Sūrya
- Literal: sun. Symbolic: truth-illumination, revelatory vision
- Indra
- Literal: lord of the sky. Symbolic: divine mind-force that conquers darkness
- Vishnu
- Literal: the pervader. Symbolic: expansive consciousness taking the ‘three strides’ through the worlds
- pavate
- Literal: flows, is purified. Symbolic: continuous refinement and outpouring of ānanda into the being
Soma praise during pressing/filtration; identifies Soma as generative principle powering multiple devatās within the sacrifice
During pressing/filtration and stotra recitation to magnify Soma’s power before offering.
Recited/chaned while Soma is clarified; reinforces the sense of Soma as ‘fit for the gods’.
Contemplate this verse when beginning study, mantra-japa, or creative work: invoke ānanda as the generator of insight and effective will.
janitā́ from √jan ‘be born, generate’ (PIE *ǵenh₁- ‘beget’; cf. Latin gignere). matí from √man ‘think’ (PIE *men-). divó from dyauṣ (PIE *dyew-). pṛthivī ‘broad one’ from √pṛth ‘broad’ (cf. PIE *pleth₂- ‘broad’).
cosmogony as inner genesis, Satyam-Ritam-Bṛhat implied via Surya/Indra/Vishnu complex, mati (inspired thought) as a produced power
The repeated ‘janitā’ indicates ordered manifestation: powers arise in right sequence when delight is purified.
Sūrya and Indra represent truth-light and truth-force born from Soma’s clarified essence.
Soma as cosmogonic seed: from essence to worlds to gods (functions).
Integral Vedantic-yogic reading: ānanda as creative principle (not merely pleasure).
dawn-to-day (implied by Sūrya and emergence of light)
Heaven/earth are the upper luminous mind and the grounded embodied nature; the Sun is inner truth-vision; Soma is the clarifying sweetness that makes these stable and active.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Cosmic begetting: Soma as ‘janitā’ of the principal luminous powers (Agni, Surya, Indra, Vishnu) and of Heaven-Earth. Psychologically, purified delight becomes the womb-force that generates inspired thought and awakens the divine functions in the human system.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- janitā (√jan) is a clear reflex of PIE *ǵenh₁- (beget). dyauṣ/div (divó) reflects PIE *dyew-. √man (matīnāṃ) reflects PIE *men-. These roots show the hymn’s deep Indo-European inheritance in cosmogonic and cognitive vocabulary.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi declares Soma’s supremacy as an enabling power: not replacing other devatās, but generating them as operative functions. The human-soma relation becomes foundational—by purifying Soma, the practitioner participates in the birth of divine capacities.
Rest in a clear sweetness in the heart; from it allow inspirations (matī) to arise without force.
Anahata (source of serene joy) and Ajna (birth of matī/illumination)
Inhale: ‘somaḥ pavate’; exhale: ‘janitā matīnāṃ’—feel inspirations forming on the outbreath.
From dryness/mental effort to a generative delight that naturally illumines and empowers.
Do not chase thoughts; purify the ‘taste’ of consciousness. When delight is clean, the right thoughts and forces appear of themselves.
Maintain Vedic accents per pada; repeated ‘janitā’ should be articulated evenly without rushing.
Give slight lift to each ‘janitā’ as a creative beat; keep caesura after matīnāṃ / divo / pṛthivyāḥ.
somaḥ: visarga lightly before p- (somaḥ pavate), matīnāṃ: long ī and nasalized āṃ, pṛthivyāḥ: vocalic ṛ; aspirated th, viṣṇoḥ: retroflex ṣṇ cluster, long oḥ
Resonant and declarative; let the repetition build a calm power.
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