Rig Veda Sukta 108
Mandala 9Sukta 10816 Mantras

Sukta 108

Sukta 9.108

Devata

Soma Pavamana (for Indra)

このパヴァマーナ・ソーマ讃歌は、浄められたばかりのソーマを、蜜のように甘く光り輝く恍惚の飲みものとして讃え、それがインドラの力を高めるために特に備えられたことを語る。ソーマよ、豊饒の主として燃え立ち、力と栄光という内なる宝蔵を開き、ついには川が海へ注ぐようにインドラの心へ入り、ミトラ・ヴァルナ・ヴァーユにも支えられる至高の支柱となれ、と祈願する。

Recitation with translationRig Veda 9.108

Mantras

Mantra 1

पवस्व मधुमत्तम इन्द्राय सोम क्रतुवित्तमो मदः । महि द्युक्षतमो मदः ॥

流れ出でよ、ソーマ(Soma)よ、最も蜜なるものとして、インドラ(Indra)のために—意志と識別に最も富む歓喜の酔い(mada)として。大いなる酔い、最も光り輝く酔いとして。

Mantra 2

यस्य ते पीत्वा वृषभो वृषायतेऽस्य पीता स्वर्विदः । स सुप्रकेतो अभ्यक्रमीदिषोऽच्छा वाजं नैतशः ॥

汝を飲む者は、雄牛のごとく力を奮い起こし、汝の一飲によってスヴァル(svar、日光の天界)を見出す者となる。明らかな洞察を具えたその人は、イシャ(iṣa、衝動・賜与)へ、またヴァージャ(vāja、充溢・勝利の力)へと踏み進む――迅きエータシャ(Etaśa)のように。

Mantra 3

त्वं ह्यङ्ग दैव्या पवमान जनिमानि द्युमत्तमः । अमृतत्वाय घोषयः ॥

まことに、神なるパヴァマーナ(Pavamāna)よ、汝は最も光に満ち、そして不死(amṛtatva)へ導く諸々の生起・誕生(janīmāni)を高らかに告げ知らせる。

Mantra 4

येना नवग्वो दध्यङ्ङपोर्णुते येन विप्रास आपिरे । देवानां सुम्ने अमृतस्य चारुणो येन श्रवांस्यानशुः ॥

汝によって、ナヴァグヴァ(Navagva)らとダディヤンチ(Dadhyañc)は覆いを解かれて解放され、汝によって、聖賢ヴィプラー(viprā)はその到達を得た。神々の善き恩寵(sumna)のうちに、不死(amṛta)の麗しき(chāru)歓喜のうちに、汝によって彼らは栄えある名声(śravāṃsi)を勝ち得た。

Mantra 5

एष स्य धारया सुतोऽव्यो वारेभिः पवते मदिन्तमः । क्रीळन्नूर्मिरपामिव ॥

この者は搾り出されて、その流れに沿い、羊毛の濾し器を通って、諸水とともに流れゆく、最も恍惚たるもの—水の波のように戯れつつ。

Mantra 6

य उस्रिया अप्या अन्तरश्मनो निर्गा अकृन्तदोजसा । अभि व्रजं तत्निषे गव्यमश्व्यं वर्मीव धृष्णवा रुज ॥

彼は自らの威力によって、妨げの石の内から秘められた光の光線と内なる牝牛らを切り開き、解き放つ。彼は光明の囲い、充溢の囲郭—光に富み、迅き力に満ちるもの—を広げ、勇猛なる破城槌のごとく、抗う覆いを打ち砕く。

Mantra 7

आ सोता परि षिञ्चताश्वं न स्तोममप्तुरं रजस्तुरम् । वनक्रक्षमुदप्रुतम् ॥

おお搾り手たちよ、周りに注ぎ満たせ—この讃歌に満ちた奔流を、馬のごとく—水を渡り越えるに敏く、中空界を疾走し、有の藪を突き破り、下なる洪水を越えて上へと跳躍するものを。

Mantra 8

सहस्रधारं वृषभं पयोवृधं प्रियं देवाय जन्मने । ऋतेन य ऋतजातो विवावृधे राजा देव ऋतं बृहत् ॥

千の流れをもつ雄牛、乳(páyas)を増し育てる者、神なる誕生に愛される者——ṛta(宇宙の真理・秩序)より生まれ、ṛtaによって増大する彼は、王なる神となる。すなわち広大なるṛtaそのもの。

Mantra 9

अभि द्युम्नं बृहद्यश इषस्पते दिदीहि देव देवयुः । वि कोशं मध्यमं युव ॥

大いなる光輝と広き名声へと照りわたれ、充溢の主よ。燃え立て、神よ、神を求める者に慕われる者よ。われらのうちなる中ほどの宝蔵を開き放て。

Mantra 10

आ वच्यस्व सुदक्ष चम्वोः सुतो विशां वह्निर्न विश्पतिः । वृष्टिं दिवः पवस्व रीतिमपां जिन्वा गविष्टये धियः ॥

語り得るものとして、あらわに現れよ、善巧なる者よ。杯(cámū)に搾られし者よ——運ぶ火焔のごとく、民の主のごとく。天の雨として、また水の正しき流れとして、汝は浄められよ。光の光線を勝ち取るため、われらのdhī(霊感の思惟)を奮い立たせよ。

Mantra 11

एतमु त्यं मदच्युतं सहस्रधारं वृषभं दिवो दुहुः । विश्वा वसूनि बिभ्रतम् ॥

彼らは天よりこの御方を搾り出す——千の流れをもつ雄牛、歓喜の滴を垂らしつつ、あらゆる富を身に担う者を。

Mantra 12

वृषा वि जज्ञे जनयन्नमर्त्यः प्रतपञ्ज्योतिषा तमः । स सुष्टुतः कविभिर्निर्णिजं दधे त्रिधात्वस्य दंससा ॥

雄牛は生まれ出でる——不死なる者、生成する者として;その光明により闇を焼き払う。詩聖たちに善く讃えられ、彼は輝く衣をまとい、三重の力の妙技によってそれを備える。

Mantra 13

स सुन्वे यो वसूनां यो रायामानेता य इळानाम् । सोमो यः सुक्षितीनाम् ॥

彼は搾り手のためにある:本質の富を与える者、充溢をもたらす者、イラー(Iḷā)の供献を導く者;ソーマは、善く安らかな住まいに人々を据える。

Mantra 14

यस्य न इन्द्रः पिबाद्यस्य मरुतो यस्य वार्यमणा भगः । आ येन मित्रावरुणा करामह एन्द्रमवसे महे ॥

インドラの飲むもの、マルトたちの飲むもの、またアリヤマンとバガも分かち飲むもの――その力によって、われらはミトラとヴァルナを整え奉る。かのソーマによって、われらは大いなる護りのためインドラに近づかん。

Mantra 15

इन्द्राय सोम पातवे नृभिर्यतः स्वायुधो मदिन्तमः । पवस्व मधुमत्तमः ॥

インドラの飲用のために、求める者らに促されて来たるソーマよ――自ら武具を備え、最も酩酊をもたらす者よ――清め流れ、最も蜜なる歓喜となれ。

Mantra 16

इन्द्रस्य हार्दि सोमधानमा विश समुद्रमिव सिन्धवः । जुष्टो मित्राय वरुणाय वायवे दिवो विष्टम्भ उत्तमः ॥

ソーマよ、歓喜を据えるものとしてインドラの心に入り、川々が海へ入るがごとく入りゆけ。ミトラとヴァルナとヴァーユに嘉せられ、われらの内において天の至上の支えとなれ。

Inside Sukta 108

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    A direct imperative: Soma is urged to flow forth most honeyed and most luminous for Indra, as the highest exhilaration endowed with intelligent will (kratu).

  2. Development

    The hymn expands Soma’s radiance into ‘great glory’ and abundance, asking him to blaze and to open an inner ‘middle treasury’—a storehouse of strength and nourishment.

  3. Climax

    Soma’s power is envisioned as an inward penetration of the divine center: he is to enter Indra’s heart like rivers entering the ocean, becoming the establishing delight (somadhāna).

  4. Where it settles

    The closing secures Soma’s acceptance by Mitra, Varuṇa, and Vāyu and frames him as the ‘supreme support of heaven’—a stabilizing, sustaining force after the surge of ecstasy.

The deity: Soma Pavamāna

  • In the VedaSoma is celebrated as the pressed and filtered drink that “flows” (pavasva), honeyed and shining, bringing inspired exhilaration (mada) and opening stores of power and plenty. As Pavamāna, he is Soma in the very act of purification through the filter, becoming bright, swift, and fit for the gods.
  • Cosmic functionHe mediates between earth and heaven through the rite: purified Soma strengthens Indra for cosmic victory and upholds ṛta by nourishing the divine order; his flowing is a ritual-cosmic circulation of vitality.
  • Inner significanceSoma symbolizes clarified consciousness and inspired delight—an inner ‘nectar’ that, once purified of dullness, becomes discernment (kratu) and luminous joy, empowering the will to overcome inner obstacles.

Famous verses

pavasva madhumattama indrāya soma
Verse 9.108.1Sets the keynote of the whole sukta: Soma’s honeyed flow for Indra, defined as discerning, will-filled rapture and as supreme luminosity.Read verse 9.108.1 →
अभि द्युम्नं बृहद्यश इषस्पते दिदीहि देव देवयुः । वि कोशं मध्यमं युव ॥
Verse 9.108.9Expresses the inner-ritual psychology: Soma’s shining is asked to awaken glory and to ‘open the middle treasury’—a vivid image for unlocking stored vitality.Read verse 9.108.9 →
samudram iva sindhavaḥ
Verse 9.108.16Provides the culminating vision and ritual aim: Soma entering Indra’s heart like rivers into the sea, and being confirmed by other deities as the highest prop of heaven.Read verse 9.108.16 →

Attributes of the deity

  • pavamāna (self-purifying, flowing through the filter)
  • madhumat (honeyed, sweet)
  • dyukṣa (luminous, radiant)
  • mada (rapture, exhilaration)
  • īṣaspati (lord of plenitude/nourishment)
  • Indra-śakti (specifically empowering Indra)

Also by this seer

  • Maṇḍala 9 (Soma Pavamāna corpus) preserves several hymns with uncertain or variably transmitted seer-attributions in different recensions.
  • This sukta participates in the broader Pavamāna tradition used in the Soma pressing rite, emphasizing purification, radiance, and Indra’s invigoration.

The rite, step by step

  • Press Soma stalks and collect the expressed juice.
  • Filter/purify through woolen strainers (pavitra), repeatedly letting Soma ‘flow forth’ (pavasva).
  • Mix according to rite (often with water and/or milk) to make the offering fit and sweet.
  • Offer libations to Indra with recitation of Pavamāna verses, inviting Soma to ‘enter Indra’s heart’.
  • Conclude with distribution/consumption in the prescribed ritual context, sealing the energizing ‘mada’ for divine and officiant alike.

Offerings

  • Purified Soma juice (pavamāna)
  • Libations to Indra (primary)
  • Implicit co-honoring/acceptance by Mitra, Varuṇa, and Vāyu as named in the concluding verse

Frequently Asked Questions

It praises Soma as he is purified and made ready for offering, asking him to flow sweetly and brightly to empower Indra and to awaken strength and glory within the worshipper.

“Pavamāna” means “purifying/flowing through the filter.” The hymn focuses on Soma in the act of filtration, becoming clear, radiant, and fit for the gods.

It is a ritual and symbolic image: the offering is meant to fully unite with Indra’s power, establishing exhilaration and support—just as rivers naturally merge into the sea.

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