Rig Veda 9.27.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 27, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.27
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एष गव्युरचिक्रदत्पवमानो हिरण्ययुः । इन्दुः सत्राजिदस्तृतः ॥
eṣá gavyúr acikradat pávamāno hiraṇyá-yuḥ | índuḥ satrā́-jid ástṛtaḥ ||
この浄めゆくインドゥは叫び声を上げ、光の牛群を求める者となる。黄金の光を慕い、絶え間なき戦いにおいて、彼は破られぬ征服者である。
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one)Pronoun (Demonstrative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एष
- गव्युः
- seeking cows / cow-winningAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (एषः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root गव्यु (प्रातिपदिक; गो-सम्बन्धी/गो-इच्छुक) ← गो
- अचिक्रदत्
- cried out / roaredVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)Root √क्रन्द् (क्रन्दति ‘to cry out, roar’)
- पवमानः
- purifying (Soma)Participle (Adjective/Noun)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (एषः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root पवमान (प्रातिपदिक) ← √पू (पुनाति ‘to purify’) [शानच्/मान-प्रत्ययः, वर्तमानकाले]
- हिरण्ययुः
- gold-bearing / goldenAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (एषः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root हिरण्ययु (प्रातिपदिक; हिरण्य-सम्बन्धी/हिरण्य-युक्त) ← हिरण्य
- इन्दुः
- Indu, SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (पूर्वपादस्य कर्तृ-सम्बन्धः; ‘इन्दुः’ = ‘एषः’)Root इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक; सोम) संभवतः √इन्द्/√इद् (दीप्ति/रस) परम्परागत-नाम
- सत्राजित्
- ever-victorious / winning continuouslyAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (इन्दुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root सत्राजित् (प्रातिपदिक; सत्र + जित्) ← सत्र (अव्यय/नाम) + √जि (जयति ‘to conquer’)
- अस्तृतः
- unhindered / not laid low (unoverthrown)Participle (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (इन्दुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root √स्तृ (स्तृणाति/स्तरति ‘to spread, strew, lay low’) with नञ्-प्रत्ययार्थक ‘a-’ + क्त (past passive participle) → अ-स्तृत
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एषः | गव्युः | अचिक्रदत् | पवमानः | हिरण्ययुः || इन्दुः | सत्राजित् | अस्तृतः || 1) ए॒ष (एषः) इति विसर्गः पदान्ते
- छन्दसि/संहितायां विसर्ग-लोप/रूपभेदः दृश्यते। 2) इन्दु॑: (इन्दुः) इति विसर्गः पदान्ते
- ‘सत्राजित्’ इत्यनन्तरं संहितायां विसर्गः प्रायः स्थाति/रूपान्तरं भवति। 3) अचिक्रदत् = लुङ्-रूपम् (अorist) √क्रन्द्
- संधि-विशेषः न, केवलं पदरूप-निर्णयः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
This purifying Soma cries out, a seeker of cows, desiring gold; the Indu is the constant victor, not to be overthrown.
Inner meaning
Purified delight (Pavamāna Indu) ‘cries out’—a spontaneous call of aspiration in the being. It is gavyu, the seeker of the cows: not cattle, but the rays of knowledge/light that have been hidden or lost. It yearns for hiraṇya, the golden light of higher consciousness. In the continuous inner battle (satrā), it is the assured conqueror (satrājit), not defeated (astṛtaḥ): delight, once purified, becomes an invincible force against obscurity and inertia.
Universal truth
A purified joy naturally turns into aspiration for truth and knowledge; it persists through struggle and steadily recovers the lost lights of understanding.
Themes
Soma-ritual, cow-finding (light-recovery), victory, illumination
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma Pavamāna cycle; specific rishi not securely identified for this verse in the provided source.
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.27.1, Rig Veda 9.27.2, Rig Veda 9.27.3, Rig Veda 9.27.5, Rig Veda 9.27.6
Family tradition
Soma hymns transmit a lineage of inner alchemy: extracting delight and turning it into knowledge-seeking power (gavyu).
Significance
The seer-vision here is militant but luminous: aspiration (cry) + knowledge-seeking (cows) + golden light (hiraṇya) = inevitable victory.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Gavyu (seeker of the cows/rays), Hiraṇyayu (desirer of golden light), Satrājit (constant victor), Astṛta (unoverthrown)
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of Vṛtra, releaser of cows), Sūrya (golden light), Bṛhaspati (finder of the cows by the Word)
Cosmic role
Soma is the conquering current that recovers light from darkness and sustains the gods’ victory over limiting powers.
Inner power
Invincible aspiration and delight that hunts for knowledge, draws down golden illumination, and persists through long struggle.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification (Pavamāna) recitation during straining and offerings.
ए॒ष ग॒व्युर॑चिक्रद॒त्पव॑मानो हिरण्य॒युः । इन्दु॑: सत्रा॒जिदस्तृ॑तः ॥
ए॒षः । ग॒व्युः । अ॒चि॒क्र॒द॒त् । पव॑मानः । हि॒र॒ण्य॒ऽयुः । इन्दुः॑ । स॒त्रा॒ऽजित् । अस्तृ॑तः ॥
eṣaḥ | gavyuḥ | acikradat | pavamānaḥ | hiraṇya-yuḥ | induḥ | satrājit | astṛtaḥ
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3×8 (typical Gāyatrī).
Crisp, triumphant, with a ‘cry’ impulse at the start and a firm closure (astṛtaḥ).
Energizes aspiration and confidence; evokes a victorious forward drive.
- acikradat
- Literal: cried out, shouted. Symbolic: the soul’s call/cry of aspiration; awakening impetus
- gavyuḥ
- Literal: seeker of cows. Symbolic: seeker of rays of knowledge; recovery of illumining perceptions
- pavamānaḥ
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: delight refining itself into truth-force
- hiraṇya-yuḥ
- Literal: desiring gold. Symbolic: yearning for golden supramental light; luminous consciousness
- induḥ
- Literal: bright drop (Soma). Symbolic: concentrated delight-light essence
- satrā-jit
- Literal: conqueror in the continuous (battle). Symbolic: victory through sustained practice; unwavering tapas
- astṛtaḥ
- Literal: not overthrown, unpierced. Symbolic: invulnerable to doubt, depression, and obscurity once established
Chant for Soma’s purification and empowerment; supports the ‘cow-finding’ motif as recovery of light in the rite and in the practitioner.
During Soma flow when the ‘victorious’ and ‘light-seeking’ aspect is invoked for success of the rite.
Chanting over the flowing/strained Soma; offering portions to deities of victory and illumination.
Use when facing inner resistance (tamas, doubt): chant to rekindle aspiration and the will to recover clarity (the ‘cows’).
: go ‘cow’ + desiderative/agentive sense ‘seeker’; symbolically ‘seeker of light-rays’. : √krand ‘to roar/cry’ with intensive/reduplicated formation indicating repeated/strong cry. : √pū ‘to purify’ (present participle). : hiraṇya ‘gold’ + √yu ‘to join/impel/desire’ → ‘gold-seeking’. : ‘drop, bright point’, connected with shining. : satrā ‘always’ + √ji ‘conquer’. : a- (neg.) + stṛta ‘overthrown/covered’ → ‘uncovered/undefeated’ (semantic overlap: not obstructed).
recovery of knowledge (go as rays), unceasing victory (satrā-jit), purification as inner clarification
The ‘cows’ are the ordered rays of ṛta; Soma seeks and restores them to consciousness.
Hiraṇya signifies truth-light that is stable and self-luminous.
Release of hidden light from confinement; progressive conquest over the coverer-principle.
Aurobindonian symbolism: cows as illuminations; Soma as ānanda-force that conquers by persistence.
Gold = supramental/illumined light; herd = multiple rays/insights; cry = awakened aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- ‘Finding the cows’: Soma as gavyuḥ seeks and calls forth the hidden rays of knowledge; his golden aspiration (hiraṇya-yuḥ) makes him continuously victorious (satrā-jit) and unovercome (astṛtaḥ) against obscuring forces.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ji ‘conquer’ reflects PIE *gʷʰey-/*gʷʰi-? (Indo-Iranian victory lexicon is complex), but √vid is absent here; more secure: go ‘cow’ is Indo-Iranian *gau- from PIE *gʷṓus (cf. Greek boûs, Latin bōs). hiraṇya ‘gold’ parallels Indo-Iranian prestige-metal vocabulary; √pū ‘purify’ aligns with PIE *pewH- ‘cleanse/purify’ (cf. Latin pūrus ‘pure’, plausibly related).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer voices Soma’s victorious cry as an inner dynamic: when invoked and purified, Soma becomes the active seeker in us that retrieves lost illuminations and sustains an unbroken conquest over inertia and obscuration.
Invoke the ‘cry’ of aspiration; visualize lost rays of clarity returning; rest in confident perseverance.
Maṇipūra (victorious will) rising to Ājñā (light of knowledge).
Kapalabhāti (mild, if suitable) or brisk exhalations followed by quiet breathing—symbolic ‘cry’ then steady victory.
Dynamic, fearless, luminous seeking.
Chant 7 or 21 times when resistance appears. After chanting, write down one ‘lost cow’ (a truth you avoid) and invite it back without self-blame.
Rigvedic udatta/anudatta/svarita; the emphatic feel suits a slightly raised udatta on acikradat and satrājit (per accent marks in the source).
Give clear separation: eṣa gavyuḥ | acikradat; keep long vowels steady in hiraṇyayuḥ and satrājit.
gavyuḥ: ga-vyuḥ, keep ‘vy’ conjunct clean, acikradat: a-ci-kra-dat, crisp ‘kr’, hiraṇyayuḥ: hi-ra-ṇya-yuḥ; retroflex ṇ; yuḥ with visarga, astṛtaḥ: as-tṛ-taḥ, syllabic ṛ; final visarga lightly released
Clear, ringing, victorious—avoid harshness; let energy be luminous.
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