Rig Veda 9.46.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 46, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.46
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
एतं मृजन्ति मर्ज्यं पवमानं दश क्षिपः । इन्द्राय मत्सरं मदम् ॥
etáṁ mṛ́janti márjyaṁ pávamānaṁ dáśa kṣípaḥ | índrāya matsaráṁ mádam ||
このソーマ（Soma）は浄めらるべき者、自ら浄まるパヴァマーナ（Pavamāna）――十の迅き手が彼を浄める。インドラ（Indra）のための恍惚と酔いの力として。
Word by Word
- एतम्
- this (him/it)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मृजन्ति
- they cleanse/purifyVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root मृज् (धातु) ‘मार्जने/शोधने’
- मर्ज्यम्
- to-be-cleansed, fit for purificationAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (एतम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot मृज् → मर्ज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ ‘to be cleansed’)
- पवमानम्
- the purifying one (Soma)Participle (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (एतम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot पू (धातु) ‘पवने/शोधने’ → पवमान (वर्तमान कृदन्त; आत्मनेपद-प्रयोगः)
- दश
- tenNumeralअव्ययवत्/अविकारी संख्या; (क्षिपः इति विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (समूह-कर्तृविशेषणम्)Root दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षिपः
- the swift ones (the ten fingers/pressers)Noun/Adjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot क्षिप् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘क्षिप्/क्षिप्रा’ इत्यादि—‘swift/quick’ अर्थे; यहाँ ‘swift ones’ = fingers/pressing-hands)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मत्सरम्
- intoxicating exhilaration / rousing stimulusNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot मत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदम्
- intoxication, exhilarationNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक; ‘intoxication, exhilaration’)
Sandhi Notes
- ‘दश क्षिपः’ इति संख्या-विशेषणसमासवत् प्रयोगः। ‘मर्ज्यम्’ तथा ‘पवमानम्’ एतम् इत्यस्य विशेषणे (द्वितीया-एकवचन) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
This Soma, fit to be cleansed, the self-purifying—ten swift hands cleanse him, a rapture and intoxication for Indra.
Inner meaning
The marjya/pavamāna Soma is the delight that must be refined. ‘Ten swift hands’ symbolize the full set of human instruments—five senses and five prāṇic/vital functions (or ten faculties) acting quickly in yoga to purify experience. When thus cleansed, Soma becomes matsara and mada for Indra: it turns illumined mind into victorious ecstasy, the power to break the Coverer.
Universal truth
Transformation requires the whole being’s participation; when all faculties cooperate to purify experience, joy becomes a force that empowers clear intelligence and decisive liberation.
Themes
Soma purification, Indra intoxication, ritual operators, ecstatic force
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma Pavamāna collection; specific rishi not securely identified for this verse in the provided metadata.
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.46
Significance
The seer-idea is integral purification: not one faculty but ‘ten swift’ cooperate—an image of total yoga where the whole nature becomes an assistant of the sacrifice.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (for Indra)
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Marjya (to be cleansed)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Soma is filtered and clarified to become the invigorating delight that empowers Indra’s luminous action in the cosmos.
Inner power
Purified ecstasy that becomes strength and victorious joy for the illumined mind.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration/cleansing phase (pavitra)
ए॒तं मृ॑जन्ति॒ मर्ज्यं॒ पव॑मानं॒ दश॒ क्षिप॑: । इन्द्रा॑य मत्स॒रं मद॑म् ॥
ए॒तम् । मृ॒ज॒न्ति॒ । मर्ज्य॑म् । पव॑मानम् । दश॑ । क्षिपः॑ । इन्द्रा॑य । म॒त्स॒रम् । मद॑म् ॥
etam | mṛjanti | marjyam | pavamānam | daśa | kṣipaḥ | indrāya | matsaram | madam
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4×8 (probable)
Brisk, tactile rhythm—‘daśa kṣipaḥ’ gives a quick percussive feel.
Stimulates a sense of collective inner effort and rapid purification; good for clearing dullness.
- मर्ज्यम् (marjyam)
- Literal: fit to be cleansed. Symbolic: experience capable of refinement; delight needing purification
- पवमानम् (pavamānam)
- Literal: self-purifying. Symbolic: Ananda that purifies by flowing through consciousness
- दश क्षिपः (daśa kṣipaḥ)
- Literal: ten swift (hands). Symbolic: ten faculties/instruments acting with speed and skill in sadhana
- मृजन्ति (mṛjanti)
- Literal: they cleanse. Symbolic: they refine, sift, and clarify movements of mind-vital
- इन्द्राय (indrāya)
- Literal: for Indra. Symbolic: for the illumined mind-force to grow victorious
- मत्सरम् (matsaram)
- Literal: rapture/intoxication. Symbolic: exultant delight that lifts consciousness
- मदम् (madam)
- Literal: intoxication/joy. Symbolic: ecstatic power that energizes illumination
Describes the Soma’s cleansing by human operators (ten fingers) through filtering/handling, producing the potent drink offered to Indra.
When Soma is being strained/cleansed by multiple assistants before offering to Indra.
Straining through fleece, collecting, preparing for Indra’s libation.
Use when seeking purification of emotions/thoughts: invoke the cooperation of all faculties to clarify joy into strength.
√mṛj ‘cleanse, wipe’ is a core Vedic purification verb; marjya ‘to be cleansed’ indicates ritual fitness and inner readiness. pavamāna from √pū/√pav ‘purify’. daśa ‘ten’ often concretely the ten fingers (manual pressing/cleansing) and symbolically the complete set of operative faculties. kṣipaḥ related to √kṣip ‘throw, send swiftly’ → ‘swift’. mada from √mad ‘be exhilarated/intoxicated’ (PIE *med- ‘measure’ is distinct; √mad is Indo-Iranian joy/intoxication semantic field).
purification as transformation of raw force into luminous power, Indra strengthened by ecstasy aligned with right action, integration of faculties (ten) in the work
Purification is the Ṛta-process: right ordering of mixed movements into clarified force.
Clarity of delight supports truth-vision (Indra).
From mixed to pure: emergence of a higher force through filtering.
Psychological Veda: instruments (indriyas/prāṇas) as ritual agents in inner transformation.
Filtering = discernment; hands = faculties; flow = continuous Ananda-current refined into power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The cleansing of Soma by ‘ten swift ones’ (fingers/faculties) produces Indra’s ecstatic power. Psychologically, the disciplined handling of delight-energy purifies it into a force that empowers the victorious intelligence (Indra) to break limitation and establish Ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The concrete numeral daśa ‘ten’ is inherited (PIE *deḱm̥; cf. Lat. decem, Gk. δέκα). The verse exemplifies archaic IE poetics where numerals and body-based imagery (‘ten’ = hands) encode ritual technique and symbolic completeness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi highlights cooperative transformation: human agency (‘ten swift ones’) participates in Soma’s self-purifying nature (pavamāna). The result is offered to Indra—showing a triadic reciprocity: human work purifies Soma; Soma becomes ecstasy; Indra, empowered, supports the human victory over obstruction.
Bring all faculties into one act of purification—let attention ‘strain’ thoughts and emotions until only clear joy remains.
Maṇipūra (purifying effort) to Ājñā (illumined mind)
Exhale-focused cleansing: slow exhale imagining filtration; brief pause; inhale receiving bright joy.
Energetic purification leading to luminous steadiness.
Chant 10 times to match ‘ten hands’; with each repetition, consciously relax one faculty (sight, hearing, etc.) into a single inward offering, ending in a clear, bright stillness.
Notated svara unavailable; give a crisp lift on ‘pavamānam’ and a strong beat on ‘daśa kṣipaḥ’.
Mark a slight pause after pavamānam; then chant ‘daśa kṣipaḥ’ with quick, clean consonants.
(mṛjanti): vocalic ṛ—short, not ‘ri’., (kṣipaḥ): conjunct kṣ; light visarga at end., (indrāya): long ā; keep ‘dr’ cluster clean.
Purifying, focused, slightly martial clarity.
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