Rig Veda 9.6.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 6, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.6
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
देवो देवाय धारयेन्द्राय पवते सुतः । पयो यदस्य पीपयत् ॥
devó devā́ya dhā́rayéndrāya pavate sutáḥ | páyo yád asya pī́payat ||
神なるソーマは、搾り出されて、神インドラのために一筋の流れとなって清め流れる。彼の乳のごとき豊潤（payo）がふくらみ、インドラを養うときに。
Word by Word
- देवः
- the god (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाय
- for/to the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- धारय
- for/to the supporter/bearerNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot धारय (प्रातिपदिक; धारि/धारय- ‘धारण/धारक’)
- इन्द्राय
- for/to IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवते
- purifies/flowsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम पुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √पू (पवते) ‘to purify/flow (as Soma)’
- सुतः
- pressed (Soma)Participle (past passive)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (देवः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root √सु ‘to press’ → सुत (कृदन्त)
- पयः
- milk; nourishing drinkNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्म (पीपयत् इत्यस्य)Root पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- whichRelative pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole (सम्बन्ध/विशेषणम् पयः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of him/itsPronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पीपयत्
- made (him/it) swell; filled; caused to drinkVerb (finite)लङ्/इम्पर्फेक्ट् (वैदिक), परस्मैपद, प्रथम पुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √पा/√पि (causative/intensive stem पीपय-) ‘to make swell, make drink, cause to be full’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: देवः | देवाय | धारय | इन्द्राय | पवते | सुतः | पयः | यत् | अस्य | पीपयत् । (देवो = देवः + Ø; धारयेन्द्राय = धारय + इन्द्राय; यदस्य = यत् + अस्य → द् + अ = द; visarga before vowel drops.)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The god Soma, pressed, flows in a stream for the god Indra, when his milk-like richness swells and nourishes him.
Inner meaning
Purified delight (Soma) becomes a steady current offered to Indra—the illumined mind. When Soma’s nourishing ‘milk’ (payaḥ) increases, it strengthens the luminous intelligence, enabling it to act victoriously against inner obstruction. The verse describes the exact mechanics of inner victory: Ananda feeds illumination, illumination conquers darkness.
Universal truth
Higher intelligence is not sustained by strain alone but by a purified joy that nourishes and enlarges its power.
Themes
Soma for Indra, Nourishment and increase, Divine reciprocity, Purifying flow
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.6.1-9.6.10
Significance
The seer articulates a core Aurobindonian principle: Ananda is not an ornament but the fuel of Indra—joy is the power-source of victorious illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (flowing to Indra)
- Epithets
- Deva (god-force), Suta, Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra, Maruts, Agni
Cosmic role
Soma is offered to Indra to empower the cosmic victory over Vṛtra; he is the nourishing current for the king of luminous mind.
Inner power
Nourishment of the higher mind by bliss; amplification of clarity and decisive force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Indra during Soma-yajña
दे॒वो दे॒वाय॒ धार॒येन्द्रा॑य पवते सु॒तः । पयो॒ यद॑स्य पी॒पय॑त् ॥
दे॒वः । दे॒वाय॑ । धार॑या । इन्द्रा॑य । प॒व॒ते॒ । सु॒तः । पयः॑ । यत् । अ॒स्य॒ । पी॒पय॑त् ॥
devaḥ | devāya | dhārayā | indrāya | pavate | sutaḥ | payaḥ | yat | asya | pīpayat
24
3×8 (approx.)
Balanced and offering-like; first half sets flow, second half swells in nourishment.
Gives a sense of steady offering and inner strengthening; supportive for building luminous confidence.
- देवः (devaḥ)
- Literal: the god. Symbolic: a conscious divine power within (Soma as a god-force)
- धारया (dhārayā)
- Literal: by a stream. Symbolic: continuous channel of practice; steady flow of consciousness
- इन्द्राय (indrāya)
- Literal: for Indra. Symbolic: for the illumined mind-force to be strengthened
- पवते (pavate)
- Literal: flows purified. Symbolic: self-clarifying movement of delight
- सुतः (sutaḥ)
- Literal: pressed. Symbolic: concentrated by aspiration and inner pressure
- पयः (payaḥ)
- Literal: milk. Symbolic: nourishing richness of delight/clarity; sustaining substance
- पीपयत् (pīpayat)
- Literal: swells, makes abundant, nourishes. Symbolic: increases the capacity of illumination; amplifies inner power
Indra’s Soma portion: Soma is offered/channeled to Indra to strengthen him; liturgically tied to Indra’s empowerment in Soma rites.
At points of offering/recitation where Indra is specifically empowered by Soma
Pouring/chanting while Soma is directed to Indra’s share
Chant before study/decision-making: invoke joy as nourishment for clear intelligence and courageous action.
páyas ‘milk’ becomes a symbol of nourishing essence (sweet strength of Soma). pī́payat is an intensive/causative formation (Vedic) expressing increase/strengthening—Soma not only flows but intensifies Indra’s power. The double devá- (devó devā́ya) underscores reciprocity of divine forces within the sacrifice/being.
mutuality of divine powers (devó devā́ya), strengthening through delight-nourishment (payaḥ, pīpayat), purification as empowerment (pavate)
The ‘dhārā’ is the ordered channel of ṛta—right flow enabling right action.
Indra’s strengthening leads to truth-victory over falsehood and confusion.
Reciprocity of powers: delight sustains mind; mind manifests victory in the world.
Integral psychology of the Veda: Ananda → Illumination → Victory.
Milk = sustaining sweetness of purified experience; stream = continuity; Indra = luminous apex of mind fed by that sweetness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Soma nourishes Indra’ mythologem: Soma is the divine nourishment that makes Indra mighty. Psychologically, the clarified delight-essence increases the luminous mind-force, enabling it to overcome inner obstructions.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- páyas ‘milk’ belongs to an inherited Indo-European pastoral lexicon (though exact cognates vary). The strengthening verb formation (pīpay-) illustrates Vedic intensives/causatives used to encode dynamic increase—an archaic poetic-grammatical strategy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer frames Soma as a conscious agent: ‘the god (Soma) for the god (Indra)’. The r̥ṣi’s act (pressing/clarifying) becomes the condition for Indra’s inner growth; the deity’s boon is an empowered, victorious mentality.
Offer inner delight to the higher mind; feel the ‘milk of consciousness’ nourishing clarity.
Ājñā with support from Anāhata
Slow inhale to brow (Indra), slow exhale as a ‘stream’ down the central channel; 9 rounds.
Luminous calm; sattvic strengthening.
Chant softly; then rest attention at the brow, sensing a gentle increase of clarity and steadiness fed by a quiet happiness.
Exact svara accents not provided (needs svara-text).
Keep ‘devo devāya’ clearly separated; let ‘dhārayā indrāya’ feel like a smooth pour.
: long ā; roll lightly into ‘r’, : retroflex ṇ not present—use dental ‘n’ in ‘indra’ as standard; keep ‘dr’ cluster clean, : ‘va’ soft; ‘te’ clear, : long ī; repeat ‘pī-’ distinctly
Gentle, devotional, steady like a pour.
9
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