Rig Veda 9.64.22: Mandala 9, Sukta 64, Mantra 22
Sukta 9.64
- Rishi
- Ascribed to Soma Pavamāna seers
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
इन्द्रायेन्दो मरुत्वते पवस्व मधुमत्तमः । ऋतस्य योनिमासदम् ॥
índrāyendo marútvate páv asva mádhumattamaḥ | ṛtásya yónim āsádam ||
インドゥ（ソーマ）よ、マルトの力を帯びるインドラのために、最も蜜のごとく満ちて流れよ。ṛta（宇宙の正序・真理の法）その胎座に坐せ、真の秩序の住処に。
Word by Word
- इन्द्राय
- to/for IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (दत्तिव) एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- मरुत्वते
- to/for the Marut-possessing one (Indra accompanied by Maruts)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot मरुत्वन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; मरुत् + वत्)
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow (as purified Soma)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root पू (धातु; पुनाति/पवते ‘to purify, to flow clear’)
- मधुमत्तमः
- most honeyed/sweetestAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (इन्दुः/सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्ता (विशेषणरूपेण)Root मधुमत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (तम) प्रत्यय
- ऋतस्य
- of Ṛta (cosmic order/truth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- योनिम्
- womb; source; seatNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आसदम्
- approaching; settling upon; resorting toKṛdanta (verbal noun/participial noun)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (योनिम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन)Role कर्म (योनिम् इत्यस्य विशेषणत्वेन)Root आ + सद् (धातु ‘to sit, settle, approach’); क्तिन्/घञ्-प्रायः नामधातु-निर्मितः भाव/क्रियानाम
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: इन्द्रा॑येन्दो = इन्द्राय + इन्दो (अ + इ → ए)
- मरुत्व॑ते॒ पव॑स्व: पदच्छेदे ‘मरुत्वते | पवस्व’ (विसर्गादि नास्ति)
- ऋ॒तस्य॒ योनि॑मा॒सद॑म् = ऋतस्य + योनिम् + आसदम्
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Indu (Soma), flow most honeyed for Indra who is strong with the Maruts; take your seat in the womb of Ṛta.
Inner meaning
Let the Ananda-stream (Soma) pour in its richest sweetness into the illumined Mind (Indra) supported by the dynamic life-forces (Maruts). Then establish this delight in the ‘yoni’ of Ṛta—the deep foundation of truth-order—so that joy is not merely emotional, but seated in the law of the Spirit.
Universal truth
True power needs delight, and true delight needs order. When bliss flows into an illumined mind and is grounded in truth, life-forces become harmonious and effective.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Ṛta-establishment, Indra-Marut empowerment, inner purification
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.64.1-28
Family tradition
Soma-Pavamāna liturgical line: mantras shaped for the soma-flow, often expressing collective yogic insight into purification and ascent.
Significance
The mantra encodes a classic Vedic yoga: Soma (Ananda) → Indra (illumined mind) + Maruts (life-forces) → establishment in Ṛta (truth-order).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Indu, Madhu-mat, Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra, Maruts, Ṛta (as cosmic principle)
Cosmic role
Bearer of delight that strengthens Indra’s victory and harmonizes the Marut powers; establishes offerings in Ṛta.
Inner power
Sweet force that both exhilarates and orders; it empowers illumination and right dynamism.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing/filtration; invocation for Soma to flow toward Indra and allied powers
इन्द्रा॑येन्दो म॒रुत्व॑ते॒ पव॑स्व॒ मधु॑मत्तमः । ऋ॒तस्य॒ योनि॑मा॒सद॑म् ॥
इन्द्रा॑य । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । म॒रुत्व॑ते । पव॑स्व । मधु॑मत्ऽतमः । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । योनि॑म् । आ॒ऽसद॑म् ॥
indrāya | indo iti | marutvate | pavasva | madhumat-tamaḥ | ṛtasya | yonim | āsadam
48
4 pādas × ~12 syllables
Longer, flowing lines mirroring ‘pavasva’—a sustained pour.
Induces a sense of continuous streaming sweetness and stable settling at the end (āsadam).
- इन्दो (indo)
- Literal: bright drop (Soma). Symbolic: luminous Ananda-essence entering consciousness
- पवस्व (pavasva)
- Literal: flow, purify yourself. Symbolic: let the delight-current clarify and refine mind-vital substance
- मधुमत्तमः (madhumattamaḥ)
- Literal: most honeyed. Symbolic: highest sweetness of Ananda beyond mixed pleasure
- इन्द्राय (indrāya)
- Literal: for Indra. Symbolic: for the illumined mind that can hold and distribute light
- मरुत्वते (marutvate)
- Literal: possessing the Maruts. Symbolic: supported by disciplined life-energies, swift forces of action
- ऋतस्य योनिम् (ṛtasya yonim)
- Literal: womb/source of Ṛta. Symbolic: the foundational plane where truth-order generates right movement
- आसदम् (āsadam)
- Literal: sit down, take seat. Symbolic: stabilize the higher delight as a settled poise in consciousness
Soma-pavamāna sequence: chanting during Soma pressing/straining (pavitra) in the Soma sacrifice (e.g., Agniṣṭoma/Soma-yāga context).
During the pavamāna chants as Soma runs through the filter into vessels
Chanted to consecrate the flow, invite Indra’s force, and seat the offering in Ṛta
Meditation for ‘joy with right order’: invite sweetness into mind, then consciously seat it in ethical truth and steady discipline.
Key terms: pavasva (√pū/√pav ‘to purify, clarify, strain’ → Soma as clarified consciousness); madhumat-tamaḥ (madhu ‘honey/sweetness’ from √mad ‘to rejoice, be intoxicated’ → delight as conscious sweetness; -tama superlative); ṛtasya (ṛta from √ṛ ‘to go, fit, rise in right movement’ → right order/truth-rhythm); yoni (source/womb, ‘place of origin’); āsadam (ā-√sad ‘to sit down upon, settle, take seat’). Indra here is ‘marutvat’—possessing Maruts: dynamic powers of impulse, breath, and force aiding the ascent.
Ṛta (cosmic order), truth-consciousness as a ‘womb/seat’ (yoni), purification as inner clarification
Explicit: Soma is asked to sit in the yoni of Ṛta—delight grounded in cosmic order.
Truth as stable seat (āsana) for consciousness; not a passing mood.
From the source (yoni) of Ṛta, right manifestation is generated; Soma participates as creative delight.
Integral-Vedic: Ananda as a power of manifestation when joined to illumination and right order.
Flow = movement of consciousness; honey = pure delight; storm-winds = pranic dynamism; womb of Ṛta = deep lawful ground of right being.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Pavamāna-Soma ‘descent/flow’ into the seat of Ṛta: the mythic action is Soma’s self-purification and enthronement in the Truth-Order, empowering Indra (the victorious illumined mind) together with the Maruts (dynamic forces).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ṛtá- aligns with Indo-Iranian *ṛta- (Avestan aša) from PIE *h₂er- ‘to fit/join in proper order’ (semantic field: rightness, order). √sad ‘sit’ (āsadam) corresponds to PIE *sed- ‘to sit’ (Lat. sedēre, Eng. sit via Germanic *sitjan with related semantics).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer invokes Soma as an inner agent of clarification: Soma is asked to ‘flow purified’ not merely for offering, but to establish itself in Ṛta within the human vessel; Indra-Marut are the awakened powers that receive and wield this clarified delight-force for the soul’s victory.
Receive a ‘honeyed’ current in the head and heart, offer it to the illumined mind (clarity), then ‘seat’ it in truth-order (integrity, right action).
Ajna (Indra/illumination) with Anahata (Soma sweetness)
Inhale imagining Soma ‘flowing’ down as cool sweetness; exhale establishing steadiness (āsana) in the heart—6 to 8 breaths per minute.
From uplifted joy to settled luminous order.
After chanting, reflect: ‘Is my joy aligned with Ṛta?’ Make one concrete alignment (truthful speech, right rhythm of work/rest) to ‘seat’ the Soma.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita; not fully specified in input.
Lift on indrā́ya, índo, páv asva, mádhu-mattamaḥ; give a settling cadence on ṛtásya yónim āsádam.
indrāya: long ā, endo/indo: short i, dental n, marutvate: ‘tv’ cluster clean, do not insert vowel, ṛtasya: vocalic ṛ clear, not ‘ri’, yonim: long o; dental n
Flowing, nectar-like, with a composed ending; avoid sharpness.
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