Rig Veda 9.8.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 8, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.8
- Devata
- Soma
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
मघोन आ पवस्व नो जहि विश्वा अप द्विषः । इन्दो सखायमा विश ॥
maghóna ā́ pavasva no jahí víśvā apa dvíṣaḥ | índo sakhā́yam ā́ víśa ||
寛大なる者よ、浄めの流れとしてわれらへ来たれ。あらゆる敵対の力を打ち払え。インドゥ（Indu）よ、友として、伴として、われらの内へ入れ。
Word by Word
- मघोनः
- of the bountiful one (patron/possessor of gifts)Noun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, forthIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Role क्रियाविशेषण (directional)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- पवस्व
- purify/flow (as Soma), stream forthVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √पू (पवते) / √पु (to purify, flow)
- नः
- for us / to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी; बहुवचन (enclitic)Role सम्प्रदान (for us) / सम्बन्ध (our)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- जहि
- smite, slayVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आदेश)Root √हन् (to strike, slay)
- विश्वाः
- all (of them)Adjective (used substantively with implied noun)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole कर्म (object of ‘अप’/‘जहि’ as ‘all [of them]’)Root विश्व (सर्व/समस्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
- अप
- away, offIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Role क्रियाविशेषण (separative)Root अप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- द्विषः
- haters, foesNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Vedic form)Role कर्म (object of ‘जहि’)Root द्विष् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘hater/foe’)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (address)Root इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक; Soma)
- सखायम्
- a friend, companionNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्म (object of ‘विश’)Root सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Role क्रियाविशेषण (directional)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- विश
- enter, come in (to)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आदेश)Root √विश् (to enter, settle upon; to come in)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): मघोनः | आ | पवस्व | नः | जहि | विश्वाः | अप | द्विषः | इन्दो | सखायम् | आ | विश । 1) मघोन॒ आ → मघोनः + आ (visarga before vowel; RV saṃhitā often shows o + ā with sandhi). 2) विश्वा॒ अप → विश्वाः + अप (final -āḥ before vowel; saṃhitā writes -ā a-). 3) द्विष॑: is Vedic orthography for द्विषः (visarga). 4) सखा॑य॒मा → सखायम् + आ (final -m before vowel; saṃhitā coalescence). Accent: udātta/anudātta/svarita marks in the saṃhitā are retained in the given text
- pada-forms here are shown without explicit accent marks
The meaning
Outer meaning
O bounteous Soma, flow to us purified; strike away all enemies; O Indu, enter as our friend.
Inner meaning
Let the bliss-force, abundant and generous (maghonaḥ), descend into our system in a purified stream. It must ‘slay’ (jahi) the hostile powers—inner resistances, doubt, depression, dispersal—everything that opposes the light. Then Soma is asked to enter as sakhā, an intimate companion: not an occasional experience but a constant friend within the being.
Universal truth
Spiritual joy is both sweetness and strength: it protects, clears negativity, and becomes an abiding companion. When inner delight is purified, it naturally repels hostile formations and supports steady progress.
Themes
Protection, Inner adversaries, Soma as friend, Purified descent
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna tradition
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.8 (entire sūkta), Rig Veda 9.25 (Soma as protector/friend motifs)
Family tradition
Pavamāna hymns often function as protective and empowering chants within the Soma rite; psychologically they are mantras of descent and inner fortification.
Significance
This is a compact sādhanā formula: invoke purified delight, use it to remove inner hostilities, and establish it as a constant inner companion.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (Indu/Pavamāna)
- Epithets
- Maghavan-like (maghonaḥ: bounteous), Indu, Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra (often strengthened by Soma), Agni (inner priest who receives Soma), Maruts (forces that aid the battle)
Cosmic role
Protector and energizer of the gods; a purifying, strengthening nectar that wards off inimical forces.
Inner power
A blissful protective presence that clears negativity and establishes friendly intimacy with the Divine within.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocation during Soma purification and offering; also protective intent within the rite.
म॒घोन॒ आ प॑वस्व नो ज॒हि विश्वा॒ अप॒ द्विष॑: । इन्दो॒ सखा॑य॒मा वि॑श ॥
म॒घोनः॑ । आ । प॒व॒स्व॒ । नः॒ । ज॒हि । विश्वाः॑ । अप॑ । द्विषः॑ । इन्दो॒ इति॑ । सखा॑यम् । आ । वि॒श॒ ॥
maghonaḥ | ā | pavasva | naḥ | jahi | viśvāḥ | apa | dviṣaḥ | indo iti | sakhāyam | ā | viśa
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Imperative, martial-then-intimate: first a call to flow, then a strike, then a tender entry as friend.
Gives courage and protection, followed by a feeling of companionship and inward sweetness.
- मघोनः (maghonaḥ)
- Literal: bounteous, generous. Symbolic: Abundant Ananda that increases the being
- पवस्व (pavasva)
- Literal: flow purified. Symbolic: Let the bliss-current move in a clarified, sattwic stream
- जहि (jahi)
- Literal: strike, slay. Symbolic: Cut through inner opposition—tamasic inertia, rajasic turbulence, hostile thought-forms
- द्विषः (dviṣaḥ)
- Literal: haters, enemies. Symbolic: Forces of division and denial; inner ‘anti-light’ movements
- इन्दो (indo)
- Literal: bright drop. Symbolic: Concentrated luminous bliss
- सखायम् (sakhāyam)
- Literal: as a friend/companion. Symbolic: Ananda as intimate ally, sustaining the yoga from within
- आ विश (ā viśa)
- Literal: enter in. Symbolic: Take possession inwardly; abide in the inner house of consciousness
Protective and empowering use within Soma rite: invocation for Soma to come purified, remove adversities, and establish friendly indwelling for the sacrificer
During pavamāna sequences; can function as an apotropaic (warding) formula in the Soma context.
Chanted to invite Soma’s flow, remove obstacles, and establish auspiciousness for the offering.
Use as a daily protective meditation: call in purified joy, clear hostile moods/thought-forms, and rest in a sense of inner friendship.
maghon (from magha ‘gift, bounty’) indicates Soma as plenitude-giver; pavasva (√pū) keeps the purification frame; jahi (√han) introduces the battle motif—removing dviṣ (hostilities). √viś ‘enter’ marks not distant worship but indwelling: Soma becomes sakhā (ally) within the practitioner.
inner battle (light vs. hostility/ignorance), indwelling divine companionship (sakhā), plenitude (magha)
Hostile forces are those that disturb right order; Soma’s purified flow restores ṛta in the being.
Friendship with Indu implies intimacy with truth-delight rather than false pleasure.
Sustained becoming requires both purification and defense; the divine companion stabilizes evolution.
Yoga of the Veda: battle and companionship as inner processes of transformation.
A descending current of calm joy that cleanses the nervous system, repels negative formations, and establishes a stable inner ally.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘battle-and-indwelling’ mythologem: the purified Soma comes as bounty, drives away hostile forces (dviṣaḥ), and then enters as sakhā—an inner ally establishing the divine presence for victory in the human field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dviṣ ‘hate’ reflects an old IE opposition lexicon (cf. Latin dīvidere ‘divide’ not cognate but similar semantic field of separation; the direct cognate line is Indo-Iranian strong). √han ‘strike’ is part of a widespread IE martial register. √viś ‘enter’ is cognate with PIE *weyḱ-/*wis- ‘settle/enter’ (cf. Latin vīcus ‘settlement’ via related formations), supporting the idea of ‘entering to dwell’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks not only for external help but for intimate presence: Soma must remove inner resistances and then ‘enter’ as companion. The reciprocity is experiential—Soma gives protection and indwelling strength; the rishi provides invocation and readiness to host the power.
Invoke a purified, luminous joy to enter; let it cut through hostile thoughts; rest in the sense of the Divine as inner friend.
Anāhata (friendship/heart) with protective strengthening at Maṇipūra; clarity at Ājñā.
Inhale: ‘ā pavasva no’; brief hold: feel purification; exhale: ‘jahi viśvā apa dviṣaḥ’; then natural breathing with ‘indo sakhāyam ā viśa’ as a settling phrase.
Protected calm-strength; intimate sweetness; steady confidence.
When negativity arises, do not argue with it—call the purified flow, exhale it out as ‘dviṣaḥ’, then feel Indu seated as a quiet friend behind the heart.
Observe Saṃhitā accents; imperatives (‘pavasva’, ‘jahi’, ‘viśa’) should be clear but not shouted; let udātta carry authority.
Three-beat intention: INVITE (ā pavasva) → CLEAR (jahi… dviṣaḥ) → ESTABLISH (sakhāyam ā viśa).
maghonaḥ: gh is voiced aspirate; keep ‘o’ rounded., pavasva: v is between v/w; no extra vowel between s-v., dviṣaḥ: dv conjunct; retroflex ṣ., viśa: ś palatal; short i.
Firm and protective in the middle phrase; soften and warm on ‘sakhāyam’.
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