Rig Veda 9.95.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 95, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.95
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अपामिवेदूर्मयस्तर्तुराणाः प्र मनीषा ईरते सोममच्छ । नमस्यन्तीरुप च यन्ति सं चा च विशन्त्युशतीरुशन्तम् ॥
apāmívéd ū́rmayas tarturāṇā́ḥ prá manīṣā́ īrate sómam áccha | namasyántīr úpa ca yánti sám cā́ ca viśanti uśatī́r uśántam ||
水の波が奔り寄るように、求める霊感・思惟（manīṣā）はソーマ（Soma）へと湧き立つ。礼拝しつつ近づき、集い、入りゆく――供えと上昇を欲する、その「欲する者」を慕いながら。
Word by Word
- अपाम्
- of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (वेद. ‘अपाम्’ = ‘अपः’ का षष्ठी एक.)Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपमान (simile-marker)Root इव
- ऊर्मयः
- wavesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
- तर्तुराणाः
- striving to cross, surging onwardParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; वर्तमान/प्रवृत्तिवाचक (intensive sense: ‘striving to cross/overpass’)Role कर्तृ (ऊर्मयः का विशेषण)Root तॄ (धातु) → तर्तुराण (परस्मै/आत्मनेपदीय परिप्रास/इंटेन्सिव-परफेक्ट कृदन्त, RV) अथवा ‘तर्तुर’ (intensive base) + -आण
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinable (Preverb)उपसर्गRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot प्र
- मनीषाः
- thoughts, inspirationsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot मनीषा (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईरते
- move, ariseVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot ईर्/ईर (धातु; ‘to set in motion, to rise’)
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अच्छ
- towards, toIndeclinableअव्यय (दिशा/गमनार्थक)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot अच्छ
- नमस्यन्तीः
- worshipping, paying homageParticipleस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; वर्तमान (शतृ-प्रत्यय: -न्ती)Role कर्तृRoot नमस् (प्रातिपदिक) / नम् (धातु) → नमस्य (नामधातु/denominative) → वर्तमान कृदन्त
- उप
- near, up toIndeclinable (Preverb)उपसर्गRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot उप
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRole समुच्चयRoot च
- यन्ति
- goVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot या (धातु)
- सम्
- together, whollyIndeclinable (Preverb)उपसर्गRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot सम्
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRole समुच्चयRoot च
- आ
- to, intoIndeclinable (Preverb)उपसर्गRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot आ
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRole समुच्चयRoot च
- विशन्ति
- enterVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot विश् (धातु)
- उशतीः
- eager, desirousAdjective/Participleस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (नमस्यन्तीः का विशेषण)Root उशत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘desiring, eager’)
- उशन्तम्
- the desired one / the pleasing oneAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (विशन्ति का)Root उशत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘desiring/pleasing’)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठ-समाधान (मुख्य): अपामि॒वेदू॒र्मयः → अपाम् + इव + ऊर्मयः। सोम॒मच्छ → सोमम् + अच्छ। नमस्यन्ती॒रुप → नमस्यन्तीः + उप। च॒ यन्ति॒ सं चा च॑ → च + यन्ति + सम् + च + आ + च। विशन्त्युश॒तीरु॒शन्त॑म् → विशन्ति + उशतीः + उशन्तम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Like rushing water-waves, the inspired thoughts surge toward Soma; in reverence they approach, gather, enter—desiring the Desirable.
Inner meaning
The seeker’s manīṣāḥ (illumined inspirations) rise in a rapid, wave-like movement from the subconscient and vital surface toward Soma, the purified delight-principle. Reverence (namasyantīḥ) is the psychic attitude that allows these movements not merely to touch but to enter and abide in the Bliss, until desire is transformed into a luminous aspiration that meets the divine ‘Desirer’ (uśantam) who responds to the soul’s upward offering.
Universal truth
When aspiration becomes rhythmic, collective, and reverent, consciousness naturally converges on its source of delight; the higher joy is not seized by force but entered by consenting movements of the whole being.
Themes
ascent of inspirations, approach and entry into Soma, dynamic movement of consciousness
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.95, Rig Veda 9.96
Family tradition
Mandala 9 is a specialized Soma-Pavamāna collection associated with multiple rishi-families; individual verse attribution is uncertain in many recensions.
Significance
The anonymous seer-voice represents a collective yogic experience: the many inner movements (manīṣāḥ) converging on Soma as a unifying delight and purification.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Indrapāna (Indra’s drink, implicit in the cycle), Uśantam (the Desirer/Delighting one)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Varuṇa, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Purifier and intensifier of consciousness; mediates between human aspiration and divine illumination; establishes wideness and joy in the worlds.
Inner power
Ananda that clarifies mind and vital, making aspiration rhythmic, reverent, and capable of ‘entering’ the higher state.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma Pavamāna chant during Soma sacrifice (pavamāna-stotra/recitation context varies by śākhā)
अ॒पामि॒वेदू॒र्मय॒स्तर्तु॑राणा॒: प्र म॑नी॒षा ई॑रते॒ सोम॒मच्छ॑ । न॒म॒स्यन्ती॒रुप॑ च॒ यन्ति॒ सं चा च॑ विशन्त्युश॒तीरु॒शन्त॑म् ॥
अ॒पाम्ऽइ॑व । इत् । ऊ॒र्मयः॑ । तर्तु॑राणाः । प्र । म॒नी॒षाः । ई॒र॒ते॒ । सोम॑म् । अच्छ॑ । न॒म॒स्यन्तीः॑ । उप॑ । च॒ । यन्ति॑ । सम् । च॒ । आ । च॒ । वि॒श॒न्ति॒ । उ॒श॒तीः । उ॒शन्त॑म् ॥
apām-iva | it | ūrmayaḥ | tarturāṇāḥ | pra | manīṣāḥ | īrate | somam | accha | namasyantīḥ | upa | ca | yanti | sam | ca | ā | ca | viśanti | uśatīḥ | uśantam
48
4 padas × ~12 syllables (Jagatī cadence)
Long, wave-like sweep suited to imagery of rushing waters and gathering movements.
Builds a sense of collective surge and entry—helpful for guiding the mind from scattered thoughts into a single current of aspiration.
- अपामिव (apām iva)
- Literal: like waters. Symbolic: the flowing movements of consciousness; life-force currents seeking their source
- ऊर्मयः (ūrmayas)
- Literal: waves. Symbolic: successive surges of aspiration/inspiration rising from lower to higher planes
- तर्तुराणाः (tarturāṇāḥ)
- Literal: rushing, hastening. Symbolic: intense upward urgency of sādhanā; concentrated drive toward the goal
- मनीषाः (manīṣāḥ)
- Literal: thoughts, inspirations. Symbolic: illumined discernments; intuitive formations of the higher mind
- सोमम् अच्छ (somam accha)
- Literal: toward Soma. Symbolic: toward the delight-consciousness that purifies and immortalizes
- नमस्यन्तीः (namasyantīḥ)
- Literal: adoring, bowing. Symbolic: psychic surrender that opens the inner gates
- उशतीः / उशन्तम् (uśatīḥ / uśantam)
- Literal: desiring / the desiring one. Symbolic: aspiration in the seeker meeting the divine will-to-give and will-to-ascend
Describes the collective movement of thoughts toward Soma during chanting; inner practice: convergence and entry into delight.
During Soma pressing and purification through the strainer (pavitra), especially in the flowing/clarifying phase.
Chanting while Soma is filtered and offered; inwardly, filtering of consciousness through discernment and devotion.
Use as a meditation verse for ‘gathering the mind’: let thoughts become waves converging on a single luminous joy.
ūrmí ‘wave’ (cf. Avestan vourmi-). tarturāṇa intensive/desiderative nuance from √tṛ ‘to cross’ or √tṝ ‘to pass over’ (form suggests vigorous repeated motion). manīṣā from manas/√man ‘to think’ with a specialized sense ‘inspired intelligence’. √nam ‘to bow’ in namasyantīḥ. √viś ‘to enter’ in viśanti. √vaś/√uś ‘to desire’ in uśatī-/uśant-.
aspiration and response (uśatī/uśantam), convergence (sam) and entry (viś), adoration (namas) as alignment
The wave-rhythm of inspirations suggests ṛta as a lived cadence—right movement toward the divine.
True inspirations (manīṣāḥ) arise when the being turns from surface desire to truth-seeking aspiration.
Convergence and entry: the many become one in the delight-source, a microcosm of cosmic integration.
Proto-Vedāntic and yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): Soma as Ananda and higher consciousness-force.
Waters/waves correspond to dynamic currents of consciousness; their rushing is the intensification of aspiration toward Ananda.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘the waters/waves rushing to the god’: a collective surge of powers toward Soma, culminating in entry. It recasts the outer flow of waters as the inner flow of manīṣā (inspired intelligence) seeking union with delight.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ūrmí has Indo-Iranian cognation (Vedic ūrmí ~ Avestan vourmi-), indicating inherited water-wave imagery. √man (manīṣā) continues PIE *men- ‘think’ (cf. Greek menos, English mind). √nam ‘bow’ is widely paralleled (PIE *nem- ‘bend’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s inner faculties are personified as feminine manīṣāḥ that adore, approach, gather, and enter Soma. Soma is portrayed as responsive—uśantam—so the relationship is reciprocal desire: human aspiration meets divine consenting delight.
Let inspirations rise like waves and ‘enter’ the heart-center of delight; cultivate reverence as the key that opens entry.
Anahata (heart) to Ajna (illumined mind) axis
Gentle ujjayi or slow nasal breathing; on inhale ‘surge toward’, on exhale ‘enter and abide’.
From restless seeking to unified, receptive, joy-filled concentration.
Begin with 3 minutes of collecting thoughts; chant once per breath-cycle; after chanting, sit silently imagining waves of light entering a luminous soma-sea within.
Use standard Vedic tri-svara approach (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā; verify with a pada-svara source for exact accents.
Maintain lift on udātta syllables; keep anudātta grounded; let svarita glide—supporting the ‘wave’ imagery.
ū in ūrmayaḥ is long and rounded, tarturāṇāḥ: clear retroflex ṭ, and long āḥ ending, namasyantīḥ: nasal ‘na’ and palatal ‘sy’ kept distinct, uśatīr uśantam: crisp ś (palatal) and short a vs long ā distinctions
Flowing, liquid, continuous—avoid percussive breaks to preserve wave-motion.
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