Rig Veda 9.24.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 24, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.24
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna with Indra as goal/recipient
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अभि गावो अधन्विषुरापो न प्रवता यतीः । पुनाना इन्द्रमाशत ॥
abhí gā́vo adhanviṣur ā́po ná pravátā yatī́ḥ | punānā́ índram ā́śata ||
ព្រះអាទិត្យបានហូរទៅរកទ្រង់ ដូចទឹកហូរចុះពីលើភ្នំ ដោយសំអាតខ្លួនឯង ពួកគេទៅដល់ព្រះឥន្ទ្រ - មកដល់អ្នកគ្រប់គ្រងនៃចិត្តដោយថាមពលដែលបានជម្រះ។
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, overIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; कर्मप्रवचनीयार्थे ‘towards/over’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अभि- (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- गावः
- the cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- अधन्विषुः
- rushed, spedVerbलिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot धन्विष् (धातु; धन्विषँ/धन्विष् = वेगं/शीघ्रं गमनम्, ‘to rush, speed’)
- आपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमानार्थक निपात; ‘like/as’Root न (अव्यय)
- प्रवता
- along the slope, downhillNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन (instrumental: ‘by/along the slope, downhill’)Role KaraṇaRoot प्रवत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ढाल/उतार’)
- यतीः
- moving, goingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (विशेषणम् ‘गावः/आपः’ इत्यस्य)Role KartāRoot यती (प्रातिपदिक; ‘going, moving’)
- पुनानाः
- purifying (themselves), being purifiedParticiple (Adjective) / Kṛdantaवर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (सोमाः—अध्याहार्यः)Role KartāRoot पू (धातु; पूञ् पवने ‘to purify’) → पुनान (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- आशत
- reached, attainedVerbलुङ्/आोरिस्ट (वेदे बहुधा); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot अश् (धातु; अश्नुते/अश् = ‘to reach, attain’) + आ- (उपसर्ग)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अभि | गावः | अधन्विषुः | आपः | न | प्रवता | यतीः | पुनानाः | इन्द्रम् | आशत । 1) ‘अभि गावो’ इत्यत्र संधिः न विशेषः (अभि + गावः)
- 2) ‘अधन्विषुरापो’ = अधन्विषुः + आपः (विसर्गसन्धि: ः + आ → रा; RV संहितापाठे ‘र’ आगमः)
- 3) ‘प्रवता यतीः’ संधिः न विशेषः
- 4) ‘इन्द्रमाशत’ = इन्द्रम् + आशत (म् + आ → मा; परसवर्ण/अनुस्वार-प्रकृति)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The cows have surged toward him like waters running down a slope; purifying themselves, they have reached Indra.
Inner meaning
The rays of knowledge (gāvaḥ) rush toward Soma/its process and toward Indra like descending waters—spontaneous, natural, irresistible movement of light into the illumined mind. As these rays purify (punānāḥ), they arrive at Indra: the mind-lord receives clarified illuminations, enabling right perception and victorious action.
Universal truth
When knowledge-rays are purified of distortion, they naturally flow toward the highest intelligence in us and organize life by illumination.
Themes
finding the cows (as rays), Soma-to-Indra, flow imagery, inner ascent via right descent (channeling)
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 1.33/1.32 (cows/waters released by Indra), RV 9.24
Family tradition
Soma Pavamāna tradition emphasizing recovery of ‘cows’ (rays) and release of waters as inner enlightenment.
Significance
The seer links three movements: Soma’s purification, the rush of rays (cows), and their arrival at Indra—depicting a complete circuit of inner illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna with Indra as the receiving goal
- Epithets
- pavamāna (implied), Indra as receiver/lord of illumination
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Sarasvatī (inspiration/flow), Varuṇa (ṛta in waters)
Cosmic role
Soma clarifies; the rays gather and flow; Indra receives and wields illumination to conquer obstruction.
Inner power
A coordinated ascent/descent: purified delight and purified rays feed the illumined mind, producing effective knowledge and action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification; imagery of cows/waters common in Soma rites and Indra offerings
अ॒भि गावो॑ अधन्विषु॒रापो॒ न प्र॒वता॑ य॒तीः । पु॒ना॒ना इन्द्र॑माशत ॥
अ॒भि । गावः॑ । अ॒ध॒न्वि॒षुः॒ । आपः॑ । न । प्र॒ऽवता॑ । य॒तीः । पु॒ना॒नाः । इन्द्र॑म् । आ॒श॒त॒ ॥
abhi | gāvaḥ | adhanviṣuḥ | āpaḥ | na | pra-vatā | yatīḥ | punānāḥ | indram | āśata
48
4 × ~12 syllables (probable)
Rolling, wave-like; imitates water’s downhill rush
Creates a felt ‘surge’ of clarity; encourages letting knowledge flow rather than forcing insight.
- gāvaḥ
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: Rays of light/knowledge; illuminations recovered from obscurity
- abhi ... adhanviṣuḥ
- Literal: surged/took speed toward. Symbolic: Directed movement of illumination toward the goal
- āpaḥ
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: Currents of consciousness and life-energy
- pravatā yatīḥ
- Literal: going down a slope. Symbolic: Natural descent of light into the lower nature; effortless flow when channels open
- punānāḥ
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: Clarifying knowledge from mixture (desire, fear, bias)
- indram āśata
- Literal: they reached Indra. Symbolic: Illuminations arrive at the illumined mind; integration into luminous intelligence
Accompanies the idea of Soma and allied ‘rays’ flowing to Indra; ritually, the clarified offering is directed to Indra; inwardly, clarified perceptions gather to the ruling luminous mind.
During pavamāna recitations; also thematically supports Indra’s receiving of Soma
Chanted as Soma is purified and offered; affirms arrival of clarified energies to Indra
Use when seeking clarity for decisions: chant to let insights ‘run downhill’ into the illumined mind without strain.
gā́vaḥ: go- ‘cow’ with Vedic double sense: literal cow and ‘ray/light’ (common in RV symbolism; go as ‘that which moves’ also supports ‘rays’). ā́paḥ: PIE *h₂ep- ‘waters’. pravátā: from pra- + vatá ‘slope/descent’ (√vat/√vṛt movement/turning field; in RV pravát often ‘down-slope’ where waters run). punānā́ḥ: from √pū ‘purify’. ā́śata: from √aś ‘to reach, attain’ (3pl).
recovery and gathering of light (go as knowledge), ṛta as right channel (pravata) for energies, purification as prerequisite for Indra’s action
The ‘downhill’ flow suggests ṛta as natural right movement when channels are aligned.
Purified rays reaching Indra = knowledge becoming truth-effective, not merely conceptual.
Release and convergence: rays and waters move toward the central luminous intelligence, forming ordered consciousness.
Vedic psychological symbolism: cows as rays; Indra as illumined mind organizing the flows.
Cows/rays = illuminations; waters = emotional-mental currents; slope = opened channel from higher to lower; reaching Indra = integration into luminous intelligence.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cows as rays’ convergence: luminous powers stream like waters to Indra. Inner sense: clarified perceptions and energies gather to the central illumined will, enabling victorious cognition and action.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- go- ‘cow’ is from PIE *gʷōus ‘cow’ (cf. Greek boûs, Latin bōs, English ‘cow’ from a different PIE root but within cattle lexicon). The semantic extension ‘cow → ray’ is Indo-Iranian/Vedic poetic development rather than direct PIE inheritance, showing how inherited lexemes gain symbolic registers.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames perception as a movement of powers: rays/energies do not wander aimlessly but ‘reach Indra’ when purified. The devotee’s task is to allow the inner currents to take the right slope (pravata) toward the governing light.
Invite rays of knowledge to descend like clear water into the mind; rest in the point where they ‘reach Indra’—a lucid, decisive intelligence.
Ājñā (clarity) supported by Viśuddha (purified expression) and Svādhiṣṭhāna (cleared waters)
Inhale imagining light gathering above the brow; exhale letting it flow down through throat to heart like water down a slope
Lucid receptivity; effortless insight
Chant 5–9 times, then ask one clear question inwardly; wait without mental pushing until a simple, bright ‘ray’ arrives—note it and act modestly on it.
Exact svaras not derivable from supplied text alone; use a svara-marked RV edition for accurate udatta/anudatta/svarita.
Let the simile ‘āpo na pravatā yatīḥ’ flow as one unit; slight emphasis on punānā indram āśata.
gāvaḥ: long ā, āpo: long ā; ‘po’ clear, pravatā: ‘pra’ crisp; retroflex? none here; keep short a at end, yatīḥ: long īḥ, āśata: long ā; ś clearly palatal
Liquid, flowing resonance; soften consonants in the simile to mimic water
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