Rig Veda 9.21.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 21, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.21
- Devata
- Soma Pavamana
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एते विश्वानि वार्या पवमानास आशत । हिता न सप्तयो रथे ॥
eté víśvāni vā́ryā pávamānāsa āśata | hitā́ ná saptáyo rathé ||
ಈ ಪವಮಾನ ಸೋಮಗಳು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ವರ್ಯ—ಇಚ್ಛಿತ ಧನಗಳನ್ನು—ಸಾಧಿಸುತ್ತವೆ; ರಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಜೋಡಿಸಲಾದ ಏಳು ಅಶ್ವಗಳಂತೆ ಸ್ಥಾಪಿತರಾಗಿ, ಅವು ಕ್ರಮಬದ್ಧ ಶಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಚಲಿಸುತ್ತವೆ.
Word by Word
- एते
- thesePronoun (demonstrative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (with आशत)Root एतद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- विश्वानि
- all (things), everythingAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (object of आशत)Root विश्व (prātipadika)
- वार्या
- desirable (goods/treasures)Noun/Adjective (substantivized)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (Vedic form in -ā for -āṇi)Role कर्म (in apposition to विश्वानि)Root वार्य (prātipadika; from वरी/वृ ‘to choose’, ‘choice, desirable’)
- पवमानासः
- the purifying ones (Soma streams)Participle (adjectival noun)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of आशत)Root पवमान (kṛdanta-prātipadika; pres. mid. participle of √पू/√पु ‘to purify, cleanse’)
- आशत
- have reached/attainedVerbलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपदम्, तृतीयपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रिया (predicate)Root √अश् (to reach, attain) with preverb आ-
- हिताः
- placed, setParticiple (adjectival)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (elliptically with implied ‘are/stand’)Root हित (kṛdanta-prātipadika; past passive participle of √धा ‘to place’)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातःRoot न
- सप्तयः
- teams of horses/mare-teamsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of implied ‘are set/stand yoked’)Root सप्ति (prātipadika; ‘mare/horse’, esp. team-horse)
- रथे
- on the chariotNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरण (locus: ‘on/in the chariot’)Root रथ (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- Padapāṭha-style resolution: ए॒ते | विश्वा॑नि | वार्या॒ | पव॑मानासः | आशत । हि॒ता | न | सप्त॑यः | रथे॑ ॥ No external sandhi across word-boundaries requiring splitting
- note Vedic neut. acc. pl. form वार्या used for expected classical वार्याणि. Accent marks are retained as in Saṃhitā but do not change segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
These purifying Somas attain all desirable treasures, set like seven yoked steeds in a chariot.
Inner meaning
When delight is clarified (pavamānāsaḥ), it becomes an ordered power capable of carrying the being toward fulfilment. The ‘treasures’ (vāryā) are inner attainments—light, strength, peace, right joy. The seven yoked steeds suggest a harmonized septenary of energies (often read as seven rays, seven powers, or the organized totality of the human instrument) moving under one direction, so the journey is straight and effective rather than scattered.
Universal truth
Purification turns raw energy into coordinated capacity: when the forces are yoked in harmony, life moves toward its true riches.
Themes
attainment of boons, sevenfold energies, ordered progress
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9 (verses on ‘seven’ symbolism and Soma as achiever of boons)
Family tradition
Visionary-ritual poetry of Soma as purifier and carrier of the seeker toward desired inner attainments (vāryā).
Significance
The seer articulates a law of practice: purification → coordination → attainment. The ‘seven steeds’ encode integral harmonization rather than one-sided asceticism.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavamāna, vārya-dhā (bestower of treasures; implied), ratha-yukta (chariot-yoked; imagery)
- Related deities
- Sūrya (seven rays), Indra (victory and attainment), Aśvins (chariot/steed symbolism)
Cosmic role
Soma as the purifier who wins desirable boons and propels the cosmic journey of the gods’ work.
Inner power
Organizer of energies into a single forward movement; grants the ‘wealth’ of realized states.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña pavamāna section; chanted as Soma is purified and made fit to ‘win boons’ for the sacrificer.
ए॒ते विश्वा॑नि॒ वार्या॒ पव॑मानास आशत । हि॒ता न सप्त॑यो॒ रथे॑ ॥
ए॒ते । विश्वा॑नि । वार्या॑ । पव॑मानासः । आ॒श॒त॒ । हि॒ताः । न । सप्त॑यः । रथे॑ ॥
ete | viśvāni | vāryā | pavamānāsaḥ | āśata | hitāḥ | na | saptayaḥ | rathe
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3×8 (probable)
Ordered and symmetrical; evokes the ‘yoked’ regularity of a chariot rhythm.
Creates a sense of alignment and forward direction; stabilizes scattered emotion into purposeful movement.
- पवमानासः (pavamānāsaḥ)
- Literal: purifying (Somas). Symbolic: clarified bliss-forces purified of mixture and limitation
- वार्या (vāryā)
- Literal: desirable treasures/boons. Symbolic: inner riches: illumination, power, harmony, delight, and right fulfilment
- आशत (āśata)
- Literal: they attain/reach. Symbolic: they accomplish; they arrive at realized states in consciousness
- सप्तयः (saptayaḥ)
- Literal: the seven (steeds). Symbolic: sevenfold powers/rays; integrated faculties of the being
- रथे (rathe)
- Literal: in the chariot. Symbolic: the embodied journey; the vehicle of sadhana carrying consciousness forward
Pavamāna hymns: Soma as purifying streams that ‘attain’ boons; chariot/steed image expresses ordered, harnessed energies in the rite and in the practitioner.
During purification/straining and offering sequences where results (phala) are invoked.
Praise the pavamāna Soma as achiever of vāryā; ritually aligns the sacrifice toward desired gains.
A mantra for goal-alignment: purify intention, yoke the faculties, and move toward chosen inner qualities (calm, clarity, courage).
arya from √vṛ ‘choose’ → ‘choice-worthy, desirable’. from √pū ‘purify’. √aś ‘attain, reach’ (āśata 3pl. perfect/aorist-like form in RV usage). from √dhā/√hi ‘to place’ (RV hitá ‘placed’). ‘chariot’ (common IE poetic vehicle image).
ordered dynamism (hita), completeness of powers (sevenfold symbolism)
The yoked-seven image is r̥ta made practical: many powers acting as one law-governed motion.
Treasures are stable realizations, not transient excitements—truth possessed.
Organization of the many powers into a vehicle for manifestation and fulfilment.
Integral Vedic psychology (harmonizing the instrument rather than rejecting it).
Sun symbolism implied (seven rays).
Seven horses = integrated energies/rays; chariot = embodied sadhana; treasures = inner attainments won by purified delight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The purifying Soma-forces as a chariot-team (sevenfold) attaining all desired treasures. Innerly, the clarified energies, properly ‘placed’ and harnessed, carry the seeker toward fulfilment—discipline plus divine flow.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The chariot/steed complex is a hallmark of Indo-European poetics and myth (vehicle of the gods, harnessed teams). Lexically, √aś ‘reach’ has IE parallels in the semantic field of attainment; the imagery itself is the stronger IE signature.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi invokes Soma not as random ecstasy but as ‘hita’—rightly arranged. The reciprocity: the chant and rite set the team; Soma then carries the being to ‘vārya’—chosen fulfilments of the soul.
Yoking practice: bring seven aspects (body, breath, life-energy, emotion, thought, intuition, will) into one forward offering.
Maṇipūra (will/drive) integrated upward to Ājñā (direction) and Sahasrāra (purpose).
Box breathing (4-4-4-4) to ‘yoke’ and regularize; then a few natural breaths imagining a chariot moving straight.
Aligned, purposeful, quietly exultant.
Choose one ‘vārya’ (inner treasure) for the day—clarity, courage, patience; chant, then visualize the faculties as seven steeds moving together; act afterward from that unified intention.
Rigvedic three-tone; confirm accents from a svara edition.
Keep ‘pavamānāsaḥ’ flowing and smooth; give a slight rhythmic firmness to ‘saptayaḥ rathe’ to evoke yoking.
: pronounce viśvāni with clear ś (palatal)., : keep long ā; final ḥ audible., : dental t (not retroflex ṭ)., : light aspirate th.
Steady, resonant, forward-leaning tone.
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