Rig Veda 9.22.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 22, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.22
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एते पूता विपश्चितः सोमासो दध्याशिरः । विपा व्यानशुर्धियः ॥
eté pūtā́ vipaścítaḥ somāso dádhyāśiraḥ | vípā ví ānaśur dhíyaḥ ||
ಇವರು ಶುದ್ಧರಾದ ವಿಪಶ್ಚಿತ್ ಸೋಮಶಕ್ತಿಗಳು—ದಧ್ಯಾಶಿರ (ಮೊಸರಿನ ಮಿಶ್ರಣ) ಯುಕ್ತವಾಗಿ—ಪ್ರೇರಿತ ಧಿಯಗಳನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆ ವ್ಯಾಪಕವಾಗಿ ಪಡೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ; ದೃಷ್ಟೃ-ಶಕ್ತಿಗಳಂತೆ ಚಲಿಸಿ ಬುದ್ಧಿಯನ್ನು ಅನೇಕ ದಿಕ್ಕುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತೆರೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ.
Word by Word
- एते
- thesePronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / एत-
- पूताः
- purifiedAdjective (Past participle)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (एते/सोमासः के विशेषणरूपेण)Root पू (धातु) → पूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, भूतकृत्/कृदन्त) अथवा √पू (पवने) से निष्पन्न
- विपश्चितः
- wise, discerningAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (एते/सोमासः के विशेषणरूपेण)Root वि-पश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विशेषेण पश्यति/जानाति’)
- सोमासः
- Soma-juicesNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- दध्याशिरः
- mixed with curd (curd-mixture)Noun (compound) / Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (सोमासः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (सोमासः के विशेषणरूपेण)Root दधि + आशिर् (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- विपाः
- active/impelling onesNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot वि-प (प्रातिपदिक; ‘कम्पन/प्रेरण’ अर्थे, ‘कम्पयितारः/प्रेरकाः’ इत्यर्थे) अथवा ‘विप्’ वर्गीय नाम
- व्यानशुः
- have reached, have attainedVerbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √नश् (प्रापणे) उपसर्गः वि-आ- (व्यानशुः = वि + आ + नशुः)
- धियः
- insights, prayersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot धि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘thought, insight, prayer’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्य): एते | पूताः | विपश्चितः | सोमासः | दध्याशिरः || विपाः | व्यानशुः | धियः || 1) ‘सोमासो दध्याशिरः’ इत्यत्र ‘सोमासः’ + (पादान्ते) ‘दध्याशिरः’—विसर्गलोप/पदसन्धि-प्रयोगः (संहितापाठे ‘सोमासो’)
- 2) ‘विपा व्यानशुः’ इत्यत्र ‘विपाः’ + ‘व्यानशुः’—विसर्गलोपः (संहितापाठे ‘विपा’)
- 3) ‘व्यानशुः’ = वि-आ-√नश् (प्रापणे) लिट् 3pl.
The meaning
Outer meaning
These purified, clear-seeing Somas, mixed with curd, have widely attained the inspired thoughts; the seer-forces have spread out the dhīs.
Inner meaning
When Soma is purified, it becomes vipaścitaḥ—clear in perception. The mixture with curd (dadhi-āśiraḥ) symbolizes a stabilizing, nourishing substance: delight blended with a steady sattwic support so it can be held and assimilated. Then the inspired thoughts (dhī/ dhiyas) are widely reached and spread—intuition becomes multiple, spacious, and operative in diverse parts of the mind, not a rare flash.
Universal truth
True knowledge is not only a momentary insight; it is an assimilated clarity that spreads through the system when joy (Soma) is purified and stabilized.
Themes
Soma as illuminator, inner clarity, inspired speech/thought
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.22 (hymn context)
Significance
The seer indicates a key yogic law: purification must be accompanied by assimilation (symbolized by dadhi-mixture), leading to stable, pervasive illumination (dhiyas spread wide).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pūta (purified), vipaścit (clear-seeing), madhu (sweet; implied by nourishing mixture)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (dhī/inspiration; thematic), Agni (inner offering that receives Soma), Bṛhaspati (lord of inspired speech/thought; thematic)
Cosmic role
Gives clarity and inspired cognition to gods and humans; turns essence into luminous intelligence.
Inner power
Stabilized delight that supports sustained intuition and the spreading of dhī through the mind.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma preparation with mixtures (āśir) and filtration recitations
ए॒ते पू॒ता वि॑प॒श्चित॒: सोमा॑सो॒ दध्या॑शिरः । वि॒पा व्या॑नशु॒र्धिय॑: ॥
ए॒ते । पू॒ताः । वि॒पः॒ऽचितः॑ सोमा॑सः । दधि॑ऽआशिरः । वि॒पा । वि । आ॒न॒शुः॒ । धियः॑ ॥
ete | pūtāḥ | vipaḥ-citaḥ | somāsaḥ | dadhi-āśiraḥ | vipā | vi | ānaśuḥ | dhiyaḥ
32
4 × ~8 (probable)
Clear, settling cadence; sense of ‘spreading’ in the second half.
Soothes and clarifies; supports integration of insight rather than mere excitation.
- pūtāḥ
- Literal: purified. Symbolic: clarified consciousness free from mixture
- vipaścitaḥ
- Literal: clear-seeing, discerning. Symbolic: luminous intelligence; awakened inner perception
- dadhyāśiraḥ (dadhi-āśiraḥ)
- Literal: mixed with curd. Symbolic: stabilized delight; nourishing support that makes force assimilable
- vipā
- Literal: seer, inspired one. Symbolic: intuitive faculty active as a power
- vy ānaśuḥ
- Literal: they have reached/attained widely. Symbolic: pervasion of insight through many layers
- dhiyāḥ
- Literal: inspired thoughts, perceptions. Symbolic: illumined understandings; formative intuitions
Pavamāna: Soma clarified and mixed (dadhi) for offering; supports both physical preparation and inner ‘clarification’ of mind
During Soma rites where Soma is prepared/clarified and combined according to procedure
Chanting to invoke purified Soma that grants inspired thought
Use for study, contemplation, and integrating experiences after intense practice; supports stable illumination.
pūta from √pū ‘to purify/cleanse’; vipaścít- is a compound (vipáś + cit) ‘widely/variously seeing’ from √cit ‘to perceive’; dhī- ‘inspired thought’ (cf. √dhī/√dhā semantic overlap in RV tradition of ‘placing’ thought); ānaśuḥ from √naś ‘to reach, attain’.
dhī (inspired intellect), purification as epistemic transformation, multiplicity of insight (vi)
Vipaścit perception is the mind aligned to ṛta—seeing truly and forming right dhī.
Purified Soma supports satya in cognition: thoughts become clear, not distorted by mixture.
Knowledge-creation: dhī spreads and forms the inner world; Soma is the creative sap of consciousness.
Aurobindonian: Ananda (Soma) as a power that yields vijnana-like clarity (vipaścit dhī).
A clarified, nourishing current spreads through the mind as stable intuition and many-sided insight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the purifier that turns into ‘clear-seeing intelligence’ and distributes dhī. Mythically, Soma is the maker of seers; psychologically, clarified delight becomes a faculty of luminous discernment that multiplies and widens insight.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √cit ‘perceive’ has PIE *ḱeyt-/*ḱei- ‘notice, perceive’ (broadly reflected across IE cognition vocabulary). √naś ‘reach’ shows an old motion/attainment verb class typical of archaic Indo-Iranian.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi depends on Soma for dhī: the hymn frames Soma not as an object but as a collaborator in cognition—Soma purifies, then ‘attains’ and delivers the thoughts within the human field, enabling the seer-function (vipā).
After chanting, rest attention in the ‘clear-seeing’ mind; feel delight becoming creamy-stable (dadhi) and letting insights spread gently without forcing conclusions.
viśuddha (dhī as clarified expression)
slow_meditative breathing with longer exhale; optional silent pause after exhale to ‘assimilate’
quiet lucidity; integrated intuition
If insights are erratic, emphasize stability: regular sleep/food, gentle practice, then chant; note one or two dhīs that feel true and let them permeate conduct rather than chasing many ideas.
Tri-svara as per śākhā; keep tone cool and even to match the settling (śānta) quality.
Slightly dwell on pūtā and vipaścitaḥ (clarity), then let the phrase ‘vy ānaśuḥ dhiyāḥ’ open outward in phrasing.
vipaścitaḥ: ‘vi-paś-ci-taḥ’ with palatal ś, dadhyāśiraḥ: articulate the cluster ‘dadhy-’; keep y clear, vy ānaśuḥ: separate ‘vy’ and ‘ā’ lightly; long ā, dhiyāḥ: aspirated dh; ‘dhi-yāḥ’
soft, clear, ‘filtered’—as if chanting through a gentle inner smile
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