Rig Veda 9.3.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 3, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.3
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
एष देवो रथर्यति पवमानो दशस्यति । आविष्कृणोति वग्वनुम् ॥
eṣá devó ratharyati pávamāno daśasyati | āvíṣ kṛṇoti vagvanúm ||
ಈ ಪವಮಾನ ದೇವನು ರಥದಂತೆ ಚಲಿಸಿ ಸ್ತುತಿ-ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವನ್ನು ಗಳಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ; ವಾಗ್ವನು—ಪ್ರೇರಿತ ಗಾಯಕನನ್ನು—ಪ್ರಕಟಗೊಳಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ.
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one), hePronoun (Demonstrative)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एष-
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition to एषः)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- रथर्यति
- drives/rolls along in a chariot; speedsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kriyā (predicate of the subject)Root रथर्य (धातु; denominative from रथ ‘chariot’)
- पवमानः
- Pavamāna (Soma), the purifying/flowing oneAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (कर्तरि प्रयोग; ‘being purified/flowing’)Role Kartā (apposition/epithet of एषः देवः)Root पव् (धातु) + मान (शानच्/कृदन्त-प्रत्यय; present middle participle) → पवमान
- दशस्यति
- serves; shows devotion; honorsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kriyā (predicate)Root दशस्/दशस्य (धातु; denominative ‘to show devotion/serve, honor’)
- आविष्कृणोति
- makes manifest; revealsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kriyā (predicate)Root कृ (धातु) with preverb आविस्- (आविष् ‘openly, manifest’) → आविष्कृ
- वग्वनुम्
- the hymn/chant (or the singer/voice)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole Karma (object of आविष्कृणोति)Root वग्वनु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘hymn/chant, singer/voice’—Vedic ritual term)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): एषः | देवः | रथर्यति | पवमानः | दशस्यति | आविष्कृणोति | वग्वनुम् || 1) ए॒ष दे॒वो → एषः देवः (विसर्ग-लोप/संधि in saṃhitā)
- 2) र॑थर्यति॒ पव॑मानो → रथर्यति पवमानः (ओ → अः at pada boundary in padapāṭha; saṃhitā shows -o before following word)
- 3) आ॒विष्कृ॑णोति: preverb आविस्/आविष् + कृणोति (कृ, class 8/irregular present formation) → आविष्कृणोति
- Accent note: Vedic accents (udātta/svarita/anudātta) are present in the saṃhitā text (e.g., ए॒ष, दे॒वो, र॑थर्यति॒, पव॑मानो, आ॒विष्कृ॑णोति) but are not re-marked per-pada here beyond the given forms
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, the god who purifies himself, moves forward as if on a chariot, wins reverent homage, and makes the inspired singer manifest.
Inner meaning
The current of Soma (divine Ananda) once set in motion by purification becomes a swift, guided force (“as on a chariot”) in the inner being. It naturally draws the soul’s consent and aspiration (daśasyati) and then unveils the hidden inspired faculty (vagvanu)—the inner voice that can chant truth from direct vision.
Universal truth
When bliss-consciousness is purified and directed, it becomes a dynamic power that awakens authentic inspiration; true expression is not manufactured by ego but revealed by a higher movement of consciousness.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Awakening of speech, Mantric inspiration, Dynamic victory
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.3.1-9 (Pavamāna Soma sequence)
Significance
Though the specific seer-name is not preserved here, the voice belongs to the Soma-Pavamāna stream where the rishi-consciousness tracks inner purification: Soma’s flow as the unveiling of inspired speech and the ascent toward luminous mind.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavamāna (self-purifying), deva (luminous power)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Sarasvatī/Vāc, Aśvins
Cosmic role
The purifying Soma-current that moves through the ‘filter’ and becomes fit for the gods—supporting the ascent of consciousness and the right functioning of the sacrifice.
Inner power
Ananda-shakti: bliss that clarifies the mind, energizes the will, and releases mantric inspiration.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna chants during Soma-yajña)
ए॒ष दे॒वो र॑थर्यति॒ पव॑मानो दशस्यति । आ॒विष्कृ॑णोति वग्व॒नुम् ॥
ए॒षः । दे॒वः । र॒थ॒र्य॒ति॒ । पव॑मानः । द॒श॒स्य॒ति॒ । आ॒विः । कृ॒णो॒ति॒ । व॒ग्व॒नुम् ॥
eṣaḥ | devaḥ | ratharyati | pavamānaḥ | daśasyati | āviḥ | kṛṇoti | vagvanum
Likely Jagatī (common in Soma Pavamāna hymns; 12-syllable cadence)
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4 pādas × ~12 syllables
Forward-driving, rolling cadence suited to ‘movement’ imagery (ratha/flow).
Builds a sense of momentum and unveiling—useful for meditation on progressive purification and the emergence of inner speech.
- pavamāna
- Literal: self-purifying (Soma). Symbolic: the evolving stream of purified Ananda/consciousness refining the nature
- ratharyati
- Literal: moves/drives like a charioteer; goes in a chariot-wise motion. Symbolic: a guided, victorious forward movement of the inner force (not random emotion but directed power)
- daśasyati
- Literal: wins homage; is served with reverence. Symbolic: the higher delight wins the assent of the being; aspiration turns naturally toward it
- āviḥ kṛṇoti
- Literal: makes visible; manifests. Symbolic: brings to the surface what was veiled in the subconscient/inner heart
- vagvanu
- Literal: the inspired singer/utterer. Symbolic: the awakened mantric faculty (vāk) that speaks from illumination rather than mind
Soma’s ‘chariot-like’ movement evokes the pressed stream’s energetic course; ritually it enlivens praise; inwardly it awakens the true voice that can articulate the right knowledge.
During Soma extraction/straining and offering sequences
Chanted while Soma is filtered (pavitra) and prepared for offering
Use as a mantra for clarifying emotions into luminous joy and for awakening inspired expression (study, teaching, mantra-japa, creative work).
ratharyati: denominative from ratha ‘chariot’ (symbol of ordered dynamic force). daśasyati: from √daśas ‘to honor, serve’ (Vedic). vagvanu: from √vac ‘to speak’ with expressive formation; denotes one endowed with potent utterance (mantric voice).
Vāc (manifestation of inspired speech), Dynamic ṛta (order in movement), Revelation (āviḥ-kṛ: making hidden powers evident)
Soma’s ‘right movement’ is the ordered flow that aligns the human nature with the gods.
Manifestation (āviḥ) indicates truth emerging from concealment into expression.
Revelation of hidden powers (vāk/inspiration) from within the conditioned nature.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent through purification to illumined speech.
The ‘chariot’ is the directed inner force; the ‘movement’ is the progressive current of purified delight carrying consciousness toward revelation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the chariot-moving god who elicits praise and reveals the singer. Mythically he stimulates the chant in the rite; inwardly the purified delight-force sets the inner energies in victorious motion and brings forward the hidden inspired voice.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vagvanu relates to √vac ‘speak’ (PIE *wekʷ- ‘voice/speak’: Latin vox, English voice). The verse thus uses an inherited IE nexus: divine power manifests through ‘voice’ as revelation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi is not merely praising Soma; Soma is portrayed as the one who produces the capacity to praise—he ‘makes manifest’ the vagvanu. The reciprocity is circular: offering invites Soma; Soma awakens speech; awakened speech intensifies offering.
Feel a cool-bright stream of delight rising and organizing the mind; allow it to ‘reveal’ the true voice behind thought.
Viśuddha (speech/truth) and Ājñā (illumined mind)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow inhalation imagining ‘filtering’ the breath; exhale as offering/reverence.
From restless mental-vital activity to clarified, inspired poise.
Begin with 9 slow repetitions; on each ‘āviḥ kṛṇoti’ pause briefly, listening inwardly for the authentic word/intuition.
Not specified here; chant with standard Rigvedic udātta/anudātta/svarita as per śākhā tradition (needs pada-based svara marking).
Keep the natural word breaks of the padapāṭha; slightly lift on likely udātta syllables in eṣa/devo/pavamāna.
eṣa (retroflex ṣ), ratharyati: clear ‘th’ (dental) + ‘rya’ cluster, āviḥ: lengthen ā; visarga lightly before kṛṇoti, vagvanum: keep ‘gv’ conjunct clean, avoid inserting extra vowel
Bright, flowing, slightly nasal resonance (to support ‘stream’ imagery)
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