Rig Veda 9.87.9: Mandala 9, Sukta 87, Mantra 9
Sukta 9.87
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
उत स्म राशिं परि यासि गोनामिन्द्रेण सोम सरथं पुनानः । पूर्वीरिषो बृहतीर्जीरदानो शिक्षा शचीवस्तव ता उपष्टुत् ॥
utá smā rāśíṃ pári yāsi gónām índreṇa soma sa-ráthaṃ punānáḥ | pūrvī́r íṣo bṛhatī́r jīradāno | śíkṣā śacīvas táva tā́ upa-stút ||
ನಿಜಕ್ಕೂ, ಹೇ ಸೋಮ, ನೀನು ಶುದ್ಧನಾಗುತ್ತಾ ಇಂದ್ರನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಒಂದೇ ರಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಹಯಾತ್ರಿಯಾಗಿ, ಪ್ರಕಾಶಮಯ ಗೋಗಳ—ಅಂದರೆ ಬೆಳಕಿನ ನಿಧಿಗಳ—ರಾಶಿಯನ್ನು ಸುತ್ತುತ್ತಾ ಸಂಚರಿಸುತ್ತೀಯ. ಪುರಾತನ ಪೂರ್ಣತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮೃದ್ಧ ಪೋಷಣಾಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ನೀಡುವವನೇ, ಹೇ ಮಹಾಬಲವಂತ, ಹೇ ಶಚೀವಸ್, ನಿನ್ನ ಆ ಶಕ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಯಥಾವಿಧಿಯಾಗಿ ಸ್ತುತಿಸುವುದನ್ನು ನಮಗೆ ಕಲಿಸು; ಆ ಸ್ತುತಿ ನಿನಗೆ ಸಮೀಪವಾಗಿ ಏರಲಿ.
Word by Word
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/उपपद-अव्ययRoot उत
- स्म
- indeed; surelyIndeclinableनिपात (स्मरण/एव/खलु-अर्थे)Root स्म
- राशिम्
- heap; massNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot राशि
- परि
- around; all aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि
- यासि
- you go; you moveVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot या (याति)
- गोनाम्
- of the cows; of cattleNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वेदे बहुधा), षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole Sambandha (genitive) / Adhikaraṇa (contextual)Root गो
- इन्द्रेण
- with IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot इन्द्र
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot सोम
- सरथम्
- having the same chariot; together in one carAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्) अथवा पुंलिङ्ग-द्वितीया-एकवचन (सोमम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (as qualifier) / —Root स-रथ (रथ) / सरथ
- पुनानः
- purifying oneself; being purifiedParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपद-भाव, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (of यासि) / apposition to सोमRoot पू (पवते/पुनाति) → पुनान
- पूर्वीः
- former; many earlierAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (of दानो) / object-groupRoot पूर्व
- इषः
- refreshments; invigorating draughts; offeringsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (वेदे इषः = इषाः) अथवा प्रथमा-बहुवचन (पाठभेद-सम्भव)Role Karma (intended gifts/refreshments) / Kartā (if taken as nominative)Root इष्/इषा
- बृहतीः
- great; loftyAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (qualifier of इषः) / —Root बृहती
- जीरदानः
- giving (them) quickly/keenly; a swift giverParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/अच्-समासान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition to सोम) / agentiveRoot जीर-द (जीर + दा) / दा
- शिक्ष
- learn; acquire; practiceVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole Kartā (imperative addressed to Soma)Root शिक्ष्
- शचीवः
- O mighty/skillful one (possessing śacī, power/skill)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot शचीवस्
- तव
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root त्वद्
- ता
- those (things)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot तद्
- उपस्तुत्
- praise; hymn of laudationNoun (action/result) / verbal nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वेदे -त् अन्त), अथवा अव्ययीभाववत् (पाठ-व्याख्या-भेद)Role Karma/Adhikaraṇa (as ‘praise’ to be learned) / —Root उप-स्तु (स्तु) → उपस्तुत्
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-splitting): उ॒त स्म॑ = उत् + स्म
- रा॒शिं परि॑ = राशिम् + परि (no change)
- यासि॒ गोना॒म् = यासि + गोनाम्
- इन्द्रे॑ण = इन्द्रेण
- सोम स॒रथं॑ = सोम + सरथम्
- पुना॒नः = पुनानः
- पू॒र्वीरिषो॑ = पूर्वीः + इषः (Vedic contraction/orthography: इषः used for expected इषाः; accent per Saṃhitā)
- बृह॒तीर्जी॑रदानो॒ = बृहतीः + जीरदानः
- शिक्षा॑ = शिक्ष
- शचीव॒स्तव॒ = शचीवः + तव
- ता उ॑प॒ष्टुत् = ताः/ता + उपस्तुत् (Saṃhitā shows ता; final -आ + उ- gives āu/āu̯, written separately here)
The meaning
Outer meaning
You move around the heap of cows, Soma, purified, riding in one chariot with Indra. Giver of ancient great refreshments, teach us, O mighty one, to praise those powers of yours rightly.
Inner meaning
Soma, purified delight, circulates around the rāśi of gōnām—not literal cattle but accumulated stores of illumination (concentrated light-knowledges). It moves saratha with Indra: bliss and illumined mind yoked together, one movement—joy supporting clarity, clarity guiding joy. Soma gives pūrvīr iṣaḥ bṛhatīḥ: ancient, vast impulsions/nourishments—enduring life-energies uplifted into spiritual force. The prayer ‘śikṣā… upaṣṭut’ asks for right praise: not mere speech but the capacity to align thought, feeling, and mantra with the true powers (śacīvas = mighty in effective will). In Aurobindonian terms: learn the right relation to the divine forces so that invocation becomes efficacious and transformative.
Universal truth
When joy and illumination work together, inner wealth accumulates; the human task is to learn true invocation—right speech and right attitude—so higher powers can act effectively.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Indra-Soma cooperation, Recovery/accumulation of light, Invocation and right praise, Inner nourishment-forces (iṣ)
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma-Pavamāna seer tradition (exact rishi unknown without Anukramaṇī)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.87.9 (self), RV 9.76-9.97 (frequent Indra-Soma conjunctions in Book 9)
Family tradition
A Soma hymn that explicitly yokes Soma with Indra—common in traditions emphasizing victory and illumination together.
Significance
Highlights the integral pairing: delight (Soma) must ride with illumination (Indra) for stable progress; also emphasizes right mantra-knowledge (effective praise).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (with Indra as co-worker)
- Epithets
- Punāna, Jīradāna, Śacīvaḥ (mighty/effective—addressed)
- Related deities
- Indra, Sarasvatī/Vāc (right praise and inspired speech—implicit), Agni
Cosmic role
Accumulates and distributes luminous wealth; empowers Indra’s victory by providing purified delight-energy.
Inner power
Harmonizes joy and clarity; grants enduring nourishment-forces and teaches right invocation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma Soma-yajña recitation; Pavamāna sequence
उ॒त स्म॑ रा॒शिं परि॑ यासि॒ गोना॒मिन्द्रे॑ण सोम स॒रथं॑ पुना॒नः । पू॒र्वीरिषो॑ बृह॒तीर्जी॑रदानो॒ शिक्षा॑ शचीव॒स्तव॒ ता उ॑प॒ष्टुत् ॥
उ॒त । स्म॒ । रा॒शिम् । परि॑ । या॒सि॒ । गोना॑म् । इन्द्रे॑ण । सो॒म॒ । स॒ऽरथ॑म् । पु॒ना॒नः । पू॒र्वीः । इषः॑ । बृ॒ह॒तीः । जी॒र॒दा॒नो॒ इति॑ जीरऽदानो । शिक्ष॑ । स॒ची॒ऽवः॒ । तव॑ । ताः । उ॒प॒ऽस्तुत् ॥
uta | sma | rāśim | pari | yāsi | gonām | indreṇa | soma | sa-ratham | punānaḥ | pūrvīḥ | iṣaḥ | bṛhatīḥ | jīradāno itijīra-dāno | śikṣa | sacī-vaḥ | tava | tāḥ | upa-stut
44
4×11 (approx.)
Circular movement (pari) followed by instructive cadence (śikṣā)
Stabilizes and integrates; ends with a prayerful, teachable mood.
- राशिम् (rāśim)
- Literal: heap, mass. Symbolic: Accumulated store of inner light/attainments
- गोनाम् (gonām)
- Literal: of cows. Symbolic: Of rays of knowledge/illumination
- इन्द्रेण सरथम् (indreṇa saratham)
- Literal: with Indra in one chariot. Symbolic: Union of Ananda (Soma) with illumined mind (Indra) in a single forward movement
- पुनाानः (punānaḥ)
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: Clarified delight free from desire-mixture
- इषः (iṣaḥ)
- Literal: refreshments/impulsions. Symbolic: Nourishing forces; uplifted prāṇa energies and inspirations
- बृहतीः (bṛhatīḥ)
- Literal: vast, great. Symbolic: Widened energies of the larger consciousness
- जीरदानो (jīradāno)
- Literal: giver of enduring/ancient gifts. Symbolic: Bestower of stable, time-tested powers of the path
- शचीवः (śacīvaḥ)
- Literal: mighty, effective. Symbolic: Effective will/skill of divine force; capacity to make things happen
- उपस्तुत् (upaṣṭut)
- Literal: praise, hymn. Symbolic: Right invocation aligning speech-thought-heart with the divine action
Pavamāna recitation during Soma filtration; supports Indra-Soma synergy in offering
When Soma is prepared/offered for Indra; also in praise sequences to secure strength and plenitude
Chant while Soma is purified and offered; intention to accumulate ‘stores’ (rāśi) of light and nourishment
Use as a mantra for integrating bliss with discernment; also as a ‘right speech’ practice before teaching, chanting, or important communication.
√pū ‘purify’ (punānáḥ); √śikṣ ‘learn/teach’ (śikṣa). iṣ ‘impulse/nourishment’ from √iṣ ‘to impel, invigorate’ → inner energising movements rather than food. śacī ‘effective power’ (Indra’s śacī) → śacīvas ‘possessing might’. sa-ratha ‘same chariot’ signals coordinated divine action (Soma-delight yoked with Indra-force).
R̥ta (right order of movements ‘pari yāsi’), Śakti/Śacī (effective power as inner capacity), Education of consciousness (śikṣa as inner training)
Saratha (one chariot) indicates harmonized cosmic functioning—powers yoked under R̥ta.
Request to learn upaṣṭut implies truth-aligned speech that makes invocation effective.
Accumulation and organization of light-stores in consciousness; stable growth through enduring gifts.
Integral psychology: synthesis of Ananda and Knowledge; mantra as effective power (śakti of Vāc).
Circulation of purified delight around accumulated illuminations; integration with illumined mind; learning right speech as a creative force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The encircling of the ‘heap of cows/lights’ (rāśiṃ … gonām) by the purified Soma, together with Indra in one chariot—mythically the mustering and securing of the luminous wealth; psychologically the organisation of recovered illuminations into a stable store, through the joint action of delight (Soma) and victorious mind-force (Indra).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Again √yā (yāsi) and the chariot formula are Indo-European poetic inheritance (vehicle imagery for divine movement). iṣ (impulse/invigoration) is a characteristic Vedic abstraction built on verbal root semantics rather than concrete nouns, showing early IE capacity for ‘force-terms’ that are both physical and psychological.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi requests inner pedagogy: Soma is asked to ‘teach’ (śikṣa) the right mode of praise/approach (upa-stut), i.e., to shape the human receptivity so Soma’s ancient vast impulses (pūrvīr bṛhatīr iṣaḥ) can be received and stabilised.
Unite joy with clear intelligence; circle awareness around your ‘store of light’ (past insights) without pride; ask inwardly to be taught right invocation.
Ājñā (Indra/illumination) with Anāhata (Soma/joy)
Moderate japa; on ‘indreṇa saratham’ feel inhale and exhale become one coordinated movement; end with a quiet pause on ‘śikṣā’.
Integrated, steady, teachable silence
Recall a few genuine insights (rāśi of light); let a calm joy pervade them; then offer speech/thought to truth—resolve to speak only what aligns with inner clarity.
Vedic svara per Śākala; exact accent marks require the svara-pāṭha.
Keep ‘indreṇa soma saratham’ as one flowing unit; soften tone on the petition ‘śikṣā’.
saratham: light ‘sa-ra-tham’, no heavy aspiration., bṛhatīr: retroflex ṛ; long ī., śacīvas: palatal ś; long ī.
Steady, integrated, ending gently prayerful
11
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