Rig Veda 9.1.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 1, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.1
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
तमीमण्वीः समर्य आ गृभ्णन्ति योषणो दश । स्वसारः पार्ये दिवि ॥
tam ī́m áṇvīḥ sa-maryé ā́ gṛbhṇánti yóṣaṇo dáśa | svásāraḥ pā́rye diví ||
ພະອົງ, ບັນດານາງຟ້າທີ່ເຄື່ອນໄຫວຢ່າງລະອຽດອ້ອມຮັບ ແລະ ດຶງດູງໃກ້ໃນການເຄື່ອນໄຫວຮ່ວມກັນ, ສິບອ້າຍນ້ອງນາງໃນສະຫວັນທາງໄກ: ພະລັງຫຼາຍຢ່າງທີ່ກົມກຽວກັນ ທີ່ຈັບໂສມ ແລະ ກະກຽມການຂຶ້ນສູ່ສູງຂອງພະອົງໃນພວກເຮົາ.
Word by Word
- तम्
- him/that (Soma)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ईम्
- indeed, just, himIndeclinableअव्ययRoot ईम् (निपात/अव्यय)
- अण्वीः
- the slender (maidens)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अण्वी (स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक; ‘पतली/सूक्ष्मा’)
- समर्यः
- the eager/active one (in contest); the impellerAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण-रूपेण) / अथवा संबोधन-भावःRoot समर्य (पुं-प्रातिपदिक; ‘संग्राम/समर-सम्बद्ध’)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableअव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- गृभ्णन्ति
- they seize, graspVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot ग्रह्/गृभ् (धातु; ‘ग्रहणे’)
- योषणः
- maidens, womenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन (वैदिक रूप: -अः = -आः)Role कर्तृRoot योषणा (स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक; ‘युवती/स्त्री’)
- दश
- tenNumeralसंख्या; प्रथमा-बहुवचनार्थे (अविकारी रूप)Role कर्तृ (संख्या-विशेषणम्)Root दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वसारः
- sistersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन (वैदिक रूप: -अः = -आः)Role कर्तृRoot स्वसृ (स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक; ‘बहिन’)
- पार्ये
- in the far (region)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचन (अधिकरण)Role अधिकरणRoot पार्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘पार/पर-सम्बद्ध, दूरस्थ’)
- दिवि
- in heaven, in the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot द्यौ/दिव् (स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक; ‘द्यौः, स्वर्ग’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तम् | ईम् | अण्वीः | समर्यः | आ | गृभ्णन्ति | योषणः | दश | स्वसारः | पार्ये | दिवि || वैदिक-विशेषः: (1) योषणः, स्वसारः इत्यत्र प्रथमा-बहुवचनस्य वैदिक-प्रयोगे -अः (= शास्त्रीय -आः) दृश्यते। (2) ‘ईम्’ निपातः ‘तम्’ इत्यस्य अन्वय-बलवर्धकः। (3) ‘आ’ उपसर्गः ‘गृभ्णन्ति’ इत्यनेन सह ‘आ-गृभ्णन्ति’ = ‘आगृह्णन्ति’ (निकटं गृहीत्वा) अर्थे।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The subtle-moving maidens seize him and take him in the common movement—ten sisters in the farther heaven.
Inner meaning
Multiple harmonizing energies (yoṣaṇo… daśa svasāraḥ) take hold of Soma and draw him upward. These are the coordinated powers of the being—often felt as the ten ‘sisters’ of ordered function (senses/energies) or ten luminous currents—that unite in a shared rhythm (samarye) to prepare Soma’s ascent into the higher heaven of consciousness.
Universal truth
Transformation is not solitary; many faculties must harmonize to support the rise of delight into a stable, higher order of awareness.
Themes
Soma pressing symbolism, ten powers/fingers, ascent to heaven, harmonization
The seer
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.1 (Pavamāna)
Family tradition
Seer-language that personifies inner functions as divine maidens and sisters, emphasizing integration and ascent.
Significance
The rishi reveals that Soma’s rise depends on a chorus of powers—yoga as harmonization, not suppression.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Indu
- Related deities
- Apsaras/Waters (as carrier powers, thematic), Uṣas/Sūrya (as higher heaven of light, thematic), Indra (as receiver/empowered)
Cosmic role
Soma is uplifted by divine powers through the worlds toward the gods’ heaven.
Inner power
Delight that can be seized, held, and elevated by harmonized faculties; Ananda becomes organized force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and preparation chants accompanying handling/collecting of Soma.
तमी॒मण्वी॑: सम॒र्य आ गृ॒भ्णन्ति॒ योष॑णो॒ दश॑ । स्वसा॑र॒: पार्ये॑ दि॒वि ॥
तम् । ई॒म् । अण्वीः॑ । स॒ऽम॒र्ये । आ । गृ॒भ्णन्ति॑ । योष॑णः । दश॑ । स्वसा॑रः । पार्ये॑ । दि॒वि ॥
tam | īm | aṇvīḥ | sa-marye | ā | gṛbhṇanti | yoṣaṇaḥ | daśa | svasāraḥ | pārye | divi
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3×8
Quick, gathering rhythm; conveys ‘seizing’ and coordinated motion.
Energizes integration—listeners may feel scattered parts ‘collect’ and move upward together.
- aṇvīḥ
- Literal: subtle-moving, following. Symbolic: fine inner currents of perception and energy that can track the soul’s movement
- samarye
- Literal: in common movement / together. Symbolic: integration of faculties; coordinated sādhana rather than scattered effort
- yoṣaṇaḥ
- Literal: maidens, young women. Symbolic: shaktis—active powers that serve, prepare, and uplift consciousness
- daśa svasāraḥ
- Literal: ten sisters. Symbolic: a complete set of harmonizing powers (often mapped to senses/energies) acting as one family
- pārye divi
- Literal: in the farther heaven. Symbolic: higher mind / luminous plane beyond ordinary mentality
Allusion to Soma handling by ‘ten maidens’ (fingers/pressing aids) and/or streams in the purification; ritual action mapped to inner faculties
As Soma is drawn, held, and guided through ritual stages.
Chanted while Soma is managed by multiple officiants/instruments—mirroring the ‘many maidens’ action.
Use when seeking coherence: before work/creative practice, chant to unify faculties around a single luminous aim.
gṛbhṇanti from √grah ‘seize, grasp’ (cf. graha). yoṣaṇa ‘young woman/maiden’ used for personified forces. daśa ‘ten’ iconic in ritual (ten fingers) and symbolic (complete set of operative faculties). div ‘sky/heaven’ from √div ‘shine’.
coordinated faculties (sisters) in inner work, ascent toward luminous mind (divi), transformation by subtle operations
The ‘common movement’ is ṛta in action—many forces cooperating in right rhythm.
Higher heaven implies a truer order of mind where delight is not distorted.
Ascent: essence is lifted from mixed states to the Vast.
Integral ascent model: coordinated faculties enable the rise from lower nature to higher consciousness.
unspecified
unspecified
Waters/maidens = subtle currents of consciousness; farther heaven = higher mind/vastness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘ten sisters/maidens handle Soma’ mythologem: ritual fingers become divine maidens. Inner sense: multiple coordinated faculties (senses, prāṇic currents, skills of attention) grasp the delight and raise it toward the luminous plane.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √div ‘shine’ (divi ‘in heaven’) reflects an IE association of sky with brightness. The personification strategy (maidens/sisters) is a shared archaic poetics: abstract processes are narrated as kin-groups performing actions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi reveals the inner collaborators of Soma: not a solitary force but one that is ‘taken up’ by many harmonized energies. The hymn teaches the sacrificer to coordinate faculties so Soma can be effectively received and uplifted.
Gather the ‘ten powers’ (senses/energies) into one upward movement; feel delight being lifted to the crown-space.
Sahasrara (as ‘farther heaven’)
Upward breath visualization: inhale from navel to crown; exhale hold a quiet ‘grasp’ at the crown (no strain).
Integrated uplift; unified field of attention.
Before meditation, consciously align senses and mind as ‘sisters’: agree on one offering—let delight rise without leakage into distraction.
Gāyatrī; keep the middle pāda’s ‘yoṣaṇo daśa’ distinctly articulated; tonal rise on key accents, gentle fall afterward.
Mark caesura lightly after each pāda; let ‘samarye’ be smoothly connected to convey ‘togetherness.’
aṇvīḥ: nasal ṇ; long īḥ, samarye: keep ‘ry’ smooth, not split, gṛbhṇanti: retroflex ṇ; cluster bhṇ clear, yoṣaṇaḥ: ṣ retroflex; final ḥ light, pārye: long ā; ‘ry’ smooth
Flowing and cohesive; avoid percussive breaks—sound should feel ‘gathering.’
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