Rig Veda 9.35.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 35, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.35
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ नः पवस्व धारया पवमान रयिं पृथुम् । यया ज्योतिर्विदासि नः ॥
ā́ naḥ pavasva dhā́rayā pávamāna rayím pṛthúm | yayā́ jyótir vidā́si naḥ ||
ໄຫຼຫາພວກເຮົາໃນກະແສຂອງເຈົ້າ, ໂອ ປະວະມານ, ນຳເອົາຣະຍິທີ່ກວ້າງຂວາງ, ຄວາມເປັນຢ່າງທີ່ພຽງພໍ, ດ້ວຍສິ່ງນັ້ນ ເຈົ້າເຮັດໃຫ້ພວກເຮົາຮູ້ຈັກແສງສະຫວ່າງ.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (गत्यर्थे ‘towards, hither’)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- नः
- for us; to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? एकवचन-बहुवचन? (एन्क्लिटिक रूप ‘नः’ = अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यम्; यहाँ दत्तिव-सम्बन्धः ‘for us’)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- पवस्व
- purify thyself; flowVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम् (पवस्व = ‘be purified/flow’)Role (क्रियापद)Root √पू (पवते) / √पु (शुद्धौ)
- धारया
- with a stream; by a flowNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot धारा (√धृ ‘धारण’ से)
- पवमान
- O Pavamāna (self-purifying Soma)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (वर्तमान कृदन्तः)Role SambodhanaRoot पवमान (√पू/√पु; वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- रयिम्
- wealthNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रयि
- पृथुम्
- broad; abundantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम् (रयिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (विशेषणत्वेन)Root पृथु
- यया
- by whichPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनम् (यया = ‘by which’)Role KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ज्योतिः
- lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम् (वैदिके प्रायः रूपं ‘ज्योतिः’)Role KarmaRoot ज्योतिस्
- विदासि
- thou findest/knowestVerbलट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रियापद)Root √विद् (विदाँ) ‘जानने/प्राप्तौ’
- नः
- for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी एन्क्लिटिक; यहाँ ‘for us’ (सम्बन्ध/हित)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | नः | पवस्व | धारया | पवमान | रयिम् | पृथुम् | यया | ज्योतिः | विदासि | नः । 1) ‘आ नः’ = उपसर्ग/निपात + एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम। 2) ‘ज्योतिर्विदासि’ इत्यत्र विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ज्योतिः + विदासि → ज्योतिर्विदासि (ः + व् → र्)। अन्यत्र विशेष सन्धि-परिवर्तनं न।
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Pavamāna, flow to us in your stream, bringing wide wealth (rayi) by which you make us know the Light.
Inner meaning
Let the purified Soma-current descend through the inner channels (dhārā), bringing a broad rayi—plenitude of being, not mere possessions—so that our consciousness comes to knowledge of jyotiḥ, the supramental/illumined light. Soma is invoked as the experiential delight that opens the mind to true seeing.
Universal truth
A purified current of delight widens the being; in that widening, true light becomes knowable—not as concept but as lived illumination.
Themes
Soma-ritual, illumination, inner wealth, purification
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.35
Significance
The verse is a compact yogic prayer: Soma as the experiential means (stream) to the end (knowing Light) through the widening of being (pṛthu rayi).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Soma, Indu
- Related deities
- Uṣas (illumination), Indra (illumined mind), Agni (will that receives Soma)
Cosmic role
Mediator between worlds: purifies and carries the delight-essence that supports illumination and fullness.
Inner power
Ananda that widens consciousness and reveals jyotiḥ as lived truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma Pavamāna recitation during filtration; also adaptable as a daily illumination prayer
आ न॑: पवस्व॒ धार॑या॒ पव॑मान र॒यिं पृ॒थुम् । यया॒ ज्योति॑र्वि॒दासि॑ नः ॥
आ नः॒ । प॒व॒स्व॒ । धार॑या । पव॑मान । र॒यिम् । पृ॒थुम् । यया॑ । ज्योतिः॑ । वि॒दासि॑ । नः॒ ॥
ā | naḥ | pavasva | dhārayā | pavamāna | rayim | pṛthum | yayā | jyotiḥ | vidāsi | naḥ
Gāyatrī (common in RV 9.35; 3 pādas feel; but this verse appears as 2 lines in print—likely 3 pādas of 8 syllables in Saṃhitā arrangement)
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3 pādas × 8 syllables (approx.)
Bright, quick, mantra-like clarity—suited to invocation and illumination.
Creates a lucid uplift; supports concentration and a sense of ‘streaming light’.
- pavasva / pavamāna
- Literal: flow / self-purifying. Symbolic: the descending, clarifying current of Ananda that becomes fit for higher consciousness
- dhārayā
- Literal: by a stream/flow. Symbolic: a sustained inner current through nāḍī-like pathways of awareness
- rayim pṛthum
- Literal: wide wealth. Symbolic: plenitude of being: strength, clarity, joy, capacity
- jyotiḥ
- Literal: light. Symbolic: illumination, truth-vision; the light of higher mind/supramental dawn
- vidāsi
- Literal: you make (us) know. Symbolic: gnosis as direct seeing/recognition awakened by Soma
Pavamāna hymn for Soma’s flow through the filter; invoked for bestowal of rayi and illumination (jyotis) in the sacrificer.
At moments of Soma flow/straining; in personal practice at dawn or before meditation.
Chant while visualizing a descending stream into the heart and rising to the brow as light.
Daily japa for clarity and abundance of being (rayi) rather than external gain.
pavasva/pavamāna: from √pū ‘purify, cleanse’ (pavamāna = ‘being purified’). rayi: ‘wealth’ as plenitude; linked to giving/possession semantics, here interpreted as fullness of being rather than material goods. jyotis: ‘light’ (root √dyut ‘shine’ in related formations). vidāsi: √vid ‘know, find’ (2sg).
purification (pū), jyotis as knowledge, rayi as fullness of being
Purification (pavamāna) is the movement that aligns the being to ṛta so light can be known.
Knowing jyotiḥ implies contact with truth-consciousness rather than opinion.
Light is ‘known’ through a descending essence; consciousness evolves by receiving higher substance.
Integral-Vedic: Soma-Ananda as a means to Jyoti-Gnosis.
dawn (recommended; jyotiḥ-evoking)
Stream = pranic/psychic current; light = awakened discernment and truth-vision; wide wealth = expanded consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The descent of the purified Soma-stream bringing ‘wide wealth’ that becomes light-knowledge: Soma is the mediator that converts delight into illumination, establishing the truth-consciousness as an experienced light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pū ‘purify’ encodes a sacral-technical action; √vid ‘know’ is a central IE root (cf. Greek oîda, Latin vidēre in the same family). The relative-instrumental yayā…vidāsi expresses an inherited means-result linkage common in archaic IE diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer asks Soma to enter (‘ā naḥ’) and operate inwardly: Soma’s gift is not external wealth but rayi as widened being, whose proof is the awakening of jyotis—knowledge that is lived and seen.
Receive a descending ‘Soma stream’ and let it widen the being; rest in the light that becomes knowable.
Ajna (knowing light) supported by Anahata (joyful widening)
Inhale: ‘ā naḥ’; exhale: ‘pavasva dhārayā’; pause softly feeling light at brow.
Clear, quiet uplift; luminous attention.
Chant 9 or 27 times; then sit 5 minutes imagining a white-gold stream washing thoughts, leaving a stable light in the forehead.
Follow Śākala svara tradition if available; otherwise keep a steady, even tone with slight lift on key invocatory words (pavasva, pavamāna).
Do not rush dhārayā; let it ‘flow’. Slight pause after pavamāna.
pavamāna: long ā in -mā-, rayim: clear ‘y’ glide, pṛthum: vocalic ṛ; aspirated th, jyotiḥ: ‘jyo’ as one syllabic cluster; visarga light
Bright, clear, lightly resonant; avoid heaviness to preserve jyoti quality.
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