Rig Veda 9.5.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 5, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.5
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
ईळेन्यः पवमानो रयिर्वि राजति द्युमान् । मधोर्धाराभिरोजसा ॥
īḷényāḥ pávamāno rayír ví rājati dyumān | mádhor dhā́rābhir ójasā ||
ເປັນທີ່ສົມແກ່ຄວາມປາຖະໜາ, ໂຊມາຜູ້ຊັດວ່າຕົນເອງ ໄດ້ສ່ອງແສດອອກມາເປັນຄວາມຄົບຖ້ວນຂອງການມີຢູ່, ເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍຈິດໃຈທີ່ສະຫວ່າງ; ໂດຍກະແສນໍ້າຂອງຄວາມຫວານ ເຂົາໄດ້ປາກົດຕົວດ້ວຍພະລັງ.
Word by Word
- ईळेन्यः
- praiseworthy, worthy of invocationAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्तृ-पदस्य)Root ईळेन्य (प्रातिपदिक; from √ईळ्/√ईड् ‘to praise, invoke’)
- पवमानः
- Pavamāna (Soma), the purifying/flowing oneParticiple (Adjectival) / Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रकारः) ‘being purified/flowing as purifier’Role कर्तृRoot √पू (पूञ्) ‘to purify’ → पवमान (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- रयिः
- wealth, bountyNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सहकर्तृ/समनाधिकरण-भावः पवमानेन) अथवा विषयःRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- forth, widely, distinctlyIndeclinable (preverb)अव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण (प्रकर्ष/विभाग/विशेष-प्रकाश)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- राजति
- shines, is splendidVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: पवमानः/रयिः)Root √राज् ‘to shine, be splendid, rule’
- द्युमान्
- luminous, radiantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्तृ-पदस्य)Root द्युमत् (प्रातिपदिक; from द्यु ‘light, heaven’)
- मधोः
- of honey/sweetness (of Soma)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘of sweetness/mead (Soma-juice)’Root मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- धाराभिः
- with streams, by flowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
- ओजसा
- with strength, by vigorNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (सामर्थ्य-हेतुः)Root ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ईळेन्यः | पवमानः | रयिः | वि | राजति | द्युमान् | मधोः | धाराभिः | ओजसा || 1) रयिर्वि = रयिः + वि (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + व → र्व). 2) मधोर्धाराभिः = मधोः + धाराभिः (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + ध → र्ध). 3) Accent (Vedic): ई॒ळेन्य॒: (anudātta/udātta marking), पव॑मानो (udātta on व), रा॑जति (udātta on रा), द्यु॒मान्, मधो॒ः, धाराऽभिः, ओज॑सा—accents retained as in saṃhitā
- pada-forms given without accent marks
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, worthy of praise, shines as wealth, luminous; by streams of sweetness, with force.
Inner meaning
Soma is īḻenya—worthy of aspiration and invocation—because he becomes rayi itself: the plenitude of being that is dyumān, full of luminous mind (dhi). The ‘streams of sweetness’ (madhu-dhārāḥ) are currents of delight that descend into the system; with ojas (spiritual vigor), they make consciousness effective, not merely pleasant. Delight here is a force of manifestation.
Universal truth
The highest sweetness is not sentiment but a power that illumines and strengthens; when delight flows in purified streams, it becomes plenitude and luminous intelligence capable of action.
Themes
Soma as delight-force, manifestation of plenitude, illumination
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.5.1, RV 9.5.2, RV 9.5.4
Significance
The seer stresses the Aurobindonian equation: Soma (delight) = rayi (plenitude) + dyu (luminous mind) when purified; bliss and illumination are mutually supportive powers.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Īḻenya, Dyumān
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined force), Sarasvatī (flowing inspiration), Agni (inner aspiration)
Cosmic role
Bearer of sweetness that becomes strength; he nourishes gods and humans with the rasa that supports illumination.
Inner power
Streams of refined delight that generate luminous intelligence and effective force (ojas).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration/pressing chants (Pavāmāna)
ई॒ळेन्य॒: पव॑मानो र॒यिर्वि रा॑जति द्यु॒मान् । मधो॒र्धारा॑भि॒रोज॑सा ॥
ई॒ळेन्यः॑ । पव॑मानः । र॒यिः । वि । रा॒ज॒ति॒ । द्यु॒ऽमान् । मधोः॑ । धारा॑भिः । ओज॑सा ॥
īḷenyaḥ | pavamānaḥ | rayiḥ | vi | rājati | dyu-mān | madhoḥ | dhārābhiḥ | ojasā
24
3 x 8 (approx.)
Smooth and flowing; ‘madhoḥ dhārābhiḥ’ gives a liquid cadence balanced by the firm close ‘ojasā’.
Induces a sensation of cool sweetness and strengthening clarity; stabilizes the mind while uplifting mood.
- ईळेन्यः (īḻenyaḥ)
- Literal: worthy of praise/adoration. Symbolic: that which the soul naturally aspires to; the desirable divine influence
- पवमानः (pavamānaḥ)
- Literal: self-purifying. Symbolic: refined delight clearing obscurations
- रयिः (rayiḥ)
- Literal: wealth, plenitude. Symbolic: fullness of being and capacity—light, force, joy integrated
- द्युमान् (dyumān)
- Literal: luminous, radiant. Symbolic: mind lit by truth; illumined intelligence (dhi)
- मधोः धाराभिः (madhoḥ dhārābhiḥ)
- Literal: with streams of sweetness/honey. Symbolic: currents of ānanda flowing through consciousness
- ओजसा (ojasā)
- Literal: with vigor, force. Symbolic: effective spiritual energy that makes delight transformative
Soma-stotra/śastra milieu; emphasizes Soma as madhu poured in streams after filtration.
As Soma is strained and made fit for offering
Praise of Soma’s purifying sweetness and strengthening power
For cultivating ‘sweet strength’: calm joy that increases mental clarity and resilience.
īḷenyaḥ: derived from √īḷ/īḍ ‘praise, invoke, seek’—marks Soma as an object of inner aspiration. rayiḥ: not mere material wealth; from a semantic field of ‘possession/plenitude’—in Vedic psychology, the achieved fullness and capacities in the being. dyu-mān: dyu ‘sky/light’ + -mān ‘possessing’; links Soma’s radiance to higher mind. madhu: sweetness/delight; dhārā ‘stream’ is Soma’s typical mode—delight flowing in ordered channels. ojas: strength/energy; the delight is not weak pleasure but force that accomplishes transformation.
ānanda (madhu) as transformative power, plenitude (rayi) as spiritual fullness, luminous mind (dyumān) as higher clarity
Purified streams imply right movement (r̥ta) of rasa through the being.
Dyumān indicates truth-light manifesting as luminous mind.
Rasa → ojas → luminous plenitude: delight as a creative causal chain.
Vedāntic rasa-ānanda line (later explicit in Taittirīya) anticipated in Veda.
Sweet streams = currents of joy through nāḍīs; radiance = clarified buddhi; ojas = consolidated life-force under higher influence.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as madhu (delight) becomes rayi (plenitude) and dyumān (luminous mind): the mythic motif is the transmutation of sweetness into sovereign radiance and fullness—delight-streams powering illumination.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyu ‘sky/light’ is a core PIE lexeme (*dyew-) pervasive across IE religious vocabulary; its presence in dyumān anchors Soma’s radiance in the archaic ‘sky-light’ register. The semantic coupling of sweetness (madhu) with inspired potency is Indo-Iranian and broader IE (cf. ‘mead’ traditions), though Vedic internalizes it as delight-consciousness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks Soma as the very substance of accomplishment: by invoking him as īḷenya, he aligns aspiration with reception; Soma answers as rayi—fullness of being—arriving through dhārās (ordered flows) and establishing strength (ojas) rather than transient pleasure.
Let purified delight flow as ‘streams of sweetness’ that brighten the mind and consolidate ojas.
Anāhata (sweetness/joy) to Ājñā (luminosity)
Sītalī or gentle cooling breath, then normal breathing while imagining sweet streams descending through the spine/front channel.
Quiet sweetness, clear seeing, steady vigor.
Do not chase pleasure; invite a refined gladness. Feel it as a subtle flow that clarifies thoughts and strengthens resolve. End by resting in luminous stillness.
Keep the flow smooth; allow natural rise-fall according to udātta/svarita; emphasize liquid continuity in ‘dhārābhiḥ’.
Slightly lengthen ‘īḻenyaḥ’ and ‘dyumān’ to mark aspiration and luminosity; firm closure on ‘ojasā’.
‘īḻenyaḥ’: retroflex ḻ (if followed in scholarly transliteration) approximated carefully; many recensions render as ‘īḍenyaḥ’—use your tradition’s pronunciation, ‘madhoḥ’: visarga ḥ lightly echoed before following consonant, ‘dhārābhiḥ’: aspirate dh and bh clearly
Smooth, warm, gently resonant.
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