Rig Veda 9.79.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 79, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.79
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
एवा त इन्दो सुभ्वं सुपेशसं रसं तुञ्जन्ति प्रथमा अभिश्रियः । निदंनिदं पवमान नि तारिष आविस्ते शुष्मो भवतु प्रियो मदः ॥
evā́ ta indo subhvā́ṃ su-péśasaṃ rásaṃ tuñjanti prathamā́ abhi-śríyaḥ | nídaṃ-nidaṃ pavamāna ní tāriṣa āvís te śúṣmo bhavatu priyó mádaḥ ||
ດັ່ງນັ້ນ, ໂອ ອິນທຸ, ຄວາມງາມງາມເບື້ອງຕົ້ນເນັ່ນອອກສະຫວັດດີພາບຂອງທ່ານ, ງາມພາບສົມບັດ. ຈາກລະດັບໜຶ່ງສູ່ລະດັບໜຶ່ງ, ໂອ ຜູ້ຊຳລະບໍລິສຸດ, ນຳພາພວກເຮົາຜ່ານໄປ, ໃຫ້ພະລັງຂອງທ່ານປາກົດ, ໃຫ້ຄວາມປິຕິທີ່ເປັນທີ່ຮັກຂອງທ່ານຢູ່ໃນພວກເຮົາ.
Word by Word
- एवा
- thus, just soIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root एव (निपात) + आ (उपसर्ग/निपात) → एवा (वैदिक)
- ते
- to/for youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (वैदिक प्रयोग; ‘to/for thee’)Role SampradānaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Nounसम्बोधन एकवचन (पुं.)Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सु-भ्वम्
- good being/strength (goodly essence)Adjectiveद्वितीया एकवचन (नपुं.)Role KarmaRoot भू/भ्व (धातु) → भ्व (कृदन्त-आधार) ; सु- (उपसर्ग)
- सु-पेशसम्
- well-formed, beautifulAdjectiveद्वितीया एकवचन (नपुं.)Role KarmaRoot पेशस् (प्रातिपदिक) ; सु- (उपसर्ग)
- रसम्
- juice, sapNounद्वितीया एकवचन (पुं.)Role KarmaRoot रस (प्रातिपदिक)
- तुञ्जन्ति
- they press/impelVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot तुञ्ज् (धातु; ‘to press/impel, drive on’)
- प्रथमाḥ
- the foremost (ones)Adjective (substantivized)प्रथमा बहुवचन (पुं.)Role KartāRoot प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि-श्रियः
- the (approaching) splendours / fair onesNounप्रथमा बहुवचन (स्त्री.)Role KartāRoot श्री (प्रातिपदिक; ‘splendour, beauty, prosperity’) ; अभि- (उपसर्ग)
- निदं-निदम्
- again and again, at every turnIndeclinableपुनरुक्त-अव्यय (वितति/आवृत्ति-अर्थ)Root निदं (अव्यय/अनुकरण; पुनरुक्ति)
- पवमान
- O purifying one (Soma)Participle (epithet)सम्बोधन एकवचन (पुं.)Role सम्बोधनRoot पू (धातु ‘to purify’) → पवमान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- नि
- down, forth (intensifier with verb)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- तारिषः
- may you carry (us) across / do you bring throughVerbलोट्/आशीर्लिङ् (वैदिक इच्छार्थ/आशीर्वाद), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot तॄ (धातु ‘to cross over, carry through’)
- आविः
- manifest, openlyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot आविस्/आविः (अव्यय)
- ते
- yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शुष्मः
- might, vigorNounप्रथमा एकवचन (पुं.)Role KartāRoot शुष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- भवतु
- let it beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot भू (धातु)
- प्रियः
- dear, belovedAdjectiveप्रथमा एकवचन (पुं.)Role Kartā (विशेषण)Root प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदः
- intoxication, exhilarationNounप्रथमा एकवचन (पुं.)Role KartāRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): एवा | ते | इन्दो | सुभ्वं | सुपेशसं | रसं | तुञ्जन्ति | प्रथमा: | अभिश्रियः || निदंनिदं | पवमान | नि | तारिषः | आविः | ते | शुष्मः | भवतु | प्रियः | मदः || 1) ‘एवा’ वैदिक निपात-रूप (एव + आ) ‘एव’ का बल/निश्चयार्थक प्रयोग। 2) ‘सुभ्वं’ = सु- + भ्वम् (भू/भ्व-आधार), नपुंसक द्वितीया एकवचन
- ‘रसम्’ के साथ समन्वय/विशेषण-समासवत् प्रयोग। 3) ‘अभिश्रियः’ = अभि- + श्रियः (स्त्री. प्रथमा बहु.), कर्तृपद के रूप में ‘प्रथमा:’ के साथ। 4) ‘निदंनिदम्’ पुनरुक्त-अव्यय। 5) ‘नि तारिषः’ में ‘नि’ उपसर्ग ‘तॄ’ धातु के इच्छार्थ/आशीर्वादार्थ रूप के साथ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Thus, O Indu, the first splendours press out your essence—well-being, beautifully formed. From level to level, O purifying one, carry us through; reveal your force—let your dear ecstasy be manifest.
Inner meaning
The ‘first splendours’ (prathamā abhiśriyaḥ) are the initial illuminations and right discernments that arise when Soma is pressed within—purified delight revealing its rasa (essence). The mantra asks Soma to lead the seeker through successive planes/levels (nidaṃ-nidam) of the being—body, life, mind, higher mind—so the hidden śuṣma (dynamic force) becomes openly active and the ‘beloved ecstasy’ (priya mada) stabilizes as a constant inner climate.
Universal truth
True transformation proceeds by stages. When delight is purified, it becomes a guiding power that safely carries consciousness from one level of maturity to the next, making inner strength and joy overt and dependable.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Stages of inner development, Manifestation of force, Delight and well-being
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.79.2 (bearing riches), RV 9.79.3 (smiting obstruction)
Family tradition
Soma hymns of purification often describe graded ascent and manifestation of force; this verse is a concise map of staged transformation.
Significance
The seer presents Soma as the ferrying power across inner thresholds—turning early illuminations into stable force and joy.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu, Pavamāna, Priya-mada (beloved ecstasy)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Uṣas (as ‘first splendours’ motif, thematic)
Cosmic role
Essence of delight pressed out by tapas; purifier that carries beings across transitions and establishes luminous well-being.
Inner power
Progressive transformation: clarifies rasa, manifests śuṣma, stabilizes ānanda.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna Soma chants during pressing/straining
ए॒वा त॑ इन्दो सु॒भ्वं॑ सु॒पेश॑सं॒ रसं॑ तुञ्जन्ति प्रथ॒मा अ॑भि॒श्रिय॑: । निदं॑निदं पवमान॒ नि ता॑रिष आ॒विस्ते॒ शुष्मो॑ भवतु प्रि॒यो मद॑: ॥
ए॒व । ते॒ । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । सु॒ऽभ्व॑म् । सु॒ऽपेश॑सम् । रस॑म् । तु॒ञ्ज॒न्ति॒ । प्र॒थ॒माः । अ॒भि॒ऽश्रियः॑ । निद॑म्ऽनिदम् । प॒व॒मा॒न॒ । नि । ता॒रि॒षः॒ । आ॒विः । ते॒ । शुष्मः॑ । भ॒व॒तु॒ । प्रि॒यः । मदः॑ ॥
eva | te | indo iti | su-bhvam | su-peśasam | rasam | tuñjanti | prathamāḥ | abhi-śriyaḥ | nidam-nidam | pavamāna | ni | tāriṣaḥ | āviḥ | te | śuṣmaḥ | bhavatu | priyaḥ | madaḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Even, ascending movement; suitable for ‘level to level’ progression.
Induces a sense of safe ascent and consolidation; supports continuity through inner change.
- इन्दो (indo)
- Literal: Indu, bright Soma. Symbolic: luminous delight-principle in purification
- सुभ्वम् (subhvam)
- Literal: well-being/prosperity. Symbolic: harmonious wholeness and right thriving of the nature
- सुपेशसम् (supeśasam)
- Literal: well-formed, beautiful. Symbolic: right formation of inner faculties; aesthetic order of consciousness
- रसम् (rasam)
- Literal: juice, essence. Symbolic: essential taste of being—ānanda as substance
- तुञ्जन्ति (tuñjanti)
- Literal: they press/squeeze out. Symbolic: yogic tapas that extracts the essence from experience
- प्रथमाः अभिश्रियः (prathamāḥ abhiśriyaḥ)
- Literal: the first splendours. Symbolic: initial illuminations, dawning perceptions that begin the ascent
- निदंनिदम् (nidaṃ-nidam)
- Literal: from step to step/level to level. Symbolic: graded ascent through planes of consciousness
- नि तारिषः (ni tāriṣaḥ)
- Literal: carry through, ferry across. Symbolic: safe passage across transitions, crises, thresholds
- आविः (āviḥ)
- Literal: manifest, visible. Symbolic: made conscious and operative, no longer latent
- शुष्मः (śuṣmaḥ)
- Literal: force, vigor. Symbolic: divine dynamism in the system
- प्रियः मदः (priyaḥ madaḥ)
- Literal: dear ecstasy. Symbolic: beloved stable joy that supports offering and action
Concluding-type petition within Soma hymn: Soma’s essence pressed out by splendours; prayer for progressive crossing and manifestation of force/ecstasy
During Soma-yajña sequences invoking purification and successful ‘carrying through’ of the rite.
Chant while Soma is pressed and filtered; intention of manifesting strength and joy.
Mantra for transitions: beginning a new discipline, moving through psychological thresholds, integrating insights into stable practice.
subhvam (su + √bhū) is ‘good becoming’, hence well-being as right manifestation. √tṛ (tāriṣaḥ) ‘to cross’ is a classic Vedic root for passage through danger/limitation into wider being. śuṣma is concentrated force/ardour; mada again is exaltation. nidan-nidam encodes graded ascent: successive inner levels rather than a single event.
Progressive ascent (nidan-nidam), Crossing beyond limitation (√tṛ), Manifest force (śuṣma) and ecstasy (mada)
‘Step by step’ expresses ṛta as orderly ascent rather than violent rupture.
Manifestation (āviḥ) of śuṣma indicates truth becoming effective power.
Extraction of essence → formation of beauty → manifestation of force: a microcosmic creation sequence.
Integral yoga hermeneutic: planes of being and progressive transformation.
dawn-like (implied by ‘first splendours’)
Pressing = tapas; flow = purification; steps = ascent through consciousness-levels; splendours = illuminations.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘pressing out by splendours’ and ‘crossing through levels’ mythologem: Soma’s essence is extracted by luminous powers (abhi-śriyaḥ) and becomes the means of staged passage (nidan-nidam) into manifested force and ecstasy.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhū (being/becoming) is PIE *bʰuH-; √tṛ (cross) is an inherited Indo-Iranian root used for salvific ‘crossing’ imagery. These roots ground the verse in archaic Indo-European metaphors of becoming and passage.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Soma to act as ferryman through successive inner stages, making śuṣma and beloved mada manifest. The devatā’s gift is not episodic pleasure but structured transformation: well-being (subhvam), beauty of formation (supeśasam), and progressive crossing into a stable luminous force.
Feel the ‘pressed essence’ as a subtle sweetness in the heart and head; invite it to carry awareness through successive layers of the being, making strength visible.
Anāhata (rasa/joy) rising to Viśuddha–Ājñā (clarity and manifestation)
Slow_meditative breathing: inhale ‘rasa’; exhale ‘āviḥ śuṣmaḥ’ imagining force becoming clear in the limbs and speech.
Quiet ascent with luminous sweetness; stable joy supporting effort.
Work ‘level to level’: first calm the body, then harmonize prāṇa, then clarify thought; at each step, pause and let Soma’s joy consolidate before moving higher.
Three-tone Vedic chant; exact svara placement requires a svara-marked Saṃhitā for RV 9.79.5.
Let ‘nidaṃ-nidam’ be clearly segmented; sustain ‘āviḥ’ slightly to suggest manifestation; keep cadence steady and ascending.
: pronounce bhv cluster (subh-vam), not subuvam, : ś is palatal; keep e long-ish as per sandhi flow, : ñj cluster; do not simplify to nj, : split abhi-śriyaḥ; śri is crisp, : long ā; retroflex ṣ at end, : śuṣ-mo, retroflex ṣ
Smooth, luminous, gently ascending; avoid harshness.
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