Rig Veda 9.13.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 13, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.13
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
ते नः सहस्रिणं रयिं पवन्तामा सुवीर्यम् । सुवाना देवास इन्दवः ॥
té naḥ sahasríṇaṃ rayíṃ pávantām ā́ su-vī́ryam | suvānā́ devā́sa índavaḥ ||
ഞങ്ങൾക്കായി—ദേവകർമ്മത്തിൽ പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്ന, സുസ്വരിതമായ ഇന്ദവഃ (സോമധാരകൾ) സഹസ്രഗുണ റയി (സമൃദ്ധി)യെ ശുദ്ധീകരിക്കട്ടെ; കൂടാതെ സുവീര്യ (ഉത്തമ വീര്യ-ശക്തി, നായകബലം)യും നല്കട്ടെ.
Word by Word
- ते
- they (those)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → सः/सा/तत्
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सहस्रिणम्
- thousandfold / rich in thousandsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सहस्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘having a thousand, thousandfold’)
- रयिम्
- wealth, treasureNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवन्ताम्
- let them purify/flowVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root पू (धातु; ‘to purify/cleanse’) → पवते
- आ
- towards, hither; intensifierIndeclinableउपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Role (क्रिया-विशेषणम्)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- सुवीर्यम्
- good heroism / splendid strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सु-वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘good heroism/valour, manly power’)
- सुवाना
- pressing (Soma), being pressedParticipleवर्तमानकृदन्तः (शानच्), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot सु (धातु; ‘to press/express Soma’) → सुनोति; क्त/शानच्-प्रत्यय
- देवासः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दवः
- the Soma-dropsNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘drop; Soma’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ते नः सहस्रिणं रयिं पवन्ताम् आ सुवीर्यम् । सुवाना देवासः इन्दवः ॥ 1) पवन्ताम् + आ → पवन्तामा (स्वर-सन्धिः/सवर्णदीर्घः). 2) अन्यत्र विशेष-सन्धिः न
- ‘नः’ एन्क्लिटिक-रूपेण ‘ते’ इत्यनन्तरं स्थितम्. 3) ‘सुवाना’ = सु-धातोः शानच्-कृदन्तः (RV प्रयोगे सोमस्य ‘pressing/being pressed’ अर्थच्छाया)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May these Indu powers, divine, purify for us a thousandfold wealth (rayi) and (bring) noble hero-strength (suvīrya).
Inner meaning
The multiple streams of Soma (indavaḥ) are not merely substances but ‘devāsaḥ’—divine powers in operation. Their purification yields sahasriṇaṃ rayim: an abundant, many-formed plenitude of inner riches—light, joy, capacity, harmony. Along with it comes suvīrya: the noble strength to act from the soul. ‘Suvānāḥ’ suggests they are well-expressed/pressed: the delight becomes articulate in life, not vague.
Universal truth
True prosperity is a purified abundance of consciousness—resources, energies, and capacities—accompanied by the moral and spiritual strength to use it rightly.
Themes
Boon-request, Abundance, Heroic strength, Soma-ritual
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.13.1-10, RV 9.10 (Soma as giver of riches), RV 9.97 (Soma as giver of vīrya)
Family tradition
Pavamāna lineage emphasizing ‘rayi + vīrya’ as the dual fruit of Soma: plenitude and power.
Significance
The seer frames abundance as spiritual: Soma’s purification yields both plenitude and heroic force—integral prosperity.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (plural currents)
- Epithets
- Indavaḥ (drops), Devāsaḥ (divine powers), Pavamānāḥ (purifying, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra (vīrya and victory), Pūṣan (nourishment and increase), Bhaga (distribution of fortune)
Cosmic role
Distributor of ‘rayi’ (supporting plenitude) and awakener of ‘vīrya’ (effective force) through clarified delight.
Inner power
Generative abundance in consciousness; strengthens the will and stabilizes the life-force under light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration and offering; prayers for prosperity and strength
ते न॑: सह॒स्रिणं॑ र॒यिं पव॑न्ता॒मा सु॒वीर्य॑म् । सु॒वा॒ना दे॒वास॒ इन्द॑वः ॥
ते । नः॒ । स॒ह॒स्रिण॑म् । र॒यिम् । पव॑न्ताम् । आ । सु॒ऽवीर्य॑म् । सु॒वा॒नाः । दे॒वासः॑ । इन्द॑वः ॥
te | naḥ | sahasriṇam | rayim | pavantām | ā | su-vīryam | suvānāḥ | devāsaḥ | indavaḥ
24
3×8 (approx.)
benedictory, steady; feels like ‘granting’ and ‘settling’
grounds the mind in trust and receptivity; supports a sense of secure abundance
- सहस्रिणम् (sahasriṇam)
- Literal: thousandfold. Symbolic: manifold abundance; plenitude in many faculties
- रयिम् (rayim)
- Literal: wealth, treasure. Symbolic: inner riches: light, joy, harmony, capacity, supportive conditions
- इन्दवः (indavaḥ)
- Literal: Soma drops/streams. Symbolic: multiple currents of Ananda working through the being
- देवासः (devāsaḥ)
- Literal: divine ones. Symbolic: powers of the Divine acting as forces in consciousness
- सुवानाः (suvānāḥ)
- Literal: well-pressed/expressed. Symbolic: delight made workable, formulated, effective in mind-life
- सुवीर्यम् (suvīryam)
- Literal: noble hero-power. Symbolic: soul-strength that sustains right action
During Soma purification, petition for abundant rayi and vīrya; inner application: multiple delight-forces purify and install strength and fullness.
during Soma rites; also apt for concluding invocations seeking fruits of the sacrifice
recited as Soma is offered/received; intent of increase (rayi) and power (vīrya)
chant for inner and outer prosperity with right use: before planning, livelihood work, or service
sahasrin ‘thousandfold’ signals intensity/abundance. devāsaḥ used of indavaḥ marks Soma as a host of divine agencies. suvānāḥ from su + √sū/pressing lexicon: ‘rightly expressed’ delight; psychologically, right extraction of essence from experience.
Ananda as multiplicity of powers (indavaḥ), Ṛta (purification as right formation), Spiritual abundance (rayi)
Abundance is legitimate when aligned with Ṛta; Soma purifies desire into right increase.
Purified rayi is truth-supported, not born of falsehood or agitation.
Multiplication (sahasra) as the natural result of clarified delight—creative overflow.
Integral reading: Ananda as causal abundance that expresses as force and harmony in life.
A sense of ‘overflowing’ resources and capacities when the emotional current is purified and organized.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘the many Soma-drops as divine agents bestowing abundance and strength’: indavaḥ are called devāsaḥ, purifying rayi and bringing su-vīrya. Inner sense: delight is not singular but a host of luminous forces that cleanse and empower the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Pluralization of a sacred substance into ‘many agencies’ is a known archaic poetic strategy. The ‘thousandfold’ intensifier again reflects IE hyperbolic enumeration for divine potency.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Soma’s multiplicity (indavaḥ) and divinity (devāsaḥ) and requests a twofold fruit: plenitude (rayi) and conquering capacity (vīrya). The devata’s reciprocity is purification that converts aspiration into stable abundance and strength.
Receive Soma as a purified sweetness that becomes stable abundance and courageous will.
Svādhiṣṭhāna (Soma-sweetness) refined upward to Maṇipūra (vīrya)
soft ujjāyī to ‘press’ and ‘express’ the inner current; chant on exhale
contented fullness with readiness for right action
After chanting, contemplate: ‘What is my rayi (resources) today—time, attention, strength—and how can it be purified into right use?’
Rigvedic tri-svara as per accented saṃhitā; ensure compounds keep their accentual integrity.
Give a gentle emphasis to sahasriṇaṃ and rayim; keep ‘devāsa indavaḥ’ flowing as a single wave.
te naḥ: keep ‘naḥ’ soft, sahasriṇam: dental ‘n’, not retroflex, rayim: ‘ra-yim’ two beats, short i, pavantām: nasal ‘nt’ clear, suvānāḥ: long ā; visarga at end as soft breath
warm, steady, nourishing tone
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