Rig Veda 9.2.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 2, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.2
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
समुद्रो अप्सु मामृजे विष्टम्भो धरुणो दिवः । सोमः पवित्रे अस्मयुः ॥
samudró apsú māmṛje viṣṭámbho dharúṇo diváḥ | sómaḥ pavítre asmayúḥ ||
ജലങ്ങളിൽ സമുദ്രംപോലെ സോമൻ സ്വയം ശുദ്ധനായിരിക്കുന്നു; അവൻ ദ്യൗവിന്റെ വിശാലാധാരം, ധാരകൻ. പവിത്രത്തിൽ (പവിത്രകത്തിൽ) സോമൻ നമ്മെ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു—നമ്മുടെ സത്തയെ സ്ഥിരതയിലേക്കും വൈശാല്യത്തിലേക്കും ആകർഷിക്കുന്നു.
Word by Word
- समुद्रः
- ocean; (cosmic) seaNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (वाक्य-कर्तृ/विषयः)Root समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अप्सु
- in the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-बहुवचनम् (वेदिक रूप: अप्सु)Role अधिकरण (स्थान/आश्रयः)Root अप् (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री)
- मामृजे
- has cleansed/purified himself; has been washedVerbलिट् (परिप्रास/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रिया (मुख्य-क्रिया)Root मृज् (धातु) ‘मार्जने/शोधने’
- विष्टम्भः
- support; propNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ/विशेष्य (समुद्रः/सोमः इत्यस्य विशेषण-भावः)Root वि-स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तम्भ् ‘स्तम्भने/आधारे’)
- धरुणः
- holder; sustaining oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ/विशेष्य (विष्टम्भः इत्यस्य समन्वयः)Root धरुण (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ ‘धारणे’)
- दिवः
- of heaven; of the skyNounषष्ठी-एकवचनम् (वैदिक: दिवः = ‘of heaven/sky’)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)Root दिव्/द्यौः (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री/पुं वैदिक), ‘द्यौः/दिव्’
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ/विषयः (द्वितीय-पादे नाम-निर्देशः)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवित्रे
- in/through the filter (sieve)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (अथवा लोके: सप्तमी/द्विवचन-रूपे भ्रमः; अत्र सप्तमी-एकवचनम् ‘in/through the filter’)Role अधिकरण (स्थान/माध्यम-आश्रयः)Root पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मयुः
- friendly to us / devoted to usAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (सोमः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ-वाचकस्य)Root अस्मयु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अस्मन्’ + ‘यु’ → ‘अस्मयु’ = ‘हम्/अहंभावयुक्त’ अथवा ‘अस्मा-यु’ ‘toward us’ इति वैदिक-विशेषार्थः)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: समुद्रः | अप्सु | मामृजे | विष्टम्भः | धरुणः | दिवः | सोमः | पवित्रे | अस्मयुः । 1) ‘समुद्रो अप्सु’ इत्यत्र विसर्ग-सन्धिः: समुद्रः + अप्सु → समुद्रोऽप्सु (संहितायाम् ‘समुद्रो अप्सु’)
- 2) ‘सोमः पवित्रे’ इत्यत्र विसर्ग-सन्धिः: सोमः + पवित्रे → सोमः पवित्रे (अत्र जिह्वामूलीय/उपध्मानीय-परिवर्तनं न, कारणं प्-पूर्वे विसर्गः सामान्यतः ‘ः’ एव लिख्यते)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, purified in the waters, becomes like an ocean; he is a broad support and the holder of heaven, moving through the filter (pavitra) and turning toward us.
Inner meaning
The vast sea of consciousness (samudra) within the life-waters (apsu) becomes clarified when Soma—divine Ananda—passes through the inner filter (pavitra: discerning mind/psychic sieve). This purified bliss becomes the stabilizing power (viṣṭambha, dharuṇa) that upholds the ‘heaven’ (divaḥ: higher mind) in us, drawing our being toward wideness and firmness.
Universal truth
When delight is purified by discrimination and offered inwardly, it ceases to be restless sensation and becomes a stable, vast foundation that can uphold higher consciousness.
Themes
Vastness, Purification, Cosmic support internalised, Soma seeks the human vessel
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.0-7.99 (Vasiṣṭha corpus), RV 9.2 (Soma Pavamāna sequence, attributed traditionally)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha-maṇḍala seer-line; hymns often stress ṛta, harmony, and the establishment of vastness (uru) through inner right-order.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s vision frequently turns the sacrificial images into a yoga of stabilization: the higher ‘heaven’ is upheld when the inner forces are purified into ṛta-bearing power.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Indu (bright drop), Madhu (honeyed)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Sūrya, Mitra-Varuṇa
Cosmic role
Purifying current that carries the essence of life into luminous order; mediator between the waters (life) and heaven (light).
Inner power
Ananda refined into a stable, wide consciousness that supports ascent and integration.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna) in Soma-yajña
स॒मु॒द्रो अ॒प्सु मा॑मृजे विष्ट॒म्भो ध॒रुणो॑ दि॒वः । सोम॑: प॒वित्रे॑ अस्म॒युः ॥
स॒मु॒द्रः । अ॒प्ऽसु । म॒मृ॒जे॒ । वि॒ष्ट॒म्भः । ध॒रुणः॑ । दि॒वः । सोमः॑ । प॒वित्रे॑ । अ॒स्म॒ऽयुः ॥
samudraḥ | ap-su | mamṛje | viṣṭambhaḥ | dharuṇaḥ | divaḥ | somaḥ | pavitre | asma-yuḥ
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3 pādas of 8 syllables
Compact, forward-driving, clarifying cadence
Creates a quick ‘purification pulse’—good for concentrating the mind while invoking wideness (samudra/viṣṭambha) rather than emotional overflow.
- समुद्र (samudra)
- Literal: ocean. Symbolic: vastness of consciousness; infinite depth of being
- अप्सु (apsu)
- Literal: in the waters. Symbolic: life-flows, vital-emotional currents; also subtle waters of consciousness
- ममृजे (mamṛje)
- Literal: has been cleansed/clarified. Symbolic: purification of experience into clarity and power
- विष्टम्भ (viṣṭambha)
- Literal: support, prop. Symbolic: inner stability that holds the ascent
- धरुण (dharuṇa)
- Literal: holder, sustaining base. Symbolic: capacity to contain higher force without collapse
- दिवः (divaḥ)
- Literal: of heaven. Symbolic: the luminous higher mind-plane
- सोम (soma)
- Literal: Soma. Symbolic: divine bliss/Ananda pressed from inner being
- पवित्र (pavitra)
- Literal: purifier, filter. Symbolic: discriminating consciousness that refines delight
- अस्मयुः (asma-yuḥ)
- Literal: desiring us / seeking us. Symbolic: the delight-force turning toward the embodied seeker
Filtration hymn: Soma clarified in the pavitra is praised as cosmic support; ritually affirms Soma’s stabilising potency before offering to the gods.
During soma-pavana (filtering) chants; especially while the soma flows through wool/grass strainer
Chant to accompany pressing, mixing with water, and filtering into vessels
Use as a meditation mantra for ‘purifying delight’: observe desire/emotion as waters, let awareness filter it into calm vastness.
samudra ‘gathering of waters’ (sam- ‘together’ + udra/ud ‘water’ semantic) becomes symbol of vastness. √mṛj ‘clean/brighten’ (cf. marj- ‘polish’) indicates inner clarification. viṣṭambha from √stambh ‘support’ (PIE *stembh- ‘prop, support’). dharuṇa from √dhṛ ‘hold’. asma-yu: yu from √yu/√yū ‘to join, yoke, desire/seek’—Soma as that which seeks union with ‘us’ (asma).
Bṛhat (vastness) emerging through purification, Support of the luminous plane (div) within the seeker
Purified Soma becomes the viṣṭambha that supports ṛta in the being—order replacing turbulence in the waters.
‘Heaven’ (divaḥ) signifies the satya-bearing plane of luminous mind sustained by purified Ananda.
Establishing the ‘heaven’ within—building a stable foundation for higher consciousness.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo-Kashyap): ascent through purification and widening.
Waters = movements of life; ocean = wideness of consciousness; filter = discriminative awareness that refines experience into stable delight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as cosmic pillar/holder of heaven: the clarified oceanic Soma becomes the support of the luminous world. Psychologically, purified delight turns into a stabilising vastness that holds up the ‘heaven’ (higher mind/light) in the inner being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- viṣṭambha from √stambh aligns with IE ‘pillar/support’ roots (cf. Germanic *stam- ‘stem’ as support metaphor). √dhṛ ‘hold’ reflects PIE *dher- ‘hold/support’, frequent in IE cosmological formulas (‘supports heaven’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognises Soma’s movement toward union (asma-yu): not merely offered outward, Soma actively ‘seeks us’. The reciprocity is inner: human purification allows Soma’s vast stabilising power to establish the higher luminous order in the practitioner.
Let inner ‘waters’ (feelings, desires) be witnessed and filtered into a calm, wide Ananda that supports higher thought.
Anāhata to Ājñā (refining emotion into luminous clarity)
Nadi-śodhana or slow equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) while contemplating ‘flow through the filter’.
Quiet widening (śānta-vistāra) with stable uplift toward the higher mind.
On inhale: feel Soma rising as clear stream; on exhale: spread as oceanic calm. End by resting in ‘support of heaven’—a steady, bright poise above the head and in the heart.
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita per Rigvedic accent; key lift often felt on prominent nouns (e.g., somáḥ) depending on śākhā.
Keep the cadence of 8-8-8; let the main semantic peaks (samudraḥ, viṣṭambhaḥ, somaḥ, pavitre) receive clear prominence without over-stressing consonants.
samudraḥ: final ḥ lightly aspirated, apsu: cluster ‘ps’ crisp, not ‘pusu’, mamṛje: ṛ is vocalic (as in ‘ri’ but tighter), avoid ‘mareje’, viṣṭambhaḥ: ṣṭa cluster retroflex, tongue curled, dharuṇaḥ: dh is aspirated, not ‘d’, pavitre: short i, clear ‘tre’, asma-yuḥ: split asma + yuḥ; final ḥ audible
Clear, flowing, ‘liquid’ tone; end each pāda with gentle firmness (support imagery).
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