Rig Veda 9.24.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 24, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.24
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna in relation to Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
इन्दो यदद्रिभिः सुतः पवित्रं परिधावसि । अरमिन्द्रस्य धाम्ने ॥
índo yád ádribhiḥ sutáḥ pavítraṃ paridhā́vasi | arám índrasya dhā́mne ||
ഹേ ഇന്ദു, അദ്രി (കല്ലുകൾ)കൊണ്ട് നീ സുത (പിഴിഞ്ഞത്/ഒതുക്കിയത്) ആകുമ്പോൾ, നീ പവിത്രം (ശോധക/ചാരടി) ചുറ്റി ഓടുന്നു; നീ ഇന്ദ്രന്റെ ധാമത്തിനായി അരം—യോഗ്യനും സന്നദ്ധനും—ആകുന്നു, നമ്മുടെ ഉള്ളിൽ അവന്റെ ശക്തി സ്ഥാപിക്കാൻ ഒരുക്കമായി.
Word by Word
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (कर्तृ-प्रवर्तक) / संबोधितRoot इन्दु- (प्रातिपदिक; सोम) संबोधन-रूप
- यत्
- whenIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/काल-निर्देशक (यदा/यत् = when) — अव्ययRole सम्बन्धसूचक (उपवाक्य-प्रवर्तक)Root यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / यत् (सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय)
- अद्रिभिः
- with the pressing-stonesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot अद्रि- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पत्थर/द्रोण/प्रस्तर’, सोम-पीडन-शिला)
- सुतः
- pressed (expressed)Participle (Adjective) / Kṛdantaपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि/कर्मणि-भाव: ‘pressed, expressed’)Role कर्तृ (विषयः—इन्दुः) / विशेषणRoot √सु (सुनोति ‘to press/express’) + क्त (कृदन्त) → सुत-
- पवित्रम्
- the filter (strainer)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पवित्र- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘filter, strainer’—सोम-पवित्र)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषक) — ‘around, all about’Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- धावसि
- you run/flowVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: इन्दुः) / गमन-प्रवाहRoot √धाव् (धावति ‘to run, flow’)
- अरम्
- duly / sufficientlyIndeclinableअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot अरम् (अव्यय; ‘fitly, sufficiently, properly, readily’)
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘of Indra’Root इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- धाम्ने
- to/for the abode (seat, domain)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (वेदिक-विकल्प: धाम्ने < धामन्) अथवा सप्तमी-एकवचन (वेदे) — यहाँ दत्तिव-प्रायःRole सम्प्रदान (लक्ष्य/प्रयोजन) अथवा अधिकरण (स्थान) — सन्दर्भानुसार ‘इन्द्रस्य धाम्ने’ = ‘इन्द्र के धाम/आसन के लिये’Root धामन्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धाम, abode/seat/splendour’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): इन्दो | यत् | अद्रिभिः | सुतः | पवित्रम् | परि | धावसि | अरम् | इन्द्रस्य | धाम्ने । विशेष: ‘यदद्रिभिः’ = ‘यत् + अद्रिभिः’ (त् + अ → द्-अनुस्वार/संयोग-रूप; संहितायां ‘यद्’)। ‘इन्दो’ संबोधन-एकवचन (इन्दु-)
- ‘धाम्ने’ वेदिक-रूप (धामन्-), प्रायः चतुर्थी एकवचन (क्वचित् सप्तमी-सम्भावना), यहाँ ‘इन्द्रस्य धाम्ने’ दत्तिव-प्रयोगः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indu, when pressed by stones, runs around the filter and becomes fit for Indra’s dwelling.
Inner meaning
When the delight-principle is ‘pressed’ by the disciplines and impacts of life (adri), it begins to circulate through discernment (pavitra), shedding mixture and becoming a prepared force that can house Indra—illumined mind—in us. Soma’s readiness is the readiness of our emotional/vital substance to support higher illumination rather than distort it.
Universal truth
Illumination rests securely only in a purified delight and energy-system; refinement of feeling is the foundation for stable clarity and power of understanding.
Themes
Soma pressing, inner discipline, purification through discernment, Indra enthronement
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.24.4, RV 9.24.7, RV 9.25.1
Significance
The anonymous/collective seer-voice here functions as a practical yogic psychology: Soma must be processed so that Indra (illumination) can inhabit the inner world without obstruction.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu) with Indra as the intended indweller
- Epithets
- indu (bright drop), suta (pressed), pavamāna (purifying)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Vāyu, Maruts
Cosmic role
Soma prepares the field for Indra’s action; he is the clarifying delight that supports the god of luminous mind.
Inner power
Transforms raw exhilaration into a stable, luminous substance that can hold higher insight and force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and filtration for Indra’s offering
इन्दो॒ यदद्रि॑भिः सु॒तः प॒वित्रं॑ परि॒धाव॑सि । अर॒मिन्द्र॑स्य॒ धाम्ने॑ ॥
इन्दो॒ इति॑ । यत् । अद्रि॑ऽभिः । सु॒तः । प॒वित्र॑म् । प॒रि॒ऽधाव॑सि । अर॑म् । इन्द्र॑स्य । धाम्ने॑ ॥
indo iti | yat | adri-bhiḥ | sutaḥ | pavitram | pari-dhāvasi | aram | indrasya | dhāmne
24
3×8 (approx.)
Quick and circular—mirrors ‘paridhāvasi’ (running around).
Energizes and organizes; gives a sense of inner circulation and readiness for clarity.
- इन्दु (indu)
- Literal: bright drop; Soma. Symbolic: luminous delight-drop, clarified consciousness-nectar
- अद्रि (adri)
- Literal: stone (pressing stone). Symbolic: pressure of tapas, discipline, life-impact that extracts essence
- सुत (suta)
- Literal: pressed out. Symbolic: essence drawn from experience by aspiration and effort
- पवित्र (pavitra)
- Literal: filter/strainer. Symbolic: discriminative purification; inner sieve of truth
- परिधावसि (pari-dhāvasi)
- Literal: run around/circulate. Symbolic: circulation of refined force through the system; integration
- इन्द्रस्य धामन् (indrasya dhāman)
- Literal: Indra’s abode/dwelling. Symbolic: seat of illumined mind and victorious clarity established in the being
Directly tied to Soma processing: pressed with stones and run through the filter. Inner ritual: the essence extracted by pressure of discipline and passed through discrimination becomes fit to seat Indra’s power.
When Soma is being filtered prior to offering to Indra
Chant while Soma passes through the pavitra; intention is to make Soma ‘aram’ (fit/ready) for Indra
Before study/decision-making: chant to purify emotion and make the mind a fit seat for clear insight.
ádribhiḥ: adrí ‘stone’ (pressing stone), instrumental plural. sutáḥ: past participle of √su ‘to press out, extract’ (Soma). pavítra: from √pū ‘purify’ with instrument/means sense ‘that which purifies’ (filter). paridhā́vasi: pari- ‘around’ + √dhāv ‘run, stream’ (2sg). arám: indeclinable ‘properly, fittingly, ready’. dhā́man: ‘abode, seat, law/place of establishing’ from √dhā ‘to place, set’.
tapas/pressure as extraction of essence (symbolic ‘pressing’), viveka/discrimination (pavitra) as purifier, establishing the divine seat (dhāman) within
The filter symbolizes Ṛta’s selecting power—only the true current passes to become Indra’s seat.
Readiness (aram) implies sincerity and accuracy in the substance supporting thought.
From pressure (tapas) arises essence that can found higher consciousness in manifestation.
Integral Vedism: Indra as illumined mind supported by Soma-Ananda.
Life-pressures refine the emotional substance; discernment circulates it until it can host illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘pressed Soma through the filter’ mythologem: the extracted essence runs the pavitra to become fit for Indra’s seat. Inner sense: under pressure of practice, delight is extracted and purified by discernment, preparing the established throne of luminous will.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā ‘to place’ is from PIE *dʰeh₁- ‘set, put’ (cf. Greek títhēmi, Latin faciō is different; English ‘do’ from *dʰeh₁- via Germanic). √su ‘press’ is Indo-Iranian-specific development; the extraction semantics align with broader PIE ‘squeezing/pressing’ roots but is best treated as inherited Indo-Iranian ritual lexicon.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi reads the ritual act as an inner technology: Soma’s movement through the pavitra is the soul’s process of becoming ‘aram’—ready to host Indra. The devotee offers conditions (pressing, filtering); the devatā fulfills the transformation.
Make the inner substance ‘fit’ for illumination: refine delight, then invite clear seeing.
Manipura-to-Ajna (energy organized into discernment)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) gently; on exhale mentally ‘pavitram paridhāvasi’.
Collected, prepared, luminous readiness.
Notice emotional turbulence; ‘press’ it by aspiration, pass it through discernment, and offer the clarified force to the inner Indra (clear intelligence) before acting.
Recite with a slightly rising energy on ‘indo’ and ‘pavitram’; maintain evenness through compounds (adri-bhiḥ, pari-dhāvasi).
Lightly stress: índo, ádribhiḥ, pavítram, paridhā́vasi, índrasya dhā́mne.
indo: initial ‘i’ short, ‘nd’ clear, adri-bhiḥ: aspirate ‘bh’, paridhāvasi: long ‘ā’ in -dhā-, dhāmne: long ‘ā’; ‘mn’ cluster cleanly
Bright, energized, precise articulation.
21
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
