Rig Veda 9.3.10: Mandala 9, Sukta 3, Mantra 10
Sukta 9.3
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
एष उ स्य पुरुव्रतो जज्ञानो जनयन्निषः । धारया पवते सुतः ॥
eṣá u syá puruvrató jajñāno janáyann íṣaḥ | dhā́rayā pavate sutáḥ ||
ഇവൻ തന്നേ, അനേകം വ്രതങ്ങളുള്ളവൻ; ജനിച്ചവൻ പ്രേരണകൾ (നിഷഃ) ജനിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. പിഴിഞ്ഞെടുത്ത സോമരസം ധാരയായി ഒഴുകുന്നു—സ്വയം ശുദ്ധീകരിച്ചുകൊണ്ട്.
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (he)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपातः (अव्ययम्)Root उ (निपात)
- स्यः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वैदिकः ‘स्य’ = ‘सः’)Role Kartā (एषः इत्यस्य सह-सम्बन्धः)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक-रूप)
- पुरुव्रतः
- of many vows/observancesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (एषः/स्यः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root पुरु-व्रत (समासः; प्रातिपदिकम्)
- जज्ञानः
- born, having been bornVerb (participial)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट-कर्तरि कृदन्तः (‘having been born’)Role Kartā (एषः/स्यः इत्यस्य सह)Root √जन् (जनि) → जज्ञान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट-भागवत्)
- जनयन्
- begetting, generatingVerb (participial)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; वर्तमान-कर्तरि कृदन्तःRole Kartā (एषः/स्यः इत्यस्य क्रियाविशेषण-भावः)Root √जन् (णिच्) → √जनय् (causative) वर्तमान-कृदन्त
- निषः
- nightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot निष् (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक)
- धारया
- with a stream, in a flowNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot धारा (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक) अथवा √धृ (धारण) से ‘धारा’
- पवते
- purifies itself, flows (as purified)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √पू (पवते; आत्मनेपद) / √पु (शोधन) वैदिक प्रयोग
- सुतः
- pressed (Soma), the pressed oneNoun/Adjective (PPP)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (पवते इत्यस्य)Root √सु (सवने) → सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एषः | उ | स्यः | पुरुव्रतः | जज्ञानः | जनयन् | निषः | धारया | पवते | सुतः || 1) ‘एष उ’ इति संहितायां ‘एष उ’ (विसर्गस्य उकारादौ लोप/परिवर्तनं) — पदपाठे ‘एषः | उ’। 2) ‘स्य’ वैदिक-प्रयोगः: ‘स्यः’ = ‘सः’ (तद्-प्रथमा एकवचन)। 3) ‘जनयन्निषः’ संहितायां ‘जनयन् निषः’ (अनुस्वार/नकार-संधि) — पदपाठे पृथक्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma of many operations, newly born, generates impulsions (nourishing forces); pressed out, it flows in a steady stream, purifying itself.
Inner meaning
Soma, the delight-substance of consciousness, when freshly awakened in the being, sets free the right impulses (iṣaḥ)—uplifting movements of aspiration, energy, and right enjoyment. As it is ‘pressed’ (sutaḥ)—i.e., concentrated by tapas, attention, and offering—it pours as a continuous current (dhārā) through the inner channels, cleansing mixed motives and obscurities by its own luminous sweetness (pavamāna).
Universal truth
When the soul’s delight is consciously distilled and allowed to flow steadily, it spontaneously generates right movements and purifies the nature; joy becomes both the motive power and the cleansing agent of transformation.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Generation of impulses, Lawful action (vrata), Purifying flow
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda Mandala 9 (Pavamāna Soma corpus), especially adjacent verses RV 9.3.x
Family tradition
Pavamāna sections (RV 9) are largely preserved through specialized Soma-chanting lineages
Significance
The ‘unknown’ attribution highlights the collective yogic discovery of Soma as an experiential current: not a personal insight alone, but a repeatable inner process of distillation, flow, and purification.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Suta (pressed), Indu (drop; luminous essence), Madhu (honey-sweet)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Uṣas, Sūrya
Cosmic role
The purifying nectar that moves between worlds, sustaining gods and establishing luminous order by clarifying and energizing the sacrifice.
Inner power
Ananda-shakti: delight that becomes a conscious stream, generating right impulses and cleansing obscuration in mind and life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavamāna stotras during Soma-yajña)
ए॒ष उ॒ स्य पु॑रुव्र॒तो ज॑ज्ञा॒नो ज॒नय॒न्निष॑: । धार॑या पवते सु॒तः ॥
ए॒षः । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । स्यः । पु॒रु॒ऽव्र॒तः । ज॒ज्ञा॒नः । ज॒नय॑न् । इषः॑ । धार॑या । प॒व॒ते॒ । सु॒तः ॥
eṣaḥ | oṃ iti | syaḥ | puru-vrataḥ | jajñānaḥ | janayan | iṣaḥ | dhārayā | pavate | sutaḥ
24
3 pādas × ~8 syllables
swift, clear, wave-like cadence suited to ‘flowing’ imagery
Creates a sense of continuous current; supports concentration on an unbroken inner stream (dhārā) and quickening of aspiration (iṣaḥ).
- पुरुव्रतः (puru-vrataḥ)
- Literal: of many vows/observances; many workings. Symbolic: the many-sided action of the divine Delight operating through diverse faculties
- जज्ञानः (jajñānaḥ)
- Literal: being born; arisen. Symbolic: the awakening/manifestation of Soma in consciousness
- इषः (iṣaḥ)
- Literal: impulsions; refreshments; invigorations. Symbolic: uplifting urges of aspiration, right enjoyment, and energising inspirations
- सुतः (sutaḥ)
- Literal: pressed out. Symbolic: delight distilled by inner pressure: concentration, offering, and discipline
- धारया (dhārayā)
- Literal: by a stream. Symbolic: a continuous current of consciousness-force moving through the being
- पवते (pavate)
- Literal: flows; purifies. Symbolic: self-purifying movement: delight clarifying mind, life, and body
- पवमान (implied)
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: the process-aspect of Soma: purification by luminous sweetness
Summative statement: Soma’s manifestation generates iṣ (impulsions/boons) while flowing as the purified stream; used to affirm Soma as generative power in the rite and in the inner work.
During Soma extraction/filtration and offering sequences; chanted as Soma is made to flow through the pavitra.
Pressing (savana), filtering (pavana), collecting and offering Soma; invoking purification and empowering impulsions.
Used as a meditation mantra for ‘inner distillation’: sit, gather attention, ‘press’ the mind into one-pointedness, then feel a steady joy-current cleansing and energizing the system.
puru-vrata: puru ‘many’ + vrata ‘vow, ordinance, mode of action’ from √vṛ ‘to choose/will’ → chosen law/working; in Vedic often ‘many-ruled/many-working’. iṣ: Vedic ‘impulse, refreshment, prosperity’, from √iṣ ‘to impel, invigorate, seek’ (semantic: drive/impulsion). janayan/jajñāna from √jan ‘be born’ (PIE *ǵenh₁-: Greek genos, Latin genus).
Janma (manifestation of force in time), Iṣ (divine impulsion/energizing will), Vrata (law of action; ordered power)
The dhārā (stream) symbolizes ṛta as an unbroken right movement; purity is alignment with cosmic order.
Self-purification uncovers truth-impulses (iṣaḥ) that are naturally harmonious and right.
Manifestation through distillation: essence emerges by pressure and becomes a world-sustaining current.
Proto-Vedantic / integral yogic reading (Aurobindonian): Soma as Ananda in the triple world (mind-life-body).
The ‘stream’ is the subtle current of delight moving through nāḍīs/psychic channels, washing away tamas and generating luminous initiative.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as generative birth-power: upon manifestation he generates iṣ (impulsions), and as pressed essence he flows purifyingly. Inwardly, the awakened delight-consciousness sets free multiple right workings (vrata) and begets energizing movements of will and inspiration needed for the soul’s progress.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan ‘be born’ aligns with PIE *ǵenh₁- (Latin genus, Greek gígnomai), reflecting an inherited cosmogonic idiom where ‘birth’ is the emergence of powers. The concept of vrata as ‘chosen law’ resonates with IE themes of ordered divine ordinance (cf. Indo-Iranian ṛta/aša as cosmic law).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Soma as the inner generator of right impulses (iṣ) and multiple effective workings (puru-vrata). The human offering ‘presses out’ (suta) the essence; Soma reciprocates by producing the very energies that sustain sacrifice and inner evolution.
Feel a ‘pressed’ essence of joy rise and flow as a continuous inner stream that purifies thought and desire.
Anahata (heart—delight) with upward flow toward Ajna (clarity)
Gentle ujjayi or simple equal breathing; on exhale imagine the dhārā washing downward through the body; on inhale feel fresh iṣaḥ rising.
quiet, luminous flow-state (ananda with clarity)
Begin with one-pointed attention (pressing), then allow delight to circulate; whenever agitation arises, return to the sense of a steady stream that self-purifies without force.
Use Vedic three-tone rendering (udātta/anudātta/svarita) per śākhā; in absence of marked svaras here, chant in a steady udātta-forward recitation with gentle svarita falls at pāda ends.
Keep clarity on compound puru-vrataḥ; emphasize the verb pavate; allow a slight cadence drop on sutaḥ at the close.
eṣaḥ: retroflex ṣ, visarga audible, puru-vrataḥ: clear ‘vr’ cluster, jajñānaḥ: palatal ‘jñ’ as ‘gy/ñy’ depending on tradition, avoid ‘jn’ hard split, iṣaḥ: retroflex ṣ; short i, dhārayā: long ā twice; light ‘yā’, pavate: soft ‘v’, short a
clear, flowing, slightly resonant (as if tracing a stream)
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