Rig Veda 9.51.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 51, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.51
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
तव त्य इन्दो अन्धसो देवा मधोर्व्यश्नते । पवमानस्य मरुतः ॥
táva tyá índo ándhaso devā́ mádhor ví aśnate | pávamānasya marútaḥ ||
ഹേ ഇന്ദു (സോമ), നിന്റെ ആ അന്ധസ്—പിഴിഞ്ഞ സാരരസത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ദേവന്മാർ മധുരമായ മധുവിന്റെ ആനന്ദം ആസ്വദിക്കുന്നു; മരുത്ഗണവും പവമാനന്റെ സ്വയം-ശുദ്ധിയാകുന്ന പ്രവാഹത്തിൽ പങ്കുചേരുന്നു.
Word by Word
- तव
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी (genitive), एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root त्वद् (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) → तव
- त्ये
- thosePronoun (demonstrative)प्रथमा, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्गRole कर्तृ (with following verb)Root त्य (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Noun (vocative address)सम्बोधन, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्गRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्धसः
- of the Soma-juice / of the pressed draughtNounषष्ठी, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाः
- the godsNounप्रथमा, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधोः
- of sweetness / of honey (i.e., sweet Soma)Nounषष्ठी, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, widely, fully (intensifying the verb)Indeclinable (preverb)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- अश्नते
- they partake / enjoyVerbलट् (present), आत्मनेपद, तृतीया-पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रिया (with देवाः as kartā; genitives as source/possessed object)Root अश् (अश्नोति) ‘to eat, partake’
- पवमानस्य
- of the Pavamāna (purifying Soma)Adjective/Noun (epithet of Soma)षष्ठी, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्गRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root पवमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पू ‘to purify’ → पवमान ‘being purified/flowing clear’)
- मरुतः
- the MarutsNounप्रथमा, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्गRole कर्तृ (elliptical: ‘(also) the Maruts (partake)’) / or apposition to देवाःRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: (1) तव॒ त्य इ॑न्दो॒ → तव + त्ये + इन्दो (tyaḥ/tye with vocative address; pada-text gives tyé)
- (2) इन्दो॒ अन्ध॑सो → इन्दो + अन्धसः (gen. sg.)
- (3) मधो॒र्व्य॑श्नते → मधोः + वि + अश्नते (visarga before v becomes r: मधोः + वि → मधोर्वि; then written together as मधोर्व्य- with y as phonetic glide in saṃhitā)
- (4) पव॑मानस्य म॒रुत॑: → पवमानस्य + मरुतः (nom. pl.; visarga in saṃhitā reflects pausa/phonetics)
- Accents: tyé (udātta), índo (udātta), ándhasaḥ (udātta on first), devā́ḥ (udātta on final), mádhoḥ (udātta), vy-àśnate (udātta on aś-), pavámānasya (udātta on -má-), marútaḥ (udātta on -rú-)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Indu, the gods taste out the honey (madhu) of thy pressing-essence (andhasaḥ); and the Maruts share of the self-purifying (pavamāna) flow.
Inner meaning
The expressed delight (Soma) becomes a shared nourishment for the divine faculties within: the ‘gods’ are powers of light in the consciousness that relish the honey of truth-delight. The Maruts—dynamic life-forces and storm-powers—also partake when Soma is pavamāna, i.e., when delight is purified of mixture and turbulence, so the vital energies become allies of illumination rather than disorder.
Universal truth
When joy is purified, it naturally feeds higher qualities and also harmonizes the life-energy; the whole nature begins to ‘taste’ truth as sweetness.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification, Ananda, Deva-partaking
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.51.2, Rig Veda 9.51.4, Rig Veda 9.51.5
Family tradition
Belongs to the Ninth Maṇḍala’s Pavamāna tradition where the ‘seer’ often speaks from the standpoint of the inner sacrificer witnessing Soma’s purification.
Significance
The seer highlights a key yogic fact: purified delight is not private ecstasy; it becomes shared nourishment that reorganizes both higher mind and vital energies.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu (drop), Pavamāna (self-purifying), Madhu (honeyed)
- Related deities
- Maruts, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Purifies and distributes the delight-substance that sustains the gods and their works.
Inner power
A clarifying bliss that can be assimilated by both luminous thought and dynamic life-force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna stotras during Soma filtration; invocation of gods’ participation
तव॒ त्य इ॑न्दो॒ अन्ध॑सो दे॒वा मधो॒र्व्य॑श्नते । पव॑मानस्य म॒रुत॑: ॥
तव॑ । त्ये । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । अन्ध॑सः । दे॒वाः । मधोः॑ । वि । अ॒श्न॒ते॒ । पव॑मानस्य । म॒रुतः॑ ॥
tava | tye | indo iti | andhasaḥ | devāḥ | madhoḥ | vi | aśnate | pavamānasya | marutaḥ
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4 × ~8 syllables; compact statement with a concluding cadence on marutaḥ.
Even, tasting/assimilating rhythm; less imperative, more descriptive flow.
Induces a sense of inner circulation—delight being shared through the system of powers.
- indu
- Literal: drop; Soma. Symbolic: a concentrated point of Ananda-consciousness
- andhasaḥ
- Literal: pressed juice/essence. Symbolic: extracted quintessence of experience; distilled delight
- devāḥ
- Literal: gods. Symbolic: luminous powers/faculties of consciousness
- madhoḥ
- Literal: of honey/sweetness. Symbolic: delight of ṛta; sweetness of truth-perception
- vi aśnate
- Literal: they taste/eat out fully. Symbolic: complete assimilation—inner faculties integrate the delight
- pavamānasya
- Literal: of the purifying one. Symbolic: delight in the process of purification; clarity within bliss
- marutaḥ
- Literal: Maruts (storm-gods). Symbolic: life-forces, prāṇic energies, dynamic impulsions that can be uplifted
Soma-pavamāna sequence in Soma sacrifice (pressing/filtration chants; Pavitra rites within Agniṣṭoma-type Soma rituals)
As Soma runs through the filter and is offered; to affirm divine ‘tasting’ and acceptance
Filtration (pavitra), offering portions to deities
Chant to harmonize ‘head and heart and life’: offer inner joy upward and let it pervade the vital to reduce restlessness.
(indu) from √ind ‘to drop, to be bright’ → luminous drop (Soma). (andhas) ‘pressed sap/juice’ (also ‘darkness’ in other contexts; here specifically Soma-essence) → psychologically ‘extracted delight-substance’. (madhu) ‘honey, sweetness’ → Ananda-rasa. from √aś ‘to eat, enjoy’ → partake/assimilate. from √pū ‘to purify’ (present participle) → self-clarifying flow. (Maruts) from marut- linked with ‘storm, impetuousness’ → forces of vital dynamism.
Ṛta as right movement of the purified flow, Ananda (madhu) as essence of the offering, deva-powers as functions of awakened consciousness
The honey of Soma is the taste of right order when consciousness is purified.
Purification (pavamāna) implies truth-separating from mixture.
Integration: higher powers and life-forces coordinated by a single purified essence.
Integral yoga psychology: transformation of vital by purified Ananda.
Sweetness of truth circulating through mind (devas) and vital breath-force (Maruts).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘gods drinking Soma’ mythologem: the divine powers are strengthened by the honeyed Soma. Inner sense: when the delight-substance is purified (pavamāna), all god-powers in the human system can partake of it, increasing luminous action and right movement (ṛta).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśnate ‘they eat/enjoy’ from √aś corresponds to PIE *h₁ed- ‘eat’ (semantic field of consumption/assimilation). madhu ‘honey’ aligns with PIE *médʰu (Skt madhu, Av. maδu, Gk méthy ‘wine’), showing inherited Indo-Iranian/Indo-European sacral sweetness/intoxication imagery.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer presents Soma as an inner offering whose purified essence becomes shareable by the gods and Maruts; the reciprocity is implicit: by preparing/purifying the Soma (human aspiration and refinement), the divine powers partake and in turn support the sacrificer’s inner increase of delight and force.
Let delight be offered to the ‘inner gods’ (clarity, aspiration, courage) and consciously extend it into the vital (Marut-energy) to pacify agitation.
Anāhata (sweetness/joy) integrating with Maṇipūra (vital force)
Coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min); feel inhale as ‘pavamāna’ cleansing, exhale as ‘madhu’ spreading sweetness.
Purified joy with integrated vitality.
After chanting, observe where joy is resisted in the body; invite the ‘Maruts’ (restless energies) to drink the purified sweetness instead of seeking external stimulation.
Tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) per śākhā; precise accents require a svara-marked text.
Keep ‘indo’ clear and slightly lifted; articulate ‘pavamānasya’ without rushing the compound.
indo: dental n, short o, andhasaḥ: aspirate dh; final ḥ light, devā: long ā, vy aśnate: separate sandhi—‘vy’ + ‘aś’ cleanly, marutaḥ: short a in -taḥ, final ḥ audible
Smooth, flowing, slightly sweet in tone
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