Rig Veda 9.6.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 6, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.6
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
मन्द्रया सोम धारया वृषा पवस्व देवयुः । अव्यो वारेष्वस्मयुः ॥
mandráyā soma dhā́rayā vṛ́ṣā pavasva devayúḥ | ávyo vā́reṣv asmayúḥ ||
ഹേ സോമ, ആനന്ദകരമായ ധാരയായി ഒഴുകുക; ശക്തിയുടെ വൃഷഭനായി, ദേവന്മാരെ തേടുന്നവനായി സ്വയം പവിത്രമാകുക. ഉണ്ണിനിറഞ്ഞ ചാലനികളിൽ, ഞങ്ങളിലേക്കു ആകാംക്ഷയോടെ, ഞങ്ങളുടെ സ്വീകരണത്തിനായി രൂപം കൈക്കൊൾക.
Word by Word
- मन्द्रया
- with the gladdening/pleasant (one)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole करणRoot मन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- धारया
- with the stream/flowNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole करणRoot धारा (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ ‘to hold, flow’ से)
- वृषा
- the Bull (vigorous one)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वृषन्/वृषा (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow forthVerbलोट् (imperative), मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root √पू (पवते) ‘to purify, to flow (as Soma)’
- देवयुः
- seeking the gods; god-lovingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot देवयु (प्रातिपदिक; देव + यु ‘seeking/longing’)
- अव्यः
- (like) wool; the woollen (filter)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेष्य (उपमा/विशेषण-भावे)Root अव्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sheep’s wool, woollen filter’)
- वारेषु
- in the watersNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot वारि/वार (प्रातिपदिक; ‘water’)
- अस्मयुः
- seeking the stone (press); stone-directedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मयु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘stone-seeking/stone-pressing’, from अस्मन् ‘stone’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: मन्द्रया सोम धारया वृषा पवस्व देवयुः । अव्यः वारेषु अस्मयुः ॥ 1) वारेष्वस्मयुः = वारेषु + अस्मयुः (उकारान्त ‘वारेषु’ + अ- आरम्भ ‘अस्मयुः’ → ‘वारेष्वस्मयुः’ : इको यणचि, उ → व्).
- ‘सोम’ सम्बोधन-रूपः (हे सोम)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma is asked to flow in a gladdening stream, a bull of power, self-purifying and god-seeking; in the woolen filters, yearning toward us.
Inner meaning
Soma as Ananda-force is invoked to pour with a ‘mandra’ (glad, enchanting) current—strengthening (vṛṣā) the being. ‘Devayuḥ’ indicates aspiration toward the gods (higher powers). ‘Avya vāreṣu’ points to the woolen sieve: psychologically, the filtering of experience through a subtle discerning substance—purifying mixed impulses into a clear delight that can be received by the seeker (‘asmayuḥ’: turned toward us).
Universal truth
Joy that is purified by discernment becomes strength; when delight flows through a refining process, it turns aspiration into an effective power and makes the being ready to receive higher influences.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification, Aspiration, Delight (ānanda) motif
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.6 (Pavamāna Soma hymn)
Significance
The seer’s emphasis is methodical: not only ‘flow’ but ‘flow through the filter’. It encodes the yogic necessity of purification—Ananda must be refined to become stable strength.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- mandra (gladdening), vṛṣan/vṛṣā (bull of force), devayu (god-seeking), pavamāna (self-purifying)
- Related deities
- Vāyu (carrier of Soma), Indra (receiver of Soma-strength), Agni (priestly will)
Cosmic role
Soma is the sap of immortality; as Pavamāna he moves through the world as a refining stream, preparing the offering for the gods.
Inner power
Purified delight that becomes dynamic strength and aspiration; it cleanses the vital nature while empowering it.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna recitations during Soma filtration through wool (āvya)
म॒न्द्रया॑ सोम॒ धार॑या॒ वृषा॑ पवस्व देव॒युः । अव्यो॒ वारे॑ष्वस्म॒युः ॥
म॒न्द्रया॑ । सो॒म॒ । धार॑या । वृषा॑ । प॒व॒स्व॒ । दे॒व॒ऽयुः । अव्यः॑ । वारे॑षु । अ॒स्म॒ऽयुः ॥
mandrayā | soma | dhārayā | vṛṣā | pavasva | deva-yuḥ | avyaḥ | vāreṣu | asma-yuḥ
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3 pādas × 8 syllables (Gāyatrī-type compactness)
Quick, bright, and focused; suited to initiating the ‘flow’ and setting aspiration.
A crisp energizing effect—awakens a clean joy and forward movement, like opening a channel.
- mandrayā
- Literal: gladdening, pleasant. Symbolic: the enchanting tone of Ananda that heals strain and opens receptivity
- dhārā
- Literal: stream. Symbolic: continuous current of consciousness-delight
- vṛṣā
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: creative potency, virile force of accomplishment in sadhana
- pavasva
- Literal: purify thyself; flow purified. Symbolic: self-clarification of consciousness from mixture to luminosity
- devayuḥ
- Literal: desiring the gods. Symbolic: aspiration for higher faculties and divine working
- avya
- Literal: woolen. Symbolic: the subtle filter of discrimination, the sattwic sieve
- vāreṣu
- Literal: in the filters/strainers. Symbolic: stages of inner refinement, psychic-vital purification
- asmayuḥ
- Literal: desiring/turned toward us. Symbolic: the delight-force orienting itself to the embodied seeker for reception
Soma clarification through woolen strainers (avya/vāra) in Soma sacrifice; mantra accompanies the flowing/straining, inviting Soma’s exhilarating current for the gods and the sacrificer.
At the stage of straining/clarifying Soma in the Soma sacrifice
Chanted as Soma passes through the filter; supports the act of purification and offering readiness
Use as a short daily chant before meditation to ‘filter’ the mind: imagine thoughts passing through a woolen sieve into clear joy.
mandrá- ‘gladdening, exhilarating’ (often of chant/voice and Soma) relates to √mand ‘to rejoice, be glad’. dhārā ‘stream’ from √dhṛ ‘to hold’ → a ‘held’ continuous current. vṛ́ṣan/vṛ́ṣā ‘bull’ from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, to be strong/virile’—in Soma hymns, the symbol of pouring potency. vā́ra ‘filter’ is linked with √vṛ ‘to choose, screen’; hence the woolen ‘selection’ that yields clarified essence—apt for inner discrimination.
purification (pavamāna as clarified consciousness), aspiration toward the divine (devayúḥ), discernment/selection (vāra from √vṛ)
Purification is the operative restoration of ṛta in the movements of life and mind.
The ‘clear stream’ implies truth becoming drinkable—Satya translated into lived experience.
Soma as the creative sap that, when purified, becomes the seed-force for right growth.
Yoga of purification and ascent: delight refined into strength and aspiration (Integral/psychological reading).
Stream=current of consciousness; bull=potent energy; wool filter=discriminative purification (sattwic refinement).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Soma as the purifying bull-stream’ mythologem: Soma’s flow is not inert liquid but a living power that becomes clarified through strainers. Psychologically, the delight-force enters the human system and is refined by inner discernment, becoming fit for the gods (higher faculties).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pū/√pav ‘purify’ continues PIE *peuH- ‘clean, purify’ (Indo-Iranian strong). deva from PIE *dei̯wós ‘shining’. √vṛ ‘choose’ (in vāra as ‘screen/filter’) reflects PIE *wel- ‘to choose/wish’ (cognate relations are complex, but the semantic field of choosing/covering in √vṛ is archaic Indo-European).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer commands Soma to become ‘devayúḥ’—oriented to the gods—indicating a deliberate inner alignment: the human aspiration sets the condition, and Soma responds by self-purifying through the ‘filters’ (inner discriminations) so that divine communion becomes possible.
Feel a gladdening stream descending; let it pass through a ‘filter’ of calm discernment before it enters speech/action.
Anāhata (gladness) and Maṇipūra (force) with a purifying link to Viśuddha (filtering expression)
Slow inhale imagining Soma rising; exhale imagining it filtering and clarifying; 9 cycles
Energised calm; purified enthusiasm
Chant 3–9 times; then sit silently and notice which impulses become quieter and which become clearer—follow the clearer ones.
Rigvedic accents not provided; chant with standard udātta highlights on key invocatory words (soma, dhārayā, vṛṣā, pavasva).
Keep Gāyatrī-like brevity: each pāda cleanly separated; avoid dragging consonant clusters.
mandrayā: ‘ndra’ cluster clear; long ā at end, soma: pure ‘o’ (close-mid), not ‘au’, dhārayā: long ā; light ‘yā’, vṛṣā: retroflex ‘ṣ’; vocalic ‘ṛ’ precise, pavasva: ‘sv’ cluster crisp, devayuḥ: keep ‘yuḥ’ with gentle visarga, avyo: ‘vy’ cluster clean, vāreṣu: long ā; retroflex ‘ṣ’, asmayuḥ: ‘sm’ cluster clear; visarga gentle
Bright, clean, forward-flowing
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