Rig Veda 9.64.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 64, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.64
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seer-tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
शुम्भमाना ऋतायुभिर्मृज्यमाना गभस्त्योः । पवन्ते वारे अव्यये ॥
śumbhámānā ṛtāyúbhir mṛjyámānā gábhastyoḥ | pavante vā́re avyáye ||
ഋതത്തെ അന്വേഷിക്കുന്നവരാൽ അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ട്, കൈകളുടെ സ്പർശത്തിൽ മൃജ്യമാന (ശുദ്ധീകരിക്കപ്പെട്ട്), അവർ അവ്യയ വാരേ (അവിനാശി പ്രവാഹം) യിൽ പവിത്രരായി ഒഴുകുന്നു—സോമധാരകൾ, ഋത (സത്യ-ക്രമം) യുടെ പാത്രങ്ങളാകുന്നു.
Word by Word
- शुम्भमानाः
- adorning/brightening (themselves)Verb-derived adjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (शानच्: वर्तमान/अपरोक्श-प्रक्रिया), परस्मैपद-भावार्थRole KartāRoot शुभ् (धातु) → शुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधार)
- ऋतायुभिः
- with the ‘ṛta-lived’ ones / with those whose life is in accord with ṛtaNoun (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ऋतायु (प्रातिपदिक) = ऋत + आयु
- मृज्यमानाः
- being cleansed/purifiedVerb-derived adjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि (being cleansed/purified)Role KartāRoot मृज् (धातु) → मृज्य (कृदन्त-आधार)
- गभस्त्योः
- in/at the two hands; in the two raysNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचन (वेदे प्रायः ‘in/at the two hands/rays’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot गभस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवन्ते
- they purify/flow (as purifiers)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole KartāRoot पू (धातु; ‘to purify’) → पवते/पवन्ते
- वारे
- in the waterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वारि/वार (प्रातिपदिक)
- अव्यये
- in the imperishable/unchanging (water)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (वारे इति शब्दस्य विशेषणम्)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: शु॒म्भमा॑नाः | ऋता॒युभिः॑ | मृ॒ज्यमा॑नाः | गभ॑स्त्योः | पव॑न्ते | वारे॑ | अ॒व्यये॑ || 1) शुम्भमानाः, मृज्यमानाः: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्/मान) बहुवचन-प्रथमा, ‘सोमधाराः’ इत्यादि बहुवचन-कर्तृवाचकस्य विशेषणरूपेण। 2) गभस्त्योः: द्विवचन-रूपे षष्ठी/सप्तमी-सम्भवः
- अत्र अधिकरणार्थे ‘गभस्त्योः (मध्ये/अन्तरे)’ इति सप्तमी-प्रयोगः स्वाभाविकः। 3) वारे अव्यये: विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः
- उभयोरपि सप्तमी-एकवचन।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma drops, adorned by those who seek Ṛta, are cleansed in the hands and flow, purifying themselves in an imperishable stream.
Inner meaning
The Soma-consciousness (divine Ananda) is clarified and made luminous by the ṛtāyus—those in us who pursue the right law of being (ṛta). Through the “hands” (gabhastī: grasping rays/powers of the inner sun-mind) it is filtered: mixed motives are washed away, and the delight-current becomes fit to carry Truth-force into the system.
Universal truth
When aspiration aligns with truth-law, the energies of delight and inspiration become self-purifying; refined through conscious faculties, they flow as a stable, deathless current that supports right seeing and right action.
Themes
Ritual as inner yoga, Cleansing of consciousness, Ṛta-seeking, Imperishable flow
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seer-tradition (Pavamāna Maṇḍala, multiple seers)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.1, RV 9.62, RV 9.63, RV 9.64, RV 9.65
Family tradition
Ninth Maṇḍala anthology: hymns ‘seen’ in the Soma-pressing tradition by various Ṛṣi-families; transmitted as a specialized liturgical-psychological corpus focused on purification (pavamāna).
Significance
The ‘seer’ here is the collective vision of Soma’s inner process: delight purified into truth-bearing inspiration; a practical yoga of refinement through aspiration (ṛtāyu) and luminous faculties (gabhastī).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Indu (bright drop), Madhu (honeyed delight)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Sūrya, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Purifier and inspirer; the flowing essence that links heaven’s light with life’s movement, making consciousness fit for Ṛta.
Inner power
Ananda that clarifies mind and will; bliss-inspiration that washes obscuration and establishes truth-guided rhythm in the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna-stotra/śastra context)
शु॒म्भमा॑ना ऋता॒युभि॑र्मृ॒ज्यमा॑ना॒ गभ॑स्त्योः । पव॑न्ते॒ वारे॑ अ॒व्यये॑ ॥
शु॒म्भमा॑नाः । ऋ॒त॒युऽभिः॑ । मृ॒ज्यमा॑नाः । गभ॑स्त्योः । पव॑न्ते । वारे॑ । अ॒व्यये॑ ॥
śumbhamānāḥ | ṛtayu-bhiḥ | mṛjyamānāḥ | gabhastyoḥ | pavante | vāre | avyaye
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (with possible Vedic resolution/contracted counts)
Forward-driving, expansive cadence suited to ‘flow’ imagery
Creates a steady surge: purification felt as rhythmic washing; supports sustained attention and inner clarity.
- śumbhamānāḥ
- Literal: adorning themselves, becoming bright. Symbolic: self-luminous refinement of consciousness; the delight-force taking a clarified, sattvic brilliance
- ṛtāyubhiḥ
- Literal: with seekers/strivers of Ṛta. Symbolic: the inner aspirants and truth-following powers (buddhi, will, discernment) that align life with ṛta
- mṛjyamānāḥ
- Literal: being cleansed, wiped, polished. Symbolic: purification of mixed desire; removal of obscurations so Ananda can carry illumination
- gabhastyoḥ
- Literal: in the two hands / in the rays. Symbolic: the grasping powers of the mind’s light (solar rays), also the dual instruments (right discernment + right will) that filter experience
- pavante
- Literal: they purify, they flow. Symbolic: the movement of clarified consciousness; self-purifying flow of inspiration
- vāre
- Literal: in the water/current. Symbolic: the subtle stream of consciousness in which Soma moves—life-mind substance made receptive
- avyaye
- Literal: imperishable. Symbolic: the deathless continuity of the soul-current; stable Ananda beyond decay
Directly describes Soma’s purification through handling/straining; used in Pavāmāna sequence during filtration (pavitra).
During Soma-yajña sequences when Soma is filtered and offered
Chanted alongside the filtering/flowing of Soma through wool/strainer into vessels
Use as a purification mantra before meditation: ‘refine the current’—set intention to align with ṛta and let thoughts be filtered into clarity.
ṛta from √ar ‘to fit, move rightly’ → right order/truth in action; ṛtāyu ‘moving toward ṛta’; mṛj from PIE *mergʰ- ‘wipe/rub’ (cf. English ‘merge’ is unrelated; but Latin mergō ‘dip’ is different—cognacy uncertain; Vedic √mṛj firmly ‘cleanse’); avyaya a- ‘not’ + vyaya ‘decay/expenditure’ from √i ‘to go’ with vi- → that which does not pass away.
Ṛta (truth-order), Purification (pavana), Amṛtatva (imperishability hinted by avyaya)
Explicit: ṛtāyus are the agents aligning the flow with ṛta.
Purified Soma becomes truth-bearing inspiration—fit vessel for satya.
Purification as re-creation: the stream becomes ‘imperishable’ by aligning with eternal law.
Proto-Vedāntic / Integral-Vedic (Aurobindonian): Soma as Ananda supporting ascent from mind-life to supramental truth.
The ‘stream’ is the subtle prāṇa-mind flow; ‘hands/rays’ are luminous faculties that grasp, sift, and stabilize experience into truth-guided delight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Purification as apotheosis: Soma becomes ‘fit’ by cleansing, moving with ṛta-seekers, entering the imperishable stream. Mythically the pressed juice becomes divine; psychologically the delight-force becomes truth-fit consciousness through inner cleansing.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pū ‘purify’ has Indo-Iranian continuity (Avestan pū- ‘clean’). The negative prefix a- is PIE *n̥-/ *ne (Sanskrit a- as privative), showing inherited morphological strategy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns human aspiration (‘ṛta-seekers’) with Soma’s self-adornment and cleansing: the divine process and the human process mirror each other, making ritual action a conscious collaboration with ṛta.
Let delight/inspiration rise, then consciously ‘filter’ it through truth-intent (ṛta) and luminous discernment.
Anahata–Ajna axis (bliss refined into clear seeing)
Nadi-śodhana-like gentle alternate breathing while contemplating ‘imperishable current’
Calm, clear, steadily luminous flow-state
Begin with aspiration (ṛtāyu), observe impulses, keep only what aligns with truth; allow the refined joy to circulate without grasping.
Use the pada text to follow Vedic accents; primary udātta peaks typically on marked syllables (as in śúmbhamānā, ṛtāyúbhir, mṛ́jyamānā).
Keep udātta clear and slightly elevated; anudātta grounded; svarita as a brief falling turn—avoid musical sliding.
śuṃ-bha-mā-nāḥ: keep nasalization (ṃ) crisp, ṛtāyubhiḥ: vocalic ṛ as short, tapped; bh as aspirated, mṛjyamānāḥ: conjunct mṛj- with clear ṛ and jya, gabhastyoḥ: gha is not present; ga-bhas-tyoḥ with dental t
Clear, flowing, ‘washed’ tone; sustain vowels lightly to evoke stream-like continuity
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