Rig Veda 9.67.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 67, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.67
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
पवमानास इन्दवस्तिरः पवित्रमाशवः । इन्द्रं यामेभिराशत ॥
pávamānāsa índavas tiráḥ pavítram āśávaḥ | índraṃ yā́mebhir āśata ||
പവമാന ഇന്ദുക്കൾ, ചലനത്തിൽ വേഗശീലരായി, പവിത്രക (ചാലനി)യെ അതിക്രമിച്ച് അവരുടെ യാത്രകളാൽ ഇന്ദ്രനിലേക്കെത്തുന്നു; അവർ ആത്മാവിന്റെ ശുദ്ധ ആനന്ദ-രസത്തെ ദീപ്ത അധിപത്യത്തിന്റെ ശക്തിയോടു ഏകീകരിക്കുന്നു.
Word by Word
- पवमानासः
- the purifying (Soma-)dropsAdjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot पवमान- (√पू ‘to purify/cleanse’, present participle stem)
- इन्दवः
- the Soma dropsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (apposition to पवमानासः)Root इन्दु-
- तिरः
- across; throughIndeclinable (preverb/adverb)अव्ययम्Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root तिरस्
- पवित्रम्
- the filter (sieve)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot पवित्र-
- आशवः
- the swift onesAdjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (apposition to पवमानासः/इन्दवः)Root आशु-
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot इन्द्र-
- यामेभिः
- with (their) courses/paths (journeys)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot याम-
- आशत
- they have reached/attainedVerbलिट् (परोक्स/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (मुख्यक्रिया)Root √अश् (अश्नुते) ‘to reach/attain’
Sandhi Notes
- पव॑मानास॒ इन्द॑वः → पवमानासः + इन्दवः (visarga before vowel; pada-text keeps separate)
- ति॒रः प॒वित्र॑म् → तिरः + पवित्रम् (no further sandhi)
- इन्द्रं॒ यामे॑भिः → इन्द्रम् + यामेभिः (anusvāra in saṃhitā reflects final -म् before य-)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The purifying Soma-drops, swift, pass through/beyond the strainer (pavitra) and by their courses reach Indra.
Inner meaning
The currents of delight (Soma/Indu) purified by inner discrimination pass beyond the limiting sieve of mixed desire and, moving swiftly through the channels of practice, arrive at Indra—the illumined Mind—so that bliss becomes a force for clear mastery rather than intoxication.
Universal truth
When delight is clarified and disciplined, it naturally seeks and strengthens luminous intelligence; purified joy becomes the fuel of awakening.
Themes
Soma to Indra, Purification threshold, Ascent/progress, Indraic victory-force
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.67 (Soma Pavamāna hymn cluster)
Significance
The anonymity is typical of parts of Mandala 9 where the ‘seer’ is the inspired Soma-current itself; the vision emphasizes purification leading to union with Indra (illumination).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (flowing Soma), oriented to Indra as receiver
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Indu (drop of delight), Āśu (swift)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Rudra (via later verse in sequence), Pūṣan (guardian of paths)
Cosmic role
Soma is the clarifying, uplifting essence that moves through the worlds and becomes the offering that empowers Indra’s victory and ordering.
Inner power
Ananda-force that, when purified, becomes a concentrated current feeding the illumined mind and its decisive seeing.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and filtration (pavamāna) during Soma-yajña
पव॑मानास॒ इन्द॑वस्ति॒रः प॒वित्र॑मा॒शव॑: । इन्द्रं॒ यामे॑भिराशत ॥
पव॑मानासः । इन्द॑वः । ति॒रः । प॒वित्र॑म् । आ॒शवः॑ । इन्द्र॑म् । यामे॑भिः । आ॒श॒त॒ ॥
pavamānāsaḥ | indavaḥ | tiraḥ | pavitram | āśavaḥ | indram | yāmebhiḥ | āśata
48
4 padas × 12 syllables (approx.)
Forward-driving, river-like cadence supporting ‘swift movement’ imagery
Creates a sense of ascent and acceleration; helpful for energizing clarity while keeping the mind collected.
- pavamānāsaḥ
- Literal: purifying (Soma-drops). Symbolic: streams of consciousness being cleansed and refined
- indavaḥ
- Literal: drops of Soma. Symbolic: units/currents of delight-energy that can be offered upward
- tiraḥ
- Literal: across, beyond. Symbolic: surpassing the obstructing layer of mixture, habit, and obscurity
- pavitram
- Literal: filter/strainer. Symbolic: inner discernment; the refining process that separates truth from impulse
- āśavaḥ
- Literal: swift, impetuous. Symbolic: quickened aspiration and energetic movement of the inner current
- indraṃ
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: luminous mind-power; victorious intelligence
- yāmebhiḥ
- Literal: by journeys, courses, paths. Symbolic: successive movements of sādhanā; channels (nāḍī-like) of ascent
- āśata
- Literal: they reach, attain. Symbolic: union/arrival of purified delight into illumined consciousness
Marks Soma’s readiness for Indra: once filtered, Soma ‘reaches’ Indra; ritually corresponds to the offering/drinking sequence where Indra is primary consumer of Soma.
During the Pavamāna-stotra/processing of Soma through the woolen strainer before offering
Filtering, collecting Soma; offering to Indra
Use as a purification-and-clarity mantra before meditation or study; mentally ‘filter’ impulses and offer the refined joy to the higher mind.
pavamāna: from √pū ‘to purify, make clear’ (with -māna participial formation), a technical Soma epithet. pavitra: instrument of purification; also ‘that which purifies’. yāma: from √yā ‘to go’; in hymnic idiom, stages/marches of approach. āśata: from √aś ‘to attain, reach’ (also ‘to eat’ in other contexts; here ‘reach’).
Purification as qualification for higher powers, Indra as illumined mastery (victory over inner darkness), Progress by stages (yāma)
Purification aligns the inner currents with R̥ta, enabling right seeing and right force.
The ‘beyond the filter’ suggests emergence of a truer essence from mixture.
Refinement as a microcosmic reenactment of cosmic separation (pure from impure, light from cover).
Proto-Vedantic psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap: Soma as Ananda supporting Indra as illumined mind).
As sap is clarified by filtration, so consciousness is clarified by discernment; the ‘flow’ is prāṇic-mental movement directed upward.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma’s purified approach to Indra: the nectar crosses the purifier and attains the Indra-power. Mythically, it is the alliance of delight (Soma) with victorious luminous force (Indra), enabling the overcoming of obstruction and the establishment of right mastery.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yā ‘go’ continues PIE *h₁ey- ‘to go’ (broadly reflected across IE). The attainment verb √aś ‘reach’ belongs to an old Indo-Iranian movement/attainment lexicon used for both physical and spiritual ‘arrival’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer frames a functional triad: human purification releases Soma; Soma then reaches Indra; Indra’s power becomes accessible to the sacrificer. The hymn thus encodes a psychology of preparation (pavamāna) leading to empowerment (Indra).
‘Refine delight into clarity’: feel a cool, bright stream rising from the heart to the brow and offering itself to luminous intelligence.
Ājñā (illumined mind) supported by Anāhata (delight/expansion)
Nadi-śodhana-like gentle alternate breathing; on exhale imagine ‘filtering’ and releasing dross
Collected, bright, upward-moving (sattvic energization)
Begin with 9 slow repetitions; after each, pause briefly to sense what is ‘mixed’ in the emotion and let only the clear sweetness move upward.
Use Vedic svara as marked in the Saṃhitā; maintain clear contrast of udātta/anudātta with gentle svarita glides on marked syllables.
Keep udātta on the raised-accent syllables in pávamānāsaḥ, índavaḥ, índram; avoid flattening pavítram and yā́mebhiḥ.
pavitrám: clear ‘tr’ cluster, short ‘a’ at end, āśavaḥ: long ‘ā’, soft ‘ś’ (palatal), indraṃ: final ‘ṃ’ as anusvāra, not full ‘m’, yāmebhiḥ: long ‘ā’, light aspirated ‘bh’
Bright, flowing, slightly nasal resonance to evoke ‘streaming’ clarity
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