Rig Veda 9.97.43: Mandala 9, Sukta 97, Mantra 43
Sukta 9.97
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ऋजुः पवस्व वृजिनस्य हन्तापामीवां बाधमानो मृधश्च । अभिश्रीणन्पयः पयसाभि गोनामिन्द्रस्य त्वं तव वयं सखायः ॥
ṛjúḥ pavasva vṛjinásya hantā́pāmīvā́ṃ bādhamā́nó mṛ́dhaś ca | abhíśrīṇan páyaḥ páyasābhí gónām índrasya tváṃ táva vayáṃ sakhā́yaḥ ||
हे सोम! ऋजु (सरळ) पवस्व—वृजिन (कुटिलता/पाप) याचा हन्ता; रोग दूर करणारा व शत्रूचा आघात बाधणारा. दूधाला दूधाने अभिश्रीणन् (समृद्ध) कर, गो-रश्मी/दीप्ती वाढव; तू इंद्राचा आहेस, आणि आम्ही तुझे सखाय (सखा) आहोत.
Word by Word
- ऋजुः
- straight, uprightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (विषय-विशेषणम्; सोमः)Role Kartā (सोमस्य विशेषणम्)Root ऋजु- (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’
- पवस्व
- purify yourself / flow (as purified)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया) —Root √पू (पवते) ‘to purify, flow’
- वृजिनस्य
- of evil, of sinNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Apādāna (हन्ता—कस्य? वृजिनस्य)Root वृजिन- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘crookedness, sin, evil’
- हन्ता
- slayer, destroyerAgent noun (participle-like) / Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (कर्तृवाचकः)Role Kartā (सोमः—हन्ता)Root √हन् ‘to strike, slay’ (कर्तरि कृत्)
- अप
- awayIndeclinable (preverb)Root अप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) ‘away, off’
- आमीवाम्
- disease, afflictionNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role Karma (बाधमानः—किम्?)Root आमीवा- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘disease, affliction’
- बाधमानः
- driving away, repellingParticipleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्, वर्तमानकालिकः (आत्मनेपद-शानच्)Role Kartā (सोमः—बाधमानः)Root √बाध् ‘to press, oppress, drive away’ (शानच्)
- मृधः
- hostilities, foesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (वेदे बहुधा ‘मृधः’ = शत्रून्/मृधः)Role Karma (बाधमानः—कान्/किम्?)Root मृध्/मृध- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘hostility, foe, injury’
- च
- andIndeclinableRoot च (अव्यय)
- अभिश्रीणन्
- enriching, making splendid (by mixing)Participle (Vedic) / verbal formपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सोमः; ‘अभि’ उपसर्गयुक्तः)Role Kartā (सोमः—अभिश्रीणन्)Root अभि-√श्री/शृ (वेद. ‘to mix/season, make rich’; कृत्: शानच्/लिट्-प्रायः रूपम्)
- पयः
- milk, sapNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role Karma (अभिश्रीणन्—किम्?)Root पयस्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘milk, sap’
- पयसा
- with milkNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role Karaṇa (केन? पयसा)Root पयस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) ‘towards, upon’
- गोनाम्
- of the cows (cattle)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role Adhikaraṇa/सम्बन्ध (कस्य? गोनाम्—‘of the cows’)Root गो- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘cow; cattle’
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (इन्द्रस्य—‘of Indra’)Root इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (अन्तर्निहित-क्रिया/सम्बोधन-प्रायः)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- तव
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (तव—‘your’)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (सखायः—वयम्)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सखायः
- friendsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā/सम्बन्ध (वयम्—सखायः)Root सखि- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘friend’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): ऋजुः | पवस्व | वृजिनस्य | हन्ता | अप | आमीवाम् | बाधमानः | मृधः | च || अभिश्रीणन् | पयः | पयसा | अभि | गोनाम् | इन्द्रस्य | त्वम् | तव | वयम् | सखायः || 1) हन्ता + अप → हन्ताप (स्वर-सन्धिः; दीर्घ/आकारान्त ‘हन्ता’ परे ‘अप’ इत्यत्र संयोगः)
- 2) बाधमानः + मृधः + च: विसर्गः पदान्ते ‘मृधः’ स्थिरः (पदपाठे पृथक्)
- 3) पयसा + अभि → पयसा॒भि (स्वर-सन्धिः/संहितायाम् संयोगः)
- 4) गोनाम् + इन्द्रस्य → गोना॒मिन्द्रस्य (अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-सन्धिः; म् + इ → मिन्द्र-)
- 5) अभिश्रीणन्: ‘अभि’ उपसर्ग + √श्री/शृ (वेदिक-प्रयोगः) + न् (नकारान्त रूपम्) — संहितायां एकपदमिव।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma is asked to flow straight, slay crookedness, drive away disease and hostile attack, enrich milk with milk, increase the ‘cows’ (rays), and is called Indra’s; the singers are Soma’s companions.
Inner meaning
The purified delight-current must move in the straight path (ṛjuḥ) of truth, striking down crookedness (vṛjina: falsehood, perversion, inner deviation). It expels illness (āmīvā: disorder of life-force) and hostility (mṛdhaḥ: attacking forces—inner and outer). Soma then “enriches milk with milk”: the psychic nourishment (payas) is increased by a higher nourishment—delight feeding delight—so the luminous rays of knowledge (go) multiply. The line ‘you are Indra’s’ indicates that this bliss is meant to empower the illumined mind (Indra) for victory; and the practitioner becomes Soma’s ‘sakhā’—a conscious collaborator with the delight-power.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires straightness and sincerity; when delight is purified, it becomes a healing force, increases inner nourishment, and multiplies illumination.
Themes
Protection and healing, Rita vs distortion, Nourishment and illumination, Indra-Soma alliance
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.97.42-46 (immediate context), RV 9.61 (Soma as healer/straightener themes)
Family tradition
Pavamāna corpus seers focusing on Soma as purifier and healer of the inner being.
Significance
The seer emphasizes ṛju (straightness) as a prerequisite for Soma’s full action—an ethical-psychological key in the Aurobindonian reading.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Vṛjinasya hantā (slayer of crookedness), Bādhamāna (driving away)
- Related deities
- Indra
Cosmic role
Purifier who restores right movement and health in the worlds; supporter of Indra’s victories.
Inner power
Bliss as a rectifying and healing force that straightens the will and clears prāṇic disorders.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification/pressing chants (Pavamāna)
ऋ॒जुः प॑वस्व वृजि॒नस्य॑ ह॒न्तापामी॑वां॒ बाध॑मानो॒ मृध॑श्च । अ॒भि॒श्री॒णन्पय॒: पय॑सा॒भि गोना॒मिन्द्र॑स्य॒ त्वं तव॑ व॒यं सखा॑यः ॥
ऋ॒जुः । प॒व॒स्व॒ । वृ॒जि॒नस्य॑ । ह॒न्ता । अप॑ । अमी॑वाम् । बाध॑मानः । मृधः॑ । च॒ । अ॒भि॒ऽश्री॒णन् । पयः॑ । पय॑सा । अ॒भि । गोना॑म् । इन्द्र॑स्य । त्वम् । तव॑ । व॒यम् । सखा॑यः ॥
ṛjuḥ | pavasva | vṛjinasya | hantā | apa | amīvām | bādhamānaḥ | mṛdhaḥ | ca | abhi-śrīṇan | payaḥ | payasā | abhi | gonām | indrasya | tvam | tava | vayam | sakhāyaḥ
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (confirm by metrical scan)
Firm, driving rhythm suited to purification and battle against resistance.
Instills resolve and uprightness; the cadence supports ‘straight flow’ and expulsive cleansing.
- ऋजुः (ṛjuḥ)
- Literal: straight. Symbolic: sincere alignment with truth; unobstructed movement of consciousness
- वृजिन (vṛjina)
- Literal: crookedness, sin. Symbolic: inner falsity, deviation, subconscient twist that distorts perception and will
- अमीवा (āmīvā)
- Literal: disease. Symbolic: disorder in prāṇa and mind; obscuring habits
- मृध (mṛdha)
- Literal: hostile attack. Symbolic: adverse forces/resistances that oppose ascent
- पयः (payaḥ)
- Literal: milk. Symbolic: psychic nourishment, clarified life-essence supporting growth
- गो (go)
- Literal: cow. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledge; illuminations
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: divine Mind, illumined intelligence that conquers darkness
- सखायः (sakhāyaḥ)
- Literal: companions/friends. Symbolic: conscious cooperation with the divine force rather than passive reception
Protective and strengthening verse in Soma rite: Soma to purify straightly, remove illness/hostility, and increase nourishing essence; affirms alliance with Indra and the sacrificers.
During filtering and offering, especially when invoking Soma’s cleansing and protective force
Recited as Soma runs; intention of removing impurity and increasing ‘milk/rays’ (nourishment/illumination)
Use for clearing practices: before work/meditation, recite to align with sincerity and to dispel fatigue, agitation, and negative influences.
ṛju 'straight' contrasts with vṛjina 'crooked, wrong' (from √vṛj/vrj semantic field of twisting). amīvā 'disease' (affliction). mṛdh 'hostility, injury'. śrīṇan (abhi-śrīṇan) from √śrī/śṛ 'mix, cook, mature' (Vedic): to enrich/strengthen. payas 'milk' also essence/nourishment.
ṛju (straight/right) vs vṛjina (crooked/wrong), healing as restoration of order, friendship (sakhya) with the divine power
ṛjuḥ pavasva frames Soma’s action as movement according to ṛta.
Crookedness is anti-satya; Soma restores truth-alignment.
Increase of light-rays (go) as manifestation of higher knowledge in the human field.
Integral-psychological Vedism: ethical straightness as a condition for supramentalizing delight.
Flow = current of consciousness; milk = nourishing essence; cows = illuminations; disease/hostility = prāṇic disorder and adverse formations.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The straight-flowing purifier who slays crookedness and drives away affliction: a mythic-ethical combat where Soma restores ṛta in the being, healing and repelling hostile forces while increasing nourishment and light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The straight/crooked opposition is an archaic Indo-European moral metaphor (right vs wrong as direct vs twisted). The friend-companion formula (sakhāyaḥ) expresses reciprocal alliance, common in IE hymnody.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi claims companionship with Soma while acknowledging Soma’s bond to Indra: human aspiration allies with delight, and delight empowers the illumined victorious mind. The exchange sought is rectitude, healing, and increase of essential nourishment/illumination.
Straighten the intention: let the breath and attention flow ‘ṛjuḥ’; offer agitation and crooked motives into the Soma-current.
Maṇipūra (will/rectitude) supported by Anāhata (purifying joy).
Exhale-focused cleansing: slow inhale, longer exhale; on exhale mentally repeat ‘ṛjuḥ pavasva’.
Clear, upright, protected; luminous nourishment rising.
Begin with a vow of sincerity; feel Soma as a cool-bright stream washing the nerves; then invite the ‘go’—insights—to multiply without strain.
Vedic svara per śākhā; key accents often fall on imperatives (pavasva) and epithets—verify with a Śākala svara text/audio.
Keep ‘ṛjuḥ pavasva’ firm and forward; articulate retroflex in vṛjinasya, and aspirates in hantā/bādhamānaḥ.
ऋजुः: vocalic ṛ, then juḥ with visarga, वृजिनस्य: vṛ-ji-na-sya (vocalic ṛ), अभीश्रीणन्: abhi-śrī-ṇan (retroflex ṇ), गोनााम्: go-nām (long ā)
clear, resolute, cleansing
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