Rig Veda 1.91.18: Mandala 1, Sukta 91, Mantra 18
Sukta 1.91
- Devata
- Soma
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
सं ते पयांसि समु यन्तु वाजाः सं वृष्ण्यान्यभिमातिषाहः । आप्यायमानो अमृताय सोम दिवि श्रवांस्युत्तमानि धिष्व ॥
sáṃ te payā́ṃsi sám u yantu vā́jāḥ sáṃ vṛ́ṣṇyāny abhimātiṣā́haḥ | āpyā́yamāno amṛ́tāya soma diví śravā́ṃsy uttamā́ni dhiṣva ||
Biarlah sari-sari pemeliharamu dan kekuatan-kekuatan vāja berhimpun; biarlah daya-daya keperkasaanmu bersatu, wahai penakluk formasi yang memusuhi. Tatkala engkau bertambah menuju amṛta (keabadian), wahai Soma, tegakkanlah dalam langit kesedaran śravas-śravas tertinggi di dalam kami.
Word by Word
- सम्
- together; completelyIndeclinableनिपात/उपसर्ग (अव्यय)Root सम् (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- ते
- to you; for youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘ते’ = ‘to/for you’ or ‘of you’; here dative)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पयांसि
- milks; nourishing juicesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- समु
- together; up; whollyIndeclinableनिपात (सम्-प्रवृत्त्यर्थे, ‘together/up’)Root सम् + उ (निपात; ‘समु’ वैदिक)
- यन्तु
- let (them) go/comeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपद, ३ पुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root या (धातु)
- वाजाः
- prizes; strengths; invigorationsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together; completelyIndeclinableनिपात/उपसर्ग (अव्यय)Root सम् (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वृष्ण्यानि
- manly powers; heroic strengthsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वृष्ण्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वृष्ण्य’ = वीर्य/बल)
- अभिमातिषाहः
- overcoming assailants; conquerors of hostilityAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (वाजाः/वृष्ण्यानि इत्यादीनां विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot अभिमाति-षाह (प्रातिपदिक; ‘षह्’ धातु-आधारित बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष)
- आप्यायमानः
- being filled; swelling; growing abundantParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपदभावः, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot आ + प्यै (धातु) → आप्यायमान (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अमृताय
- for immortalityNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोम
- O SomaNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवि
- in heaven; in the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यु/दिव्), सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रवांसि
- fames; gloriesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत्तमानि
- highest; most excellentAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन (श्रवांसि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
- धिष्व
- place; bestow; set (for us)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (वैदिक रूप)Role (क्रिया)Root धा (धातु) / वैदिक ‘धि’ (स्थापन/निधानार्थे) → धिष्व
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सम् ते पयांसि समु यन्तु वाजाः । सम् वृष्ण्यानि अभिमातिषाहः । आप्यायमानः अमृताय सोम दिवि श्रवांसि उत्तमानि धिष्व ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) सं ते = सम् + ते (अनुस्वारः परे तकारे ‘ं’)
- (2) सं ते पयांसि = सम् + ते (पूर्ववत्)
- (3) समु = सम् + उ (वैदिक निपात-समास/संयोग)
- (4) वृष्ण्यान्यभिमातिषाहः = वृष्ण्यानि + अभिमातिषाहः (इ- + अ- → य्-आगमः: ‘-नि अ-’ → ‘-न्य-’)
- (5) आप्यायमानो अमृताय = आप्यायमानः + अमृताय (ः + अ → ओ, वैदिक संहितायाम् ‘-ो’)
- (6) श्रवांस्युत्तमानि = श्रवांसि + उत्तमानि (इ + उ → यु: ‘-स्यु-’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to Soma that his nourishing juices (milk-like sap) and powers of strength gather together; as Soma grows toward immortality, he is asked to place the highest fame/inspired “hearings” in the heavenly realm.
Inner meaning
Soma is the Ananda-substance in us. The mantra asks that all streams of inner nourishment (payāṃsi) and all forces of effective attainment (vājāḥ) be harmonized into one concentrated movement. The “virile powers” (vṛṣṇyāni) are the courageous energies that overcome hostile mental formations (abhimāti). As Soma increases toward immortality (amṛtāya), he is invoked to establish in the luminous mind (divi) the highest śravas—not social fame, but the power to hear/receive the supramental inspiration and the true word.
Universal truth
When delight and aspiration are unified, the scattered energies of life and mind converge; resistance loses its hold, and a higher intuitive receptivity is established in consciousness.
Themes
Immortality, Integration of powers, Victory over hostility, Revelation (śravas)
The seer
- Rishi
- Kavi of the Soma hymns (traditionally: Kāṇva tradition)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.91.1-23 (Soma hymn context)
Family tradition
Book 1 contains many Kāṇva hymns; 1.91 is commonly associated with the Soma praise-stream of that milieu, though individual verse attribution varies by recension.
Significance
The seer speaks from an experiential psychology: Soma as growing Ananda that consolidates powers and installs inspired receptivity in the ‘heaven’ of the mind.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma
- Epithets
- āpyāyamāna (increasing, swelling), abhimātiṣāh (overcoming hostile formations)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Bṛhaspati, Aśvins
Cosmic role
Soma is the immortalizing essence, the delight that supports gods and men; the pressed draught that empowers the sacrifice and opens the luminous worlds.
Inner power
Ananda that concentrates energies, heals division, and awakens inspired hearing (śravas) in higher mind.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña (Soma pressing and offering)
सं ते॒ पयां॑सि॒ समु॑ यन्तु॒ वाजा॒: सं वृष्ण्या॑न्यभिमाति॒षाह॑: । आ॒प्याय॑मानो अ॒मृता॑य सोम दि॒वि श्रवां॑स्युत्त॒मानि॑ धिष्व ॥
सम् । ते॒ । पयां॑सि । सम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । य॒न्तु॒ । वाजाः॑ । सम् । वृष्ण्या॑नि । अ॒भि॒मा॒ति॒ऽसहः॑ । आ॒ऽप्याय॑मानः । अ॒मृता॑य । सो॒म॒ । दि॒वि । श्रवां॑सि । उ॒त्ऽत॒मानि॑ । धि॒ष्व॒ ॥
sam | te | payāṃsi | sam | oṃ iti | yantu | vājāḥ | sam | vṛṣṇyāni | abhimāti-sahaḥ | āpyāyamānaḥ | amṛtāya | soma | divi | śravāṃsi | ut-tamāni | dhiṣva
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Firm, forward-driving cadence suited to gathering and unifying forces.
Creates a sense of consolidation and ascent—energies collect, then lift toward the ‘divi’ (luminous height).
- पयांसि (payāṃsi)
- Literal: nourishing juices, milk-like streams. Symbolic: streams of inner nourishment and delight that feed the sacrifice (growth of consciousness)
- वाजाः (vājāḥ)
- Literal: prizes, strengths, plenitudes. Symbolic: effective forces of attainment; capacities that carry the sadhana to result
- वृष्ण्यानि (vṛṣṇyāni)
- Literal: virile powers. Symbolic: heroic dynamisms of the vital supporting spiritual effort
- अभिमातिषाह् (abhimātiṣāh)
- Literal: conqueror of hostile attacks. Symbolic: power that overcomes adverse thought-formations and inner negations
- अमृताय (amṛtāya)
- Literal: for immortality. Symbolic: for the deathless consciousness beyond decay of mind-life
- दिवि (divi)
- Literal: in heaven. Symbolic: in the luminous mind-plane of awareness
- श्रवांसि (śravāṃsi)
- Literal: hearings, fame. Symbolic: receptive inspiration; the capacity to receive the true Word/intuition
Culminating Soma praise: consolidation of Soma’s ‘juices’ and ‘powers’ for victory over hostile forces; aspiration toward amṛta (immortality) and establishment of highest śravas in divi (heavenly consciousness).
During Soma pressing chants and praises to invigorate the offering and the sacrificer’s intent.
Recitation while offering Soma and invoking its increase and victorious power.
Use as a unifying mantra before meditation: gather scattered attention, then invoke receptive inspiration in the higher mind.
payas ‘milk/sap/essence’ (PIE *peh₂(i)- ‘to drink’ is sometimes compared, though Indo-Aryan developments are complex); abhimātiṣā́haḥ: sah ‘to overcome’ (PIE *seh₂- ‘to satisfy/overcome’ debated) with clear Vedic sense ‘prevail’; āpyāyamānaḥ from ā-√pyā; amṛtá- ‘immortal’ a- (neg.) + mṛta ‘mortal’ from √mṛ ‘die’; dhiṣva (imp. middle) from √dhā ‘place’ (PIE *dʰeh₁-).
Amṛta (immortality) as deathless consciousness, Abhimati (hostile thought) as inner adversary, Śravas as revelation/hearing (śruti) placed in the luminous plane
The ‘coming together’ (saṃ…yantu) expresses r̥ta as inner coordination rather than dispersion.
śravas as inspired reception of truth in the luminous plane.
Growth toward amṛta: evolution from mortal mind-life to deathless consciousness.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic symbolism (Aurobindonian: ascent to higher mind/supramental receptivity).
Juices = delight and sap of consciousness; heaven = luminous mind; moon = reflective Ananda that waxes toward fullness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A gathering of Soma’s essences and powers into a single victorious concentration that defeats hostile forces, culminating in the placing of ‘highest śravas’ in heaven—revelation established in the luminous mind.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā ‘to place’ (dhiṣva) continues PIE *dʰeh₁- (cf. Greek títhēmi). śrávas again aligns with PIE *ḱlew- (cf. Greek kléos), showing inherited poetic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi directs Soma’s ascent (‘increasing toward immortality’) and asks a concrete inner result: the highest revelations are to be ‘placed’ in divi—suggesting Soma as mediator who installs truth-consciousness in the aspirant.
Unify prāṇa and attention into a single upward movement; invoke Ananda to establish intuitive receptivity.
Ājñā (inspired hearing/inner command) and Sahasrāra (divi as higher plane)
Gentle kumbhaka after inhale while mentally gathering ‘payāṃsi’ and ‘vājāḥ’; release with a feeling of widening upward.
Collected, uplifted, receptive (higher mind/intuition).
Begin with 3 slow repetitions to gather; then sit in silence imagining Soma increasing as cool luminous nectar, installing ‘uttamāni śravāṃsi’ (highest inspirations) above the brow.
Default Vedic accenting with udatta/anudatta/svarita as per śākhā; ensure clear rise on marked acute syllables in the saṃhitā text.
Hold udatta slightly higher; let svarita fall-glide; keep anudatta low and steady—especially across repeated ‘saṃ’.
saṃ: anusvāra as nasalization before dental/palatal; keep it light, not a full ‘m’., payāṃsi: long ā; nasal ṃ before s., vṛṣṇyāni: retroflex ṛ; cluster ṣṇy kept crisp., abhimātiṣāhaḥ: articulate long ī; ṣā as retroflex ṣ + long ā.
Steady, resonant, upward-aiming on ‘divi’.
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