Rig Veda 9.103.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 103, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.103
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna corpus
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
परि वाराण्यव्यया गोभिरञ्जानो अर्षति । त्री षधस्था पुनानः कृणुते हरिः ॥
pári vārā́ṇy avyáyā góbhir añjānó arṣati | trī́ ṣadhásthā punānó kr̥ṇute háriḥ ||
Ia mengalir mengelilingi bulu-bulu saringan dengan (penyaring) yang tidak letih, terurapi oleh sinar-sinar; sambil memurnikan, yang keemasan-kecokelatan itu menegakkan bagi dirinya tiga singgasana keteguhan.
Word by Word
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (परितः, चारों ओर)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वाराणि
- fleeces, woolly coverings (of the filter)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot वार (प्रातिपदिक) < √वृ (वरणे/आवरणे) अथवा √वृ (वरणे) से निष्पन्न; ‘वार’ = आवरण/ऊन/रोम/फ्लीस
- अव्यया
- unfailing, unwearingAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन (वाराणि इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक) = a- + व्यय; ‘अव्यय’ = न क्षीयमान/अक्षय
- गोभिः
- with the cows (i.e., with milk / with the ‘cows’ as purifying streams)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके बहुधा); तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- अञ्जानः
- being anointed/smeared (i.e., prepared/clarified)Participleवर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); प्रथमा; एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग (सोमः)Role KartāRoot √अञ्ज् (अञ्जने/अलङ्कारे) → अञ्जान (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
- अर्षति
- flows, rushesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √ऋष्/अर्ष् (गत्यर्थे, ‘to flow, rush’)
- त्री
- threeNumeral/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन (षधस्थाः इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot त्रि (संख्याशब्द)
- षधस्थाः
- seats/abodes/places (the three stations)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot षधस्था (प्रातिपदिक) = षध/षट्? + स्था; वैदिक ‘षधस्था’ = ‘seat/abode/standing-place’ (विशेषतः त्रिधातु/त्रिस्थान)
- पुनानः
- purifying himself, being purifiedParticipleवर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्); प्रथमा; एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग (सोमः)Role KartāRoot √पू (पवने/शोधने) → पुनान (वर्तमानकृदन्त, आत्मने)
- कृणुते
- makes, formsVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot √कृ (करणे)
- हरिः
- the tawny one (Soma)Noun/Adjectiveपुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (कृणुते इत्यस्य कर्तृ-नाम)Root हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: परि | वाराणि | अव्यया | गोभिः | अञ्जानः | अर्षति || त्री | षधस्थाः | पुनानः | कृणुते | हरिः || विशेष-सन्धि: (1) ‘वाराणि अव्यया’ इत्यत्र स्वर-सन्धिः/पदसंयोगः
- अर्थतः ‘अव्यया’ = ‘अक्षयाणि’ इति ‘वाराणि’ विशेषणम्। (2) ‘गोभिः अञ्जानः’ इत्यत्र विसर्ग/स्वर-सन्धि न
- ‘त्री षधस्थाः’ = द्वितीया-बहुवचन समन्वयः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma flows around the fleeces with the unfailing filter, anointed by the rays; purifying, the tawny one makes for himself the three firm seats.
Inner meaning
The delight-force (Soma) circulates through the ‘fleeces’—the filtering agencies of discernment—without fatigue (avyayā). He is ‘anointed by the cows’ (gobhiḥ): the rays of knowledge clothe the bliss-current, giving it luminous direction. As Soma purifies, he establishes three stable seats (trī sadhasthā): a triune foundation in the being—commonly read as mind, life, body made fit to hold higher Ananda, or as the three worlds (earth, mid-region, heaven) harmonized within consciousness.
Universal truth
Joy becomes transformative when it is filtered by discernment and illumined by knowledge; then it can found stable integration across all levels of our nature.
Themes
Soma filtration, Three seats/planes, Rays of illumination
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna corpus
- Other hymns
- RV 9.103 (entire sūkta), RV 9.61–9.63 (Soma through filters; rays/cows imagery)
Family tradition
Book 9 is a specialized liturgical-yogic collection; the rishi voice often represents a lineage of Soma-seers transmitting experiential knowledge of purification.
Significance
The rishi encodes an inner technology: the delight-current must be repeatedly ‘strained’ and ‘anointed’ by light until it can build stable planes in the practitioner.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- punāna, hari (tawny/golden)
- Related deities
- Indra (receiver of Soma; illumination), Sūrya (source-symbol of rays/Go), Viśve Devāḥ
Cosmic role
Soma as the circulating essence that passes through cosmic and ritual filters to become the clarified nectar empowering the gods and sustaining the worlds.
Inner power
Purifying bliss that stabilizes the triple being; it converts restless vitality into luminous force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration (pavamāna) during Soma-yajña
परि॒ वारा॑ण्य॒व्यया॒ गोभि॑रञ्जा॒नो अ॑र्षति । त्री ष॒धस्था॑ पुना॒नः कृ॑णुते॒ हरि॑: ॥
परि॑ । वारा॑णि । अ॒व्यया॑ । गोभिः॑ । अ॒ञ्जा॒नः । अ॒र्ष॒ति॒ । त्री । स॒धऽस्था॑ । पु॒ना॒नः । कृ॒णु॒ते॒ । हरिः॑ ॥
pari | vārāṇi | avyayā | gobhiḥ | añjānaḥ | arṣati | trī | sadha-sthā | punānaḥ | kṛṇute | hariḥ
To be verified (likely Jagatī or Triṣṭubh; many descriptive Pavamāna verses use these)
48
4 pādas (approx. 12 syllables each)
Flowing, circling rhythm matching ‘pari…arṣati’; builds to a firm closure on ‘trī sadhasthā’.
Induces a sense of circulation and cleansing, then grounding—useful for settling scattered energy into stable poise.
- परि (pari)
- Literal: around, all around. Symbolic: pervasive working through all parts of the being
- वारा॑णि (vārāṇi)
- Literal: fleeces/filters. Symbolic: purifying sieves: discrimination, inner disciplines, subtle channels
- अव्यया (avyayā)
- Literal: unfailing, undecaying. Symbolic: persistent yogic process; steady purification without exhaustion
- गोभिः (gobhiḥ)
- Literal: with cows. Symbolic: with rays of light/knowledge that ‘anoint’ consciousness
- अञ्जानः (añjānaḥ)
- Literal: anointing/being anointed. Symbolic: illumining and beautifying the flow with knowledge
- अर्षति (arṣati)
- Literal: he flows. Symbolic: the streaming movement of Ananda through the system
- त्री (trī)
- Literal: three. Symbolic: triple world / triple instrument (mind-life-body) / triple poise of consciousness
- सधस्था (sadhasthā)
- Literal: seats, abodes, stable stations. Symbolic: firm inner foundations capable of holding the divine delight
- हरिः (hariḥ)
- Literal: tawny, golden. Symbolic: luminous vital force transformed by delight
Describes Soma passing through woolen filters (pavitra) and settling into ritual ‘three stations’ (often interpreted as three pressings or three worlds).
As Soma passes through the woolen strainer into collecting vessels; often during sequential pressings.
Chant while the flow ‘goes around’ the filter and fills the cups; supports consecration of the clarified juice.
Contemplate ‘three seats’: after chanting, scan body–breath–mind and let joy settle evenly into all three.
√ṛṣ ‘flow’ (arṣati). vārāṇi from vāra ‘covering/fleece’ (ritual filter). go- ‘cow’ as ray/light justified by RV usage: cows hidden/released = lights/knowledges. sadhastha ‘seat’ from sadhas ‘assembly/seat’ + √sthā ‘stand’ (PIE *steh₂-). hari ‘tawny’ denotes luminous golden energy.
purification (pū), threefold world/three planes, go as rays of knowledge
‘Around the fleeces’ symbolizes ṛta’s selective order—only the true essence passes through to become effective power.
Go (rays) ‘anoint’ Soma: truth-light gives right direction to delight so it does not degrade into pleasure.
Establishing the three worlds: Soma’s clarified essence founds stable cosmic stations mirrored in the person.
Integral-psychological Vedism: triple world as triple status of consciousness; Soma as Ananda-plane influencing lower instruments.
Filter = inner discipline; flow = pranic-psychic current of delight; rays = illuminations that refine and guide experience.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-through-the-filter mythologem: Soma flows around the fleeces, anointed by ‘cows’ (rays), and establishes three seats. Psychologically, the consciousness-force passes through subtle discriminations, becomes clarified, and stabilizes itself across a threefold order (body-life-mind or earth-mid-heaven).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sthā in sadhasthā reflects PIE *steh₂- ‘stand’ (highly productive across IE). √kṛ ‘make’ is Indo-Iranian but functionally parallels IE ‘do/make’ roots. The threefold structuring (trī) is a recurrent IE cosmological trope (three realms/levels).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi witnesses Soma’s self-fashioning (kṛṇute, middle): the god does not merely act on offerings but actively forms stable seats in the practitioner’s field. The human role is to provide the ‘filters’ (disciplines/ritual means); Soma responds by clarifying and establishing a threefold stability.
Feel a circular cleansing current around the head–heart–navel axis; let light ‘anoint’ the joy so it becomes steady.
manipura (stabilizing transformed vital force)
Slow breathing with a gentle internal ‘circling’ attention; inhale up the spine, exhale down the front (microcosmic orbit style, without strain).
Brightened equanimity; stable delight rather than excitement.
After chanting, sit and affirm three inner seats: clarity in mind, purity in emotion, steadiness in body; invite Soma to occupy them evenly.
Maintain Vedic accents; emphasize udātta on key action-words (arṣati, punānaḥ) per śākhā markings (not fully provided here).
Let ‘pari’ initiate a circling swell; give ‘trī’ a clear, firm stress; settle on ‘hariḥ’ with a luminous cadence.
‘vārāṇi’: lengthen ‘ā’; keep retroflex ‘ṇ’., ‘avyayā’: articulate ‘vy’ cleanly, not ‘bij’., ‘gobhir’: hard ‘bh’ aspirate., ‘sadhasthā’: keep cluster ‘sth’ distinct; long ‘ā’ at end., ‘hariḥ’: final visarga lightly aspirated.
Fluid, legato flow; brighten tone on ‘gobhiḥ’ and ‘hariḥ’.
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