Rig Veda 9.42.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 42, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.42
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एष प्रत्नेन मन्मना देवो देवेभ्यस्परि । धारया पवते सुतः ॥
eṣá pratnéna mánmanā devó devébhyaḥ pári | dhā́rayā pavate sutáḥ ||
Dengan niat purba, ia ini—seorang dewa yang beredar di antara para dewa—mengalir dalam arus yang menegakkan; Soma yang diperah, mengitari dan berkhidmat kepada kuasa-kuasa ilahi di dalam diri kita.
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one), hePronoun (Demonstrative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (सुतः/देवः का विशेषण-रूपेण) अथवा कर्तृ-पदRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एष-
- प्रत्नेन
- with the ancient (way), by the old (custom)Adjective (used substantively/instrumentally)पुं/नपुं, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करण (मन्मना सह—‘प्राचीन/पूर्ववत्’ भावेन)Root प्रत्न (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्मना
- with (his) thought/intentNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot मन्मन् (नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; ‘thought, intention, mind’)
- देवः
- the god (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवेभ्यः
- to/for the godsNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्परि
- around, over, from all sidesIndeclinable (particle/adverbial)अव्ययम् (वैदिक निपातः; ‘परितः/अधि/उपरि’ इत्यर्थे)Role अधिकरण/दिशा-निर्देश (क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन)Root अस् + परि (उपसर्गयुक्त अव्यय/निपात; वैदिक प्रयोग)
- धारया
- with a stream, in a flowNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot धारा (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; ‘stream, flow’)
- पवते
- purifies itself, flows (as purified)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रिया (कर्तरि प्रयोगः; कर्ता = सुतः/देवः)Root √पू (पवते) ‘to purify, to flow/clarify’
- सुतः
- pressed (Soma)Participle (past passive) used as adjective/nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (पवते इत्यस्य)Root √सु (सुत) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; ‘pressed’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एषः | प्रत्नेन | मन्मना | देवः | देवेभ्यः | अस्परि | धारया | पवते | सुतः || 1) एष प्रत्नेन → एषः प्रत्नेन (विसर्ग-लोपः पदसंहितायाम्)
- 2) देवेभ्यः अस्परि → देवेभ्यः + अस्परि (विसर्गः ‘ः’ परे स्वरादौ प्रायः यथावत्; संहितायां ‘देवेभ्य॒स्परि’ इति लेखनम्)
- 3) पवते सुतः—सन्धिः न विशेषः (स्वर-संहितामात्रम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, pressed out, flows in a steady stream, moving around (serving) the gods with an ancient intention.
Inner meaning
The delight-principle (Soma) released by inner effort begins to circulate through all the awakened powers (devas) of the being. “Ancient intention” points to the timeless aspiration in the soul (the perennial will toward the Divine) that guides the movement of purification. Soma moves “around the gods” because delight must feed and harmonize every divine faculty—will, light, truth, vastness—so they can act together in the inner yajña.
Universal truth
When the deepest aspiration is steady and continuous, the joy of consciousness naturally circulates through and supports all higher capacities; spiritual progress depends on sustaining this flow rather than on sporadic exaltations.
Themes
Soma among the gods, Primeval intention, Purification flow, Inner integration
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.42.1-6 (same sūkta context), Rig Veda 9.1 (Pavamāna cycle opening themes), Rig Veda 9.62 (Soma as inspirer and purifier)
Significance
The anonymity fits the Pavāmāna layer where the emphasis is less on personal authorship and more on a repeatable yogic process: delight purified into a universal force that supports all godheads (inner powers).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavamāna (self-purifying), suta (pressed), deva (shining power)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Uṣas, Sūrya, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
The circulating nectar that sustains the gods and the worlds; in sacrifice it is the oblation that becomes a force of illumination and harmony.
Inner power
Ananda (divine delight) clarified by inner discipline, which energizes and unifies the illumined faculties.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavāmāna) in Soma-yajña
ए॒ष प्र॒त्नेन॒ मन्म॑ना दे॒वो दे॒वेभ्य॒स्परि॑ । धार॑या पवते सु॒तः ॥
ए॒षः । प्र॒त्नेन॑ । मन्म॑ना । दे॒वः । दे॒वेभ्यः॑ । परि॑ । धार॑या । प॒व॒ते॒ । सु॒तः ॥
eṣaḥ | pratnena | manmanā | devaḥ | devebhyaḥ | pari | dhārayā | pavate | sutaḥ
Likely Gāyatrī (common in Soma Pavāmāna verses; 3 pādas)
24
8+8+8
Bright, quick, and circulating—fits the image of a steady stream moving among powers.
Creates a focused, lucid momentum; supports a meditative sense of flow and continuity.
- प्रत्नेन (pratnena)
- Literal: by the ancient, primordial. Symbolic: by the timeless soul-intent; the perennial aspiration behind evolution
- मन्मना (manmanā)
- Literal: with thought/intention. Symbolic: with concentrated inner will and formative ideation (manas shaped toward the Divine)
- देवः (devaḥ)
- Literal: a god, shining one. Symbolic: the luminous power of delight itself when it becomes a conscious divine force
- देवेभ्यः परि (devebhyaḥ pari)
- Literal: around/for the gods. Symbolic: circulating to nourish all inner divine faculties
- धारया (dhārayā)
- Literal: by a stream, current. Symbolic: continuous supporting flow of ananda through the system
- पवते (pavate)
- Literal: purifies/flows as purified. Symbolic: self-purification of consciousness through clarified delight
- सुतः (sutaḥ)
- Literal: pressed out. Symbolic: released by tapas/effort from the hidden depths
Describes Soma’s role in the sacrificial economy—pressed, flowing, moving among the gods; inwardly, delight-force circulates among faculties (devas) to re-establish the primeval right order.
During the pressing (savana) and filtering of Soma, especially in chants accompanying the flow through the strainer.
Pressing (savana), filtering (pavitra), offering and invocation of the devas nourished by Soma.
Used as a contemplation-mantra for sustaining inner joy through the day—‘keep the stream unbroken’ while offering one’s energies to the higher powers.
pratna ‘ancient, primeval’ points to the ‘first law’ (ṛta) and original intention of the sacrifice/inner yoga. manman (from √man) is not mere thought but a formed intention, a mantric mental configuration. devaḥ…devebhyaḥ pari: Soma is ‘a god among gods’, circulating as a harmonizer and energizer of other divine functions. dhārā again carries √dhṛ ‘support’: Soma’s flow sustains the whole system.
pratna (primeval order/intent), devas as inner powers, systemic harmony through sustaining flow (dhārā)
Soma’s ‘steady stream’ suggests ṛta as continuity and right movement of consciousness.
The ‘ancient intention’ aligns with satya as the soul’s original truth-impulse.
Essence released from the hidden (pressed out) becomes a sustaining current for the manifested godheads.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral (Aurobindonian) reading: delight as a fundamental power of Brahman-consciousness.
A cool, sustaining current of delight moving through the nerves and mind, feeding illumined states without agitation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as ‘god among gods’ who circulates and sustains: the mythic image is of Soma moving around the devas, empowering them. Psychologically, Soma (clarified delight) circulates among inner faculties to restore the primeval intent (pratna manman) of truth-order.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- deva from PIE *deiwos ‘shining celestial’ (Latin deus). √man (manmanā) from PIE *men- ‘think’. The repeated dhārā/√dhṛ ‘support’ aligns with PIE *dʰer- ‘hold’, a key IE root for stability/support.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames Soma as a cooperative integrator of all divine functions: by pressing and invoking Soma, the practitioner enables the devatā to circulate among the inner ‘gods’ (powers of mind, life, sense, intuition), making them concordant with the ancient truth-intention.
Sustain an unbroken ‘stream’ of quiet joy offered to the higher faculties; feel delight circulating through the whole being.
Anāhata (heart) and Sahasrāra axis (joy rising and diffusing as peace).
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow coherent breathing (4–6 breaths/min) while sensing a cool flow on the exhale.
Śānta-ananda with lucid attention (sattvic flow).
Begin with aspiration (‘pratna manmanā’), then imagine Soma as a steady current descending and circulating; inwardly ‘offer’ it to clarity (Indra), will (Agni), truth (Ṛta) before action.
Use Vedic svara where available in the Saṃhitā text: observe udātta on marked syllables, anudātta as unraised, svarita as falling; maintain the flowing contour to match ‘dhārayā’.
Keep ‘eṣa’ crisp; give light lift to udātta syllables in pratnena/manmanā/devo/devebhyas; avoid flattening the cadence at ‘pavate sutaḥ’.
eṣaḥ: pronounce ‘ṣ’ retroflex, short ‘aḥ’ visarga, pratnena: cluster ‘tn’ cleanly without extra vowel, manmanā: nasal ‘n’ clear; long ‘ā’ sustained, devebhyaḥ: ‘bhyaḥ’ as a single unit; visarga audible
Clear, cool, flowing; minimal force, steady breath support.
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