Rig Veda 9.68.8: Mandala 9, Sukta 68, Mantra 8
Sukta 9.68
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
परिप्रयन्तं वय्यं सुषंसदं सोमं मनीषा अभ्यनूषत स्तुभः । यो धारया मधुमाँ ऊर्मिणा दिव इयर्ति वाचं रयिषाळमर्त्यः ॥
pari-prayántaṃ vayyyáṃ su-saṃsádaṃ sómaṃ manīṣā́ abhy ànūṣata stúbhaḥ | yó dhā́rayā mádhumān ū́rmiṇā divá iyárti vā́caṃ rayiṣā́ḷ amártyaḥ ||
Tatkala Soma bergerak mengelilingi segalanya—layak untuk terbang, bertakhta dengan baik—fikiran yang terilham dan puji-pujian telah menyanyikan baginya. Dia, kaya kemanisan, dengan gelombangnya dari langit, mengangkat sabda; yang tidak mati, ia menambah kelimpahan wujud.
Word by Word
- परि
- around, forth (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि
- प्रयन्तम्
- going forth, moving onwardVerb (participle)वर्तमाने कृदन्तः (शतृ/शानच्-समकक्ष), पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot प्र-यम् (यम्) / √या (गत्यर्थ) (वेद. प्रयोग)
- वय्यम्
- vigorous/active, youthful (epithet)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (सोमम् इति विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्मRoot वय्य (प्रातिपदिक) (< वयस्/वयः? वेद. विशेषण)
- सुषंसदम्
- well-praised, of good renownAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (सोमम् इति विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्मRoot सु-शंसद (प्रातिपदिक) (सु + शंसद् ‘praiseworthy/celebrated’)
- सोमम्
- Soma (the pressed sacred drink/deity)Nounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनीषा
- thought, inspired insightNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot मनीषा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि
- अनूषत
- they praised/uttered (in response), they sang afterVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot अनु-√वच्/√उष् (वेद. स्तुति/उच्चारणार्थ) (अनु + ऊष्)
- स्तुभः
- praisers, chantersNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot स्तुभ् (प्रातिपदिक) (< √स्तुभ् ‘to praise’)
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- धारया
- with a stream (of juice)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role करणRoot धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुमान्
- honeyed, sweet (rich in mead)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot मधुमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊर्मिणा
- with a wave/surgeNounपुंलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role करणRoot ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवः
- of heaven, from the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम् (वेद. ‘दिवः’ = ‘of heaven’)Role सम्बन्धRoot दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- इयर्ति
- he sets in motion, he raisesVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √ईर्/√इर् (प्रेरणे/गतौ)
- वाचम्
- speech, voiceNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रयिषाळम्
- bringing/giving wealthAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (वाचम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot रयिषाळ (प्रातिपदिक) (रयि-षाळ ‘wealth-possessing/wealth-giving’)
- अमर्त्यः
- immortal (one), the deathlessNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot अमर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): परि-प्रयन्तम् वय्यम् सुषंसदम् सोमम् मनीषा अभि-अनूषत स्तुभः । यो धारया मधुमान् ऊर्मिणा दिवः इयर्ति वाचम् रयिषाळम् अमर्त्यः ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) परिप्रयन्तम् = परि + प्रयन्तम् (उपसर्ग-संयोग)
- (2) अभ्यनूषत = अभि + अनूषत (इ/अ → य्, ‘अभि’ + ‘अनूषत’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
As Soma moves around, fit for flight and well-seated, inspired thoughts and hymns have sung to him. He, sweet with his wave from heaven, lifts up the word; immortal, he increases plenitude.
Inner meaning
Soma is the mobile delight that ‘moves around’ the being (pariprayantam), capable of carrying consciousness in its ‘flight’ (vayyaṃ) when rightly seated (suṣaṃsadam) in the inner vessel. Manīṣā and stobha/stubha (inspired thoughts and rhythmic hymns) respond—our higher mind sings to the bliss-current. Soma’s ‘heavenly wave’ (ūrmiṇā divaḥ) is a descending surge from higher consciousness that raises vāca (the word): speech becomes truth-bearing, mantra-born. As amartya (immortal), Soma increases rayiṣāṭ—plenitude of being and richness of inner substance.
Universal truth
When delight is stabilized within, it becomes dynamic and uplifting; it raises our speech from opinion to inspired truth and increases our capacity to live from a larger, deathless consciousness.
Themes
Soma inspires speech, Sweetness (madhu) and wave of heaven, Hymnic reciprocity, Spiritual plenitude (rayi)
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.68.1-9, Rig Veda 9.97 (Soma raising speech/light motifs)
Significance
The rishi speaks from the interface of inspiration (manīṣā) and mantra (stubhaḥ), showing Soma as the power that elevates vāca into a truth-rhythm.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- suṣaṃsada (well-seated), madhumān (sweet), amartya (immortal), rayiṣāṭ (increaser of plenitude)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (speech/river), Bṛhaspati (mantra), Sūrya (illumination)
Cosmic role
Mediator between heaven and speech: brings a wave of sweetness that turns human utterance into inspired word and expands being.
Inner power
Ānanda as uplift and revelation—making speech a vehicle of ṛta.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pavamāna recitation during flow/collection
प॒रि॒प्र॒यन्तं॑ व॒य्यं॑ सुषं॒सदं॒ सोमं॑ मनी॒षा अ॒भ्य॑नूषत॒ स्तुभ॑: । यो धार॑या॒ मधु॑माँ ऊ॒र्मिणा॑ दि॒व इय॑र्ति॒ वाचं॑ रयि॒षाळम॑र्त्यः ॥
प॒रि॒ऽप्र॒यन्त॑म् । व॒य्य॑म् । सु॒ऽसं॒सद॑म् । सोम॑म् । म॒नी॒षाः । अ॒भि । अ॒नू॒ष॒त॒ । स्तुभः॑ । यः । धार॑या । मधु॑ऽमान् । ऊ॒र्मिणा॑ । दि॒वः । इय॑र्ति । वाच॑म् । र॒यि॒षाट् । अम॑र्त्यः ॥
pari-prayantam | vayyam | su-saṃsadam | somam | manīṣāḥ | abhi | anūṣata | stubhaḥ | yaḥ | dhārayā | madhu-mān | ūrmiṇā | divaḥ | iyarti | vācam | rayiṣāṭ | amartyaḥ
44
4 × ~11
Wave-like rise and fall; supports imagery of ūrmi (wave) and uplift of speech.
Creates a felt ‘lifting’ in the chest/throat; encourages inspired articulation.
- परिप्रयन्तम् (pariprayantam)
- Literal: moving all around. Symbolic: pervading circulation of bliss through the whole nature
- वय्यम् (vayyaṃ)
- Literal: fit for flight. Symbolic: power to uplift and carry consciousness upward
- सुसंसदम् (suṣaṃsadam)
- Literal: well-seated. Symbolic: delight firmly established in the inner vessel/seat
- मनीषाः (manīṣāḥ)
- Literal: inspired thoughts. Symbolic: higher mind’s luminous ideation
- ऊर्मि (ūrmi)
- Literal: wave. Symbolic: descending surge of higher consciousness
- वाचम् (vācam)
- Literal: speech/word. Symbolic: mantric expression; truth-speech shaped by inner light
- अमर्त्यः (amartyaḥ)
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: deathless delight-consciousness (ānanda)
Highlights Soma as inspirer of Vāc during the chant; used as Soma circulates/flows and the priests’ stotras accompany the purification.
As Soma circulates/flows around the filtering area and is seated in vessels
Chant to accompany Soma’s movement and settling; supports consecration of speech/hymn
Chant before speaking/teaching/singing; use to purify speech and align expression with inner sweetness and truth.
dhārā ‘stream’ from √dhṛ/√dhār ‘hold, flow in a held line’. √īr ‘to set in motion, raise’ (cf. īrayati). vāc is central Vedic ‘Word’ power. rayiṣāṭ is a compound indicating ‘one who wins/masters rayi’ (spiritual plenitude), not material wealth.
Vāc uplifted by divine sweetness, Immortality (amṛtatva) as a property of the truth-essence, Rayi as fullness of being
Raised vāca implies speech aligned to ṛta.
Amartya indicates the deathless foundation behind changing life.
Descent-wave from heaven elevates word—creation through vibration/speech.
Mantra-śakti orientation; psychological Veda of inspired speech as transformation
A descending wave of higher consciousness circulates and lifts the throat-center into true expression.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Soma as uplifter of Vāc’ mythologem: the sweet Soma, descending in a heavenly wave, raises the Word. This is the key inner action—purified delight becomes the force that elevates speech into inspired truth-utterance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vāc corresponds to PIE *wekw- ‘voice, speak’ (cf. Lat vox). The semantic pairing of ‘wave/stream’ with ‘raising speech’ is a Vedic poetic mechanism: physical motion verbs (√īr) are mapped to cognitive-spiritual elevation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The hymns and insights ‘sing to’ Soma as he moves; Soma answers by empowering their very medium—Vāc. Thus the exchange is direct: human mantra-work supports Soma’s establishment; Soma grants heightened speech and rayi (plenitude of being) as the fruit of that collaboration.
Let a ‘heavenly wave’ of sweetness lift inner speech into mantra-like truth.
Viśuddha (vāca) with support from Ājñā (manīṣā)
Bhrāmarī 5–7 rounds after chanting to seal the uplifted vāca into inner resonance
Inspired calm; mantra-bearing poise.
Chant, then sit with attention in the throat; feel a cool sweet wave descending from above the head to the throat; speak inwardly one truthful intention and let it become steady.
Respect marked accents (e.g.,,,, :,,, ). Exact svara depends on śākhā.
Make the second pāda slightly more lyrical (manīṣā… stubhaḥ) and the third pāda wave-like (madhumān… ūrmiṇā).
suṣaṃsadam: keep ṣ andṃ (anusvāra) clear, ūrmiṇā: long ū; retroflex ṇ, rayiṣāḻ: articulate ḻ-like lateral carefully if following that reading; otherwise keep as rayiṣāṭ with clear ṭ
Liquid, sweet, resonant; allow natural vibration in the throat.
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