Rig Veda 9.81.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 81, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.81
- Rishi
- Not securely inferable from the excerpt alone
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अच्छा हि सोमः कलशाँ असिष्यददत्यो न वोळ्हा रघुवर्तनिर्वृषा । अथा देवानामुभयस्य जन्मनो विद्वाँ अश्नोत्यमुत इतश्च यत् ॥
ácchā hí sómaḥ kalaśā́n ásiṣyad átyo na vóḷhā raghu-vártanir vṛ́ṣā | áthā devā́nām ubháyasya jánmano vidvā́ṃ aśnoty amúta itáś ca yát ||
Kerana Soma benar-benar meluru menuju tempayan-tempayan, laksana kuda tangkas yang memikul beban, seekor banteng dengan laluan yang cepat. Lalu orang yang mengetahui mencapai apa yang termasuk dalam kelahiran ganda para dewa—yang dari sana dan yang dari sini.
Word by Word
- अच्छा
- towards, hitherIndeclinableअव्यय (दिशा/गति-वाचक)Role Adhikaraṇa (गत्यर्थे—‘towards’)Root अञ्च् (अञ्चति) / अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक ‘अच्छा’
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपातRoot हि (निपात)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- कलशान्
- jars, vesselsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
- असिष्यदत्
- flowed/ran (forth)Verbलुङ् (आगम-रहितः वैदिक-आओरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot स्यन्द् (स्यन्दते/स्यन्दति) + सन्/इच्छार्थ-प्रयोग (वेद.)
- अत्यः
- a steed, horseNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (उपमान-वाक्ये)Root अत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमार्थक-अव्ययRoot न (उपमा-निपात)
- वोळ्हा
- a carrier, draught-animalNoun (agent) / Participle-likeपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तृवाचक)Role Kartā (उपमान-वाक्ये)Root वह् (वहति) → वोढृ/वोळ्हृ (वेद. रूप)
- रघुवर्तनिः
- swift-tracked, moving on swift coursesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā-विशेषणRoot रघु + वर्तनिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषा
- bull; vigorous oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā-विशेषणRoot वृषन्/वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
- अथा
- thenIndeclinableक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्ययRoot अथ (निपात)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- उभयस्य
- of bothAdjective/Pronoun-likeनपुंसकलिङ्ग (सामान्ये), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot उभय (प्रातिपदिक)
- जन्मनः
- of the birth/originNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विद्वान्
- knowing, wiseAdjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā-विशेषणRoot विद् (वेद) → विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्नोति
- attains, reachesVerbलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot अश् (अश्नोति)
- अमुतः
- from there, thenceIndeclinable/Pronoun (ablatival adverb)अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः (तसिल्-अर्थे)Role Apādāna (source: ‘from there’)Root अमुतस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इतश्च
- and from hereIndeclinableअव्यय (तसिल्) + समुच्चयRole Apādāna (source: ‘from here’)Root इतस् + च
- यत्
- what, that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (अश्नोति—‘what(ever)’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): सोम॑: → सोमः (visarga)
- कलशाँ॒ → कलशान् (acc. pl.)
- असि॑ष्यद॒दत्यो॒ → असिष्यदत् + अत्यः (final -त् + vowel sandhi)
- न वोळ्हा॑ → न + वोळ्हा
- र॒घुव॑र्तनि॒र्वृषा॑ → रघुवर्तनिः + वृषा (visarga sandhi)
- दे॒वाना॑मु॒भय॑स्य॒ जन्म॑नो → देवानाम् + उभयस्य + जन्मनः
- वि॒द्वाँ अ॑श्नोति → विद्वान् + अश्नोति (final -न् + vowel sandhi)
- अ॒मुत॑ इ॒तश्च॒ → अमुतः + इतः + च (visarga before vowel; च enclitic)
- यत् remains independent
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma speeds to the jars, like a swift steed bearing the load, a bull with rapid courses. Then the knower attains what belongs to the twofold birth of the gods—what is from there and what is from here.
Inner meaning
Purified delight hastens toward the ‘jars’ (kalaśa) = prepared inner receptacles (mind, heart, subtle body) made ready to hold the clarified essence. Soma is both ‘steed’ (swift carrier of the offering) and ‘bull’ (strong generative force): delight is at once rapid movement and stable power. When this process is understood (‘the knower’), one attains the secret of the gods’ ‘twofold birth’: the divine powers are born above (in the superconscient truth) and also here (in the embodied field) when invoked and embodied. The knower bridges ‘yonder and here’—transcendent and immanent—through the right movement of Soma.
Universal truth
A prepared vessel and right movement of joy allow consciousness to unite heaven and earth within; knowledge is the bridge by which higher powers are born in life.
Themes
Soma to vessels, Steed/bull imagery, Knowledge attainment, Two worlds (here and yonder)
The seer
- Rishi
- Sūkta-level seer for RV 9.81 per Anukramaṇī.
- Other hymns
- RV 9.81 (same hymn)
Significance
Highlights the Vedantic bridge: the same divine is ‘there’ and ‘here’; Soma is the connecting movement when known inwardly.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- raghuvartanī (rapid-coursing), vṛṣā (bull), atya (steed-like)
- Related deities
- Indra (often recipient), Viśve Devāḥ
Cosmic role
Carrier of the offering between worlds; establishes communication between the higher birth of gods and their manifestation in the human vessel.
Inner power
Rapid purification and transfer of delight into stable receptivity; enables realization of transcendence-immanence unity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma collection into kalaśas during Soma rites; pavamāna chants as Soma runs to vessels.
अच्छा॒ हि सोम॑: क॒लशाँ॒ असि॑ष्यद॒दत्यो॒ न वोळ्हा॑ र॒घुव॑र्तनि॒र्वृषा॑ । अथा॑ दे॒वाना॑मु॒भय॑स्य॒ जन्म॑नो वि॒द्वाँ अ॑श्नोत्य॒मुत॑ इ॒तश्च॒ यत् ॥
अच्छ॑ । हि । सोमः॑ । क॒लशा॑न् । असि॑स्यदत् । अत्यः॑ । न । वोळ्हा॑ । र॒घुऽव॑र्तनिः । वृषा॑ । अथ॑ । दे॒वाना॑म् । उ॒भय॑स्य । जन्म॑नः । वि॒द्वान् । अ॒श्नो॒ति॒ । अ॒मुतः॑ । इ॒तः । च॒ । यत् ॥
accha | hi | somaḥ | kalaśān | asisyadat | atyaḥ | na | voḷhā | raghu-vartaniḥ | vṛṣā | atha | devānām | ubhayasya | janmanaḥ | vidvān | aśnoti | amutaḥ | itaḥ | ca | yat
44
Likely 4 pādas; may vary between 11–12 syllables
Quick, coursing rhythm mirroring ‘raghuvartanī’.
Creates speed and clarity; supports a sense of ‘arriving into the vessel’ and widening to ‘there and here’.
- कलशान् (kalaśān)
- Literal: jars/vessels. Symbolic: prepared inner containers—purified mind-heart-subtle body capable of holding ananda
- अत्यः (atyaḥ)
- Literal: steed. Symbolic: swift pranic-mental force carrying the offering upward/forward
- वोळ्हा (voḻhā)
- Literal: carrier of the load. Symbolic: supporting energy that bears the work of transformation
- रघुवर्तनिः (raghuvartanih)
- Literal: rapid-coursing. Symbolic: quick, unobstructed movement of purified consciousness
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: stable, potent, generative power of delight
- उभयस्य जन्मनः (ubhayasya janmanaḥ)
- Literal: of the twofold birth. Symbolic: transcendent origin and immanent manifestation of divine powers
- अमुतः / इतः (amutaḥ / itaḥ)
- Literal: from there / from here. Symbolic: higher planes and embodied existence unified by realization
Soma’s movement to kalaśa (receiving vessels) during purification; linked to attainment of knowledge (vidvān) through the rite.
At moments of Soma’s flow into jars and preparation for offering.
Guiding/intoning as Soma is filtered and collected; emphasizing right receptacle and right movement.
A mantra for ‘inner receptivity’: prepare the mind as a clean jar; let joy run swiftly into it; contemplate the divine both transcendent and present.
voḷhā: agent noun from √vah 'carry' (PIE *weǵh- 'to convey' broadly). raghu-vartani: raghu 'swift' + vartani 'course/track' from √vṛt 'turn, roll, proceed'—movement along a path. ubhayasya janmanaḥ: 'twofold birth'—often interpreted as dual domains (here/there), inwardly the mortal-immortal or physical-supraphysical origins accessible through knowledge (vidvān).
Twofold origin (ubhayasya janman) as bridging here/there, Vidyā/knowledge as attainment across planes, Rita as right movement along the 'swift courses'
‘Rapid courses’ indicate movement along ṛta’s path—unhindered right action.
The ‘knower’ attains satya: unity of the beyond and the here.
Double manifestation: gods born above, reborn in the human vessel through yajña.
Bandhu-based Vedic mysticism; proto-Upaniṣadic transcendence/immanence unity.
Vessels = purified receptivity; horse = swift prana; bull = stable power; ‘there/here’ = higher planes and embodied consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the swift steed/bull reaching the vessels, enabling the knower to attain the 'twofold birth' of the gods—access to both domains (here and yonder). Inner myth: purified delight becomes the vehicle by which consciousness bridges physical and supraphysical planes.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah 'carry' (voḷhā) is a classic IE transport root; √vṛt (vartani) encodes course/turning—widespread in IE motion metaphors. The equine imagery (atyaḥ) is also a prominent IE poetic motif for speed and power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi asserts a cognitive fruit of the rite: Soma’s correct movement to the vessels correlates with the vidvān’s attainment of trans-domain knowledge. The devatā grants not only energy but access—an epistemic reciprocity.
Receptivity and integration: allow delight to ‘run into the jar’ of the mind; then contemplate ‘from there and from here’ as one Presence.
Sahasrāra (amutaḥ) linked to Mūlādhāra/heart (itaḥ) via central channel (suṣumṇā)
So’ham-style: inhale ‘amutaḥ’ (from above), exhale ‘itaḥ’ (into life), maintaining a steady inner vessel.
Swift clarity settling into wide, unified awareness.
Clean the ‘jar’ (quiet mind); feel a swift current of sweetness entering; keep it steady (bull-power) while remaining supple (horse-speed); end with contemplation: the same divine is above and here.
Follow marked accents; maintain briskness in first pāda to reflect ‘asiṣyadat’.
Give a slight lift on ‘acchā hi somaḥ’; keep ‘amuta itaś ca’ clear with a reflective pause after ‘amutaḥ’.
‘acchā’ = ac-chā (geminate ch)., ‘kalaśān’ keep ś palatal., ‘raghuvartanir’ articulate gh voiced; keep cluster vart- clear., ‘aśnoti’ keep śn cluster clean (aś-no-ti).
Clear and quick in the first half; calmer, more spacious in the second.
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