Rig Veda 9.86.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.86
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
विश्वा धामानि विश्वचक्ष ऋभ्वसः प्रभोस्ते सतः परि यन्ति केतवः । व्यानशिः पवसे सोम धर्मभिः पतिर्विश्वस्य भुवनस्य राजसि ॥
víśvā dhā́māni viśva-cakṣa ṛ́bhvasaḥ pra-bhós te satáḥ pári yanti ketávaḥ | vy-ānaśíḥ pavase soma dhárma-bhiḥ pátir víśvasya bhúvanasya rājasi ||
Segala tempat kediaman wujud, wahai Yang Maha-melihat, wahai Yang Perkasa, dilingkungi oleh panji-panji cahayamu, oleh sinar-sinar kewujudanmu yang benar. Engkau mengalir, wahai Soma, membahagi dirimu menurut hukum-hukum Kebenaran (ṛta); sebagai tuan segala yang menjadi, engkau memerintah seluruh dunia.
Word by Word
- विश्वानि
- all (things)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- धामानि
- abodes; stations; ordinancesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वचक्षः
- O all-seeing oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root विश्व-चक्षस् (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋभ्वसः
- O skillful/ingenious oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप; = ऋभ्वो)Role (सम्बोधन)Root ऋभ्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रभोः
- of the lordNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सतः
- of the being/existent (one)Participle (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root सत् (कृदन्त; √अस्)
- परि
- around; all aboutIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यन्ति
- they go; they moveVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot √या (गत्यर्थ)
- केतवः
- rays; banners; signs (beams)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- व्यानशिः
- O all-pervading/penetrating oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root व्यानशि (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक विशेषण)
- पवसे
- you purify yourself; you flow (as purifier)Verbलट् (आत्मनेपद), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √पू (पवने/शोधने) → पवते
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- धर्मभिः
- with (your) laws/ordinances; by supportsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- पतिः
- lordNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वस्य
- of allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनस्य
- of the world; of the beingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root भुवन (प्रातिपदिक; from √भू)
- राजसि
- you rule; you shine as kingVerbलट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √राज् (दीप्तौ/ईश्वरे) → राजति/राजते
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: विश्वा धामानि विश्वचक्षः ऋभ्वसः प्रभोः ते सतः परि यन्ति केतवः । व्यानशिः पवसे सोम धर्मभिः पतिः विश्वस्य भुवनस्य राजसि ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) विश्वा + धामानि → विश्वा धामानि (स्वर-सन्धि नहीं)
- (2) प्रभोः + ते → प्रभोस्ते (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि: ओः + त → स्त)
- (3) ते + सतः → ते सतः (सन्धि नहीं)
- (4) परि + यन्ति → परि यन्ति (सन्धि नहीं)
- (5) धर्मभिः + पतिः → धर्मभिः पतिः (विसर्ग-सन्धि नहीं; पदान्तः ‘ः’ के बाद प्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
All abodes of being are surrounded by your banners of light, O all-seeing mighty one, by the radiances of your true existence. You flow distributing yourself by the laws; as lord of all becoming you reign over the world.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma becomes viśvacakṣas—an all-seeing delight that illumines every plane (dhāmāni). Its ketavaḥ are not mere lights but truth-radiances of sat (real being) that encircle and occupy the whole nature. Soma ‘flows’ as vyānaśiḥ—pervading distribution—by dharmabhiḥ, the laws of the Truth (ṛta/satya). Thus delight is not private emotion; it becomes sovereign (pati) over becoming, governing life and mind by luminous order.
Universal truth
When delight is aligned with truth-laws, it becomes a pervasive illumination that organizes the whole personality and makes consciousness sovereign over circumstances.
Themes
Cosmic kingship of Soma, Rita/Dharma, All-seeing consciousness, Distribution of truth-force
The seer
- Rishi
- Anukramaṇī varies; part of Mandala 9 Soma Pavamāna seer-current.
- Other hymns
- RV 9.86 (sequence), RV 9.2, 9.4 (Soma as all-seeing and world-pervading)
Family tradition
Soma hymns are a specialized liturgical-poetic corpus; seerhood here is expressed as universal vision (viśvacakṣas) more than personal lineage.
Significance
Marks a mature stage of purification where ananda becomes governing principle—pervasive, lawful, and sovereign.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- viśvacakṣas, ṛbhvasaḥ, prabhu (lord), pati (sovereign)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (ṛta/dharma), Mitra (harmony), Indra (illumined force)
Cosmic role
Pervasive essence that illuminates all worlds and distributes truth-force according to dharma/ṛta.
Inner power
Ananda as organizing intelligence: it lights, pervades, and rules the movements of becoming.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna recitation during Soma purification and offering preparation
विश्वा॒ धामा॑नि विश्वचक्ष॒ ऋभ्व॑सः प्र॒भोस्ते॑ स॒तः परि॑ यन्ति के॒तव॑: । व्या॒न॒शिः प॑वसे सोम॒ धर्म॑भि॒: पति॒र्विश्व॑स्य॒ भुव॑नस्य राजसि ॥
विश्वा॑ । धामा॑नि । वि॒श्व॒ऽच॒क्षः॒ । ऋभ्व॑सः । प्र॒ऽभोः । ते॒ । स॒तः । परि॑ । य॒न्ति॒ । के॒तवः॑ । वि॒ऽआ॒न॒शिः । प॒व॒से॒ । सो॒म॒ । धर्म॑ऽभिः । पतिः॑ । विश्व॑स्य । भुव॑नस्य । रा॒ज॒सि॒ ॥
viśvā | dhāmāni | viśva-cakṣaḥ | ṛbhvasaḥ | pra-bhoḥ | te | sataḥ | pari | yanti | ketavaḥ | vi-ānaśiḥ | pavase | soma | dharma-bhiḥ | patiḥ | viśvasya | bhuvanasya | rājasi
48
4 x ~12; expansive descriptive sweep
Majestic and all-encompassing; less ‘rushing’, more ‘reigning’.
Induces breadth and sovereignty; listener feels surrounded by calm light and order.
- धामा॑नि (dhāmāni)
- Literal: seats, abodes. Symbolic: planes/parts of the being (body-life-mind-soul and higher ranges)
- विश्वचक्षः (viśvacakṣaḥ)
- Literal: all-seeing. Symbolic: integral awareness that sees across all parts without division
- ऋभ्वसः (ṛbhvasaḥ)
- Literal: mighty, skillful. Symbolic: effective power of formation—delight that can build and perfect
- केतवः (ketavaḥ)
- Literal: banners, rays, signs. Symbolic: radiant indicators of truth-consciousness; guiding lights
- सतः (sataḥ)
- Literal: of the Real/being. Symbolic: truth-existence (sat) as the source of authentic radiance
- व्यानशिः (vyānaśiḥ)
- Literal: pervading distribution. Symbolic: diffusion of purified delight through the whole system (like prāṇic vyāna)
- धर्मभिः (dharmabhiḥ)
- Literal: by laws, supports. Symbolic: truth-laws (ṛta-dharma) that hold the right functioning
- पतिः (patiḥ)
- Literal: lord. Symbolic: sovereign mastery of consciousness over nature
Soma as cosmic sovereign in Pavamāna cycle; used to affirm Soma’s universal pervasion during ritual flow
As Soma is strained and presented as fit for the gods; emphasizes Soma’s universal pervasion
Chanting to accompany flow into vessels; consecration of Soma as lordly essence
Use to stabilize practice: after initial purification, chant to ‘spread’ calm delight through all parts and reaffirm inner governance by truth-laws.
sat ‘being/truth’ (from √as ‘be’); ketu ‘banner/light’ (sign of revelation); dharma ‘that which holds/establishes’ (√dhṛ ‘hold’)—here as laws of right functioning aligned to ṛta; rājasi (√rāj ‘rule, shine’). vi-ānaśiḥ: distributive sense (portioning out widely). Inner sense: Soma’s purified being radiates ketus that encompass all dhāmas (planes), establishing a lawful distribution of truth-force across the whole becoming.
Sat (true being), Dharma as law that holds (supports ṛta), Universal sovereignty (pati/rāj)
Dharmabhiḥ indicates lawful distribution—delight functioning as ṛta in the system.
Radiances are ‘of sat’: truth-light, not mental glare.
World-ordering by pervasion: the One essence distributes itself to become the Many while remaining sovereign.
Vedantic integralism: sat → cit (vision) → ananda (Soma) governing becoming.
Light-banners = guiding perceptions; flow = continuous movement of ananda; encircling = integral awareness holding all parts together.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as universal sovereign whose lights encompass all abodes and who distributes himself by dharma (laws of right order). Mythically: the kingly Soma pervades and rules the worlds through luminous signs; psychologically: truth-consciousness organizes and governs the whole being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘being’ lexeme sat (√as ‘be’) is central IE ontology; ‘king/rule’ √rāj is both political and luminous in Indo-Iranian usage. The verse fuses sovereignty with radiance (ketu), a characteristic IE sacral trope where authority is a function of light/truth.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acknowledges Soma not only as a ritual drink but as sat—true being—whose ketus illuminate every plane and whose dharmas regulate distribution. The devotee’s reciprocity is assent and alignment: by invoking Soma’s reign, the seeker consents to be ordered by truth-law rather than by desire and confusion.
Pervade the whole body-mind with a single calm delight; let it organize thoughts and impulses by truth-sense.
Sahasrara/Ajna (all-seeing) with whole-body vyāna distribution.
Whole-body breathing: feel inhale rise to crown, exhale spread through limbs (vyāna).
Expansive equanimity with luminous order.
After chanting, scan ‘all dhāmāni’ (body, life, mind, heart) and let one quiet joy-light occupy each; then resolve one action aligned with dharma.
Maintain clear udatta on viśvacakṣa/ketavaḥ/dharmabhiḥ where accented; follow padapāṭha for svarita transitions.
Give spacious pauses at caesura points; keep compounds smooth (viśvacakṣa ṛbhvasaḥ).
: ‘śv’ cluster; ‘cakṣ’ with kṣ conjunct, : vocalic ṛ; ‘bhv’ cluster lightly articulated, : long ā; ‘śiḥ’ with visarga soft, : ‘j’ voiced; short a’s distinct
Broad, steady, resonant; avoid urgency—carry a ‘kingly’ calm.
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