Rig Veda 9.97.25: Mandala 9, Sukta 97, Mantra 25
Sukta 9.97
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seers
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अर्वाँ इव श्रवसे सातिमच्छेन्द्रस्य वायोरभि वीतिमर्ष । स नः सहस्रा बृहतीरिषो दा भवा सोम द्रविणोवित्पुनानः ॥
arvā́ṃ iva śrávase sātím ácchéndrasya vāyór abhí vītím arṣa | sá naḥ sahásrā bṛhatī́r íṣo dā bhávā soma draviṇo-vít punānā́ḥ ||
Bagaikan kuda pantas demi kemasyhuran, mengalirlah menuju kemenangan, menuju sambutan Indra dan Vāyu. Kurniakan kepada kami seribu dorongan yang luas bagi pertumbuhan; jadilah bagi kami, wahai Soma, penemu kekayaan sejati, tatkala engkau menyucikan diri.
Word by Word
- अर्वान्
- a steed, horse (as subject of comparison)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot अर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *h₁er-? (horse) (lexical)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableअव्ययRoot इव
- श्रवसे
- for fame, for gloryNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सातिम्
- winning, gain, prizeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot साति (प्रातिपदिक) < √सा/सि (to win, gain) (lexical)
- अच्छ
- towards, toIndeclinableअव्यय (गत्यर्थक उपसर्ग/निपात)Root अच्छ
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वायोः
- of VāyuNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्ग/निपात)Root अभि
- वीतिम्
- enjoyment; (ritual) feast, receptionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वीति (प्रातिपदिक) < √वी (to pursue/enjoy) (lexical)
- अर्ष
- rush!, stream!, go swiftly!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √ऋष् (अर्षति) / Vedic: ‘to rush, flow, move swiftly’
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- to us / of usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी; बहुवचन (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary) / SambandhaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सहस्राः
- thousandfold, thousandsAdjective (numeral)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (agreeing with इषः understood/with बृहतीः)Role Kartā (as qualifier of the subject-gifts)Root सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहतीः
- great, abundantAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (as qualifier of the subject-gifts)Root बृहती (प्रातिपदिक) < √बृह् (to be great)
- इषः
- refreshments, bountiesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot इष् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘refreshment, nourishment, bounty’
- दाः
- give!Verbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √दा (to give)
- भव
- be!, become!Verbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √भू (to be, become)
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole Sambodhana (address)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्रविणोवित्
- wealth-finding, wealth-winningAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (agreeing with सोमः understood)Role Kartā (epithet of Soma as giver/winner)Root द्रविण (प्रातिपदिक) + वित् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) < √विद् (to find/know) ‘finder, winner’
- पुनानः
- purifying himself; being purifiedParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-type: शानच्); आत्मनेपद; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot √पू (to purify) → पुनान (present middle participle)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): अर्वान् इव श्रवसे सातिम् अच्छ इन्द्रस्य वायोः अभि वीतिम् अर्ष । सः नः सहस्राः बृहतीः इषः दाः भव सोम द्रविणो-वित् पुनानः ॥ मुख्य संधि: (1) सातिमच्छेन्द्रस्य = सातिम् + अच्छ + इन्द्रस्य (म् + अ → म् अ; ‘अच्छ’ निपातः) (2) वायोरभि = वायोः + अभि (ः + अ → र् अ, विसर्ग-रुत्व) (3) वीतिमर्ष = वीतिम् + अर्ष (म् + अ → म् अ) (4) स नः = सः + नः (विसर्ग लोपः पदान्ते) (5) दा भवा = दाः + भव (लोट्-रूप; पदपाठे पृथक्) (6) द्रविणोवित्पुनानः = द्रविणोवित् + पुनानः (समास/सन्निधान)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Like a swift steed for fame, flow toward the winning, toward the welcome of Indra and Vāyu. Give us a thousand vast impulses; become for us, O purifying Soma, the finder of riches.
Inner meaning
Soma is urged to rush like the horse of śravas (true renown—spiritual hearing and recognition of truth) toward ‘sāti’ (victory/attainment): the state where Indra (illumined mind) and Vāyu (life-breath, vital dynamism) can receive and work together. Soma is asked to grant sahasrā bṛhatīḥ iṣaḥ—countless large impulsions of growth: uplifted energies, inspirations, and right enjoyments. As draviṇovit (finder of the true wealth), Soma reveals the inner riches—light, force, joy—while purifying the nature.
Universal truth
When delight is purified and offered to illumined mind and right life-force, it becomes a source of abundant, expansive impulses for growth and leads one to true wealth.
Themes
Indra-Vāyu reception, boon of vast energies, purification leading to plenitude, Soma as resource-finder
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seers (Pavamāna-maṇḍala collective)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.97.20 (swift race), RV 9.96 (Indra-Vāyu Soma themes)
Family tradition
Soma tradition culminating in practical boons: illumination (Indra) and life-force (Vāyu) harmonized for victorious growth.
Significance
The seer speaks as a guide of sādhanā: after purification, Soma must actively empower mind and prāṇa to yield abundant impulses of progress.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- punāna (purifying), draviṇovit (finder of riches)
- Related deities
- Indra, Vāyu
Cosmic role
Nourishes Indra and Vāyu; channels delight into victorious attainment and plenitude.
Inner power
Catalyzes illumination (Indra) and right vital movement (Vāyu), generating expansive impulses (iṣaḥ) for growth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Indra-Vāyu (Indravāyū) within Soma-yajña sequences
अर्वाँ॑ इव॒ श्रव॑से सा॒तिमच्छेन्द्र॑स्य वा॒योर॒भि वी॒तिम॑र्ष । स न॑: स॒हस्रा॑ बृह॒तीरिषो॑ दा॒ भवा॑ सोम द्रविणो॒वित्पु॑ना॒नः ॥
अर्वा॑न्ऽइव । श्रव॑से । सा॒तिम् । अच्छ॑ । इन्द्र॑स्य । वा॒योः । अ॒भि । वी॒तिम् । अ॒र्ष॒ । सः । नः॒ । स॒हस्रा॑ । बृ॒ह॒तीः । इषः॑ । दाः॒ । भव॑ । सो॒म॒ । द्र॒वि॒णः॒ऽवित् । पु॒ना॒नः ॥
arvān-iva | śravase | sātim | accha | indrasya | vāyoḥ | abhi | vītim | arṣa | saḥ | naḥ | sahasrā | bṛhatīḥ | iṣaḥ | dāḥ | bhava | soma | draviṇaḥ-vit | punānaḥ
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4 × 12 syllables
Energetic and onward-driving; excellent for invocation and aspiration toward attainment.
Energizes prāṇa and clarifies intention; evokes a ‘charging forward’ toward a higher reception.
- अर्वान् (arvān)
- Literal: swift steed/horse. Symbolic: vital energy made swift and obedient to the soul’s aim
- श्रवसे (śravase)
- Literal: for fame/renown. Symbolic: true ‘hearing’ and recognition of truth; spiritual reputation as inner luminosity
- सातिम् (sātim)
- Literal: winning, attainment. Symbolic: victory over resistance; successful realization
- इन्द्रस्य (indrasya)
- Literal: of Indra. Symbolic: divine mind, illumination that breaks coverings
- वायोः (vāyoḥ)
- Literal: of Vāyu. Symbolic: life-breath, vital dynamism, prāṇic force aligned to truth
- वीतिम् (vītim)
- Literal: welcome, enjoyment/feast. Symbolic: receptivity of higher powers; the inner ‘banquet’ of divine forces
- सहस्रा बृहतीः इषः (sahasrā bṛhatīḥ iṣaḥ)
- Literal: a thousand vast impulsions. Symbolic: abundant expansive energies of increase and right seeking
- द्रविणोवित् (draviṇovit)
- Literal: finder of wealth. Symbolic: revealer of true inner riches/powers
- पुनानः (punānaḥ)
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: self-cleansing delight that transforms the instrument
Soma offered for Indra and Vāyu in pressing rite; request for iṣ and draviṇa in return
When inviting Indra and Vāyu to the Soma-drinking; aligns Soma flow with their ‘welcome’.
Chant as Soma is prepared/offered; invoke abundance and true wealth for the sacrificer.
A mantra for energizing practice: before work, study, or disciplined effort—invoke illumined mind and regulated breath, asking for expansive impulses and true resources.
śrávas ‘fame’ (√śru ‘hear’) is inwardly ‘that which is heard/recognized’—the resonance of truth in consciousness. vīti is a ritual ‘welcoming’ but psychologically the receptivity to higher powers. īṣ (iṣaḥ) from √iṣ ‘impel, invigorate’ indicates dynamic energies of increase. draviṇa (from √dru/√drav ‘run/flow’ or related to ‘means/substance’) is read as ‘effective substance of being’, not mere material wealth.
inner victory (sāti), energizing impulses (iṣ), spiritual wealth (draviṇa)
Victory (sāti) implies overcoming the coverer by right movement; Soma’s purification aligns prāṇa and mind to ṛta.
Draviṇovit points to the discovery of satya-wealth: enduring inner resources rather than transient gains.
Abundant manifestation through harmonized powers: mind and breath receive Soma and expand the worlds within.
Integral yoga reading: coordinated ascent (illumination) and dynamized life (prāṇa) fueled by Ananda.
Horse = disciplined vital speed; wind = prāṇa; flowing Soma = joy-current; feast = receptive higher functioning of mind-breath.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘swift steed to the feast’ mythologem: Soma races to the welcoming of Indra-Vāyu and returns with boons—vast impulses (iṣ) and true resources (draviṇa). It encodes the circulation between offering and empowerment.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ (śrávas) is PIE *ḱleu- (Greek kleos), a classic IE fame-word. √iṣ ‘impel’ fits the IE drive/urge semantic field. The Indra-Vāyu pairing reflects inherited storm-wind + sovereignty motifs in Indo-Iranian religion.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Soma to move into communion with Indra and Vāyu (higher mind-force and life-force) and to return as draviṇovit—one who discovers within us the substance for growth. The exchange is yogic: purification → receptivity → influx of expansive energies.
Unite illumined mind (Indra) and regulated breath (Vāyu) through the purified joy-current (Soma).
Maṇipūra (energized will) and Ājñā (illumined direction) with prāṇic balancing at Anāhata
Rhythmic breathing (e.g., 6-6) while chanting; feel inhalation as Vāyu receiving, exhalation as Soma flowing toward Indra’s clarity.
Bright, energized aspiration with controlled prāṇa.
Chant before effort: set a clear intention (sāti), feel breath steady (Vāyu), invoke a calm luminous mind (Indra), then ask for ‘bṛhatī iṣaḥ’—large, right impulses rather than restless desire.
RV tonal recitation; keep energy without losing svara precision on ‘indrasya vāyoḥ’.
Drive the first pāda like a ‘horse-run’; soften slightly on the boon-request pādas; complete pause at ||.
: nasalization and long ‘ā̃’ in arvā̃; keep ‘iv’ light, : ‘cch’ aspirated cluster, : long ‘ī’ clear, : pronounce ‘vi(t)’ clean; avoid inserting extra vowel in clusters
Forward, bright, slightly higher energy; keep breath-supported tone.
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