Rig Veda 9.4.8: Mandala 9, Sukta 4, Mantra 8
Sukta 9.4
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अभ्यर्षानपच्युतो रयिं समत्सु सासहिः । अथा नो वस्यसस्कृधि ॥
abhý arṣā́napacyuto rayím samátsu sāsahíḥ | áthā no vásyasas kṛdhi ||
ଆମ ପାଖକୁ ପ୍ରବାହିତ ହେ, ଅଚ୍ୟୁତ ଓ ଅଚଳ ହୋଇ, ସମରମାନେ ଜୟ ଦେଇଥିବା ଧନ ନେଇ। ତାପରେ ଆମକୁ ଅଧିକ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଅବସ୍ଥାରେ ଗଢ଼ିଦିଅ।
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषण) —Root अभि (उपसर्ग) अव्यय
- अर्ष
- flow! rush!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot ऋष्
- अनपच्युतः
- unfaltering, not fallen awayAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे/कर्तृविशेषणम्)Role Kartā (कर्तृविशेषण) / सम्बोधनRoot अप-च्युत (च्युत < √च्यु) + न्- (निषेध)
- रयिम्
- wealth, bountyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रयि
- समत्सु
- in battles, in contestsNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot समत्सु (समत्सु < समत्सु/समत्सु- ‘battle’)
- सासहिः
- victorious, overpoweringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तृविशेषणम्)Role Kartā (कर्तृविशेषण) / सम्बोधनRoot सह् (सासहि- < √सह्, परिपूर्ण/अभ्यास-रूप)
- अथ
- then, thereafterIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थक अव्ययRoot अथ (अव्यय)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounषष्ठी (gen.)/चतुर्थी (dat.) बहुवचन-रूप; अत्र प्रायः चतुर्थी (अस्मभ्यम्)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- वस्यसः
- of the better, of the more excellentAdjective (comparative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (वस्यसः = ‘of the better [thing]’)Root वस्यस् (वस्- ‘good’ का तुलनात्मक)
- कृधि
- make! do!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot कृ
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अभि | अर्ष | अनपच्युतः | रयिम् | समत्सु | सासहिः | अथ | नः | वस्यसः | कृधि । 1) अ॒भ्य१॒॑र्षान॑पच्युतो = अभि + अर्ष + अनपच्युतः (अभि + अर्ष → अभ्यर्ष; ततः अभ्यर्ष + अनपच्युतः → अभ्यर्षानपच्युतः; संहितायां ‘ः’ लोप/रूपान्तर). 2) वस्य॑सस्कृधि = वस्यसः + कृधि (विसर्गसन्धिः: -सः + क- → -सस् क-; संहितायां एकपदत्वेन लेखनम्). स्वर/उच्चारण: मन्त्रपाठे उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न (॑, ॒) यथास्थानं
- पदच्छेदे सामान्यरूपेण दर्शितम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Flow toward us, unfailing and unwavering, bringing a wealth that conquers in the battles. Then make us into the better state.
Inner meaning
Soma is asked to descend as ‘anapacyuta’—not slipping away from its truth, not falling from the higher poise. The rayi it brings is ‘sāsahiḥ’ in ‘samatsu’: a victorious inner resource for the battles of consciousness against doubt, desire, and obscurity. This victory enables the reshaping into the better being.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires an unfaltering inner support; when delight is steady and pure, it becomes a conquering power in life’s struggles and effects lasting transformation.
Themes
Unfailing power, Victory in conflict, Spiritual wealth
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.4.7, Rig Veda 9.4.9
Significance
The seer’s emphasis is on steadfastness (anapacyuta): the yoga must not be intermittent; Soma is invoked as the stabilizer and victor in inner conflict.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Anapacyuta (unfailing), Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra (battle/victory), Maruts (forces in conflict)
Cosmic role
Maintains continuity of purification and grants victory in conflicts that obstruct the rite and the ascent.
Inner power
Steady Ananda that does not ‘fall’; it becomes a conquering force in psychological battles.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña, Pavamāna chants
अ॒भ्य१॒॑र्षान॑पच्युतो र॒यिं स॒मत्सु॑ सास॒हिः । अथा॑ नो॒ वस्य॑सस्कृधि ॥
अ॒भि । अ॒र्ष॒ । अन॑पऽच्युतः । र॒यिम् । स॒मत्ऽसु॑ । स॒स॒हिः । अथ॑ । नः॒ । वस्य॑सः । कृ॒धि॒ ॥
abhi | arṣa | anapacyutaḥ | rayim | samat-su | sasahiḥ | atha | naḥ | vasyasaḥ | kṛdhi
32
4×8 syllables
Driving and resolute; strong consonants in ‘anapacyuta’ and ‘samatsu sāsahiḥ’.
Instills perseverance and courage; reinforces the sense of unbroken support.
- अनपच्युत (anapacyuta)
- Literal: not fallen away, not slipping. Symbolic: Unwavering spiritual support; steadiness that does not relapse into lower nature
- समत्सु (samatsu)
- Literal: in battles, conflicts. Symbolic: Inner struggles—between light and obscurity, aspiration and inertia
- ससहिः (sasahiḥ)
- Literal: conquering, overpowering. Symbolic: Victorious force of consciousness; resilience that overcomes resistance
- रयि (rayi)
- Literal: wealth. Symbolic: Inner capital: strength, clarity, right impulses, supportive circumstances
- अभि अर्ष (abhi arṣa)
- Literal: flow toward. Symbolic: Inpouring of purified delight into the being
Soma as unwavering victor invoked to ensure triumph in inner/outer contests
During Soma’s flowing, especially when invoking steadfastness and victory for the sacrificer
Chant to secure an unfailing flow and victorious outcome
For resilience: repeat during periods of relapse or conflict; use as a ‘steadiness mantra’ in habit change and recovery.
anapacyutaḥ: a- ‘not’ + apa-√cyu ‘to slip, fall away’ → ‘unfailing, unwavering’. samátsu loc. pl. from samát ‘battle, encounter’ (from sam- ‘together’ + √mad/√mat? traditional; meaning stabilized as ‘conflict/encounter’). sāsahíḥ from √sah ‘to prevail, overcome’ with intensive/reduplicated perfect-like formation indicating strong conquering capacity.
steadfastness (acyuti) of ṛta-current, inner warfare as tapas/discipline
Anapacyuta indicates establishment in ṛta—order that does not deviate.
Victory in samatsu implies truth prevailing over coverers in the being.
Vedic psychology of conflict and conquest (Indra/Soma synergy) as inner discipline.
A continuous current of calm joy that holds steady through emotional storms and mental conflict.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘unfailing Soma’ who brings victorious wealth in battles: a mythic image of an undiminishing stream of delight/clarity that ensures triumph wherever consciousness meets resistance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √cyu ‘move, slip’ relates to PIE *ḱeu- ‘to swell/move’ in some proposals; more securely, √sah ‘overcome’ continues an Indo-Iranian strength/prevailing lexeme (cf. Avestan sah-), reflecting inherited diction of victory and endurance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer seeks reliability: Soma must not ‘slip away’ but remain constant in the process. The requested ‘rayi’ is explicitly battle-capable, showing the rishi’s aim: a transformative force adequate to the struggles of ascent.
Cultivate unwavering delight that supports victory over inner resistance.
Maṇipūra (steadfast power) with grounding in Mūlādhāra (non-falling stability)
Box breathing (4-4-4-4) to build steadiness; then chant to ‘seal’ the stability.
Steady, victorious equanimity; refusal to relapse.
When facing recurring patterns, invoke Soma as ‘anapacyuta’; feel a firm, cool-white stream in the spine; name the ‘battle’ internally (fear, craving, doubt) and let the mantra carry a quiet conquering force; end by offering the result to the higher formation (vasyasas).
Keep ‘anapacyutaḥ’ articulated cleanly; preserve udatta/svarita as per recitational marks in your source.
Slight pause after ‘anapacyutaḥ’; drive through ‘samatsu sāsahiḥ’ with firm cadence; soften on the refrain.
anapacyutaḥ: break as a-na-pa-cyu-taḥ; ‘cyu’ as palatal cluster, not ‘chu’, samatsu: ‘tsu’ crisp, sāsahiḥ: long ‘ā’; final visarga light, rayiṃ: nasalization on ‘ṃ’
Firm and steady, not harsh; victorious but composed.
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