Rig Veda 9.96.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 96, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.96
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स नो देव देवताते पवस्व महे सोम प्सरस इन्द्रपानः । कृण्वन्नपो वर्षयन्द्यामुतेमामुरोरा नो वरिवस्या पुनानः ॥
sá no deva deva-tā́te pavasva mahé soma psárase indra-pā́naḥ | kṛṇván apó varṣáyan dyā́m utémām urórā no varivasyā punānáḥ ||
ହେ ଦେବ ସୋମ, ଆମ ପାଇଁ ଦେବତାତେ (ଦିବ୍ୟ ଅବସ୍ଥା)ରେ ପବିତ୍ର ହୋଇ ପ୍ରବାହିତ ହୁଅ; ମହା ବିସ୍ତାର ପାଇଁ, ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରପାନ (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରଙ୍କ ପାନୀୟ) ହୁଅ। ଅପଃ (ଜଳ)କୁ ଗଢ଼ି, ଦ୍ୟାମ୍ (ଆକାଶ)କୁ ବର୍ଷାଇ, ଏହି ବିଶାଳ ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ—ତୁମେ ଶୁଦ୍ଧ ହେବାବେଳେ, ଆମ ପାଇଁ ଅସ୍ତିତ୍ୱର ବିଶାଳ ପଥ ଖୋଲିଦିଅ।
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that Soma)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देव
- O godNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role (सम्बोधन)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवताते
- for (your) divinity / for the state of being divineNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम् (वैदिक रूप: -ते)Role SampradānaRoot देवता (प्रातिपदिक) + -ते (दत्तिव-एकवचन; वैदिक)
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow as purifiedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √पू (पूञ्) ‘to purify’
- महे
- for the great (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोम
- O SomaNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role (सम्बोधन)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्सरसः
- (as) the streaming drop / the flowing sprayNounपुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वैदिक -सः)Role KartāRoot प्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक) / प्सरस्- ‘drop/stream, spray’
- इन्द्रपानः
- Indra-drunk; Indra’s draughtAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इन्द्र + पान (प्रातिपदिक); बहुव्रीहिः ‘whose drink is for Indra / drunk by Indra’
- कृण्वन्
- making; doingVerbal adjective (present participle)वर्तमान कृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot √कृ ‘to make, do’
- अपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्षयन्
- causing to rain; showeringVerbal adjective (present participle)वर्तमान कृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot √वृष् ‘to rain, shower’ (causative) → वर्षयति
- द्याम्
- the heaven/skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (समुच्चय/उपपद)Root उत (निपात)
- इमाम्
- this (earth)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उरोरा
- widely; far and wideIndeclinable/Adverbial (Vedic)अव्ययवत् प्रयोगःRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root उरु (प्रातिपदिक) + रा (वैदिक अव्यय/प्रगृह्य-प्रकार; intensifying particle) अथवा उरु-उरा (द्विरुक्ति) ‘widely, far and wide’
- नः
- to usPronounचतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वरिवस्या
- grant free course; bestow favor/roomVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root वरिवस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘wide space, free course, favor’ → वरिवस्य (denom.)
- पुनानः
- purifying himself; being purifiedVerbal adjective (present participle)वर्तमान कृदन्तः (शानच्), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपद-भावःRole KartāRoot √पू (पूञ्) ‘to purify’
Sandhi Notes
- स नो॑ → सः + नः (विसर्ग-लोपः)
- देव दे॒वता॑ते → देव + देवताते (सम्बोधन + चतुर्थी; -ते वैदिक दत्तिव-एकवचन)
- म॒हे सो॑म → महे + सोम (सम्बोधन)
- प्सर॑स इन्द्र॒पान॑: → प्सरसः + इन्द्रपानः (विसर्गः पदान्ते)
- कृ॒ण्वन्न॒पो → कृण्वन् + अपः (न् + अ → न्न)
- व॒र्षय॒न्द्याम् → वर्षयन् + द्याम् (पदान्त-न् + द्)
- द्यामु॒तेमाम् → द्याम् + उत + इमाम् (म् + उ → मु; उत + इमाम् संधिः)
- उ॒रोरा नो॑ → उरोरा + नः
- वरिवस्या पुना॒नः → वरिवस्या + पुनानः (अ + प् संधिः न दृश्यते; पदच्छेदः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O god Soma, purify yourself for us into divine status, for great wideness, as Indra’s drink. Making the waters and raining the heaven and this broad earth, purified, open for us the wide paths.
Inner meaning
The sadhaka asks Soma to become devatāte—fully divine in function within us—so that consciousness attains mahat psaras (great wideness/free movement). As Indra’s drink, Soma feeds the illumined mind, enabling victory over constriction. ‘Making the waters’ means forming the flowing clarity and life-energy currents; ‘raining the heaven’ is the descent of higher light; ‘and this broad earth’ indicates establishing that descent in embodied life. When Soma is purified, he opens varivas—spacious passages—through which the being can move out of limitation into freedom.
Universal truth
True purification is not mere cleansing but divinization: it brings wideness, a descent of higher light, and practical freedom of movement in life.
Themes
Purification, Wideness (uru), Heaven-Earth integration, Indra empowerment
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.96.1, Rig Veda 9.95.3
Family tradition
Transmitted within Soma purification hymns; rishi identity not preserved for this verse in the provided source.
Significance
A direct yogic prayer for divinization and wideness—central to the Aurobindonian reading of Soma as Ananda opening vast consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Deva (god), Pavamāna (purifying), Indrapāna (drink of Indra), Varivasyā-kṛt (opener of wide paths, functional epithet)
- Related deities
- Indra, Dyaus (heaven principle), Prithivī (earth principle), Varuṇa (wideness/law, conceptually)
Cosmic role
Purifies and divinizes; establishes wideness; mediates descent of heaven-light and formation of waters; opens paths for evolution.
Inner power
Ananda-force that expands consciousness, supports illumination, and removes constriction by creating inner space.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma Pavamāna purification and offering; prayer for Soma’s perfecting before offering to Indra.
स नो॑ देव दे॒वता॑ते पवस्व म॒हे सो॑म॒ प्सर॑स इन्द्र॒पान॑: । कृ॒ण्वन्न॒पो व॒र्षय॒न्द्यामु॒तेमामु॒रोरा नो॑ वरिवस्या पुना॒नः ॥
सः । नः॒ । दे॒व॒ । दे॒वऽता॑ते । प॒व॒स्व॒ । म॒हे । सो॒म॒ । प्सर॑से । इ॒न्द्र॒ऽपानः॑ । कृ॒ण्वन् । अ॒पः । व॒र्षय॑न् । द्याम् । उ॒त । इ॒माम् । उ॒रोः । आ । नः॒ । व॒रि॒व॒स्य॒ । पु॒ना॒नः ॥
saḥ | naḥ | deva | deva-tāte | pavasva | mahe | soma | psarase | indra-pānaḥ | kṛṇvan | apaḥ | varṣayan | dyām | uta | imām | uroḥ | ā | naḥ | varivasya | punānaḥ
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4 padas × ~12 syllables
Expansive, spacious movement matching the theme of wideness (psaras/varivas).
Opens breath and chest; induces a felt sense of space and descent—useful for meditation on wideness.
- देवताते (devatāte)
- Literal: into godhood/divine status. Symbolic: divinization of the inner force; becoming a conscious divine power in us
- पवस्व (pavasva)
- Literal: purify yourself, flow pure. Symbolic: self-purification of consciousness; clarified delight-stream
- महे प्सरसे (mahe psarase)
- Literal: for great wideness/free expanse. Symbolic: vast inner space; freedom from contraction and fear
- इन्द्रपानः (indrapānaḥ)
- Literal: Indra’s drink. Symbolic: delight that nourishes illumination and victorious mind
- अपः (apaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: consciousness-currents; life-energy clarified and luminous
- वर्षयन् द्याम् (varṣayan dyām)
- Literal: raining the heaven. Symbolic: descent of higher light/knowledge from above
- उतेमाम् उरोः (utemām uroḥ)
- Literal: and this broad (earth). Symbolic: embodiment of wideness in physical life; stable foundation
- वरिवस्या (varivasyā)
- Literal: make room/open paths. Symbolic: create spacious passages; remove inner blockages and narrowness
Pavamāna chant during Soma filtration; intended to effect ‘wideness’ and empower Indra through Soma
During the flowing/straining and prior to offering as ‘Indra’s drink’.
Chant while Soma flows; inwardly, let the mind ‘strain out’ narrowness and invite a descent of light.
A mantra for anxiety and constriction: chant to invoke wideness and open inner ‘paths’ before challenging tasks.
deva-tā́te: abstract in -tāti from deva, ‘state of being divine’. pavasva from √pū ‘purify/cleanse’. varivasyā from varivas ‘wide space, free room’ (connected with √vṛ/√var ‘to choose/enclose’ with semantic development to ‘room, scope’). apáḥ ‘waters’ as plural of āp, a standard RV symbol for flowing consciousness/energies.
deva-tāti (becoming divine), uru/varivas (wideness, inner freedom), descent-ascent interchange (rain/purification)
Wideness and right-flow (waters) are expressions of ṛta as free, ordered movement.
Divinization (devatāte) implies alignment with satya-consciousness rather than mixed motives.
Descent and formation: heaven rains; waters are made; earth is broadened—an inner cosmogony of transformation.
Integral Vedanta/Yoga: descent of higher consciousness into mind-life-body; wideness as a sign of the higher plane.
rainy season imagery (varṣa) suggested; not explicit
Rain from heaven = descent of illumination; waters = clarified life-currents; earth broadened = embodied stability; paths opened = removal of inner knots.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The rain-making/heaven-raining motif: Soma, once purified, ‘makes the waters’ and ‘rains the heaven’, a mythic image of releasing higher plenitudes into the human field; psychologically, the clarified delight-consciousness opens the streams of inspiration and wideness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pū ‘purify’ (pavasva) is Indo-Iranian (cf. Avestan pū- ‘cleanse’). dyā́m (acc. of dyauṣ) reflects PIE *dyew- ‘sky, day’ (cf. Greek Zeus, Latin Iuppiter).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi petitions Soma’s self-purification ‘for us’ as a transformational act: Soma’s divine becoming (deva-tāti) is simultaneously the opening of human capacity (varivas) and the empowerment of Indra within the practitioner.
Wideness practice: feel Soma as a cool, bright stream cleansing the inner channel; invite a ‘rain’ of light from above into the whole body.
Sahasrara (descent) through Ajna to Anahata (wideness)
Slow diaphragmatic breathing: inhale 5, exhale 7; on exhale feel ‘varivas’—space opening around the heart and spine.
Spacious, receptive, quietly luminous.
Chant 9 times, then sit 5 minutes: imagine sky-light raining into a clear inner ocean, spreading into the body as broad earth; end by sensing open pathways ahead.
Tri-svara; keep a spacious phrasing to embody ‘psaras/varivas’; confirm precise accents with a svara-pāṭha source.
Do not compress: allow slight elongation at ‘mahe psarase’ and ‘uror’ to suggest wideness.
devatāte: long ā in tā; clear retroflex ṭ, indrapānaḥ: keep ndra cluster clean, varṣayan: retroflex ṣ, and nasal ‘-yan’, varivasyā: articulate va-ri-va-syā distinctly, avoid slurring
Open-throated, calm, resonant; prioritize smooth continuity over volume.
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