Rig Veda 9.12.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 12, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.12
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace)
यः सोमः कलशेष्वाँ अन्तः पवित्र आहितः । तमिन्दुः परि षस्वजे ॥
yáḥ sómaḥ kalaśéṣv ā́ntar pavítra ā́hitaḥ | tám índuḥ pári sasvajé ||
Ten Soma, który jest umieszczony w dzbanach, położony wewnętrznie w oczyszczaczu, jego jasny Indu obejmuje dokoła, zamykając i doskonaląc w nas wyklarowaną istotę.
Word by Word
- यः
- who; he whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-निर्देशकः (यः = ‘who/which’, ‘he who’)Root यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमः
- Soma (the pressed/filtered sacred drink; Soma deity)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (यः सोमः …) / विषयःRoot सोम- (प्रातिपदिक)
- कलशेषु
- in the jars; in the vesselsNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरण (स्थान) — ‘in the jars/vessels’Root कलश- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आन्
- those (them)Pronoun (enclitic) / particle-likeपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (Vedic form for ‘तान्’)Role कर्म (of implied ‘being in/entering’ with locative context; ‘those (vessels)’)Root अस्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक ‘अ’ = idam/ayam-series; Vedic enclitic)
- अन्तः
- within; insideIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role अधिकरण-विशेषण (स्थान-निर्देशः) — ‘inside/within’Root अन्तर्/अन्तः (अव्यय/उपसर्गीय-प्रयोग)
- पवित्रे
- in the filter; in the strainerNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरण (स्थान) — ‘in/within the strainer (filter)’Root पवित्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आहितः
- placed; deposited; setParticiple (past passive) used adjectivallyपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्तः (PPP)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणः (सोमः … आहितः = ‘Soma placed/deposited’)Root आ-धा (धातु: √धा ‘to place’) → क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘आहित’
- तम्
- him; thatPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (of ‘षस्वजे’) — ‘him/that (Soma)’Root तद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दुः
- Indu; the bright drop (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of ‘षस्वजे’) — ‘Indu (the bright drop/Soma)’Root इन्दु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around; all aroundIndeclinable (preverb)अव्ययम्Role क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गः (embracing ‘around’)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- षस्वजे
- embraced; claspedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण-भूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रिया (कर्तृ: इन्दुः; कर्म: तम्)Root √स्वज् (स्वजँ/स्वञ्ज् ‘to embrace, clasp’) with उपसर्ग ‘परि-’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यः सोमः कलशेषु आन् अन्तः पवित्रे आहितः । तम् इन्दुः परि षस्वजे ॥ 1) कलशेष्वाँ → कलशेषु + आन् (Vedic sandhi: उ + आ → वा; anusvāra/ँ marks nasalization; ‘आन्’ is Vedic enclitic acc.pl. ‘तान्’). 2) तमिन्दुः → तम् + इन्दुः (म् + इ → मि). 3) परि षस्वजे is preverb + verb (no further sandhi). Accents in the saṃhitā text are retained as given
- pada analysis is by resolved padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
That Soma set within the jars, placed inside the purifier—him the luminous Indu embraces all around.
Inner meaning
Soma (delight) is collected in the ‘jars’—stable vessels of the being—and placed within the inner purifier (pavitra), the refining faculty. Then Indu, the luminous essence of Soma, encircles and perfects it: consciousness forms a protective, luminous containment so the clarified delight does not leak into lower excitement but becomes a concentrated nectar for transformation.
Universal truth
Spiritual joy must be contained and refined within a disciplined vessel; then it becomes concentrated, stable, and transformative rather than dissipated.
Themes
Ritual vessels (kalaśa), Pavitra (filter), Integration, Inner containment
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.12.1, Rig Veda 9.12.2, Rig Veda 9.12.3, Rig Veda 9.12.4, Rig Veda 9.12.6
Significance
The verse highlights a subtle discipline: not only to receive Soma, but to ‘hold’ it—inner containment (kalaśa) and purification (pavitra) so delight becomes a stable spiritual substance.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu as Soma’s luminous aspect)
- Epithets
- Indu (bright drop), Pavamāna (purifying), Śuci (pure), Madhumat (honeyed)
- Related deities
- Agni (holder/processor of offering), Indra (receiver empowered)
Cosmic role
Soma is collected, purified, and made fit for offering; Indu is the concentrated radiance that results from purification.
Inner power
Concentration of Ananda into a luminous, contained essence that can permeate and perfect the nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma collection into vessels after filtration
यः सोम॑: क॒लशे॒ष्वाँ अ॒न्तः प॒वित्र॒ आहि॑तः । तमिन्दु॒: परि॑ षस्वजे ॥
यः । सोमः॑ । क॒लशे॑षु । आ । अ॒न्तरिति॑ । प॒वित्रे॑ । आऽहि॑तः । तम् । इन्दुः॑ । परि॑ । स॒स्व॒जे॒ ॥
yaḥ | somaḥ | kalaśeṣu | ā | antariti | pavitre | āhitaḥ | tam | induḥ | pari | sasvaje
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3×8
Enclosing, circular feel—especially with pari…sasvaje; short padas create a sense of containment.
Supports inward gathering and sealing of energy; good for ‘closing’ a practice session.
- कलशेषु (kalaśeṣu)
- Literal: in jars/pots. Symbolic: formed vessels in the nature—mind, life, body made fit to hold higher essence
- अन्तः (antaḥ)
- Literal: within. Symbolic: inwardization: turning the experience inside, away from outward dispersion
- पवित्रे (pavitre)
- Literal: in the purifier/filter. Symbolic: inner discriminative purification; psychic/mind sieve
- आहितः (āhitaḥ)
- Literal: placed, deposited. Symbolic: consciously स्थापित—held steadily in awareness
- इन्दुः (induḥ)
- Literal: bright drop. Symbolic: luminous, concentrated Soma-essence (clarified delight)
- परि षस्वजे (pari ṣasvaje)
- Literal: embraced all around. Symbolic: protective encirclement—integrating containment and perfection
Refers to Soma in jars and in the filter—explicitly ritual; used during handling/straining and collection.
When Soma is placed in jars and readied for offering
Chanting during depositing/holding of Soma in kalaśas and within pavitra handling
Use when you feel spiritual energy dispersing: chant to ‘seal’ the experience in calm containment and clarity.
kalaśa ‘jar’ (ritual vessel). pavitra ‘purifier’ from √pū ‘purify’. āhita ‘placed’ (ā-√dhā/related Vedic placing verbs). √svaj ‘embrace’ conveys enclosing/completing—psychologically the gathering of dispersed energies into a unified clarified essence.
interiorization (antaḥ), purification as inner discipline, integration/unification (pari-sasvaje)
Right measure and right vessel are ṛta in practice—divine energies require fit forms.
Purity is the condition for delight to be truth-bearing rather than intoxicating.
Formation of vessels is part of manifestation: essence must be held to become effective in the world.
Yoga of transformation: containment and purification of Ananda for integral change.
Vessel = stable personality-structure; purifier = discrimination/psychic sincerity; embrace = integration and protection.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma enclosed in vessels and embraced by Indu: the clarified essence is gathered, held, and completed. In the inner sense, the delight-power placed within the purifier becomes integrated—no longer scattered—by the luminous Indu that surrounds and perfects it.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pari ‘around’ is PIE *peri (cf. Greek περί, Latin per). √svaj ‘embrace’ has possible IE parallels in notions of clasping (exact cognates uncertain), but the formulaic use of preverbs (pari-) with verbs is a strong IE inheritance in poetic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi tracks Soma’s movement into inner containment (antaḥ) and purification (pavitra), showing the practitioner how divine delight is to be held and integrated. The Devata acts as the very power of integration—Indu embracing Soma—within the human vessel.
Contain and purify inner joy; let luminous essence encircle the mind and nerves with calm protection.
Maṇipūra (vessel/containment of energy) supported by Anāhata (inwardness)
Exhale slightly longer than inhale to settle; on exhale feel a ‘ring’ of light sealing around the torso/head
Inward, protected steadiness (samādhāna)
Chant 7 times at the end of meditation. Visualize Soma as a white nectar placed in a golden jar at the heart; then a moonlike halo (Indu) wraps around it, preventing leakage into restlessness.
Ṛgvedic accents; keep clarity on compounds and sandhi; do not over-musicalize beyond accent.
Mark pauses at pada ends; let ‘pari’ begin slightly softer and ‘sasvaje’ close firmly (sense of sealing).
kalaśeṣu: retroflex ṣ clear; ‘eṣu’ light, pavitre: ‘tri’ crisp; do not turn into ‘pavitreya’, āhitaḥ: long ā; ‘h’ audible, sasvaje: pronounce ‘sv’ cluster cleanly
Soft but steady, with a closing/containing resonance.
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