Rig Veda 9.15.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 15, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.15
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
एष शृङ्गाणि दोधुवच्छिशीते यूथ्यो वृषा । नृम्णा दधान ओजसा ॥
eṣá śṛ́ṅgāṇi dódhuvac chíśīte yūthyò vṛ́ṣā́ | nṛmnā́ dádhāna ójasā ||
Ta Soma, byk stada, potrząsa swoimi rogami i ostrzy się, nosząc męską potęgę i siłę, energię, która przełamuje i potwierdza panowanie.
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one), hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एष-
- शृङ्गाणि
- hornsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
- दोधुवत्
- shook, kept shakingVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √धू (धुनोति) [Intensive/Reduplicated: दोधू-]
- शिशीते
- sharpens (itself), becomes keenVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √शा/√शि (शिशीते ‘to sharpen, whet, make keen’)
- यूथ्यः
- herd-going, belonging to the troopAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (एषः/वृषा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root यूथ्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘belonging to the herd/troop’)
- वृषा
- the bull (vigorous one)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot वृषन्/वृष (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bull, vigorous one’)
- नृम्णा
- with manly mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot नृम्ण (प्रातिपदिक; ‘manly power, heroism’)
- दधानः
- bearing, possessingParticiple (Adjectival)वर्तमान कृदन्तः (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (एषः/वृषा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root √धा (दधाति) → दधान (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- ओजसा
- with strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘strength, vigor’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एषः | शृङ्गाणि | दोधुवत् | शिशीते | यूथ्यः | वृषा | नृम्णा | दधानः | ओजसा । 1) ए॒ष शृङ्गा॑णि → एषः शृङ्गाणि (विसर्ग-लोपः पदसंहितायाम्)
- 2) दोधु॑व॒च्छिशी॑ते → दोधुवत् शिशीते (त् + श् संहितायां ‘च्छ’)
- 3) यू॒थ्यो॒ वृषा॑ → यूथ्यः वृषा (विसर्ग-लोपः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
This Soma, the bull of the herd, shakes his horns and sharpens himself, bearing manly might and strength.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma becomes a vigorous leader-force (yūthya vṛṣā): a collective energizer of the inner faculties. ‘Horns’ are powers of penetration and assertion; shaking and sharpening indicate intensification and refinement of force. nṛmṇā and ojasā show Soma as Ananda that is not passive sweetness but a virile strength supporting mastery over resistance.
Universal truth
True delight, when purified, becomes a strong and discerning power: it sharpens the will, penetrates obstacles, and establishes confident mastery in action.
Themes
Soma as power, Heroic strengthening, Purification as intensification, Vital force transmuted
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.15.1, Rig Veda 9.15.2, Rig Veda 9.15.3, Rig Veda 9.15.5
Significance
The verse guards against a sentimental reading of Soma: the seer presents bliss as a dynamic, strengthening principle—Ananda that arms the being with ojas for the battle against inner darkness.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Vṛṣā (bull), Yūthya (leader of the host), Ojasvān (full of strength)
- Related deities
- Indra (victory), Maruts (host/collective forces), Agni (strengthening fire)
Cosmic role
Energizer of the gods and powers; makes the collective forces effective for victory in the cosmic struggle.
Inner power
Virile Ananda that sharpens will and intelligence, giving penetrating force to overcome coverings.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering; praising Soma’s potency
ए॒ष शृङ्गा॑णि॒ दोधु॑व॒च्छिशी॑ते यू॒थ्यो॒३॒॑ वृषा॑ । नृ॒म्णा दधा॑न॒ ओज॑सा ॥
ए॒षः । शृङ्गा॑णि । दोधु॑वत् । शिशी॑ते । यू॒थ्यः॑ । वृषा॑ । नृ॒म्णा । दधा॑नः । ओज॑सा ॥
eṣaḥ | śṛṅgāṇi | dodhuvat | śiśīte | yūthyaḥ | vṛṣā | nṛmṇā | dadhānaḥ | ojasā
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4 × ~12; strong consonantal clusters give muscular rhythm.
Punchy, force-bearing cadence with emphatic beats on vṛṣā, nṛmṇā, ojasā.
Invokes strength and confidence; good for energizing practice and dispelling tamas.
- yūthyaḥ
- Literal: of the herd, belonging to the troop. Symbolic: leader/organizer of the collective inner powers (thought, life, sense)
- vṛṣā
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: virile force; potent Ananda that fertilizes and strengthens consciousness
- śṛṅgāṇi
- Literal: horns. Symbolic: penetrating powers of discernment and victorious assertion
- śiśīte
- Literal: sharpens, whets. Symbolic: refines and intensifies energy into effective force
- nṛmṇā / ojasā
- Literal: manly might / strength. Symbolic: heroic soul-force and concentrated power for overcoming resistance
Soma as invigorating power during pressing/purification; imagery supports the strengthening (ojas, nṛmṇa) expected from Soma-drinking in the sacrifice.
During chanting over the flowing/filtered Soma, affirming its strength-giving nature.
Recite while Soma is collected and prepared for offering; mentally ‘sharpen’ resolve and aspiration.
Use before demanding work or spiritual effort; a mantra for building ojas and steady courage.
dódhuvat is intensive/reduplicated from √dhū ‘shake’; vṛṣā from √vṛṣ ‘to rain’ → ‘bull’ as raining potency (psychologically: pouring force into the being); ojas is ‘sap/strength’ (vital-energetic essence); nṛmṇa is heroic efficacy (nṛ ‘man’ + -mna), often paired with ojas to express both capacity and energy.
Ojas (concentrated force), Nṛmṇa (heroic power), Self-purification as self-sharpening
Strength is not brute force but r̥ta-powered effectiveness—energy aligned with truth.
Sharpening implies purification of motive: power becomes true power.
Concentration of force—creation of a potent instrument for divine action in life.
Integral Yoga emphasis on ojas/tejas transformed by Ananda.
Bull = potent life-force uplifted; horns = penetrating discernment; herd = the many faculties; sharpening = refinement of energy into effective will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the ‘bull’ who sharpens and brandishes horns: the mythic figure of purified power becoming a weapon-like potency that can penetrate obstacles and establish victorious strength in the seeker.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhū ‘shake’ has broad IE parallels in semantic fields of agitation; vṛṣā from √vṛṣ ‘rain’ belongs to an Indo-Iranian poetic equation ‘bull = rain/potency’ (a shared archaic metaphor). The use of reduplication (dódhuvat) is an inherited intensification strategy in IE verbal morphology.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi perceives Soma not as passive offering but as an active ally: Soma ‘sharpens himself’—a divine self-action that, once invoked, equips the human being with ojas and nṛmṇa for inner conquest.
Invoke Soma as purified delight that becomes strength; feel it sharpening the will and clarifying the mind’s edge.
Maṇipūra (ojas/tejas) supported by heart-joy (anāhata).
Kapalabhati (mild) or brisk exhale emphasis for energizing, followed by quiet repetition to stabilize.
Dynamic, courageous, forceful clarity.
On repetition, sense a bright power in the solar plexus rising as confident joy; let it become ‘horns’—a steady penetrating attention that refuses inner compromise.
Three-tone; emphasize vṛṣā, nṛmṇā, ojasā with firm udatta; keep dodhuvat crisp.
Give percussive clarity on consonant clusters; slight stress on śṛṅgāṇi and śiśīte to convey ‘shaking’ and ‘sharpening’.
śṛṅgāṇi: vocalic ṛ + ṅg cluster cleanly., dodhuvat: keep reduplication clear (do-dhu-vat)., śiśīte: long ī; sibilants distinct., ojasā: long ā at end.
Strong, resonant, slightly martial; avoid strain—power with control.
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