Rig Veda 9.35.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 35, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.35
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
इन्दो समुद्रमीङ्खय पवस्व विश्वमेजय । रायो धर्ता न ओजसा ॥
índo samudrám īṅkhaya pavasva víśvam ejaya | rāyó dhartā́ na ójasā ||
O Indu, wprowadź w ruch ocean bytu; spływaj i spraw, by wszystkie rzeczy zadrżały i przebudziły się. Swoją siłą stań się dla nas nosicielem pełni.
Word by Word
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (addressed entity)Root इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) < √इन्द्/इन्दु- (सोम)
- समुद्रम्
- the ocean; the seaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (object)Root समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईङ्खय
- shake; set in motionVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम?—वास्तवतः प्रथम्-पुरुष एकवचन (Vedic injunctive/imperative usage), परस्मैपद; रूप: ईङ्खय (2nd sg imp. also possible in later Sanskrit, but here addressed Soma: ‘make … shake’)Role क्रिया (governing कर्म ‘समुद्रम्’)Root √ईङ्ख् (ईङ्खयति) / √इङ्ख् (variant)
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow forth (as purified)Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (addressed to Indu)Root √पू (पवते) / √पु (to purify, flow)
- विश्वम्
- all; the whole (world)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (object)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- एजय
- make (it) tremble; set in motionVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (governing कर्म ‘विश्वम्’)Root √इज्/√एज् (to move, tremble) → एजयति (causative) / Vedic imperative
- रायः
- of wealth; of richesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Vedic), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of wealth’)Root रायि/राय (प्रातिपदिक)
- धर्ता
- holder; supporterNoun (agent)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (subject/apposition to इन्दो)Root √धृ (to hold) → धर्तृ (agent noun) / धर्ता (Vedic nom. sg.)
- नः
- of us; ourPronounषष्ठी (enclitic), बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (our; for us—contextual)Root अस्मद् (pronoun)
- ओजसा
- with strength; by mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (instrument)Root ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (resolved): इन्दो | समुद्रम् | ईङ्खय | पवस्व | विश्वम् | एजय | रायः | धर्ता | नः | ओजसा । 1) ‘समुद्रमीङ्खय’ = ‘समुद्रम्’ + ‘ईङ्खय’ (म् + ई → मी; nasal assimilates and vowel coalescence in saṃhitā). 2) ‘ईङ्खय पवस्व’ and ‘विश्वमेजय’ show external sandhi: ‘विश्वम्’ + ‘एजय’ → ‘विश्वमेजय’ (म् + ए → मे). 3) Accent marks (उदात्त/स्वरित) are retained in the saṃhitā text
- pada-forms here are given without accent marks for morphological clarity
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Indu, stir the ocean; flow, make all things tremble; by your strength be for us the bearer of wealth.
Inner meaning
Indu (the luminous drop) sets the ‘ocean’ of being (samudra) into motion—awakening the deep subconscient mass. The tremor (ejaya) is not fear but activation: latent parts of nature begin to respond to the truth-current. Soma’s ojas (force) then holds and carries rāyaḥ—plenitude—so the awakened energies are organized, not chaotic.
Universal truth
Spiritual delight is dynamic: it stirs the depths, awakens what sleeps, and then supports the awakened life with strength and fullness so transformation can be sustained.
Themes
Soma-ritual, awakening, vastness, strength
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.35
Significance
Captures a key Aurobindonian movement: Soma-Ananda not only pacifies but powerfully activates the subconscient ocean, making transformation integral (viśvam).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu, Pavamāna, Soma
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (oceanic vastness/ṛta), Indra (awakening illumination), Maruts (vibratory forces)
Cosmic role
World-awakener: stirs the cosmic waters and energizes all forms; sustainer of plenitude through ojas.
Inner power
Dynamic Ananda-force that penetrates the subconscient and mobilizes total nature toward awakening.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration/pressing chants (stirring, energizing aspect)
इन्दो॑ समुद्रमीङ्खय॒ पव॑स्व विश्वमेजय । रा॒यो ध॒र्ता न॒ ओज॑सा ॥
इन्दो॒ इति॑ । स॒मु॒द्र॒म्ऽई॒ङ्ख॒य॒ । पव॑स्व । वि॒श्व॒म्ऽए॒ज॒य॒ । रा॒यः । ध॒र्ता । नः॒ । ओज॑सा ॥
indo iti | samudram-īṅkhaya | pavasva | viśvam-ejaya | rāyaḥ | dhartā | naḥ | ojasā
Gāyatrī (likely in RV 9.35; compact imperative style)
24
3 × 8 (approx.)
Percussive imperatives; quick activation rhythm.
Energizes; helpful when dullness or inertia dominates.
- indu
- Literal: bright drop (Soma). Symbolic: a concentrated point of delight-consciousness that initiates awakening
- samudram īṅkhaya
- Literal: stir the ocean. Symbolic: set the deep being/subconscient into conscious movement
- viśvam ejaya
- Literal: make all tremble. Symbolic: awaken every part—mind, life, body—into responsive vibration
- ojasā
- Literal: by strength. Symbolic: spiritual force that stabilizes and carries the awakening
- rāyaḥ dhartā
- Literal: bearer of wealth. Symbolic: supporter of plenitude: capacities, harmonies, inner riches
Invocatory verse in the Soma purification sequence; calls Soma to awaken the ‘ocean’ (vastness) and uphold rāyas (plenitudes) by ojas.
During more forceful moments of the Soma flow; when calling for awakening and strength.
Chant with a slightly stronger tone; visualize Soma entering and stirring the inner ocean.
Use when facing tamas/inertia—before practice, work, or recovery from discouragement.
samudra: ‘gathering of waters’ (sam- + udra/ud ‘water’), symbolically total depth. īṅkhaya: causative of √īṅkh/√iṅkh ‘to move, swing, stir’. ejaya: causative of √ij/√ej ‘to move, tremble’. dhartā: agent noun from √dhṛ ‘hold, bear’. ojas: strength.
awakening of the depths (samudra as inner ocean), ojas (spiritual strength), rāyas as plenitude of being
Stirring the ocean is the precondition for bringing hidden parts under ṛta’s governance.
Awakened ‘all’ must be carried by ojas to hold truth without collapse.
Creation as churning/stirring of waters yielding higher substance (Soma).
Vedic cosmopsychology: waters = subconscient; Soma = ananda-force that evolves order.
Ocean = deep vital-subconscient; trembling = awakening vibration; flow = transforming current.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as awakener of the cosmic/inner ocean: the luminous essence stirs the depths and makes the whole being move—an image of yogic awakening where the subconscient is shaken into conscious participation in ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhṛ ‘hold/bear’ is a stable IE root (cf. Greek thronos ‘seat’ is not a direct cognate claim, but the IE ‘support/hold’ field is pervasive). The causatives (īṅkhaya, ejaya) show Indo-Aryan’s productive causative morphology used for cosmic agency—typical of Vedic style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer requests not passive blessing but active transformation: Soma must shake the depths and become the sustaining bearer of plenitude in the practitioner—strengthening the being so it can contain the widened rāyas.
Bring Soma-force into the ‘ocean’ of the belly and lower body; awaken dormant energies without agitation.
Svadhisthana/Manipura (waters + activating force)
3 rounds: inhale into lower abdomen (ocean), exhale imagining a gentle stirring spiral; then rest in steady strength (ojas).
Energized clarity; mobilized will with delight.
If heaviness arises, chant 9 times standing, then sit; feel the whole system ‘tremble awake’ and settle into a strong, quiet readiness.
As per Vedic svara; emphasize imperative verbs with clean articulation (īṅkhaya, ejaya).
Keep īṅkhaya and ejaya crisp; slight pause after pavasva.
īṅkhaya: long ī; nasal ṅ before kh, viśvam: ‘śv’ cluster clear, ejaya: ‘e’ longish, ‘j’ voiced, dharṭā: retroflex ṭ; keep dh aspirated
Strong, steady, awakening; avoid shouting—think ‘powerful current’.
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