Rig Veda 9.4.10: Mandala 9, Sukta 4, Mantra 10
Sukta 9.4
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
रयिं नश्चित्रमश्विनमिन्दो विश्वायुमा भर । अथा नो वस्यसस्कृधि ॥
rayíṃ naś citrám aśvínam índo viśvā́yum ā́ bhara | áthā no vásyasas kṛdhi ||
Przynieś nam, o Indu, promienny majątek, szybki i pełen życia na każdy sposób; wtedy ukształtuj nas w lepszy stan.
Word by Word
- रयिम्
- wealth, richesNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रयि- (प्रातिपदिक) < √रा/रि (धनार्थे, ‘to give/possess wealth’)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी (सम्बन्धे), बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्रम्
- bright, splendid, wondrousAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रयिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot चित्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्विनम्
- having horses; horse-richAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रयिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot अश्विन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Noun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root इन्दु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वायुम्
- life-giving to all; of universal lifeAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रयिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot विश्वायु- (प्रातिपदिक; विश्व + आयु)
- आ
- hither, forth (towards)Indeclinableउपसर्गः (√भृ इत्यस्य)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- भर
- bring!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) — कर्म ‘रयिम्’Root √भृ (भरणे)
- अथा
- then, thereafterIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थकः निपातःRoot अथ (निपात)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounचतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वस्यसः
- of the better (condition); betterAdjective (comparative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (कृधि इत्यस्य कर्मणि/सम्बन्धे: ‘of the better [state]’)Role KarmaRoot वस्यस्- (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मकः ‘better’)
- कृधि
- make! render!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) — सम्प्रदान ‘नः’Root √कृ (करणे)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: रयिम् नः चित्रम् अश्विनम् इन्दो विश्वायुम् आ भर । अथा नः वस्यसः कृधि ॥ 1) ‘रयिं’ इति संहितायां अनुस्वार/अनुनासिक-परिवर्तनः
- पदे ‘रयिम्’। 2) ‘नश्’ = ‘नः’ (अस्मदः षष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचनस्य वैदिक-रूपम्) + परवर्णे शकारादेशः (नः + च → नश्च). 3) ‘अश्विनम् इन्दो’ इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘अश्विनमिन्दो’ (मकार + इकारः). 4) ‘विश्वायुम् आ’ इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘विश्वायुमा’ (म् + आ). 5) ‘वस्यसः कृधि’ इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘वस्यसस्कृधि’ (ः + क → स् + क; विसर्जनीयस्य सादेशः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to Indu (Soma) to bring a variegated, swift, all-life-giving wealth, and then to make the worshippers “better” (in a higher condition).
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the purified Soma-consciousness to bring a luminous plenitude (rayi) that is swift like the Ashvins—i.e., a rapid, effective movement of life-energy guided by higher light. Having received this influx, Soma is invoked to “shape us into the better”: to re-form the nature into a more harmonious, sattvic and illumined instrumentation fit for the inner yajña.
Universal truth
True prosperity is not mere acquisition but an increase of conscious force and delight that reorganizes the being toward a higher law; the inner nectar of clarity and bliss both grants power and transforms character.
Themes
Radiant plenitude, Swiftness of force, Life-extension (inner continuity), Soma-boon
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.4 (Pavamāna Soma), Rig Veda 9.5 (Pavamāna Soma)
Significance
Even where the specific rishi is not named, the ‘seer-function’ is clear: a consciousness attuned to Soma’s purifying descent, seeking not only gifts but transformation (kṛdhi) into a better state—central to the Aurobindonian reading of the Vedic sacrifice as inner yoga.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu, Pavamāna (self-purifying)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Ashvins, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Soma is the flowing delight and immortal sap that moves through the worlds, purifying and increasing the gods’ powers; he is the oblation and the ecstasy that makes illumination possible.
Inner power
Ananda (bliss) that clarifies the mind, quickens the life-force, and refashions the nature toward a higher harmony; the ‘pressing’ becomes inner extraction of delight from experience.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma Pavāmāna chanting during Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna-stotra context)
र॒यिं न॑श्चि॒त्रम॒श्विन॒मिन्दो॑ वि॒श्वायु॒मा भ॑र । अथा॑ नो॒ वस्य॑सस्कृधि ॥
र॒यिम् । नः॒ । चि॒त्रम् । अ॒श्विन॑म् । इन्दो॒ इति॑ । वि॒श्वऽआ॑युम् । आ । भ॒र॒ । अथ॑ । नः॒ । वस्य॑सः । कृ॒धि॒ ॥
rayim | naḥ | citram | aśvinam | indo iti | viśva-āyum | ā | bhara | atha | naḥ | vasyasaḥ | kṛdhi
Likely Gāyatrī (common in RV 9; 3 pādas of ~8 syllables each)
24
3 x 8 (approx.)
Compact, forward-driving, mantra-like clarity; suited to invocation and quickened aspiration.
Creates a brisk inward call-and-response feeling: invocation → reception → transformation; supports concentration and a decisive uplift of will.
- रयिम् (rayim)
- Literal: wealth, plenitude, treasure. Symbolic: luminous plenitude of being; resources of consciousness (light, force, joy) available to the soul
- चित्रम् (citram)
- Literal: bright, variegated, wonderful. Symbolic: many-hued illumination—integrated capacities and insights, not one-sided attainment
- अश्विनम् (aśvinam)
- Literal: connected with the Ashvins; swift like horses. Symbolic: swift, effective life-movement; quick healing and harmonizing powers in the vital
- इन्दो (indo)
- Literal: Indu, Soma-drop. Symbolic: the descending/upwelling nectar of blissful consciousness that purifies and empowers
- विश्वायुम् (viśvāyum)
- Literal: all-life, of universal lifespan/vitality. Symbolic: force that widens and sustains the whole life-being; prāṇic universality
- वस्यसः (vasyasaḥ)
- Literal: better, more excellent. Symbolic: a higher formation of nature—more truth-aligned, luminous, and capable
- कृधि (kṛdhi)
- Literal: make, do, fashion. Symbolic: inner reconstitution; psychic and mental-vital reshaping by the divine influence
Concluding request for rayi as the fruit of Soma purification—wealth conceived as radiant, swift, life-sustaining power
During Soma extraction/filtration and offering sequences
Chanting to accompany the flow/filtration of Soma and its uplifting to the gods
Used as a meditation mantra for invoking ‘luminous plenitude’ and intentional self-improvement—receiving inspiration and then consenting to inner reshaping.
índu ‘drop, bright drop’ (Soma). citrá ‘bright, variegated’ from √cit ‘notice, perceive’ and/or semantic field of ‘conspicuous’; in Vedic, often ‘bright, wondrous’. aśvínam adj. ‘having horses/pertaining to horses’ from aśva ‘horse’ (< PIE *h₁éḱwos), symbolically ‘dynamic energy’. viśvā́yum: viśva ‘all’ + āyu ‘life, lifespan’ (< √i ‘go’ → life as going/continuance), meaning ‘life-full in all ways / extending life universally’. bhara < √bhṛ ‘to bear, bring’ (PIE *bʰer- ‘carry’).
āyu as continuity of conscious life, rayi as plenitude aligned with ṛta
The request ‘make us better’ aligns the human formation with R̥ta—right rhythm of truth in mind and life.
Citram rayi hints at satya as many-sided truth-vision rather than single notion.
Transformation/formation (kṛ) of the human instrument by a higher essence (Soma).
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-yogic reading (Aurobindo): Ananda as a power of consciousness-effectuation.
The ‘flowing drop’ is the movement of bliss-consciousness through the subtle channels, bringing energized harmony and a higher re-formation of the personality.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as ‘Indu’ who brings radiant, swift, life-bearing wealth: the purified drop confers a many-colored plenitude (citra rayi) that moves with the speed of aśva-energy and sustains the whole life of the being (viśvāyu).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśva continues PIE *h₁éḱwos ‘horse’ (cf. Latin equus, Greek híppos via a different PIE stem *h₁éḱwos vs *h₁éḱwos/*h₁éḱu̯os; regular correspondences show shared inheritance). √bhṛ ‘bring’ is PIE *bʰer- (English bear, Greek phérō). The poetic linkage of ‘fame/wealth/life’ as transferable ‘portions’ resonates with Indo-European gift-economy diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Soma to concretely ‘bring’ (ā bhara) the inner wealth that can act swiftly and sustain life integrally. The refrain again makes the goal explicit: Soma’s gift is meant to reconstitute the seeker into a higher mode of being, not merely to enrich externally.
Receive a ‘radiant plenitude’ (rayi) and consent to inner re-formation into the vasyas (better) condition.
Anāhata to Ājñā (blissful opening rising into luminous clarity)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow inhale imagining ‘ā bhara’ (bringing in), exhale offering the result inwardly.
Quiet joy with alert clarity; receptive aspiration.
Begin with a brief inner offering: ‘May the higher delight enter.’ Feel a swift harmonizing movement in the vital (aśvinam), then affirm: ‘Shape me into the better state’—release old patterns without strain.
Use standard Rigvedic accenting: preserve udātta on marked syllables, anudātta in unmarked low tones, svarita on falling accents (exact pada-svara requires śākhā-specific notation).
Chant by pāda with a slight lift on udātta; keep cadence steady, ending each pāda with a gentle settling tone.
Hold long vowels: ā in ‘ā bhara’ clearly extended, Retroflex ṣ not present here; but keep ‘vasyasaḥ’ with clear ‘ya-sa-saḥ’, ‘aśvinam’: pronounce ś as palatal (like ‘sh’), not s
Clear, bright, slightly flowing (as if following a stream).
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