Rig Veda 9.40.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 40, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.40
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स नः पुनान आ भर रयिं स्तोत्रे सुवीर्यम् । जरितुर्वर्धया गिरः ॥
sa naḥ punāná ā́ bhara rayíṃ stotré su-vī́ryam | jaritúr vardhayā gíraḥ ||
O Somo, gdy się oczyszczasz, przynieś nam rayi, pełnię bytu, dla naszego hymnu, bogactwo, które niesie heroiczną moc; i pomnóż natchnione słowa śpiewaka.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पुनानः
- purifying (himself), being purifiedParticipleवर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शानच्), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot पू (धातु, ‘to purify’) → पुनान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय, आत्मनेपद)
- आ
- hither, forth; (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गः (आ-), क्रियायोगेRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- भर
- bring!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root भृ (धातु, ‘to bear/bring’)
- रयिम्
- wealth, bountyNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तोत्रे
- in/at the hymn of praiseNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुवीर्यम्
- good heroism, splendid strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सु- + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- जरितुः
- of the singer/praiserNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot जरितृ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘singer, praiser’)
- वर्धय
- increase!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root वृध् (धातु, ‘to increase’)
- गिरः
- songs, hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot गिर् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘song, hymn, voice’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सः नः पुनानः आ भर रयिम् स्तोत्रे सुवीर्यम् । जरितुः वर्धय गिरः ॥ 1) स नः → सः + नः (विसर्ग-लोपः/संहितायाम् ‘स’)
- 2) पुना॒न → पुनानः (शानच्-प्रत्ययान्तः; पदान्ते ‘ः’)
- 3) आ भर (उपसर्ग ‘आ’ + लोट् ‘भर’)
- 4) स्तोत्रे (सप्तमी एकवचन)
- 5) जरितुर्वर्धय → जरितुः + वर्धय (विसर्गस्य ‘र्’ आदेशः परे घोषे ‘व’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, purifying, bring us rayi (wealth) for our hymn—wealth with heroic power—and increase the singer’s inspired utterances.
Inner meaning
As Soma clarifies, he brings ‘rayi’ not merely material plenty but fullness of being and resources of consciousness offered to the stotra (inner hymn). ‘Su-vīryam’ is a noble hero-force: courage, capacity, and victorious energy in the life-mind. The mantra asks Soma to enlarge ‘giraḥ’—the inspired word—so the seeker’s expression becomes truer, more potent, and more mantric.
Universal truth
True prosperity is the increase of being and power that supports truth-speaking and inspired expression; purification of delight amplifies both inner wealth and the right word.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification, Invocation of inner wealth (rayi), Mantric increase
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.40.4, Rig Veda 9.40.6
Family tradition
Pavamāna poets cultivate the craft of inspired speech (giraḥ) as an instrument of purification and ascent.
Significance
The seer-voice here is explicitly concerned with the growth of mantra-shakti: the inspired word increases when delight is purified.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- punānaḥ, soma
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (lord of the word), Indra (heroic mind-force), Agni (priest of the inner sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Bestower of rayi and supporter of the hymn; purifier who makes the offering effective.
Inner power
Ananda that becomes courage (suvīrya) and mantric inspiration (giraḥ).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification chant within Soma-yajña
स न॑: पुना॒न आ भ॑र र॒यिं स्तो॒त्रे सु॒वीर्य॑म् । ज॒रि॒तुर्व॑र्धया॒ गिर॑: ॥
सः । नः॒ । पु॒ना॒नः । आ । भ॒र॒ । र॒यिम् । स्तो॒त्रे । सु॒ऽवीर्य॑म् । ज॒रि॒तुः । व॒र्ध॒य॒ । गिरः॑ ॥
saḥ | naḥ | punānaḥ | ā | bhara | rayim | stotre | su-vīryam | jarituḥ | vardhaya | giraḥ
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4×12 (approx.)
A broad, steady rhythm supporting ‘bringing’ (ā bhara) and ‘increasing’ (vardhaya).
Builds confident fullness; the cadence naturally ‘swells,’ mirroring vardhaya (increase).
- punānaḥ
- Literal: purifying (oneself). Symbolic: self-clarifying movement of consciousness
- rayim
- Literal: wealth, treasure. Symbolic: fullness of being; resources of light and force
- stotre
- Literal: for the hymn of praise. Symbolic: for the soul’s aspiration and mantric offering
- suvīryam
- Literal: good heroism/valour. Symbolic: noble life-force and victorious capacity in sadhana
- jarituḥ
- Literal: of the singer/praiser. Symbolic: the aspiring inner person who offers the word
- giraḥ
- Literal: songs/utterances. Symbolic: inspired speech, mantra-formation, true expression
Soma-pavamāna context: verses used in the Soma pressing/purification cycle (pavamāna stotras) to invoke clarified Soma and its boons (inner and outer prosperity).
During Pavamāna recitations while Soma is filtered and offered.
Accompanies the flow/pressing; intention is to secure rayi and strengthen the stotra.
Before study, teaching, or creative writing: chant to invoke purified delight that increases clarity, courage, and inspired speech.
punāná (pres. mid. participle of √pū ‘cleanse, purify’) signals an ongoing self-clarification of Soma-consciousness as it moves through the filters (inner and ritual). bhara (imperative of √bhṛ) frames Soma as the carrier of rayi (ray/wealth), not mere material goods but plenitude. su-vīrya: vīrya (‘heroic potency’) is ‘effective force’ in the being; su- marks harmonized, auspicious power. jaritṛ (agent noun from √jar/√gṛ? in Vedic ‘to praise/sing’) is the aspirant-poet; gír is speech as a power of manifestation—when ‘increased’ it becomes more capable of holding ṛta/truth.
ṛta (right order) implicit in purification and right speech, vāc (mantric speech as power of manifestation), inner increase (vṛddhi) of consciousness-force
The right word (giraḥ) grows when consciousness is aligned to Ṛta through purification.
Inspired speech becomes a vehicle of Satya, not mere opinion.
Vāc as a formative power: increased utterance participates in creation of inner order and capability.
Vedic psychology of Vāc and Ananda (Aurobindo/Kashyap emphasis).
Refined delight nourishes the ‘sap’ of speech and the heroic energy of action, as clear juice becomes sustaining essence.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘purifying Soma who brings rayi’: Soma’s clarified flow becomes a carrier of abundance and heroic potency, and simultaneously amplifies vāc (gír) in the human instrument. The outer act (filtering) is the shell; the inner act is the clarification of consciousness that enables true speech and effective force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘to bear/bring’ (bhara) aligns with PIE *bher- ‘carry’ (cf. English ‘bear’, Greek phérein). √vṛdh ‘grow’ (vardhaya) aligns with PIE *werdh- ‘grow’ (cf. English ‘worth’ historically related to growth/value). These roots support the verse’s semantics of ‘carrying in’ and ‘increasing’ inner powers.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The singer (jaritṛ) offers stotra (aspirational praise) and requests a reciprocal descent: Soma brings rayi and su-vīrya into the hymn and the being, while also enlarging the poet’s gír—so the human speech becomes a more fitting vessel for ṛta-bearing inspiration.
Receive purified delight into the heart and throat; let it become courageous energy and truthful speech.
Viśuddha (speech) with support from Anāhata (purified feeling)
Bhrāmarī (gentle) or slow ujjāyī; feel resonance in throat; pause after exhale to ‘listen’ for inner word.
Clear, resonant, courageous steadiness.
Chant 11 or 27 times; then silently repeat one line while sensing a luminous current rising to the throat and forming calm, true speech.
Maintain rising emphasis on ā BHARA and vardhaYĀ; keep a gentle lift on suvīryam; svara specifics depend on recension.
sa naḥ puNĀna ā BHARA | raYÍM stotRÉ suVĪryam | jaRiTÚR varDHaYĀ gÍraḥ.
rayiṃ: nasalization on ‘ṃ’, suvīryam: long ī; avoid ‘veer-yam’ split—keep smooth, jarituḥ: soft j, clear retroflex ṭ? (here dental t sound is light; follow your tradition), vardhaya: aspirate dh clearly
Resonant, articulate, mantra-clear; slightly stronger on ‘suvīryam’.
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