Rig Veda 9.44.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 44, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.44
- Rishi
- Ascription varies in Pavamāna
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- To be verified for RV 9.44.4
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स नः पवस्व वाजयुश्चक्राणश्चारुमध्वरम् । बर्हिष्माँ आ विवासति ॥
sá naḥ pavasva vāja-yúś cakrāṇáś cā́rum adhvarám | barhíṣmān̐ ā́ vivāsati ||
Niech się oczyści dla nas, przynosząc pełnie mocy; kształtując piękne wewnętrzne ofiarowanie, czyni miejsce ofiary gotowym i wita moce światła, aby w nim przebywały.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one, Soma)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow as purifiedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Root पू (पवते) / पव् (धातु)
- वाजयुः
- bringing/impelling strength (prize, vigor)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वाजयु- (प्रातिपदिक; वाज + यु ‘seeking/bringing’)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्Root च
- चक्राणः
- doing, making; having set in motionParticiple (Adjective)वर्तमानकाले क्त्वान/आन-प्रत्ययान्तः (आन-प्रत्ययः), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदी-भावःRole KartāRoot कृ (धातु) → चक्राण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- चारुम्
- beautiful, pleasingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot चारु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अध्वरम्
- sacrifice; ritual performanceNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अध्वर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- बर्हिष्मान्
- possessing/with the barhis (sacrificial grass); at the barhisAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot बर्हिष्मन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; बर्हिस् ‘sacrificial grass’ + मन्त्)
- आ
- towards, hitherIndeclinable (Preverb)उपसर्गः (आ-)Root आ
- विवासति
- welcomes; entertains; makes (him) dwellVerbलट् (वर्तमानकालः), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root वस् (विवासयति/विवासति; ‘to cause to dwell/entertain, to welcome’)
Sandhi Notes
- स नः → सः + नः (विसर्ग-सन्धिः; पदान्त-विसर्गः ‘सः’). वाजयुश्च → वाजयुः + च (विसर्गः + च → श्च). चक्राणश्चारुमध्वरम् → चक्राणः + चारुम् + अध्वरम्
- विसर्गः + च → श्च
- ‘चारुमध्वरम्’ is a close junction of accusatives (no internal sandhi beyond phonetic coalescence in recitation). बर्हिष्माँ आ → बर्हिष्मान् + आ (पदान्त-न् + स्वरः; nasal often shown as ‘ँ/ाँ’ in Saṃhitā orthography). आ विवासति remains separate (preverb + verb)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May Soma purify for us, bringing vāja (strength/plenitude), fashioning a beautiful sacrifice; possessing the barhis (sacrificial seat), he welcomes (invites) the guests.
Inner meaning
Let the purified Ananda bring effective forces (vājayuḥ) and itself shape the ‘adhvara’—the unhurt, true inner sacrifice (a conscious offering without distortion). Establishing the barhis, the prepared seat in the heart-mind, Soma makes the being hospitable to the gods: higher lights and powers can come, sit, and work.
Universal truth
When delight is purified, it naturally organizes practice into a beautiful, orderly offering; inner preparation becomes hospitality to higher consciousness.
Themes
Soma as shaper of sacrifice, Purification, Preparation of the inner seat
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma tradition (specific ṛṣi for RV 9.44.4 to be verified)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.44.1-3
Family tradition
Mandala 9 Soma seers
Significance
Defines the inner yajña: Soma (Ananda) is not only a gift but the organizer of the sacrifice, preparing the seat and inviting the gods—an image of integral transformation where delight becomes the priestly power of harmony.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Vājayu (bringer of plenitudes), Adhvara-kṛt (fashioner of the sacrifice), Atithi-kṛt (welcomer of guests—implied)
- Related deities
- Agni (priest of the offering), Vishve Devāḥ (invited powers), Indra (force of victory)
Cosmic role
Soma as the beautifier and establisher of sacrificial order; the essence that makes the world fit for divine habitation.
Inner power
Ananda that builds a stable inner altar and turns life into a conscious offering; it magnetizes higher powers to ‘sit’ in the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña: Pavamāna chants during purification and offering preparation
स न॑: पवस्व वाज॒युश्च॑क्रा॒णश्चारु॑मध्व॒रम् । ब॒र्हिष्माँ॒ आ वि॑वासति ॥
सः । नः॒ । प॒व॒स्व॒ । वा॒ज॒ऽयुः । च॒क्रा॒णः । चारु॑म् । अ॒ध्व॒रम् । ब॒र्हिष्मा॑न् । आ । वि॒वा॒स॒ति॒ ॥
saḥ | naḥ | pavasva | vāja-yuḥ | cakrāṇaḥ | cārum | adhvaram | barhiṣmān | ā | vivāsati
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Ritual-constructive rhythm; steady and architectural.
Gives a sense of building/arranging inwardly; supports preparation and consecration.
- pavasva
- Literal: purify. Symbolic: clarify the being so it can receive and hold higher forces
- vājayuḥ
- Literal: bringing vāja/strength. Symbolic: carrier of plenitudes—energies that accomplish the work
- cakrāṇaḥ
- Literal: fashioning, making. Symbolic: organizing the inner process, shaping the sadhana
- cārum adhvaram
- Literal: beautiful sacrifice. Symbolic: harmonious inner offering—pure aspiration, right action, undistorted movement
- barhiṣmān
- Literal: possessing the barhis (sacrificial grass/seat). Symbolic: establishing the prepared inner seat—calm receptivity in heart-mind
- ā vivāsati
- Literal: welcomes, makes dwell. Symbolic: invites the divine powers to enter and abide in the prepared consciousness
Soma purification and offering preparation; imagery of barhis indicates readiness of the offering-seat in the Soma-yajña.
As Soma is purified and the offering-space is ritually ‘made ready’
Recitation accompanying preparation of barhis/altar and welcoming of deities
Use before meditation as ‘inner altar’ preparation: tidy posture, steady breath, then chant to invite peace/light/strength to settle in the heart-mind.
vājá: beyond ‘prize/food’, in Vedic often ‘strength, victorious plenitude’ (semantic field of energizing fullness). √kṛ → cakrāṇa ‘making’ underscores Soma as the shaper of the adhvara (inner sacrificial movement). barhís: ritual grass-seat becomes symbol of prepared consciousness/receptive foundation. √vas ‘dwell’ → vivāsati: to make the divine powers dwell—inner hospitality to the gods.
inner yajña (adhvara as journey of offering), hospitality to the gods (deva-āvāhana as inner opening), plenitude of force (vāja)
The ‘beautiful sacrifice’ is life aligned to ṛta—right arrangement of movements.
Adhvara (unhurt) implies sincerity and undistorted offering—truth in action.
The cosmos is a sacrifice where essence (Soma) prepares the seat for divine powers in matter-life-mind.
Yajña-as-yoga interpretation (Aurobindo/Kashyap): inner sacrifice as transformative practice.
Barhis is the quiet, receptive foundation in the heart; the altar is the concentrated field of practice; Soma-flow is the sustaining delight that keeps the offering beautiful and continuous.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the maker of the sacrifice: he purifies, brings vāja, and prepares the barhis-seat. Innerly, the delight-force organizes the discipline and builds the receptive base where divine powers can ‘dwell’ and act.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √kṛ ‘make’ is an Indo-Iranian reflex of PIE *kwer-/*ker- ‘do/make’ (broadly attested via different roots in IE; exact mapping complex). √vas ‘dwell’ (vivāsati) is clearly PIE *wes- ‘remain, dwell’ (cf. English ‘was’ historically from *wes- ‘to be’ and related dwelling/being notions).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi requests Soma to do the inner priestly work: purify, bring force, and construct the beautiful adhvara. The human offers aspiration; Soma reciprocates by building the conditions for divine presence.
Create the inner altar: let purified delight organize the session and invite higher qualities to abide.
Anāhata (inner seat/barhis)
3-part breath: settle in belly-heart-brow; on exhale feel ‘making room’ (barhis).
Consecrated receptivity; quiet joy and readiness.
Before chanting, straighten spine and relax chest; imagine laying a luminous ‘seat’ in the heart. Chant once to ‘prepare’, then sit silently 2–5 minutes as if hosting the divine powers.
Use svara-marked recension for exact accents; keep compound words articulated (vājayuḥ, cakrāṇaḥ).
Let ‘cārum adhvaram’ be smooth and beautiful in sound; maintain even pāda pacing.
vājayuḥ: long ā; final ḥ light, cakrāṇaḥ: retroflex ṇ; long ā; final ḥ, cārum: long ā; soft ‘m’, adhvaram: ‘dhv’ conjunct clear, barhiṣmān: retroflex ṣ; long ā; nasal n, vivāsati: ‘vi-vā-sa-ti’ with long ā
Warm, inviting, temple-like resonance; gentle endings.
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