Rig Veda 9.57.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 57, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.57
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
प्र ते धारा असश्चतो दिवो न यन्ति वृष्टयः । अच्छा वाजं सहस्रिणम् ॥
prá te dhā́rā asaścáto divó na yánti vṛṣṭáyaḥ | ácchā vā́jaṃ sahasríṇam ||
Naprzód idą twoje nieustające strumienie, jak deszcze z nieba, ku tysiąckrotnej pełni siły.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga) / pra-
- ते
- to youPronoundative singular (to/for you)Role SampradānaRoot त्वद् (2nd person pronoun) / yuṣmad-
- धाराः
- streams, flowsNounfeminine nominative pluralRole KartāRoot धारा-
- असश्चतः
- flowing, streamingVerbpresent participle active, nominative plural feminine (agreeing with धाराः)Role Kartā (as adjectival to the subject धाराः)Root सच् (धातु) / sac- ‘to follow, accompany; to stream/flow’
- दिवः
- from heavenNounmasculine/neuter ablative singular (Vedic: ‘from heaven/sky’)Role ApādānaRoot दिव्/द्यौ- (prātipadika: दिव्/द्यौः)
- न
- like, asIndeclinablecomparative particleRoot न (particle) / na
- यन्ति
- go, moveVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRole Kartā (verb of the subject धाराः)Root या (धातु) / yā- ‘to go’
- वृष्टयः
- rains, rain-showersNounfeminine nominative pluralRole Kartā (in the simile: ‘rains’ as standard of comparison)Root वृष्टि-
- अच्छा
- towards, untoIndeclinabledirectional adverbRoot अच्छा (indecl.) / acchā
- वाजम्
- prize, strength, (ritual) rewardNounmasculine accusative singularRole KarmaRoot वाज-
- सहस्रिणम्
- thousandfold, possessing thousandsAdjectivemasculine accusative singular (agreeing with वाजम्)Role Karma (qualifier of the object)Root सहस्रिन्- (possessive adj. from सहस्र ‘thousand’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: प्र ते = प्र + ते (no change). धाराः असश्चतः: hiatus retained in Saṃhitā
- participle agrees with धाराः. दिवो न: Saṃhitā form दिवो is Vedic for divás ‘from heaven’ (abl. sg.)
- followed by comparative particle न ‘like’. वृष्टयः: nominative plural ‘rains’ used as the standard of comparison. अच्छा वाजं: adverb अच्छा governs direction ‘towards’ with accusative. सहस्रिणम् qualifies वाजम् in accusative
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma’s streams flow forward unceasingly like rains from heaven, moving toward a thousandfold store of strength and plenty (vāja).
Inner meaning
The purified current of delight-consciousness (Soma Pavamāna) pours continuously from the higher mind (divaḥ) into the being, like a rain of illumination, pressing forward toward the vast plenitude of effective force (vāja) needed for the inner sacrifice and life’s right action.
Universal truth
When the higher inspiration descends steadily and without interruption, it naturally organizes the human energies into abundant capacity and right effectiveness; spiritual influx becomes practical power.
Themes
Heavenly outpouring, Abundance, Soma as rain, Victory-force
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.57.2, Rig Veda 9.57.3, Rig Veda 9.57.4
Significance
In the Ninth Maṇḍala the ‘seer’ is often the inspired consciousness working through hereditary poet-priests; psychologically, the rishi-function here is the inner witness that perceives the purifying flow of Ananda (Soma) and directs it toward power (vāja).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (the Purifying), Indu (bright drop), Suta (pressed)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Maruts, Aśvins
Cosmic role
The flowing, purified Soma that carries the essence upward/downward between worlds, energizing gods and establishing increase (puṣṭi) and victory (jaya).
Inner power
Ananda as a purifying current that clarifies mind, strengthens will, and turns inspiration into effective capacity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna chants during soma-yajña)
प्र ते॒ धारा॑ अस॒श्चतो॑ दि॒वो न य॑न्ति वृ॒ष्टय॑: । अच्छा॒ वाजं॑ सह॒स्रिण॑म् ॥
प्र । ते॒ । धाराः॑ । अ॒स॒श्चतः॑ । दि॒वः । न । य॒न्ति॒ । वृ॒ष्टयः॑ । अच्छ॑ । वाज॑म् । स॒ह॒स्रिण॑म् ॥
pra | te | dhārāḥ | asaścataḥ | divaḥ | na | yanti | vṛṣṭayaḥ | accha | vājam | sahasriṇam
Likely Gāyatrī (common in Soma pavamāna verses of this type)
24
3 pādas × 8 syllables (approx.)
Quick, forward-driving, with a ‘running stream’ cadence
Builds a sense of onward flow and gathering force; supports concentration on continuous inner descent.
- धाराः (dhārāḥ)
- Literal: streams, currents. Symbolic: continuous flow of purified consciousness / delight moving through the system
- असश्चतः (asaścataḥ)
- Literal: unceasing, not stopping. Symbolic: unbroken aspiration and steady descent of higher influence
- दिवः (divaḥ)
- Literal: from heaven, from the luminous world. Symbolic: from the higher mind / supramental-leaning luminous planes
- वृष्टयः (vṛṣṭayaḥ)
- Literal: rains. Symbolic: showers of illumination, grace, intuitive knowledge
- वाजम् (vājam)
- Literal: prize, strength, plenty, force. Symbolic: effective power for right action; plenitude of energies
- सहस्रिणम् (sahasriṇam)
- Literal: thousandfold. Symbolic: innumerable, inexhaustible abundance of force/realization
Pavamāna stanzas accompanying the visible flow of Soma; used to intensify the sense of abundance and victory-force in the rite.
During Soma extraction/filtration and offering sequences
Chant to accompany the flowing Soma through the filter and its presentation to deities
Use as a mantra of ‘unbroken flow’: for sustaining meditation, creative work, or recovery—invoking steady influx of clarity and strength.
asaścáta ‘not letting go’ conveys continuity of flow (physical and inner). vṛṣṭí ‘rain’ (from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, pour’) is a standard Soma parallel: Soma’s streams are heavenly outpourings of force and delight. sahasra ‘thousand’ functions as a Vedic totality-number indicating vast multiplicity.
Descent of force from the luminous plane (divaḥ), Abundance as spiritual plenitude (sahasrin vāja)
The streams move ‘rightly’ toward their ordained fulfillment—order as directed movement.
The ‘heavenly’ source implies truth-light feeding the currents.
Descent of higher waters/essence that fructifies power and plenitude in the manifest being.
Proto-Vedāntic / Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: Ananda as a substantive power of consciousness.
Rain/streams = descending intuition and delight; heaven = luminous mind; thousandfold vāja = multiplied capacities of the integrated being.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the rain of heaven: the purified streams are likened to celestial showers that bring abundance. Inner sense: the descent of clarified delight/force from higher consciousness into the field of human action, generating a ‘thousandfold’ vāja.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛṣ ‘rain/pour’ is an old Indo-Iranian root with strong ritual-poetic productivity. The comparative construction ‘divó na … vṛṣṭáyaḥ’ is a typical inherited Indo-European poetic simile frame.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi amplifies Soma’s movement as a model for inner progress: ‘forward’ and ‘unceasing’ becomes an instruction for sustained aspiration, with Soma as the descending support that carries consciousness toward plenitude.
Feel a continuous descending stream of luminous delight from above the head into the heart and navel, converting inspiration into steady strength (vāja).
Sahasrara/Ājñā to Anāhata/Manipura (descent into love-force and effective power)
Gentle ujjāyī or equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) while visualizing a steady inner ‘rain’
Quietly exhilarated clarity—calm joy with forward impetus
Repeat slowly until the sense of ‘unbroken flow’ appears; then sit in silence, letting the current organize thoughts and will without strain.
Follow standard Rigvedic accenting: udatta on marked syllables, anudatta preceding, svarita as per sandhi; consult śākhā-specific notation for exact pitch.
Keep the cadence forward; lightly lift udatta syllables, let svarita glide downward without heaviness.
: lengthen ‘ā’ clearly, : retroflex ‘ṣ’ in vṛṣ-; keep ‘ṛ’ vocalic, : articulate ‘hsr’ cluster smoothly (sa-ha-sri-ṇam)
Clear, flowing, slightly bright (as if ‘pouring’ the sound)
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
