Rig Veda 9.64.29: Mandala 9, Sukta 64, Mantra 29
Sukta 9.64
- Rishi
- Ascribed to Soma Pavamāna seers
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
हिन्वानो हेतृभिर्यत आ वाजं वाज्यक्रमीत् । सीदन्तो वनुषो यथा ॥
hinvānáḥ hetṛ́bhir yatá ā́ vā́jaṃ vājí akramīt | sīdánto vanúṣo yáthā ||
Popychany przez napędzających, posuwa się i kroczy ku Vaji, obfitości siły i zwycięstwa; osiadając jak poszukujący przy swoim celu, prądy Somy zajmują swoje właściwe miejsce wewnątrz.
Word by Word
- हिन्वानः
- impelling, urging onVerb-derived adjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot √ह्नु/√ह्वि (हिन्व् ‘प्रेरणे/चोदने’)
- हेतृभिः
- with/through the impellers (drivers)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot हेतृ (प्रातिपदिक; from √हि/√हन् in sense ‘to impel/drive’, agent-noun) अथवा ‘हेतु’ family
- यतः
- from where, whenceIndeclinable (relative adverb)अव्यय (अपादानार्थे)Role अपादानRoot यतः (यद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम; अव्ययीभाव ‘from which/whence’)
- आ
- towards, untoPreverb/indeclinableउपसर्ग (गत्यर्थ/समन्तात्-आगमन)Root आ (उपसर्ग)
- वाजम्
- prize; strength; (victory-)bootyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाज्यक्रमीत्
- (he) strode/advanced as prize-winning (one)Verbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √क्रम् (क्रम् ‘गत्यर्थे’), with वाज्य- (वाजिन्/वाज्य ‘prize-winning, swift’) as preposed qualifier
- सीदन्तः
- sitting down; settlingVerb-derived adjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot √सद् (सीद् ‘उपवेशने/अवसादने’)
- वनुषः
- the archers/woodsmenNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot वनुष् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wood/forest-dweller’ → ‘archer/woodsman’ in Vedic usage)
- यथा
- as, likeIndeclinableउपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्ययRoot यथा (यद्-सम्बन्धी अव्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: हिन्वानः | हेतृभिः | यतः | आ | वाजम् | वाज्यक्रमीत् | सीदन्तः | वनुषः | यथा || 1) हेतृभिः + यतः → हेतृभिर्यतः (रेफ-संधि: विसर्ग/र्-आदेश)
- 2) वाज्य + अक्रमीत् → वाज्यक्रमीत् (स्वर-संधि/अ-लोप: अ + अ → आ; लिखितरूपे संयुक्तम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Urged on by the impellers, he goes and steps toward the Vāja; settling down like archers/seekers, as it were.
Inner meaning
Soma, driven by inner ‘impellers’ (hetṛ)—the directing energies of aspiration and the gods’ impulsion—advances toward vāja: plenitude, victorious force, the achieved nourishment of the journey. The Soma-currents then ‘sit’ in the right seat: the force becomes established in the system, like seekers who reach their aim and take their place. Psychologically, the purified delight is not a passing wave; it is urged forward to accomplishment and then grounded as a stable attainment in consciousness.
Universal truth
Spiritual force must both advance and settle: aspiration impels progress toward plenitude, and realization must then be seated as a stable habit of consciousness.
Themes
victory-force, directed ascent, Soma movement, inner settling
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seers (Mandala 9, Pavāmāna tradition)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.64, Rig Veda 9.76, Rig Veda 9.79
Family tradition
Vision of Soma as a dynamic journey: propelled, conquering, then establishing the gain within the sacrificer.
Significance
Maps a key yogic rhythm: impulsion → breakthrough → stabilization. The Vedic seer notes that realization must ‘sit’—become seated in the being.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Vājī (prize-winner)
- Related deities
- Indra (victory, vāja), Agni (leader of the journey), Maruts (impelling energies)
Cosmic role
The victorious current that moves toward plenitude and establishes it in the worlds.
Inner power
Dynamic Ananda that becomes effective power (vāja) and then stable realization (āsana/seat).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration and onward flow to vessels/offering
हि॒न्वा॒नो हे॒तृभि॑र्य॒त आ वाजं॑ वा॒ज्य॑क्रमीत् । सीद॑न्तो व॒नुषो॑ यथा ॥
हि॒न्वा॒नः । हे॒तृऽभिः॑ । य॒तः । आ । वाज॑म् । वा॒जी । अ॒क्र॒मी॒त् । सीद॑न्तः । व॒नुषः॑ । य॒था॒ ॥
hinvānaḥ | hetṛ-bhiḥ | yataḥ | ā | vājam | vājī | akramīt | sīdantaḥ | vanuṣaḥ | yathā
48
4 × 12 (approx.)
March-like forward drive followed by a settling cadence.
Energizes will and then calms it into steadiness—useful for moving from effort into stable concentration.
- हि॒न्वानः (hinvānaḥ)
- Literal: being impelled, urged on. Symbolic: aspiration-driven movement; inner push toward realization
- हेतृभिः (hetṛbhiḥ)
- Literal: by impellers. Symbolic: guiding powers—disciplines, divine impulsions, will-forces that direct the current
- वाजम् (vājam)
- Literal: prize, nourishment, vigor, victory. Symbolic: plenitude of force; accomplished power and joyful capacity
- वाजी (vājī)
- Literal: winner of the prize; strong, vigorous. Symbolic: the dynamic consciousness able to conquer inertia
- अक्रमीत् (akramīt)
- Literal: stepped, strode. Symbolic: decisive advance—crossing thresholds in sadhana
- सीदन्तः (sīdantaḥ)
- Literal: sitting down, settling. Symbolic: stabilization; force taking its seat in the right center
- वनुषः (vanuṣaḥ)
- Literal: hunters/archers/seekers. Symbolic: concentrated strivers who reach the mark (lakṣya)
Describes the driven flow of Soma toward the goal (vessel/offer); inner correlate: directed energies moving toward victorious plenitude (vāja).
As Soma is urged through the process and brought to the offering-place.
Recitation accompanying the ‘advance’ of Soma and its ‘seating’ in vessels/altar context.
For perseverance: chant when beginning a difficult practice, then sit quietly after recitation to ‘seat’ the gained force.
√hinv ‘impel, set in motion’ (hinvānaḥ); hetṛ ‘impeller’ from √hi/√het ‘to impel’ (agent noun). vāja is a key Vedic term (strength, prize, nourishment, victorious energy) often tied to √vaj/√vah semantic field of driving/strengthening; akramīt from ā-√kram ‘to stride/step’ (PIE *krem- ‘stride’ parallels exist). sīd- from √sad ‘sit/settle’ (PIE *sed-).
vāja as plenitude of force (not merely food/prize), directed will/impulsion, establishment (sad) of consciousness in its seat
R̥ta governs both progress (krama) and establishment (sīd).
True gain is what can be seated without collapse—stable truth in life.
The gods’ forces move in steps (krama) and then take their stations—world-order as rhythmic advance and rest.
Yoga of transformation (Aurobindonian): progress and integration.
Stride = breakthrough in practice; seat = stabilization in a center (heart/brow); vāja = inner nourishment and victorious capacity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘driven advance to vāja’: Soma, urged by impelling powers, strides toward victorious plenitude and then ‘sits’—a mythic image of energies mobilized for conquest of light and then established in a stable inner seat.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sad (sīdantaḥ) reflects PIE *sed- ‘sit’. √kram ‘stride’ is often compared with PIE movement roots (e.g., *krem-/*k̑rem-), though exact correspondences are debated; the semantics of stepping/striding are widely IE.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi maps the inner discipline: Soma is not static; it must be ‘driven’ by right impulsions (hetṛ). When the forces are rightly directed, Soma attains vāja (plenitude of power) and becomes seated—stable consciousness rather than fleeting excitement.
Move from effort to establishment: feel the inner current ‘step’ forward on inhale, then ‘sit’ on exhale in a chosen center.
maṇipūra (will) moving to anāhata (settled poise)
Walking-breath: inhale for 4 steps, exhale for 6 steps for 5 minutes; then sit and repeat the mantra mentally, letting the force ‘sīd’ within.
Dynamic concentration culminating in stable poise.
After any inner ‘push,’ pause to integrate: don’t chase experiences. Let Soma ‘take its seat’—stability is part of the victory (vāja).
Mixed Vedic accents; exact pattern needs svara-marked source.
Keep ‘ā vājaṃ’ as a clear lift into the phrase; do not swallow ‘hetṛbhiḥ’—retroflex ṛ and visarga need care.
hinvāno: nasal ‘nv’ clean; long ‘ā’, hetṛbhiḥ: vocalic ‘ṛ’ precise; final visarga soft, vājy: pronounce as ‘vājī’ (as given) with long ī, akramīt: long ‘ī’ at end, sīdanto: long ‘ī’, vanuṣo: retroflex ‘ṣ’
Firm, energized, then soften slightly on ‘sīdantaḥ’.
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