Rig Veda 9.67.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 67, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.67
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त्वं सुष्वाणो अद्रिभिरभ्यर्ष कनिक्रदत् । द्युमन्तं शुष्ममुत्तमम् ॥
tvaṃ suṣvāṇó adríbhiḥ abhy àrṣa kaníkradat | dyumántaṃ śúṣmam uttamám ||
Ty, gdy zostajesz dobrze wyciśnięty przez kamienie tłoczące, spływasz ku nam z dźwięcznym wołaniem, niosąc świetlistą i najwyższą siłę, wzniesioną energię zwycięstwa wewnątrz istoty.
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- thou, youPronounपुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सु-ष्वाणः
- well-resounding, sounding loudlyAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (वर्तमान/अभ्यास-स्वरूप ‘resounding well’)Role कर्तृ (त्वम्-विशेषण)Root √स्वन् (स्वनति ‘to sound, resound’) → ष्वाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक); उपसर्ग: सु-
- अद्रिभिः
- with the pressing-stonesNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole करणRoot अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘stone, pressing-stone’
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग; क्रियाविशेषण-भावRole (क्रियाविशेषण; गत्यर्थ-सम्बन्ध)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अर्ष
- flow! rush forth!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-सदृश वैदिक प्रयोग); मध्यम पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √ऋष्/अर्ष् (अर्षति ‘to flow, rush, stream’)
- कनिक्रदत्
- roaring, with a roarVerb (finite, Vedic) / verbal formवैदिक रूप: वर्तमानकालिक क्रियाविशेषण/समकालिकता सूचक (प्रायः ‘roaring’); 3rd sg. रूप-सदृश (कनिक्रदत्) प्रयोगRole (क्रियाविशेषण; अर्ष-क्रियायाः सहचर)Root √क्रन्द् (क्रन्दति ‘to cry, roar’) with reduplication: कनि-क्रद्
- द्यु-मतम्
- radiantAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्म (शुष्मम्-विशेषण)Root द्यु-मत् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘bright, radiant’
- शुष्मम्
- strength, mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot शुष्म (प्रातिपदिक) ‘strength, vigor, impetuous power’
- उत्तमम्
- highest, supremeAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्म (शुष्मम्-विशेषण)Root उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक) ‘highest, best’ (superlative)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): त्वम् | सु-ष्वाणः | अद्रिभिः | अभि | अर्ष | कनिक्रदत् | द्युमतम् | शुष्मम् | उत्तमम् । 1) सु॑ष्वा॒णो → सु-ष्वाणः (उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न हटाकर पदरूप; विसर्गः पदान्ते)। 2) अभ्य॑र्ष → अभि + अर्ष (यण्-सन्धि: इ + अ → य; ‘अभि’ + ‘अर्ष’ = ‘अभ्यर्ष’)। 3) द्यु॒मन्तं॒ → द्युमतम् (नपुंसक द्वितीया एकवचन; पदान्ते -म्)। 4) शुष्म॑मुत्त॒मम् → शुष्मम् + उत्तमम् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: म् + उ- आरम्भ; उच्चारण-संयोग, लेखन में प्रायः ‘मुत्त’)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Well-pressed by the stones, Soma flows toward us with a resonant cry, bearing luminous and supreme force.
Inner meaning
Under the disciplined ‘pressure’ of practice (adribhiḥ), the Soma-current rushes into the being, awakening it with an inner call (kanikradat). It carries dyumat śuṣma—luminous, highest force: the victorious energy that makes illumination effective in life.
Universal truth
Rightly intensified aspiration releases a joyful power that both awakens and empowers; true light is not passive—it arrives with force for transformation.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification (Pavamāna), Ascent of luminous force, Victory-force against obstruction
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.67.1, Rig Veda 9.67.2, Rig Veda 9.67.4, Rig Veda 9.67.5, Rig Veda 9.67.6
Significance
The ‘seer’ voice here is experiential: the yogin hearing the inner roar of awakened Soma and recognizing it as luminous force, not mere ecstasy.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- suṣvāṇa (well-pressed), pavamāna (purifying), dyumat (luminous)
- Related deities
- Indra, Maruts, Agni
Cosmic role
Purifier and energizer; the streaming principle that turns raw life into a fit offering and a fit instrument.
Inner power
Resonant ananda that awakens and empowers—delight becoming śakti (effective force).
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna recitation during Soma filtration/flow to the vats
त्वं सु॑ष्वा॒णो अद्रि॑भिर॒भ्य॑र्ष॒ कनि॑क्रदत् । द्यु॒मन्तं॒ शुष्म॑मुत्त॒मम् ॥
त्वम् । सु॒स्वा॒नः । अद्रि॑ऽभिः । अ॒भि । अ॒र्ष॒ । कनि॑क्रदत् । द्यु॒ऽमन्त॑म् । शुष्म॑म् । उ॒त्ऽत॒मम् ॥
tvam | susvānaḥ | adri-bhiḥ | abhi | arṣa | kanikradat | dyu-mantam | śuṣmam | ut-tamam
48
4 padas of ~12 syllables
Propulsive, with a ‘call-and-flow’ feel (kanikradat).
Stimulates energy and alertness; helps bring a felt sense of power into the chest and brow.
- suṣvāṇaḥ / susvānaḥ
- Literal: well pressed, sounding well. Symbolic: rightly wrought by method; consciousness tuned and made resonant
- adri-bhiḥ
- Literal: with stones (pressing-stones). Symbolic: firm disciplines: tapas, discernment, repeated practice
- abhi arṣa
- Literal: flow toward (us). Symbolic: enter the embodied nature; descend/stream into mind-life-body
- kanikradat
- Literal: crying aloud, resounding. Symbolic: awakening call of the inner delight; mantra-like vibration that rouses the being
- dyu-mantam
- Literal: luminous, radiant. Symbolic: full of light: clarity, revelation, intuitive seeing
- śuṣmam uttamam
- Literal: supreme force/impetus. Symbolic: highest dynamic energy of victory; effective power of realization
Soma-pavamāna sequence in the Soma sacrifice; chanted while Soma is pressed and filtered (pavamāna-stotras), supporting the ascent of purified energy toward Indra and the gods.
As Soma is pressed and made to flow toward the offering place
Pressing with adri, straining, collecting; chanting to invoke luminous strength
Chant before focused work or sādhanā to convert enthusiasm into steady, luminous force (dyumat śuṣma).
Key terms: (1) arṣa: imperative from √arṣ/√ṛṣ ‘to flow, rush, move swiftly’—standard Soma-pavamāna diction for the streaming of the purified essence. (2) suṣvāṇaḥ: from √sū ‘to press out, extract (Soma)’ with intensifying prefix su- ‘well’; also carries the sense of ‘well-sounding’ through the pressed, vibrating juice. (3) adri-bhiḥ: adri ‘stone’ (pressing-stone), instrumental plural; in inner sense, firm powers that compress and purify. (4) kanikradat: desiderative/intensive formation from √krand/√krad ‘to cry, roar’ with iterative nuance—recurrent exultant sound. (5) dyu-mant: possessive adjective from dyu ‘heaven/light’ + -mant ‘possessing’. (6) śuṣma: ‘vehemence, force’; often Indra/Soma power that overcomes resistance.
R̥ta as right action/right pressing that yields the true essence, Purification as transformation of raw vitality into luminous force
The correct ‘flow toward us’ is ṛta in action: consciousness moving rightly from higher to lower nature.
Dyumat as truth-light that makes force rightly directed.
Awakening by sound/vibration: the cry that calls forth a new state of being.
Integral Yoga reading: ananda-shakti as instrument of transformation.
Disciplines ‘press’ the psyche; released delight flows as a bright current, sounding within as awakening vibration and bringing victorious energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The archetype of Soma released by pressing (adri) and set into a victorious flow: the essence is extracted from concealment and becomes a luminous, supreme force. Mythically, Soma’s streaming and roaring signifies the awakening of divine power that enables conquest over inner obstruction (the inertia/darkness that withholds light).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyu- in dyumantam continues PIE *dyew- ‘sky, daylight’ (cf. Greek Zeus, Latin Iūpiter via *dyēus). The motion-verb arṣ- ‘to flow/rush’ aligns with Indo-European hydrodynamic/impulse roots expressing swift movement; śuṣma ‘force, vehemence’ belongs to a Vedic register of ‘vital might’ terms often built around sibilant + u/ū expressing swelling/impetus.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer addresses Soma as an active collaborator: through right pressing (disciplined will and aspiration), Soma is invited to ‘flow toward us’ and deliver dyu (illumined consciousness) and śuṣma (effective power). The reciprocity is practical—human effort purifies and releases; the deity responds by entering the human field with heightened force and light.
Listen inwardly for the ‘cry’ of awakened energy; let it carry light into action.
viśuddha (inner resonance) supporting ājñā (luminous force)
3-part breath: inhale (collect/press), brief hold (tapas), exhale (flow toward the heart/brow) with soft audible resonance.
Energized concentration—alert, luminous, forward-moving.
Chant feeling the body as the ‘vessel’; on ‘kanikradat’ sense a waking vibration; rest after chanting in still alertness, allowing force to organize itself.
Not fully recoverable from provided text; keep a slightly rising accent on key words and a falling cadence at each pada end.
Emphasize: tváṃ, suṣvāṇó/susvānáḥ, ábhi árṣa, kánikradat, dyúmantam, śúṣmam, uttamám (approx.).
suṣvāṇo: retroflex ṣ; keep long ā, adribhir: ‘bh’ aspirated; roll ‘r’ lightly, abhy arṣa: glide ‘abhy’ smoothly; ‘arṣa’ with retroflex ṣ, kanikradat: crisp ‘kr’; final ‘t’ dental, dyumantam: ‘dyu’ as ‘dyu’ (not ‘ju’)
Resonant and forward; slightly stronger on ‘kanikradat’ to evoke the awakening call.
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