Rig Veda 9.67.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 67, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.67
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
इन्दुर्हिन्वानो अर्षति तिरो वाराण्यव्यया । हरिर्वाजमचिक्रदत् ॥
índur hinvāṇó arṣati tiró vārāṇy avyáyā | hárir vā́jam acikradat ||
Indu, popychany naprzód, płynie przez otaczające osłony niezniszczalną ścieżką; złocista moc woła pełnię siły, jakby głosząc zwycięstwo postępu duszy.
Word by Word
- इन्दुः
- the Soma-drop (Indu)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्दु- (प्रातिपदिक) < √इन्द्/इन्दु (रस/सोम) परम्परागत
- हिन्वानः
- impelling, being urged onParticiple (Adjective) from verbपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगःRole कर्तृ (इन्दोः विशेषणम्)Root √हिन् (हिनोति ‘प्रेरयति/चोदयति’)
- अर्षति
- flows, rushesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: इन्दुः)Root √ऋष्/अर्ष् (अर्षति ‘प्रवाहति/धावति’)
- तिरः
- across, throughIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण/दिशा-निर्देश (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root तिरस् (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) < PIE *ter- ‘across’
- वाराणि
- the coverings/filters (fleeces)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (अर्षति—किं तिरः? वाराणि)Root वार- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘आवरण/वार/वस्त्र/छादन’
- अव्यया
- with the unfailing (power/stream)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (वाराणि इति नपुंसकबहुवचनस्य साधारण-विशेषणरूपेण)Role करण (येन/यया—‘अव्ययया’)Root अव्यय- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘अक्षय/अविनाशी’
- हरिः
- the tawny one (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot हरि- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘हरितवर्ण/हरि (सोम/अश्व)’
- वाजम्
- strength, prize, victoryNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (अचिक्रदत्—किं?)Root वाज- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘बल/अन्न/विजय/प्राइज’
- अचिक्रदत्
- cried out, proclaimed (aloud)Verbलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत/इम्पर्फेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: हरिः)Root √क्रन्द् (क्रन्दति ‘नदति/घोषयति’) + अति- (उपसर्गार्थ/तीव्रता) ; रूपम्: अ-चि-क्रद-त् (रेडुप्लिकेटेड इम्पर्फेक्ट)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इन्दुः | हिन्वानः | अर्षति | तिरः | वाराणि | अव्यया | हरिः | वाजम् | अचिक्रदत् । 1) इन्दु॑र्हिन्वा॒नः = इन्दुः + हिन्वानः (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: उः + ह → उर्ह)
- 2) ति॒रो = तिरः (पदपाठे ‘तिरः’; संहितायां विसर्गस्य ओ-आदेशः/रुत्व-प्रभावः)
- 3) वारा॑ण्य॒व्यया॑ = वाराणि + अव्यया (इ + अ → य; ‘ण्य’ = ‘नि’ + ‘अ’ संधि-परिणामः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indu, urged onward, streams across the coverings by the imperishable path; the tawny one cries out the vāja (prize/strength).
Inner meaning
The Soma-drop (Indu), impelled by aspiration, moves through and beyond inner coverings (vārāṇi)—the resistances and veils. By an imperishable way (avyayā), it persists until it breaks through. Hari (tawny force) proclaims vāja: the plenitude of effective power and victory gained by the soul’s advance.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress is a persistent crossing of veils; the true path is imperishable because it is founded on the soul’s reality, and it yields tangible power for life.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Crossing the coverings, Attainment of vāja (victorious force), Purified luminous dynamism
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.67.1, Rig Veda 9.67.2, Rig Veda 9.67.3, Rig Veda 9.67.5, Rig Veda 9.67.6
Significance
The verse embodies a classic Aurobindonian motif: Soma as the stream of delight that pierces coverings, enabling the victory (vāja) of the evolving soul.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu (bright drop), hinvāna (impelled), Hari (tawny/dynamic)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Sūrya (as light beyond coverings)
Cosmic role
The advancing current that purifies by passage through veils; it carries the seeker beyond limitation.
Inner power
Persistent ananda-force that breaks coverings and manifests victorious capacity (vāja) in the nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering sequence (Pavamāna)
इन्दु॑र्हिन्वा॒नो अ॑र्षति ति॒रो वारा॑ण्य॒व्यया॑ । हरि॒र्वाज॑मचिक्रदत् ॥
इन्दुः॑ । हि॒न्वा॒नः । अ॒र्ष॒ति॒ । ति॒रः । वारा॑णि । अ॒व्यया॑ । हरिः॑ । वाज॑म् । अ॒चि॒क्र॒द॒त् ॥
induḥ | hinvānaḥ | arṣati | tiraḥ | vārāṇi | avyayā | hariḥ | vājam | acikradat
48
4 padas of ~12
Smooth crossing rhythm—less ‘pressing’, more ‘surging through’.
Creates a sense of forward passage and breakthrough; helpful for overcoming inertia or inner obstruction.
- induḥ
- Literal: drop of Soma; bright point. Symbolic: concentrated delight-consciousness; a luminous seed of realization
- hinvānaḥ
- Literal: impelled, urged on. Symbolic: set in motion by aspiration and divine impulsion
- arṣati
- Literal: streams, flows. Symbolic: continuous movement of consciousness, not momentary experience
- tiraḥ
- Literal: across, beyond. Symbolic: transcending; passing through obstacles without being held
- vārāṇi
- Literal: coverings/enclosures. Symbolic: veils of ignorance, habitual patterns, subconscient resistances
- avyayā
- Literal: imperishable (path/means). Symbolic: the soul’s sure method; the deathless continuity of sādhanā
- hariḥ
- Literal: tawny one. Symbolic: dynamic force of action/energy lit by delight; often the driving power allied to Indra
- vājam
- Literal: prize, strength, plenitude. Symbolic: victorious power, effective capacity, abundance of realized force
Recited/sung during the Soma’s purification and forward movement through filters; supports the overcoming of ‘coverings’ as Soma is made fit for Indra’s draught and the rite’s energizing climax.
When Soma is running through the filter and being led toward offering
Guiding the flow, collecting clarified Soma; recitation to support ‘crossing’ into purity
Use when facing psychological resistance: chant as a ‘breakthrough’ mantra to cross habits/coverings and regain forward movement.
indu: ‘drop, bright essence’ (Vedic Soma epithet). hinvāna: present participle from √hi ‘to impel, drive’. vārāṇi: plural of vāra- ‘covering, enclosure, resistance-screen’ (semantic field: protection/obstruction). avyayā: instrumental of avyaya ‘imperishable, undecaying’ (a- + √i ‘to go’ → ‘not going away/unchanging’). hari: ‘tawny, golden’; in Soma hymns marks the radiant, dynamic hue of the current. vā́ja: ‘strength, prize, plenitude’, a power-term of attainment; acikradat: intensive/iterative perfect/aorist-style formation ‘kept crying out’.
Crossing veils of ignorance (āvaraṇa) toward truth, The imperishable (avyaya) as stable law of R̥ta, Vāja as victorious fullness of being
Avyaya path as ṛta’s continuity: the right movement cannot perish because it is truth-based.
Breakthrough beyond coverings reveals satya-light behind appearances.
Evolution by crossing veils: consciousness emerging from enclosure to wideness.
Integral/psychological Veda: liberation and manifestation (vāja) together.
A bright current of delight moves through layers of obscurity; the tawny energy of action announces regained power and success.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma’s passage ‘across the coverings’ is the recurring Vedic motif of the light-essence breaking through concealment. The mythic action is not battle imagery but traversal: the divine current penetrates screens that separate the seeker from luminous power, and its ‘cry’ announces the arrival of vāja—victorious plenitude.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The color-epithet hari- (tawny/golden) belongs to an archaic Indo-Iranian poetic palette for solar/luminous energies; it parallels Avestan usage of color terms for divine forces. The concept of an ‘imperishable’ (a-vyaya) resonates with inherited Indo-European sacral diction for the enduring law/order beyond decay.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer witnesses and affirms Soma’s forward motion as a divine response to aspiration: Soma is ‘impelled’ (hinvānaḥ) because the human and ritual energies cooperate to set it moving. The hymn’s voice functions as reinforcement—naming the crossing of veils so that the inner process becomes conscious and effective.
Feel the Soma-stream crossing inner veils; identify one ‘covering’ (fear, doubt, inertia) and let the flow pass through it.
maṇipūra (breakthrough force) supporting ājñā (clear path)
Kapalabhati-light (if suitable) for 30–60 strokes, then quiet breathing while chanting to ‘cross’ inertia; otherwise steady nasal breathing with strong exhale emphasis.
Forward-moving clarity; resilient aspiration.
On ‘tiraḥ vārāṇi’ visualize passing through a translucent veil; on ‘avyayā’ rest in the sense of the soul’s unbroken path; end with silent affirmation of vāja (capacity).
Not fully recoverable from provided text; chant with a smooth, continuous intonation to mirror ‘arṣati’ (flow).
Light emphasis: índuḥ, hinvānáḥ, árṣati, tíraḥ, vārā́ṇi, avyáyā, háriḥ, vā́jam (approx.). Keep the line unbroken.
induḥ: final ḥ lightly aspirated, hinvāno: ‘hv’ conjunct; long ā, tiraḥ: short i; final ḥ, vārāṇi: long ā; retroflex ṇ, avyayā: ‘vy’ conjunct; long ā at end, acikradat: ‘ci’ clear; ‘kr’ crisp; final ‘t’ dental
Flowing, unwavering, slightly bright nasal resonance; avoid jerky pauses.
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