Rig Veda 9.75.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 75, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.75
- Rishi
- Soma-pavamāna seer tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अव द्युतानः कलशाँ अचिक्रदन्नृभिर्येमानः कोश आ हिरण्यये । अभीमृतस्य दोहना अनूषताधि त्रिपृष्ठ उषसो वि राजति ॥
áva dyutānáḥ kalaśā́ṃ acikradan nṛ́bhir yemānáḥ kóśa ā́ hiraṇyáye | abhī́m ṛtásya dohanā́ anūṣatā́dhi tripṛṣṭhá uṣáso ví rājati ||
W dół lśni, wołając do naczyń, prowadzony przez ludzi do złotego naczynia. Dojenia Rty zabrzmiały ku niemu; umieszczony na potrójnym siedzeniu, lśni szeroko ze Jutrzenkami.
Word by Word
- अव
- down, forthIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root अव (upasarga)
- द्युता॒नः
- shining, gleamingAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (with implied Soma)Root द्यु (प्रातिपदिक: द्युत्/द्युति ‘shine’)
- कलशान्
- jars, vesselsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
- अचिक्रदत्
- cried out, resoundedVerbलङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot क्रन्द् (धातु)
- नृभिः
- with men, by the menNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole Karaṇa (instrument/agent-associate)Root नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- येमानः
- guiding/pressing on, moving in a controlled courseParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (co-referential with द्युता॒नः)Root यम् (धातु ‘to restrain/guide/hold’)
- कोशः
- container, vessel; sheathNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition to Soma/stream)Root कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, intoIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga)
- हिरण्यये
- in/into the golden (vessel)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (agreeing with कोशे understood) / or locative of destinationRole AdhikaraṇaRoot हिरण्यय (प्रातिपदिक < हिरण्य ‘gold’)
- अभी
- towards, uponIndeclinableupasarga/prepositionRoot अभि (upasarga)
- अमृतस्य
- of immortality; of the immortal (drink)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- दोहना
- milkings, milk-drawings (streams/acts of drawing)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (subject of अनूषत)Root दोहना (प्रातिपदिक < दुह् ‘to milk’)
- अनूषत
- they sounded/praised (uttered)Verbलङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot वच्/उष्? (Vedic: √वच् with anu-; form used as ‘they praised/uttered’)
- अधि
- upon, overIndeclinableprepositionRoot अधि (upasarga)
- त्रिपृष्ठः
- three-backed; having three surfaces (epithet)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (subject of विराजति)Root त्रिपृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक: त्रि+पृष्ठ)
- उषसः
- of DawnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth; intensivelyIndeclinableupasargaRoot वि (upasarga)
- राजति
- shines, is resplendentVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot राज् (धातु ‘to shine, be splendid’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: अव | द्युता॒नः | कलशान् | अचिक्रदत् | नृभिः | येमानः | कोशः | आ | हिरण्यये. Second hemistich: अभी | अमृतस्य | दोहना | अनूषत | अधि | त्रिपृष्ठः | उषसः | वि | राजति. Notable: कलशाँ॑ = कलशान् (acc.pl.)
- अचिक्रद॒न्- = अचिक्रदत् (imperfect 3sg of √क्रन्द्)
- कोश॒ आ = कोशः आ (visarga before vowel)
- हिर॒ण्यये is loc.sg agreeing with implied कोशे/पात्रे
- उ॒षसो॒ = उषसः (gen.sg)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma shines downward, calling to the jars, guided by men into the golden vessel. The ‘milkings of Ṛta’ sound to him; placed on the triple seat, he shines widely with the Dawns.
Inner meaning
The descending light of Soma-consciousness is directed by the disciplined human powers (nṛbhiḥ) into a refined inner receptacle (golden vessel = purified mind). The ‘milkings of Ṛta’ are the steady yields of Truth—intuitions and illuminations that answer the seeker when the inner sacrifice is rightly done. Established on the ‘triple seat’ (body–life–mind purified; or the three luminous planes), Soma radiates with Uṣas: repeated dawnings of awakening across the being.
Universal truth
Spiritual experience becomes stable when guided into a prepared vessel. Truth yields its ‘milk’ repeatedly, and awakening comes in progressive dawns when the whole nature becomes a seat for the light.
Themes
Soma in vessels, Rita-milking, threefold foundation, uṣas illumination
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma-pavamāna seer tradition (Mandala 9)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.61–9.76 (Soma entering vessels; dawn/illumination motifs recur)
Family tradition
Pavamāna corpus transmitted by specialist chant lineages; seers speak from the experiential process of Soma purification and ascent.
Significance
The seer-vision emphasizes right guidance (nṛbhiḥ) and right receptacle (hiraṇyaya kośa) as conditions for stable illumination (uṣas).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- dyutānaḥ (shining), pavamāna (self-purifying), ṛtasya dohanā-priya (receiver of Ṛta’s milkings), tripṛṣṭha-sthita (set on triple seat)
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Brings the luminous essence into formed channels; links Truth’s yield to awakening (Uṣas).
Inner power
A descending bliss-light that becomes steady illumination when held in a purified inner vessel.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration and collection into vessels; pavamāna chants
अव॑ द्युता॒नः क॒लशाँ॑ अचिक्रद॒न्नृभि॑र्येमा॒नः कोश॒ आ हि॑र॒ण्यये॑ । अ॒भीमृ॒तस्य॑ दो॒हना॑ अनूष॒ताधि॑ त्रिपृ॒ष्ठ उ॒षसो॒ वि रा॑जति ॥
अव॑ । द्यु॒ता॒नः । क॒लशा॑न् । अ॒चि॒क्र॒द॒त् । नृऽभिः॑ । वे॒मा॒नः । कोशे॑ । आ । हि॒र॒ण्यये॑ । अ॒भि । ई॒म् । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । दो॒हनाः॑ । अ॒नू॒ष॒त॒ । अधि॑ । त्रि॒ऽपृ॒ष्ठः । उ॒षसः॑ । वि । रा॒ज॒ति॒ ॥
ava | dyutānaḥ | kalaśān | acikradan | nṛ-bhiḥ | vemānaḥ | kośe | ā | hiraṇyaye | abhi | īm | ṛtasya | dohanāḥ | anūṣata | adhi | tri-pṛṣṭhaḥ | uṣasaḥ | vi | rājati
48
4 × 12
Rolling, processional movement—fits imagery of Soma being led and set in place.
Encourages guided descent and settling; the listener feels ‘placement’ and widening radiance.
- dyutānaḥ
- Literal: shining, luminous. Symbolic: illumined consciousness descending into the instrument
- kalaśa
- Literal: jar, vessel. Symbolic: prepared receptacles of the mind/heart for receiving Soma
- nṛbhiḥ
- Literal: by men. Symbolic: by the inner human powers—aspiration, discernment, will
- kośa
- Literal: container, sheath, vessel. Symbolic: the subtle ‘sheath’ (inner body) refined to hold higher force
- hiraṇyaya
- Literal: golden. Symbolic: luminous, sattvic, supramental-tending receptivity
- ṛtasya dohanāḥ
- Literal: milkings of Ṛta. Symbolic: truth-yields: intuitive perceptions, right inspirations
- tripṛṣṭha
- Literal: three-seated, triple seat. Symbolic: stable foundation across three parts/planes of being
- uṣasaḥ
- Literal: dawns. Symbolic: successive awakenings/illumination spreading through consciousness
- vi rājati
- Literal: shines widely. Symbolic: pervasive clarity and joy filling the nature
Describes Soma’s movement into kalaśa/kośa; ‘golden vessel’ aligns with ritual containers and inner ‘sheath’ symbolism
During pressing/straining when Soma is led into jars and vessels
Guiding the flow, filling the kalaśas; praising purification and radiance
Meditation for creating an inner ‘golden vessel’: calm attention, ethical refinement, and steady receptivity to insight.
dyutāna: √dyut ‘shine, blaze’ (PIE *dyeu- luminosity family). kośa: container, sheath. hiraṇya: gold; in RV symbolic of light. dohanā: from √duh ‘milk’ → yieldings; links to earlier milking imagery. uṣas: dawn; plural indicates repeated illuminations. tri-pṛṣṭha: ‘three-backed’ suggests threefold world-structure.
threefold world/seat, Ṛta as yielding nourishment, illumination as progressive dawns
Truth is productive (‘milkings’) and responsive to right preparation.
Truth becomes experiential yield when consciousness is properly seated.
Descent of luminous essence into form; establishment on a triple foundation enabling manifestation of dawns.
Integral-yogic reading: descent + stabilization across the three instruments (mind–life–body).
dawn
Vessels = inner receptivity; gold = luminous purity; dawn = awakening; descent = grace entering prepared nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma’s descent into the golden vessel and his enthronement on a triple seat with the Dawns: the myth of the nectar-force installed in a luminous receptacle, receiving the ‘milkings’ of Ṛta and radiating as successive illuminations.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dyut (shine) belongs to the PIE luminosity complex (*dyeu-), central to Indo-European sky/brightness poetics. √rāj (shine/rule) shows the common IE overlap between radiance and sovereignty.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Human agents (nṛ-bhiḥ) conduct Soma into the right receptacle; the devatā responds by taking a stable seat (tri-pṛṣṭha) and manifesting as widening illumination (vi rājati) in companionship with the Dawns—i.e., repeated awakenings in the being.
Visualize a golden vessel at the heart-mind receiving a cool luminous stream; let each breath ‘seat’ the light across body–life–mind.
Anāhata (heart)
Inhale: receive (downward shining). Exhale: settle into the ‘triple seat’ (feel stability in belly–chest–head).
Receptive, filled, quietly radiant; progressive awakenings.
Work with steadiness: reduce mental noise, refine motives; then invite insight to ‘pour’ in—do not chase it; let it seat itself.
Maintain Vedic accenting where known; gently lift on dyutānáḥ, hiraṇyáye, ṛtásya, tripṛṣṭhá, uṣásaḥ; resolve at pāda ends.
Avoid rushing consonant clusters: acikradan; hiraṇyaye; tripṛṣṭha.
kalaśān: retroflex ḷ? (here ‘la’), clear ś, acikradat: crisp ‘kr’ cluster, hiraṇyaye: ṇ retroflex; ‘ye’ bright, uṣaso: ṣ retroflex; final ‘o’ longish in chant
Bright and clear, slightly more energized than 9.75.2; keep steadiness.
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