Rig Veda 9.77.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 77, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.77
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
चक्रिर्दिवः पवते कृत्व्यो रसो महाँ अदब्धो वरुणो हुरुग्यते । असावि मित्रो वृजनेषु यज्ञियोऽत्यो न यूथे वृषयुः कनिक्रदत् ॥
cakríḥ diváḥ pavate kṛ́tvyo rásō mahā́n adábhō váruṇo hurúg yáte | asā́vi mítraḥ vṛjánēṣu yajñíyo’tyó na yū́thē vṛṣa-yúḥ kaníkradat ||
Sprawca prawych dzieł, szeroko działająca istota, spływa z jasnego nieba; ogromny jest, nie do zdradzenia, Waruna, moc Prawa Przestrzeni, poruszający się w szerokich przestrzeniach. Mitra też jest wyciskany w polach naszego istnienia, godny ofiary; jak silny ogier w stadzie, rży, popychając duszę ku zwycięskiej sile.
Word by Word
- चक्रिः
- the active/mighty one (Soma)Adjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot चक्रि- (प्रातिपदिक; √चक्र्/√कृ ‘to make/do’ से व्युत्पन्न ‘कर्ता/कर्मठ’)
- दिवः
- from heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot दिव्- (द्यौ/दिव्)
- पवते
- purifies/flows (as purified Soma)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √पू (पवते)
- कृत्व्यः
- effective/able to accomplishAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot कृत्व्य- (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
- रसः
- the juice/essence (Soma-juice)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot रस-
- महान्
- greatAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot महत्-
- अदब्धः
- unharmed, unbeguiledAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अ-दब्ध- (√दभ् ‘to harm/deceive’)
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaNoun (deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot वरुण-
- हुरुग्यते
- is set in swift motion / speeds onwardVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √हुरुग्य/√हुरुग् (वैदिक धातु; ‘to move/urge on, speed’)
- असावि
- was pressed/was expressedVerbलुङ् (अorist), आत्मनेपद/मध्य (वैदिक), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √सु (असावि)
- मित्रः
- MitraNoun (deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मित्र-
- वृजनेषु
- in the settlements/communitiesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वृजन-
- यज्ञियः
- worthy of sacrifice, sacrificialAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot यज्ञिय- (√यज्)
- अत्यः
- a steed, racerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अत्य-
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRole (सम्बन्ध/उपमा)Root न
- यूथे
- in the herd/troopNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot यूथ-
- वृषयुः
- eager for the bull (i.e., impetuous, virile)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot वृषयु-
- कनिक्रदत्
- keeps neighing/crying aloud repeatedlyVerb (intensive/iterative present participle-like finite form in Vedic usage)लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (वैदिक ‘कनिक्रदत्’)Role (क्रिया)Root √क्रन्द् (कनिक्रदत्; पुनरुक्ति/तीव्रता-प्रयोग)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठ-संधि-विच्छेद (मुख्य): चक्रिः + दिवः + पवते
- कृत्व्यः + रसः
- महान् + अदब्धः + वरुणः
- वरुणो + हुरुग्यते → वरुणः हुरुग्यते (ओ/ः विसर्ग-परिवर्तन)
- असावि + मित्रः
- यज्ञियोऽत्यो → यज्ञियः + अत्यः (अः + अ → ओऽ)
- यूथे + वृषयुः
- कनि॑क्रदत् = वैदिक पुनरुक्ति/तीव्र-रूप (√क्रन्द्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The doer of right works, the essence, flows from heaven—vast, unbetrayable Varuṇa moving in wide spaces. Mitra too is pressed out among the fields, fit for sacrifice; like a strong stallion in the herd, he cries out.
Inner meaning
Soma is presented as the ‘kṛtvya rasa’—the essence that accomplishes the right workings in us. Descending from the luminous heaven, it manifests as Varuṇa: the power of vastness and the unbreakable law (R̥ta) that holds the being together and makes it truthful and wide. It also manifests as Mitra: harmony, luminous friendship, right relation among the parts of the nature. Pressed out in the ‘fields’ (vṛjaneṣu) of the being—our life-activities—it becomes yajñiya, fit for inner offering. Mitra as a vigorous horse crying in the herd signifies the dynamic impulse toward unified action and victorious force once harmony is established.
Universal truth
Spiritual delight is not mere sweetness; it becomes law, wideness, and harmony—then turns into a vigorous, victorious drive in life.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification (pavamāna), Ṛta and harmony (Varuṇa–Mitra), Inner awakening through divine delight
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma-Pavamāna seers of the Ninth Maṇḍala (exact rishi uncertain)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.77.1, Rig Veda 9.77.2, Rig Veda 9.77.3, Rig Veda 9.77.4
Significance
The seer here integrates Soma-yoga with ethical-cosmic powers: Varuṇa (truth-law) and Mitra (harmony). It is a classic Aurobindonian move: Soma becomes psychological transformation, not ritual fluid.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (expressing Varuṇa-Mitra powers)
- Epithets
- cakriḥ (doer), mahān (vast), adabdḥa (unbetrayable), yajñiya (fit for sacrifice)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa, Mitra, Indra (victory-force), Agni (right working)
Cosmic role
Soma as the descending essence that establishes R̥ta (Varuṇa) and concord (Mitra) and energizes victorious action.
Inner power
Truth-holding wideness that purifies; harmonizing force that turns into disciplined vital power.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing; invocation of Soma’s purifying and law-establishing power
चक्रि॑र्दि॒वः प॑वते॒ कृत्व्यो॒ रसो॑ म॒हाँ अद॑ब्धो॒ वरु॑णो हु॒रुग्य॒ते । असा॑वि मि॒त्रो वृ॒जने॑षु य॒ज्ञियोऽत्यो॒ न यू॒थे वृ॑ष॒युः कनि॑क्रदत् ॥
चक्रिः॑ । दि॒वः । प॒व॒ते॒ । कृत्व्यः॑ । रसः॑ । म॒हान् । अद॑ब्धः । वरु॑णः । हु॒रुक् । य॒ते । असा॑वि । मि॒त्रः । वृ॒जने॑षु । य॒ज्ञियः॑ । अत्यः॑ । न । यू॒थे । वृ॒ष॒ऽयुः । कनि॑क्रदत् ॥
cakriḥ | divaḥ | pavate | kṛtvyaḥ | rasaḥ | mahān | adabdhaḥ | varuṇaḥ | huruk | yate | asāvi | mitraḥ | vṛjaneṣu | yajñiyaḥ | atyaḥ | na | yūthe | vṛṣa-yuḥ | kanikradat
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4 × 12
Majestic and spacious; fits Varuṇa’s wideness and Mitra’s steady drive.
Creates an expansive calm that naturally turns into energized confidence by the final image (neighing steed).
- कृत्व्यः (kṛtvyaḥ)
- Literal: to be done; of right workings. Symbolic: power that enables right action and effective inner sacrifice
- रसः (rasaḥ)
- Literal: sap, essence. Symbolic: quintessence of consciousness—delight as sustaining substance
- दिवः (divaḥ)
- Literal: from heaven. Symbolic: from higher luminous consciousness
- वरुणः (varuṇaḥ)
- Literal: Varuṇa. Symbolic: vast law, truth-holding, purity, wideness
- मित्रः (mitraḥ)
- Literal: Mitra. Symbolic: harmony, right relation, luminous concord
- वृजनेषु (vṛjaneṣu)
- Literal: in the fields/settlements. Symbolic: in the active parts of the being, life-grounds
- अत्यः (atyaḥ)
- Literal: steed. Symbolic: vital force disciplined for the divine work
- कनिकradat (kanikradat)
- Literal: neighs, cries out. Symbolic: awakening call of dynamic harmony urging action
Soma-pavamāna sequence in the Soma sacrifice; recited during purification/flow of Soma through the filter (pavitra) in Agniṣṭoma-type rites
During purification/pressing sequences when Soma is praised as ‘rasa’
Chanting to consecrate Soma as the essence of right working and harmony
Use when seeking moral clarity, inner order, reconciliation of conflicting impulses, or disciplined energy for action.
Key terms: (1) kṛtvyaḥ from √kṛ ‘to do, make, form’: not merely ‘to be done’ but ‘effective for right formation’, supporting the inner sense of Soma as the force that builds the soul’s right action. (2) rasa ‘sap/essence’ (RV soma-rasa): psychologically, the distilled delight-substance of consciousness. (3) adabdhaḥ (a- + dabdhá, from √dabh ‘to harm/deceive’): ‘unbetrayable’, suggesting an integrity of ṛta in Varuṇa. (4) varuṇa from √vṛ ‘to cover/encompass’ with sense of ‘the Encompasser/Vast’: hence the guardian of wideness and law. (5) mitra from √mi ‘to bind/measure’ or Indo-Iranian *mitra ‘contract/friendship’: power of harmony and right relation. (6) kanikradat from √krand ‘to cry, roar’ with iterative/intensive formation: repeated call that awakens the herd of powers.
Ṛta (cosmic order) via Varuṇa, Satya/Truth-formation implied by ‘unbetrayable’ law, Bṛhat/wideness (mahān, Varuṇa)
Varuṇa explicitly embodies the Vast Law; Soma carries it into the human.
adabdḥa indicates the inviolability of truth-consciousness.
Order and harmony descend as an essence, then express as force in life.
R̥ta-Satya-Ananda triad emphasized in integral-Vedic reading.
Wide sky = wideness of consciousness; fields = life-activity; horse = vital energy harnessed; herd = collective powers of the nature brought into unity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘descent/flow of Soma from heaven’ as a mythic action: the celestial essence is purified and made active on earth/in the human field. Varuṇa and Mitra appear not as narrative characters but as operative cosmic powers—Vast Law and Harmonious Relation—released by Soma; the stallion-cry image marks the surge of victorious dynamis within the gathered faculties (yūtha).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yā ‘to go’ (yate) continues PIE *h₁ey- ‘to go’; √kṛ ‘to do/make’ (kṛtvyaḥ) aligns with PIE *kwer-/*ker- ‘to do/make’ (Indo-Iranian specialization). mitrá- has close Indo-Iranian correspondence (Avestan miθra-) indicating an inherited concept of binding order/contract; varuṇa’s semantics of encompassing/covering relate to √vṛ (PIE *wel- ‘to cover, wrap’ in broader comparisons), supporting the ‘encompassing vastness’ reading.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet does not bargain for outer goods; he witnesses and invites an inner operation: Soma’s flow establishes Varuṇa’s unbroken ṛta and Mitra’s yajñiya harmony ‘in the enclosures’ of life. The reciprocity is yogic-sacrificial: by offering attention and right consecration (yajña), the seeker receives the descent of purified delight-force that organizes the being into wideness (Varuṇa) and concord (Mitra), energizing the collective powers like a strong steed among the herd.
Let Soma-rasa establish truth-law (Varuṇa) and harmony (Mitra) in mind and life; then release disciplined energy for right action.
Vishuddha (truth) and Manipura (disciplined force)
Inhale with the sense of widening (Varuṇa); exhale with the sense of harmonizing relations (Mitra); end with 3 stronger exhales to awaken force.
Wide, clean, concordant; then dynamic readiness.
Chant; contemplate one area where truth has been compromised—offer it; then feel wideness; next, reconcile two conflicting impulses by placing them in ‘friendship’; finally, take one concrete right action.
Rigvedic three-tone; keep long vowels steady in mahān, adabdḥa.
Open the voice on: mahā́n adabdho varúṇo; brighten on: asā́vi mitró; energize final: kaníkradat.
varuṇa: retroflex ṇ audible., adabdḥa: keep ‘dbh’ cluster crisp; do not simplify to ‘adabha’., yajñiyo: pronounce jñ as ‘gy’/‘jña’ per your tradition, consistently., kanikradat: keep ‘kr’ cluster clear; short a at end.
Broad, dignified resonance; end with a spirited, brighter tone.
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