Rig Veda 9.86.13: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 13
Sukta 9.86
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seer-tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
अयं मतवाञ्छकुनो यथा हितोऽव्ये ससार पवमान ऊर्मिणा । तव क्रत्वा रोदसी अन्तरा कवे शुचिर्धिया पवते सोम इन्द्र ते ॥
ayáṃ matávāñ śakunó yáthā hitó ’ávyē sasāra pávamāna ū́rmiṇā | táva krátvā rodasī́ ántarā kave śúcir dhiyā́ pavate sóma índra te ||
Ten natchniony, jak ptak uwolniony, przemknął przez wełnę swoją falą. Z Twojej woli, o wieszczu, między dwoma światami płynie, Soma, czysty w myśli, dla Ciebie, o Indro: wzniesienie jasnej rozkoszy, która porusza się w środkowej przestrzeni istnienia.
Word by Word
- अयम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मतवान्
- wise, thoughtfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्) अथवा कर्तृविशेषणम्Root मतवत् (प्रातिपदिक; -वत् प्रत्ययः) / √मन् (मन्यते) भावार्थे
- शकुनः
- a birdNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (उपमान-कर्तृ) अथवा उपमा-प्रयोगे प्रथमाRoot शकुन (प्रातिपदिक)
- यथा
- as, likeIndeclinableउपमा/प्रकारवाचकम् अव्ययम्Root यथा (अव्यय)
- हि
- indeedIndeclinableनिपातः (अवधारण/समर्थन)Root हि (निपात)
- हितः
- placed, setParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्) अथवा कर्तृविशेषणम्Root √धा (धत्ते) → हित (कृदन्त; क्त) / ‘placed’
- अव्ये
- in/among the sheep (wool)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ससार
- has flowed, has runVerbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KriyāRoot √सृ (सरति)
- पवमानः
- purifying (Soma)Participle (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सोमस्य विशेषणम्) अथवा कर्तृविशेषणम्Root √पू (पवते) → पवमान (शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमानकृदन्त)
- ऊर्मिणा
- with a wave/surgeNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
- तव
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive) / कर्तृसम्बन्धःRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रत्वा
- by (your) power/resolveNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (heaven and earth)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, द्विवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रोदसी (द्विवचन-प्रातिपदिक; द्यावापृथिव्यौ)
- अन्तरा
- between, withinIndeclinableअव्ययम्; ‘between/within’ अर्थेRole Adhikaraṇa (देशवाचक) अथवा क्रियाविशेषणम्Root अन्तरा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
- कवे
- O seerNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुचिः
- bright, pureAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेषणम्) अथवा कर्तृविशेषणम्Root शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
- धिया
- with thought/insightNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot धी (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवते
- purifies itself, flows (purifying)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role KriyāRoot √पू (पवते)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- for you, to youPronounचतुर्थी, एकवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संधि-विच्छेदः: हितोऽव्ये → हितः अव्ये (विसर्ग + अ-कारे ‘ऽ’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, inspired like a bird released, rushes through the woolen filter with a wave; by the seer’s will he flows between heaven and earth, purified in thought, for Indra.
Inner meaning
The inspired consciousness (Soma) is released from confinement and moves swiftly through the inner “filter” (discrimination, tapas, refinement). Its wave is the surge of purified delight rising through the mid-region of the being (antarikṣa: vital-mental field). Offered to Indra, it becomes fuel for luminous mind to break coverings and establish clarity.
Universal truth
When delight is disciplined and clarified, it becomes a swift liberating force: passing through inner purification, it rises in the mid-space of life and mind and empowers illumination to govern the whole nature.
Themes
swift ascent, inner mid-region, Indra empowerment, purification through wool
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seer-tradition
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.86 (entire sūkta context), Rig Veda 9.83–9.85 (adjacent Pavamāna sequences)
Family tradition
Pavamāna Soma hymns (Ninth Maṇḍala) preserved in specialized chanting lineages focused on purification and offering.
Significance
The seer-voice here is collective: the tradition that experiences Soma as a living ascent of delight-consciousness through inner purification, culminating in empowerment of Indra (illumined mind).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (for Indra)
- Epithets
- pavamāna (self-purifying), śuci (pure), indu (drop of Soma, luminous essence)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Maruts, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Purifier and carrier of the ṛta-current: Soma clarifies and uplifts the offering, mediating between worlds and empowering the gods, especially Indra.
Inner power
Ānanda that becomes luminous intelligence when purified; a moving bliss-force that supports illumination and victory over inner resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna) in Soma-yajña; chanted during filtering/flow to the vessels.
अ॒यं म॒तवा॑ञ्छकु॒नो यथा॑ हि॒तोऽव्ये॑ ससार॒ पव॑मान ऊ॒र्मिणा॑ । तव॒ क्रत्वा॒ रोद॑सी अन्त॒रा क॑वे॒ शुचि॑र्धि॒या प॑वते॒ सोम॑ इन्द्र ते ॥
अ॒यम् । म॒तऽवा॑न् । श॒कु॒नः । यथा॑ । हि॒तः । अव्ये॑ । स॒सा॒र॒ । पव॑मानः । ऊ॒र्मिणा॑ । तव॑ । क्रत्वा॑ । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । अ॒न्त॒रा । क॒वे॒ । शुचिः॑ । धि॒या । प॒व॒ते॒ सोम॑ इन्द्र ते ॥
ayam | mata-vān | śakunaḥ | yathā | hitaḥ | avye | sasāra | pavamānaḥ | ūrmiṇā | tava | kratvā | rodasī iti | antarā | kave | śuciḥ | dhiyā | pavate | soma | indra | te
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4 pādas of ~12 syllables each
Long, flowing, wave-like cadence suited to describing streaming and ascent.
Induces a sense of forward rush and widening; supports sustained attention through a smooth, continuous breath-line.
- मतवान् (matavān)
- Literal: inspired, possessed of thought/rapture. Symbolic: the awakened intuitive-seer consciousness capable of right movement
- शकुनः (śakunaḥ)
- Literal: bird. Symbolic: the soul-force or thought-force freed to ascend and traverse worlds
- अव्ये (avye)
- Literal: in/through wool. Symbolic: the woolen filter = inner sieve of discernment that purifies mixed movements
- पवमान (pavamāna)
- Literal: purifying, self-purifying. Symbolic: consciousness that clarifies itself by right movement and offering
- ऊर्मि (ūrmi)
- Literal: wave, surge. Symbolic: upsurge of bliss-energy (ānanda) carrying aspiration upward
- क्रतु (kratu)
- Literal: will, purposeful intelligence. Symbolic: divine will/true intention guiding the ascent
- रोदसी (rodasī)
- Literal: the two worlds (heaven and earth). Symbolic: mind and life (or higher and lower nature) held in a dynamic relation
- अन्तरा (antarā)
- Literal: between. Symbolic: the intermediate plane where transformation is negotiated
- कवि (kavi)
- Literal: seer-poet. Symbolic: the illumined faculty that directs the sacrifice
- शुचिः धिया (śuciḥ dhiyā)
- Literal: pure by/with thought. Symbolic: purified understanding; clarity free from desire-mix
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: luminous mind-power that receives Soma to conquer obscurity
Soma straining (avyā) and offering to Indra; emphasizes the mid-space movement of Soma toward divine empowerment.
During Soma extraction, straining through wool, and libation sequences (notably in the Pavamāna-stotras).
Chanting to accompany purification and flow of Soma into the cups, inviting Indra’s reception.
Use as a meditation-chant for ‘inner filtering’: letting emotion/thought pass through discernment until only clear delight remains, then offering it to the illumined mind.
śakuná ‘bird’ is a common Vedic image for swift movement of consciousness. kratú from √kratu/√kṛ (complex Vedic term) denotes effective will/insight-power. rodasī (dual) heaven-and-earth: the two worlds/planes. śuci ‘bright/pure’ indicates both physical clarity and moral/mental purity.
kratu (effective will), rodasī (two worlds), purity of thought (śuci-dhī)
Soma’s ‘pavamāna’ motion is the ṛta in action: right flow that purifies and aligns worlds.
śuci dhī indicates truth-clarity in the understanding as the condition for right ascent.
Ascent and mediation between worlds: the clarified essence becomes a bridge-power.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent of consciousness and transformation of life-mind by purified ānanda.
Bird = liberated soul-thought; wool-filter = tapas/discrimination; wave = surge of ānanda-energy moving through the vital-mental midspace toward illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘Soma as the bird’: a liberated, inspired power that moves swiftly through the strainer and then through the mid-space between worlds. Innerly, it is the soul-force (bird) carrying purified delight across the divided planes, preparing a higher integration.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rodasī as the paired worlds echoes an IE binary cosmology (heaven/earth). The bird-as-soul messenger is also a widespread Indo-European poetic motif, where flight encodes transcendence and rapid passage between realms.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The verse makes Indra’s kratu the enabling condition: Soma’s pure flow is ‘by your will’. The rishi presents a cooperation of powers—Indra’s executive will and Soma’s clarified delight—working within the human mid-region to lift consciousness upward.
‘Let the delight rise purified’: observe raw impulses, pass them through discrimination, and feel a clear current of joy moving upward through the midspace of life-mind.
Anāhata–Viśuddha axis (heart’s delight clarified into truthful expression)
Slow ujjāyī-like breath or 4-4-6 breathing while chanting; feel the ‘wave’ on the exhale streaming upward.
Flow-state of clarified joy with alert, luminous attention.
Before chanting, set an intention (kratu): ‘May my delight be purified and offered to the highest intelligence.’ After chanting, sit silently and sense the current between navel-heart-throat as a single upward stream.
Use Vedic svara as per Śākala tradition: udatta on marked syllables; anudatta as baseline; svarita on falling accents (requires pada-based svara text for precision).
Keep each pāda continuous; emphasize pavamāna, ūrmiṇā, kratvā, śuciḥ, dhiyā, indra—these carry the semantic ‘lift’.
(avye): short ‘a’, consonant cluster ‘vy’ cleanly, (ūrmiṇā): long ‘ū’, retroflex ‘ṇ’, (rodasī): dental ‘d’, long ‘ī’, (dhiyā): aspirated ‘dh’, glide ‘iyā’, (indra): light ‘dr’ cluster, no extra vowel
Clear, flowing, slightly nasal resonance; sustain vowels to evoke ‘streaming’.
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