Rig Veda 9.96.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 96, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.96
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अजीतयेऽहतये पवस्व स्वस्तये सर्वतातये बृहते । तदुशन्ति विश्व इमे सखायस्तदहं वश्मि पवमान सोम ॥
ajī́taye áhātaye pavasva svastáye sarva-tā́taye bṛhaté | tád uśánti víśva imé sákḥāyas tád aháṃ vaśmi pavamāna soma ||
Oczyść się dla niezwyciężoności i nietykalności, dla dobrostanu, dla całości naszej doskonałości, dla nieskończoności. Wszyscy ci towarzysze pragną tego; tego właśnie pragnę, o Somo, gdy się oczyszczasz i płyniesz.
Word by Word
- अजीतये
- for unconqueredness / for victoryNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (दत्तिव), एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अजीति- (प्रातिपदिक; a- + √जि 'to conquer')
- अहतये
- for non-injury / for inviolabilityNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अहति- (प्रातिपदिक; a- + √हन् 'to strike/kill')
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow forth (O Soma)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया) —Root √पू (पवते) 'to purify, to flow (as Soma)'
- स्वस्तये
- for well-beingNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot स्वस्ति- (प्रातिपदिक; su- + अस्ति 'well-being')
- सर्वतातये
- for all-ness / for complete prosperityNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot सर्वताति- (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + ताति 'totality/wholeness, full prosperity')
- बृहते
- for the great (goal/state)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग (or पुंलिङ्ग) , चतुर्थी, एकवचन; here used substantivelyRole SampradānaRoot बृहन्त्- (प्रातिपदिक; from √बृह् 'to grow, be great')
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उशन्ति
- they desireVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) —Root √वश्/उश् (वशति/उशति) 'to desire, wish'
- विश्वे
- allAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot विश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इमे
- thesePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सखायः
- friends, companionsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सखि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अहम्
- IPronounउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम)
- वश्मि
- I desireVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) —Root √वश् 'to wish, desire'
- पवमान
- O purifying (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन) —Root पवमान- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पू 'to purify' + शानच्, present middle participle)
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन) —Root सोम- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: अजीतयेऽहतये → अजीतये + अहतये (ऽ = avagraha after -e)
- Other words are already in padapāṭha-like separation
- Accent marks in the saṃhitā text (e.g., अजी॑त॒ये, अह॑तये, स्व॒स्तये॑, स॒र्वता॑तये, तदु॑शन्ति, विश्व॑, इ॒मे, सखा॑यः, तद॒हं, व॑श्मि) are noted but not re-marked per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, as it is purified and set flowing, is invoked to bring invincibility, freedom from being struck down, well-being, total completeness, and the Vast; all companions desire this, and the singer also wills it.
Inner meaning
Pavamāna Soma is the clarifying Delight (ānanda) moving through the inner filters of consciousness. As it becomes pure, it produces psychological invincibility (ajīti)—a state where the soul is no longer conquered by impulsions, depression, or doubt—and unassailability (ahatī)—a protected poise where hostile suggestions cannot “strike” the mind. Svasti is inner harmony; sarvatātī is integral perfection (a many-sided completeness of the being); bṛhat is the Vast (bṛhat/bṛhad) consciousness. The “comrades” are the allied powers in us—aspiration, faith, will, discernment—who all seek this single boon: the stable wideness of being grounded in delight.
Universal truth
When consciousness is refined through sincere inner offering, delight becomes a force of protection and integration: it makes the psyche resilient, harmonizes life, and opens the experience of vastness that naturally draws all parts of the being toward wholeness.
Themes
Invictory, Integral perfection, Collective aspiration (sakhāyaḥ), Soma purification
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma Pavamāna tradition; specific rishi not clearly preserved for this verse in common recensions.
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.96 (entire sūkta, Soma Pavamāna), Rig Veda 9.95–9.97 (adjacent Soma purification hymns)
Family tradition
Ninth Maṇḍala (Soma Pavamāna): hymns of seers devoted to the inner/outer purification of Soma; often linked broadly with Kaṇva/Angiras-like streams across the book rather than a single fixed author for each verse.
Significance
The ‘seer’ here is the yogic consciousness that experiences delight as a purifier and protector. In Aurobindonian reading, the rishi-function is the awakened intuition that calls the Vast and insists on integral perfection (sarvatātī).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (the Purifying/Flowing), Indu (bright drop), Madhu (sweetness), Rasa (essence)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Sūrya, Vishnu
Cosmic role
The clarifying nectar that, pressed and filtered, becomes fit for the gods—i.e., for higher powers of consciousness to act in the human instrument.
Inner power
Ānanda that purifies mind and life, gives resilience, harmonizes the being, and opens wideness (bṛhat).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna-stotra context)
अजी॑त॒येऽह॑तये पवस्व स्व॒स्तये॑ स॒र्वता॑तये बृह॒ते । तदु॑शन्ति॒ विश्व॑ इ॒मे सखा॑य॒स्तद॒हं व॑श्मि पवमान सोम ॥
अजी॑तये । अह॑तये । प॒व॒स्व॒ । स्व॒स्तये॑ । स॒र्वऽता॑तये । बृ॒ह॒ते । तत् । उ॒श॒न्ति॒ । विश्वे॑ । इ॒मे । सखा॑यः । तत् । अ॒हम् । व॒श्मि॒ । प॒व॒मा॒न॒ । सो॒म॒ ॥
ajītaye | ahataye | pavasva | svastaye | sarva-tātaye | bṛhate | tat | uśanti | viśve | ime | sakhāyaḥ | tat | aham | vaśmi | pavamāna | soma
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Firm, forward-driving cadence suitable for aspiration and insistence.
Builds a steady inner will: each clause is a deliberate step toward wideness and completeness, producing confidence and protected calm.
- pavasva / pavamāna
- Literal: purify yourself; being purified/flowing. Symbolic: the movement of delight-consciousness through inner purification and progressive clarity
- ajītaye
- Literal: for not-being-conquered. Symbolic: invincible spiritual poise; mastery over lower nature
- ahataye
- Literal: for not-being-struck. Symbolic: immunity from hostile forces/suggestions; inner protection
- svastaye
- Literal: for well-being. Symbolic: harmonious right-being; settled integrality
- sarvatātaye
- Literal: for totality/all-ness. Symbolic: integral perfection of mind-life-body in the yoga
- bṛhate
- Literal: for the Vast. Symbolic: wideness of consciousness (bṛhat) beyond ego-limits
- sakhāyaḥ
- Literal: companions/friends. Symbolic: supporting inner powers and harmonized faculties
Aspirational formula within Soma filtration hymns; supports consecration toward svasti and bṛhat in Soma-yajña
During Soma-yajña sequences when Soma is filtered and offered; also as a general pavamāna praise in recitation traditions.
Chanted alongside filtering/clarifying Soma through wool/strainers into vessels.
Use as a meditation-mantra for resilience, inner protection, and widening: recite before challenging work or during emotional turbulence to re-establish svasti and bṛhat.
ajī́taye: a- + jita (ppp of √ji ‘conquer’) in dative: ‘for invincibility’. áhātaye: a- + hāta (ppp of √han ‘strike/slay’) ‘for unstruckness’. svastáye from su + asti ‘good being’. bṛhaté from √bṛh ‘to grow, expand’—the Vast, a key RV epithet aligned with truth-consciousness.
svasti (right-being), bṛhat (the Vast), integrality (sarva-tāti)
Purification aligns the movements of mind-life with r̥ta, producing ‘unassailable’ order within.
The will (vaśmi) is made one-pointed toward truth-being rather than mixed desire.
From clarified essence arises a wider, more integral formation of consciousness (sarvatātī).
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): ānanda as a formative power of realization.
The ‘flow’ is the current of delight through the subtle nerves; ‘filtering’ is discrimination and purification; ‘vessel’ is the prepared mind that can hold wideness without spilling into agitation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The victory motif reframed as a state: not a single combat episode, but the sought condition of ‘unconquered/unstruck’ being—an inner myth of establishing the soul in inviolable wideness (bṛhat) through Soma’s purification.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ji ‘conquer’ corresponds to PIE *gʷeyh₃- ‘to live’ is not direct; rather Indo-European has *weik-? The secure cognate is limited, but √han ‘strike/slay’ is Indo-European (cf. Greek phónos ‘slaughter’ as semantic parallel; Germanic *han- is debated). More solid: √bṛh ‘grow’ relates to PIE *bʰerǵʰ- ‘rise, high’ (cf. German Berg ‘mountain’), supporting ‘bṛhat’ as ‘the Vast/High’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi aligns personal will (vaśmi) with the collective aspiration of the sakhis; Soma is invoked as the purifying power that can stabilize these desired states—svasti, invincibility, and the Vast—within the human instrument.
Let delight rise and clarify the mind; hold the will on wideness (bṛhat) and integral harmony (svasti).
Anahata (heart: ānanda and harmony) and Sahasrara (wideness/vastness)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) while mentally repeating ‘pavasva’.
From restless mental movement to clear, wide, protected awareness.
Begin with offering agitation into the ‘stream’; feel a cool-bright current washing the mind; end by resting in bṛhat—wide, quiet, unhurt.
Use the pada text to preserve udatta/anudatta/svarita; key lifts often occur on goal-words (svastaye, bṛhate) in recitational tradition.
Keep clear stress on long compounds: ajītaye—ahataye—svastaye—sarvatātaye—bṛhate; avoid flattening the cadence across the list.
ajītaye: long ī (jī), not short i, ahataye: pronounce ha clearly; dental t, sarvatātaye: maintain long ā in -tāt-, bṛhate: vocalic ṛ (bṛ), not ‘bri’
Clear, steady, slightly bright tone; end each pāda with calm firmness.
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