Rig Veda 9.97.17: Mandala 9, Sukta 97, Mantra 17
Sukta 9.97
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seers
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वृष्टिं नो अर्ष दिव्यां जिगत्नुमिळावतीं शंगयीं जीरदानुम् । स्तुकेव वीता धन्वा विचिन्वन्बन्धूँरिमाँ अवराँ इन्दो वायून् ॥
vṛṣṭíṃ no arṣa divyā́ṃ jigatnúm iḷā́-vatīṃ śaṃ-gayī́ṃ jīrá-dānum | stukā́-iva vītā́ dhanva vi-cínvan bandhū́n imā́ṃ avárā́n indo vāyū́n ||
Spłyń dla nas boski deszcz siły, szybko osiągając swój cel, bogaty w natchnione oświecenie, przynoszący dobrobyt, udzielający gorliwego daru. Jak wystrzelony pocisk, pędź dalej, o Indu, rozpoznając i gromadząc te niższe energie i prądy, by zostały wzniesione ku właściwemu ruchowi.
Word by Word
- वृष्टिम्
- rain, showerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृष्टि- (√वृष् ‘वर्षणे’)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी; बहुवचन (enclitic)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्
- अर्ष
- flow! rush forth!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √ऋष्/अर्ष् (गत्यर्थः; ‘to flow, rush’)
- दिव्याम्
- heavenlyAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्मणः)Root दिव्य- (दिव्)
- जिगत्नुम्
- swift-going / impetuousAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्मणः)Root जिगत्नु- (√गम्; desiderative/iterative adj. ‘eager/ready to go’)
- इळावतीम्
- rich in Iḷā (nourishment/refreshment)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्मणः)Root इळावती- (इळा + वत्)
- शंगयीम्
- beneficent, bringing well-beingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्मणः)Root शंगयी- (शं + गय/गयि; ‘bringing welfare/boon’)
- जीरदानुम्
- with swift streams / swift-flowingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्मणः)Root जीरदानु- (जीर ‘quick/strong’ + दानु ‘stream/drop’)
- स्तुक
- a tuft/lock (of hair), crestNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उपमान-आधारः)Root स्तुक-
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRole (सम्बन्ध/उपमा)Root इव
- वीता
- woven/spread outKṛdanta (Participle)भूतकृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (इन्दोः विशेषणम्)Root √वी/वय् (विन्यये/वायने) → वीत-
- धन्वा
- with the bow / by (means of) the bowNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot धन्वन्-
- विचिन्वन्
- seeking out, selectingKṛdanta (Participle)वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (इन्दोः)Root √चि (चयन/विचयने) → विचिन्वत्
- बन्धून्
- kinsmen, alliesNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot बन्धु-
- इमान्
- thesePronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole विशेषण (कर्मणः)Root इदम्
- अवरान्
- lower, nearer (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole विशेषण (कर्मणः)Root अवर-
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Noun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु-
- वायून्
- winds (air-currents)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वायु-
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रह): वृ॒ष्टिम् | नः | अर्ष | दि॒व्याम् | जि॑ग॒त्नुम् | इळा॑वतीम् | शं॒गयीम् | जी॒रदा॑नुम् | स्तुक | इव | वी॒ता | धन्वा | विचि॒न्वन् | बन्धून् | इ॒मान् | अ॒व॒रान् | इन्दो | वा॒यून् । मुख्यसन्धयः: (1) जिगत्नुमिळावतीम् → जिगत्नुम् + इळावतीम् (म् + इ → मि)
- (2) विचिन्वन्बन्धून् → विचिन्वन् + बन्धून् (न् + ब → न्ब)
- (3) इमाँ अवराँ → इमान् + अवरान् (न् + अ → न्-अ; संहितायां नासिक्य/दीर्घलेखः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Flow for us the divine rain that swiftly reaches its goal—rich in inspiration, bringing wellbeing, granting eager giving. Like a driven missile, range out, O Indu, discerning and gathering these lower winds/currents.
Inner meaning
Soma is asked to pour a ‘divine rain’ (vṛṣṭi divyā): descent of higher force into the being, swiftly accomplishing its purpose. It is iḻāvatī—bearing inspired illumination and right discernment; śaṃgayī—bringing harmony and wellbeing; jīradānu—granting quick, eager gifts of energy and insight. Then the mantra turns practical: like a propelled dart (stuka), Soma ranges through the lower currents (avarā vāyūn)—restless vital movements—and gathers/binds them as ‘bandhūn’ (relations, kinships), integrating them into a right movement rather than letting them scatter.
Universal truth
True spiritual influx is both a descent of power and a reorganization of the lower energies; transformation means integration, not escape.
Themes
Soma-ritual, purification and ascent, inner alchemy of energies, Rita-alignment through discernment (vi-cinvan)
The seer
- Rishi
- Anonymous/collective Soma-Pavamāna seers (Anukramaṇī varies within 9.97)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.97.16 (good paths; breaking difficulties), RV 9.97.18 (loosening knots; straight and crooked)
Significance
The seer articulates a complete yogic movement: descent (vṛṣṭi), guidance (iḻā), harmony (śaṃ), rapid progress (jīra), and integration of lower prāṇa (vāyu) into the transformed life.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu, Pavamāna, Iḻāvatī (bearer of inspired illumination), Śaṃgayī (bringer of wellbeing), Jīradānu (swift giver)
- Related deities
- Vāyu (winds/prāṇa), Indra (goal-directed illumination), Parjanya (rain archetype)
Cosmic role
As rain from heaven, Soma mediates between higher worlds and earthly life, delivering force and reorganizing energies for the sacrifice.
Inner power
Descending Ananda-force that both uplifts and integrates the lower vital currents into right movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering; invocation for abundance and right movement of energies
वृ॒ष्टिं नो॑ अर्ष दि॒व्यां जि॑ग॒त्नुमिळा॑वतीं शं॒गयीं॑ जी॒रदा॑नुम् । स्तुके॑व वी॒ता ध॑न्वा विचि॒न्वन्बन्धूँ॑रि॒माँ अव॑राँ इन्दो वा॒यून् ॥
वृ॒ष्टिम् । नः॒ । अ॒र्ष॒ । दि॒व्याम् । जि॒ग॒त्नुम् । इळा॑ऽवतीम् । श॒म्ऽगयी॑म् । जी॒रऽदा॑नुम् । स्तुका॑ऽइव । वी॒ता । ध॒न्व॒ । वि॒ऽचि॒न्वन् । बन्धू॑न् । इ॒मान् । अव॑रान् । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । वा॒यून् ॥
vṛṣṭim | naḥ | arṣa | divyām | jigatnum | iḷāvatīm | śam-gayīm | jīra-dānum | stukā-iva | vītā | dhanva | vi-cinvan | bandhūn | imān | avarān | indo iti | vāyūn
48
4 × 12 (approx.); long vowels and clusters create a ‘rushing’ feel (jigatnum, vicinvan)
Swift and directional; imagery of rain and missile gives speed and precision.
Elicits a sense of descent plus forward drive; good for mobilizing scattered energy into purpose.
- वृष्टिम् दिव्याम् (vṛṣṭim divyām)
- Literal: divine rain. Symbolic: descent of higher force/grace into mind-life-body
- जिगत्नुम् (jigatnum)
- Literal: swiftly reaching the goal. Symbolic: effective power that accomplishes; not merely a feeling
- इळावतीम् (iḻāvatīm)
- Literal: possessing iḻā. Symbolic: inspired illumination/intuition that guides right action
- शंगयीम् (śaṃgayīm)
- Literal: bringing welfare. Symbolic: harmonizing peace and right balance in the nature
- जीरदानुम् (jīradānum)
- Literal: quick-giving. Symbolic: rapid bestowal of energy, clarity, and progress
- स्तुका इव (stukā iva)
- Literal: like a missile/dart. Symbolic: concentrated directed will-force that penetrates inertia
- अवरान् वायून् (avarān vāyūn)
- Literal: lower winds. Symbolic: lower prāṇic/vital currents, impulses, scattered energies
- विचिन्वन् (vicinvan)
- Literal: discerning, selecting, gathering. Symbolic: discriminative integration of energies under higher guidance
- बन्धून् (bandhūn)
- Literal: kinsmen/bonds. Symbolic: linking the parts of nature into a coherent unity
Soma purification (pavamāna) chants in Soma-yajña; sung/recited during pressing and filtering, especially in Agniṣṭoma sequences
During Pavamāna recitations in Soma-yajña; also as a general prosperity/force invocation within the rite
Chanted while Soma flows/filters; intention of ‘rain’ (increase) and ordering of vāyus (currents)
Use when feeling scattered or drained: invoke a ‘divine rain’ of strength and then consciously gather lower impulses into a single aligned routine.
Key terms: (1) (arṣa) from √ṛṣ/√arṣ ‘to move swiftly, to stream’; Soma is repeatedly ‘pavamāna’ as a rushing clarity—hence psychological ‘influx’ not mere liquid. (2) (vṛṣṭi) from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, to shower’; in Vedic symbolic diction, raining from div (dyu) suggests descent of higher force/knowledge into the embodied field. (3) (iḷā) is a Vedic power of illumination and right nourishment; iḷā-vatī ‘endowed with iḷā’ marks the flow as revelatory. (4) from vi-√ci ‘to separate and collect’ indicates discriminative integration: selecting true movements from mixed lower currents. (5) (vāyu) ‘wind’ (√vā ‘to blow’) readily maps to prāṇa/life-force movements; ‘lower vāyus’ are instinctive/pranic impulses to be taken up into a higher order.
descent of the higher (divya), illumination/nourishment (iḷā), integration of lower energies (avarā vāyūn → uplifted movement)
The lower vāyus are to be lifted into ṛta by discernment (vicinvan) and bonding (bandhūn).
Effective descent ‘reaches the goal’—truth is measured by transformative efficacy.
Heaven’s force fertilizes earth; higher consciousness reorganizes lower life.
Integral (Aurobindonian) emphasis on descent and transformation of the vital.
Rain = descent of force/grace; winds = prāṇic currents and impulses; missile = concentrated will guided by discernment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic action is Soma-as-divine-rain: Indu is urged to ‘stream’ a heavenly vṛṣṭi (descent) that reaches its aim and reorganizes the lower winds (vāyūn avarān). This is the recurrent Pavamāna mythologem: the purified essence descends/flows and converts the mixed lower movements into a harmonized, upward-serving power.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛṣ ‘rain/shower’ is cognate with Indo-European notions of ‘sprinkling/overflow’ (semantic field of wetting/strengthening; compare the wider IE rain/strength nexus). √vā ‘blow’ (vāyu) aligns with PIE *h₂weh₁- ‘to blow (wind)’. √ci ‘collect’ reflects PIE *key- ‘set in motion/notice; gather’ (broadly attested in ‘cite/notice’ and ‘collect’ developments). The verse’s prefixed verbs (vi-√ci) show the Vedic habit of encoding fine cognitive operations via preverb + root.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker petitions Soma not merely for outer rain but for a goal-reaching divine influx endowed with iḷā (revelatory nourishment) and śam (harmonizing peace). The reciprocity is implicit: by praising/impelling Soma’s flow, the human seeker receives ordered energies—Soma becomes the inner organizer who gathers the ‘bandhūn’ (linked forces) and converts lower prāṇic currents into instruments of the Truth-impulse.
Invite a descending shower of luminous force; then scan the body for restless ‘winds’ (impulses) and gather them into calm purposeful breath.
Sahasrāra/Ājñā (descent) with Svādhiṣṭhāna/Manipūra (vital winds integration)
Downward ‘rain’ visualization on inhale; on exhale, gently draw prāṇa upward to the navel and steady it (no strain).
Charged, aligned, integrated; less scattered vitality.
Chant 7 times. After each chant, pause one breath and feel: (1) descent from above the head, (2) gathering at navel, (3) quiet forward intention.
Vedic accenting recommended; for practice, keep a slight lift on key invocatory words (vṛṣṭim, divyām, jigatnum) and a clean cadence at pāda ends.
Mark the energetic turns: vṛṣṭiṃ no arṣa / divyāṃ jigatnum / stukā iva / avarān vāyūn.
vṛṣṭim: retroflex ṣṭ cluster; keep crisp, iḻāvatīm: pronounce ḻ (if trained) as retroflex lateral; otherwise a careful ‘ḷa’ approximation, śaṃgayīm: nasalize ‘śaṃ’, jīradānum: long ī and ā, vicinvan: clear ‘cv’/‘cinv’ sequence without adding vowels
Bright, swift, directional; like calling down and then commanding energies.
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