Rig Veda 9.38.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 38, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.38
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
एतं त्रितस्य योषणो हरिं हिन्वन्त्यद्रिभिः । इन्दुमिन्द्राय पीतये ॥
etaṃ tritasya yoṣaṇo hariṃ hinvanty adribhīḥ | indum indrāya pītaye ||
A este, o fulvo (Soma) de Trita, as donzelas o impelem adiante com as pedras de prensar — a gota luminosa para Indra beber.
Word by Word
- एतम्
- this (him)Pronoun/Determinerपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (here masc. acc. sg. agreeing with हरिम्); द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्रितस्य
- of TritaNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root त्रित (प्रातिपदिक; देव/ऋषि-नाम)
- योषणः
- the maidens / young womenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot योषण (प्रातिपदिक)
- हरिम्
- the tawny one (Soma)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हिन्वन्ति
- they impel / set in motionVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचनRoot हिन्व् (धातु; to impel, set in motion)
- अद्रिभिः
- with the pressing-stonesNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक; stone, pressing-stone)
- इन्दुम्
- the Soma (drop)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक; Soma-drop)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पीतये
- for drinkingNoun (action noun)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचन (दातृ-अर्थे: ‘for drinking’)Role Prayojana (dative of purpose)Root पीति (प्रातिपदिक; drinking)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: योष॑णो॒ → योषणः (nom. pl.; o is Vedic sandhi/ending for -aḥ before voiced sound/metrical)
- हिन्व॒न्त्यद्रि॑भिः → हिन्वन्ति + अद्रिभिः (i + a hiatus resolved in saṃhitā as -y-)
- इन्दु॒मिन्द्रा॑य → इन्दुम् + इन्द्राय (m + i with nasal assimilation in saṃhitā). Accent marks in the given saṃhitā are retained only in the source
- pada-forms here are unaccented lexical forms
The meaning
Outer meaning
The maidens of Trita drive forward the tawny Soma with pressing stones; the bright drop is for Indra to drink.
Inner meaning
The ‘maidens’ are the illumined faculties (inspired perceptions, purified emotions, subtle discernments) that serve the inner sacrifice. ‘Trita’ (the third, the hidden one) points to a deeper plane—often read as the concealed divine in the waters/being, or the third status beyond surface mind and life—where Soma is first found. The ‘pressing stones’ are the firm powers of tapas (concentrated effort) that extract the essence from experience. The Soma thus prepared is offered to Indra, the divine Mind: bliss becomes the drink that intoxicates illumination, enabling the slaying of Vṛtra-like obstruction and the release of the rays.
Universal truth
When our faculties cooperate in disciplined effort, the essence of experience is distilled into a joy that feeds clarity and courage. Illumination is strengthened by purified delight.
Themes
Soma pressing, Trita myth-complex, Indra empowerment, Extraction of essence
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.105 (Trita theme), Rig Veda 9.32 (Pavamāna preparation for Indra), Rig Veda 9.62 (Soma for Indra)
Family tradition
Soma-pressing seer tradition; ‘Trita’ motif connects to ancient mythic-psychological strata of the Rig Veda.
Significance
The verse encodes the inner method: faculties (maidens) + tapas (stones) produce refined bliss (indu) that empowers illumination (Indra).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (for Indra)
- Epithets
- Hari (tawny one), Indu (bright drop), Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra, Trita Āptya, Agni
Cosmic role
Mediator of ecstasy between earth-nature and the gods; the draught that increases Indra’s might and releases the light.
Inner power
Transforms raw enjoyment into a clarified delight that supports discrimination, courage, and the breaking of inner darkness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and offering for Indra (Indra-pāna).
ए॒तं त्रि॒तस्य॒ योष॑णो॒ हरिं॑ हिन्व॒न्त्यद्रि॑भिः । इन्दु॒मिन्द्रा॑य पी॒तये॑ ॥
ए॒तम् । त्रि॒तस्य॑ । योष॑णः । हरि॑म् । हि॒न्व॒न्ति॒ । अद्रि॑ऽभिः । इन्दु॑म् । इन्द्रा॑य । पी॒तये॑ ॥
etam | tritasya | yoṣaṇaḥ | harim | hinvanti | adri-bhiḥ | indum | indrāya | pītaye
24
3 × 8 (approx.)
Compact, ritual-driving; a ‘press-and-offer’ cadence.
Creates a sense of coordinated effort culminating in uplift—an offering-movement to the higher mind.
- त्रित (trita)
- Literal: the third; a seer-name. Symbolic: the hidden third principle/plane; inner depth where the nectar is discovered
- योषणः (yoṣaṇaḥ)
- Literal: maidens, young women. Symbolic: luminous powers/faculties that serve the sacrifice (inspirations, intuitions, refined emotions)
- हरि (hari)
- Literal: tawny, golden; also ‘steed’. Symbolic: the golden Soma-current; luminous delight in motion
- अद्रि (adri)
- Literal: stone, pressing-stone. Symbolic: tapas, firm concentration that presses out the essence
- इन्दु (indu)
- Literal: bright drop. Symbolic: concentrated Ananda-essence made fit for higher mind
- इन्द्राय पीतये (indrāya pītaye)
- Literal: for Indra to drink. Symbolic: offering of bliss to the illumined Mind so it may act victoriously
Explicit Soma pressing: maidens (yoṣaṇaḥ) and stones (adri) prepare/impel Soma for Indra’s libation
At the stage of preparing Soma for Indra’s draught; associated with filtration/pressing sequences.
Pressing with stones, chanting to consecrate the juice for Indra, then offering/libation.
Before study/decision-making: ‘press out’ the essence of experience (journal/reflection), then meditate offering the distilled joy to the higher mind for clear action.
yoṣaṇa from √yuṣ/√yauṣ? (RV usage: ‘young woman/maiden’, functionally ‘nurturing powers’). hari ‘tawny’ from √hṛ/har ‘yellowish, take/bring’ (color-epithet common for Soma/Indra’s steeds). hinvanti from √hi ‘impel’. adri ‘stone’ (pressing stone) from √ad ‘eat’ is unlikely; adri is a fixed noun in Soma ritual lexicon. pītaye dative of √pā ‘drink’ (PIE *peh₃- ‘drink’).
refinement by inner energies (yoṣaṇaḥ), assimilation of power (pītaye), Trita as depth-process
The right preparation and right offering create lawful results: illumination increases when delight is purified.
Indra’s drinking symbolizes truth-mind nourished by Ananda, not by restless desire.
Extraction of essence from the hidden depths (Trita) to empower cosmic victory (Indra).
Integral-psychological Vedic symbolism (Aurobindo): sacrifice as inner process of transformation.
Stones = concentrated will; maidens = harmonized faculties; tawny Soma = luminous delight; Indra’s drink = empowerment of the illumined mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The preparation of Soma by ‘maidens’ with pressing-stones for Indra’s drinking—an enduring Soma mythologem where supportive powers refine the essence and deliver it to the warrior-light (Indra) for decisive action.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pītaye from √pā ‘drink’ reflects PIE *peh₃- (Latin pōtus, Greek pínō). The ritual lexicon around Soma pressing (adri, hinv-) shows specialized Indo-Iranian development built on inherited verbal roots (√hi ‘impel’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi frames the rite as a psycho-spiritual technology: the ‘maidens’ (refining faculties) and ‘stones’ (disciplines) cooperate to produce a drinkable luminous essence for Indra—suggesting that inner victory depends on prepared delight and conscious extraction.
Coordinate the faculties: feel multiple inner ‘maidens’ (attention, faith, discernment, devotion) pressing experience into a single clear bliss-drop offered upward to the illumined mind.
Maṇipūra (tapasic pressing) rising to Ājñā (Indra/illumination)
Kapalabhati-light (if suitable) then settle into slow breathing; mentally ‘press’ on exhale, ‘offer’ on inhale for 12 rounds.
Brightened concentration with joyful uplift.
When scattered, first unify the instruments (yoṣaṇaḥ). Apply steady tapas (adri). Offer the resulting calm joy to the higher discernment (Indra) before acting.
Let ‘hinvanti’ (drive/impel) be articulated with forward impulse; keep ‘indum indrāya’ as a clear offering phrase.
tritasya: dental t, short i, clear cluster -tasya, yoṣaṇaḥ: retroflex ṣ; o long, adribhiḥ: clear dr; bh aspirated, indrāya: long ā, pītaye: long ī; dental t
Focused, offering-toned, slightly rising at the end of each pāda.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
