Rig Veda 9.4.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 4, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.4
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
सना दक्षमुत क्रतुमप सोम मृधो जहि । अथा नो वस्यसस्कृधि ॥
sanā́ dákṣam utá krátum ápa soma mṛ́dho jahi | áthā no vásyasas kṛdhi ||
Mantém sempre em nós Dakṣa, a capacidade, e Krátu, a vontade eficaz; e afasta, ó Soma, as pressões hostis. Então molda-nos para um ser melhor.
Word by Word
- सना
- from of old / alwaysIndeclinableअव्यय; ‘from of old, always’Role Adhikaraṇa (kāla-adhikaraṇa)Root सना (avyaya-prātipadika; from PIE *sen- ‘old’)
- दक्षम्
- skill, abilityNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot दक्ष (prātipadika)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableअव्यय; समुच्चय/अन्वादेशRoot उत (avyaya)
- क्रतुम्
- resolve, power of will / ritual intelligenceNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot क्रतु (prātipadika)
- अप
- away, offIndeclinableअव्यय; उपसर्ग (separative ‘away/off’)Root अप (avyaya; preverb)
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole Sambodhana (addressed deity)Root सोम (prātipadika)
- मृधः
- hostilities, harmsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Vedic usage); द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot मृध्/मृध (prātipadika; ‘hostility, injury’)
- जहि
- strike down, slayVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole Kriyā (imperative action)Root हन् (धातु) + (लोट्)
- अथा
- thenIndeclinableअव्यय; अनुक्रम/परिणाम (‘then, thereafter’)Root अथा (avyaya)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (enclitic)Role Sampradāna/Adhikaraṇa (beneficiary: ‘for us/our’)Root अस्मद् (sarvanāman)
- वस्यसः
- of the better (good), betterAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (used as genitive of quality: ‘of better [state]’)Role Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of the desired state/benefit)Root वस्यस् (comparative adj. from वसु ‘good’)
- कृधि
- make, doVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole Kriyā (imperative action)Root कृ (धातु) + (लोट्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सना | दक्षम् | उत | क्रतुम् | अप | सोम | मृधः | जहि | अथा | नः | वस्यसः | कृधि । 1) ‘क्रतुमप’ = क्रतुम् + अप (म् + अ → म; no change in writing beyond continuous recitation)
- 2) ‘सोम मृधः’ is simple juxtaposition (vocative + object)
- 3) ‘अथा नो’ = अथा + नः (enclitic pronoun; no phonetic change)
- 4) ‘वस्यसस्कृधि’ = वस्यसः + कृधि (visarga before k becomes s: -सः + कृ- → -सस् कृ-; written together in saṃhitā)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Ever (maintain) capacity and effective will; drive away, O Soma, the hostile forces; then make us into a better state.
Inner meaning
Soma is asked to keep in us dakṣa (skill, capacity, competence of nature) and kratu (effective will, luminous resolve). These are key psychological powers for integral progress. Soma’s purifying delight expels mṛdhaḥ—hostile pressures: depression, doubt, impulsive desire, and subconscient resistance. Then the being is refashioned into vasyas: wider, brighter stability.
Universal truth
True progress needs both competence and enlightened will; joy that purifies sustains these powers and naturally repels hostile inner formations.
Themes
Protection, Strengthening will, Removal of hostility, Inner discipline
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.4.1-2-4
Family tradition
Soma liturgical-yogic refrains; focus on psychological faculties (dakṣa/kratu) suggests a seerly concern with inner instrumentation.
Significance
Dakṣa and kratu are central Vedic psychological terms; the mantra is a compact program: strengthen faculties, reject hostility, be transformed.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Soma, Śuci (pure, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of Vṛtra; allied victory), Bṛhaspati (power of the word and will)
Cosmic role
Purifier who strengthens the gods’ powers and defeats adversaries; sustainer of victorious right action.
Inner power
Ananda as force of purification that consolidates competence (dakṣa) and illumined will (kratu), while dissolving hostile formations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification chant for strength and removal of hostility
सना॒ दक्ष॑मु॒त क्रतु॒मप॑ सोम॒ मृधो॑ जहि । अथा॑ नो॒ वस्य॑सस्कृधि ॥
सना॑ । दक्ष॑म् । उ॒त । क्रतु॑म् । अप॑ । सो॒म॒ । मृधः॑ । ज॒हि॒ । अथ॑ । नः॒ । वस्य॑सः । कृ॒धि॒ ॥
sanā | dakṣam | uta | kratum | apa | soma | mṛdhaḥ | jahi | atha | naḥ | vasyasaḥ | kṛdhi
24
3 × 8 (approx.)
compact and forceful; imperative ‘jahi’ gives a cutting edge
Builds decisive clarity and rejection-power while remaining purified and calm.
- दक्षम् (dakṣam)
- Literal: capacity; skill; competence. Symbolic: organized power of nature to execute the truth
- क्रतुम् (kratum)
- Literal: will; resolve; intelligence-in-action. Symbolic: luminous effective will guided by inner truth
- मृधः (mṛdhaḥ)
- Literal: hostilities; assaults. Symbolic: forces of obstruction—doubt, inertia, craving, adverse suggestions
- जहि (jahi)
- Literal: smite; drive away. Symbolic: decisive rejection of hostile movements
- वस्यसः कृधि
- Literal: make (us) better. Symbolic: transformative re-formation into higher being
Soma rite as inner and outer purification: strengthening kratu/dakṣa and repelling hostile forces
During Soma flow/filtration; also apt before offerings seeking protection and strength.
Chanted to empower Soma as protective purifier; symbolically ‘drives away’ obstructions to the rite.
Use before challenging tasks or when facing inner negativity: repeat to gather competence (dakṣa), will (kratu), and reject hostile thoughts.
dákṣa from √dakṣ ‘to be able, to be competent; to fashion’ → capacity/skill, also formative power. krátu from √kṛ (with -tu action noun) in early Vedic denotes ‘power of intention, effective resolve’—a will that accomplishes. mṛ́dhaḥ ‘hostility, injury’ (often plural/collective of hostile forces); jahi < √han ‘to strike, slay’ (imperative).
Ṛta as effective will (kratu) aligned with order, inner battle: light vs. obstructive formations
Dakṣa and kratu are instruments of ṛta in action; hostility is whatever breaks right order.
Kratu becomes satya-kratu when guided by truth; Soma purifies will from egoic distortion.
Formation of the ‘fit instrument’: creation as progressive organization of capacities under delight.
Integral yoga reading: transformation of nature (prakṛti) by Ananda and truth-will.
Dakṣa is steady functional energy; kratu is directive will; mṛdhaḥ are ‘clouds’ of adverse suggestion dispersed by the cool luminous Soma-current.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘battle-aid Soma’: Soma empowers the sacrificer with dakṣa/kratu and slays mṛdhaḥ—hostile forces that impede the emergence of ṛta and luminous consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- jahi (√han) reflects PIE *gʷhen- ‘to strike, kill’ (cf. Avestan jan-, Greek phónos via different routes; the PIE root is widely attested). The abstract noun formation in krátu parallels Indo-European action nouns in *-tu/-tus (cf. Latin adventus), showing shared nominal morphology.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer asks Soma not only for gifts but for functional transformation: capacity (dakṣa) and effective resolve (kratu). The reciprocity is pragmatic—Soma’s delight-power becomes operative as protection and as a disciplined force in the seeker.
Install dakṣa and kratu: feel competent steadiness in the body-mind and a clear directive will in the forehead/heart; then expel hostile formations on the exhale.
Manipura (effective power) and Ajna (directive will)
Forceful-but-controlled exhale on ‘jahi’ (not harsh); inhale gently on ‘sanā dakṣam uta kratum’.
strong, clear, protected
When hostile thoughts arise, do not argue—reject (jahi) and return to the Soma-feeling of clean joy and capacity.
Three-tone Vedic; lift on dakṣam/kratum; make ‘jahi’ sharp and clear (udātta-like), then soften into the refrain.
Do not rush the middle: uta kratum; give a slight pause before apa soma mṛdho jahi; end with composed firmness on kṛdhi.
dakṣam: retroflex ṣ, kratum: dental t, short u, apa: short a’s, mṛdho: vocalic ṛ; dh voiced aspirate, jahi: ‘ha’ clear, short i, kṛdhi: ṛ + dh cluster
firm, penetrating, controlled
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