Rig Veda 9.69.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 69, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.69
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अमृक्तेन रुशता वाससा हरिरमर्त्यो निर्णिजानः परि व्यत । दिवस्पृष्ठं बर्हणा निर्णिजे कृतोपस्तरणं चम्वोर्नभस्मयम् ॥
ámṛktena rúśatā vā́sasā hárir ámartyo nirṇijānáḥ pári vyat | divás pṛṣṭháṃ barháṇā nirṇíje kṛtópa-stáraṇaṃ camvór nabhásmayam ||
Revestido da veste sem mancha e fulgente, o Fulvo Imortal, purificando-se, envolveu-se ao redor. Fez do dorso do céu uma cobertura luminosa para sua purificação; para as taças (camvú) moldou um leito estendido, um fundamento semelhante ao firmamento.
Word by Word
- अमृक्तेन
- with unsoiled/pureAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (विशेषणम्) अथवा पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम्; ‘वाससा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role KaraṇaRoot अमृक्त (प्रा.) < √मृज् ‘मार्जने/शोधने’ (निषेध-पूर्वक) अथवा ‘अमृक्त’ = ‘अमृष्ट/अमलिन’
- रुशता
- with shiningAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (विशेषणम्) ‘वाससा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role KaraṇaRoot रुशत् (प्रा.) < √रुश्/√रुच् ‘दीप्तौ’
- वाससा
- with a garment/coveringNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot वासस् (प्रा.) < √वस् ‘आच्छादने/वसने’
- हरिः
- the tawny one (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot हरि (प्रा.)
- अमर्त्यः
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (हरिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot अमर्त्य (प्रा.)
- निर्णिजानः
- cleansing/adorning himselfVerb (participle)वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (शतृ/शानच्), आत्मनेपदी; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot नि + √रञ्ज्/√रिज् (वेद. ‘रञ्जने/शोधने/अलङ्कारे’); कृदन्त-प्रयोगः
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- व्यत
- he spread/extendedVerbलुङ् (अorist) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot वि_toggle: √वी/√वय् (वेद. ‘वियाने/विस्तारे’); here finite verb
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot दिव् (प्रा.)
- पृष्ठम्
- the back/surfaceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पृष्ठ (प्रा.)
- बर्हणा
- with expansion/loftinessNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (करण-वाचकः)Role KaraṇaRoot बर्हण (प्रा.) < √बृह् ‘वर्धने/महत्त्वे’
- निर्णिजे
- for the cleansing/raimentNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम् (सम्प्रदान)Role SampradānaRoot निर्णिज् (प्रा.) ‘शुद्धिः/आभरणम्; cleansing/raiment’
- कृत
- made/preparedVerb (participle)भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; ‘उपस्तरणम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role KarmaRoot √कृ ‘करणे’
- उपस्तरणम्
- a covering/spread (underlay)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot उप-स्तरण (प्रा.) < उप + √स्तृ ‘स्तरणे’
- चम्वोः
- of the two cups/vesselsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी-द्विवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot चमू (प्रा.) ‘पात्रम्/कुशपात्रम्; soma-vessel’
- नभस्मयम्
- sky-like / made of misty heavenAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (उपस्तरणम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot नभस् + मय (प्रा.)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): अमृक्तेन रुशता वाससा हरिः अमर्त्यः निर्णिजानः परि व्यत । दिवः पृष्ठम् बर्हणा निर्णिजे कृत उपस्तरणम् चम्वोः नभस्मयम् ॥ 1) हरिरमर्त्यः → हरिः अमर्त्यः (विसर्ग-लोपः/रेफ-सन्धिः)
- 2) कृतोपस्तरणम् → कृत उपस्तरणम् (अ + उ → ओ)
- 3) दिवस्पृष्ठम् → दिवः पृष्ठम् (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ः + प् → स् + प्)
- 4) चम्वोर्नभस्मयम् → चम्वोः नभस्मयम् (विसर्गः रुत्वेन ‘र्’ इव; पदपाठे षष्ठी-द्विवचन ‘चम्वोः’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, tawny and immortal, wraps himself in a stainless shining robe while cleansing; he makes the “back of heaven” a bright covering for his purification and lays out a wide underlay for the pressing cups, like the sky itself.
Inner meaning
The Soma-consciousness (divine Ananda) descends into the inner sacrifice and “clothes itself” in a pure, luminous substance of mind (ruśatā vāsasā). In the act of self-purification (pavamāna), it spreads a vast, sky-like clarity as the very field of transformation: the higher mind (dyu/pṛṣṭha) becomes the radiant support and covering for the cleansing movements. The “cups” are the receptive instruments of the seeker (mind, life, body) prepared to hold the distilled bliss; Soma lays an inner foundation so the vessels can receive without distortion.
Universal truth
True purification is not mere removal of impurity but a positive re-clothing of consciousness in luminous clarity; when the higher expanse becomes our support, the receptacles of experience can hold joy without being stained by desire or obscurity.
Themes
Self-purification, Heavenly support for offering, Formation of subtle receptacles, Luminous sheath
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.69.1-9 (Soma Pavamāna sequence)
Significance
Even when the personal seer-name is lost, the ‘seer-function’ here is the collective Soma-vision: the intuition that bliss purifies by creating a vast luminous support (dyu) for transformation—central to the Aurobindonian reading of Soma as Ananda.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- hari (tawny, radiant), amartya (immortal), pavamāna (self-purifying)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
The divine nectar that is pressed and purified, linking earth and heaven; it feeds the gods (powers) and sustains the ascent.
Inner power
Ananda that clarifies the mind and vital, establishing a wide, sky-like consciousness as the basis for inner offering.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna chants during Soma-yajña)
अमृ॑क्तेन॒ रुश॑ता॒ वास॑सा॒ हरि॒रम॑र्त्यो निर्णिजा॒नः परि॑ व्यत । दि॒वस्पृ॒ष्ठं ब॒र्हणा॑ नि॒र्णिजे॑ कृतोप॒स्तर॑णं च॒म्वो॑र्नभ॒स्मय॑म् ॥
अमृ॑क्तेन । रुश॑ता । वास॑सा । हरिः॑ । अम॑र्त्यः । निः॒ऽनि॒जा॒नः । परि॑ । व्य॒त॒ । दि॒वः । पृ॒ष्ठम् । ब॒र्हणा॑ । निः॒ऽनिजे॑ । कृ॒त॒ । उ॒प॒ऽस्तर॑णम् । च॒म्वोः॑ । न॒भ॒स्मय॑म् ॥
amṛktena | ruśatā | vāsasā | hariḥ | amartyaḥ | niḥ-nijānaḥ | pari | vyata | divaḥ | pṛṣṭham | barhaṇā | niḥ-nije | kṛta | upa-staraṇam | camvoḥ | nabhasmayam
Flowing and expansive, with long compound imagery that ‘spreads’ like a canopy—supporting the sense of widening purification.
Creates an inner feeling of being ‘clothed’ in light and held by a vastness; conducive to calm, luminous concentration.
- अमृक्त (amṛkta)
- Literal: unstained, stainless. Symbolic: purity of substance-consciousness, freedom from mixture with ego/desire
- रुशत (ruśat)
- Literal: shining, bright. Symbolic: luminous mind-stuff; clarified awareness
- वासस् (vāsas)
- Literal: robe, garment. Symbolic: enveloping mode of consciousness; the sheath of light
- हरि (hari)
- Literal: tawny/golden. Symbolic: radiant life-force of delight; golden current of Soma
- अमर्त्य (amartya)
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: deathless Ananda-principle in us
- निर्णिजान (nirṇijāna) / निर्णिज (nirṇij)
- Literal: cleansing, purification. Symbolic: self-clarifying movement of consciousness removing obscuration
- दिवः पृष्ठम् (divaḥ pṛṣṭham)
- Literal: the back/surface of heaven. Symbolic: plane of higher mind/illumined consciousness as basis
- बर्हणा (barhaṇā)
- Literal: a bright covering/expansion (covering, increase). Symbolic: widening luminous canopy of awareness
- चम्वोः (camvoḥ)
- Literal: of the cups/vessels. Symbolic: inner instruments receiving delight (mind-life-body receptacles)
- नभस्मय (nabhasmaya)
- Literal: sky-like, belonging to the cloud/firmament. Symbolic: vast subtle foundation; inner ether of consciousness
Relates to Soma’s ‘cleansing robe’ and the preparation of vessels (camū); ritual purification mirrored as establishing a higher, heaven-like support for reception.
During the pressing (savana) and filtering of Soma through the strainer into vessels
Chanted as Soma is purified/strained and collected into cups
Use as a meditation mantra for ‘inner cleansing’: visualize a stainless robe of light surrounding the mind and a vast sky-like support establishing steadiness.
nir-√nij ‘wash, cleanse’ frames Soma as self-purifying. vāsas ‘garment’ continues the sheath metaphor: purity is not formless but takes a luminous robe. divás pṛṣṭha ‘heaven’s back’ indicates a highest support-plane; nabhas ‘sky’ suggests vastness and subtlety as the foundation for receiving soma.
Immortality (amṛta/amartya), Purity as luminous form, Higher plane (divaḥ pṛṣṭham)
Purification is presented as an ordered movement: Soma establishes the correct cosmic ‘covering’ (barhaṇā) so the sacrifice proceeds in harmony.
Stainlessness (amṛkta) suggests truth-substance unmixed with falsehood or desire.
Establishing a ‘foundation’ and ‘covering’ mirrors cosmogonic acts: creating a field (heavenly expanse) where higher forces can descend and act.
Proto-Vedāntic / Integral Yoga-compatible reading (Soma as Ananda; dyu as higher mind)
The sky is the wideness of higher mind; the robe is luminous purity; the cups are the receptive faculties prepared to hold distilled bliss.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the immortal who clothes himself in a stainless luminous robe and establishes a heaven-like foundation for the vessels. Mythically, purification culminates in a new ‘heavenly’ support where delight can be held without distortion.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The garment/covering metaphor for divine manifestation is widely IE; the ‘sky/heaven as support’ (nabhas/div) likewise belongs to inherited cosmological diction mapping vertical planes of reality.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks implicitly for a receptivity capable of holding Soma: the devata not only purifies but also constructs the inner ‘cups’ and their foundation, i.e., refines the human instruments of reception.
‘Clothing the mind in stainless light’: receive Ananda as a purifying, widening presence that becomes your inner sky.
sahasrara (sky/heaven as higher consciousness)
gentle nāḍī-śodhana style breathing or slow equal inhale/exhale while visualizing luminous purification
quiet, wide, clarified awareness with subtle joy
Begin with attention at the crown and brow; imagine a tawny-golden stream washing the inner field. Let the ‘sky’ of awareness widen, then offer thoughts/emotions into that clarity as into prepared cups.
Not fully specified; follow śākala-style Vedic recitation with udatta/anudatta/svarita as marked in the saṃhitā accents (e.g.,, ).
Honor the marked svaras: sustain udatta with clarity; allow svarita to fall-glide; keep anudatta unforced and low.
amṛktena: crisp ṛ (vocalic r), not ‘ri’, ruśatā: ś is palatal, soft ‘sh’, nirṇijānaḥ: retroflex ṇ and clear ‘jā’ long ā, divas pṛṣṭham: pṛ with vocalic ṛ; ṣṭh cluster articulated, nabhasmayam: bha voiced aspirate; keep ‘maya’ smooth
clear, steady, slightly resonant (as if ‘covering’ the space with sound)
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