Rig Veda 9.85.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 85, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.85
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
सहस्रणीथः शतधारो अद्भुत इन्द्रायेन्दुः पवते काम्यं मधु । जयन्क्षेत्रमभ्यर्षा जयन्नप उरुं नो गातुं कृणु सोम मीढ्वः ॥
sahasranī́thaḥ śatádhāro ádbhuta índrāyénduḥ pavate kā́myaṃ mádhu | jáyan kṣétram abhy àrṣā jáyann ápa urúṃ no gātúṃ kṛṇu soma mī́ḍhvaḥ ||
De mil conduções, de cem correntes, maravilhoso—Indu se purifica para Indra como o mel desejável do deleite. Vencendo o campo, derrama-te sobre ele; vencendo as águas, abre-nos um amplo caminho, ó Soma, doador do dom fecundo.
Word by Word
- सहस्रणीथः
- having a thousand leadings/paths (very manifold-guiding)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्तृ-पदस्य)Root सहस्र- + नीथ (प्रा.)
- शतधारः
- hundred-streamedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्तृ-पदस्य)Root शत- + धार (प्रा.)
- अद्भुतः
- marvellous, wondrousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्तृ-पदस्य)Root अद्भुत (प्रा.)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (प्रा.)
- इन्दुः
- the Soma-dropNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्दु (प्रा.)
- पवते
- purifies itself / flowsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √पू (पवते) / √पु (पवते) ‘to purify, flow’
- काम्यम्
- desirableAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्म-पदस्य)Root काम्य (प्रा.; √कम् ‘to desire’ से)
- मधु
- sweet drink; honey (Soma)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मधु (प्रा.)
- जयन्
- conqueringVerbवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (इन्दोः)Root √जि ‘to conquer’
- क्षेत्रम्
- the field, domainNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot क्षेत्र (प्रा.)
- अभि
- towards, overIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अर्ष
- rush/flow!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √ऋष्/अर्ष् ‘to rush, flow’
- जयन्
- conqueringVerbवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (इन्दोः)Root √जि ‘to conquer’
- अपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अप् (प्रा.)
- उरुम्
- wide, broadAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्म-पदस्य)Root उरु (प्रा.)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (अधिकार/स्वाम्य)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- गातुम्
- path, passageNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot गातु (प्रा.; √गा ‘to go’ से)
- कृणु
- make!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √कृ ‘to make’
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोम (प्रा.)
- मीढ्वः
- O bountiful one / giverNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot मीढ्वस् (प्रा.; ‘दाता/वर्षक’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): सहस्रणीथः | शतधारः | अद्भुतः | इन्द्राय | इन्दुः | पवते | काम्यम् | मधु | जयन् | क्षेत्रम् | अभि | अर्ष | जयन् | अपः | उरुम् | नः | गातुम् | कृणु | सोम | मीढ्वः । मुख्य सन्धयः: (1) इन्द्रा॒येन्दु॑: = इन्द्राय + इन्दुः (आ + इ → ए)
- (2) जय॒न्क्षेत्र॑म् = जयन् + क्षेत्रम् (न् + क्ष → ङ्क्ष, परसवर्ण)
- (3) अभ्य॑र्षा = अभि + अर्ष (इ + अ → य्, ‘अभ्य-’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
With a thousand leadings, with a hundred streams, wondrous—Indu is purified for Indra as desirable honey. Conquering the field, flow upon it; conquering the waters, make for us a wide path, O Soma, giver of bounty.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma is a many-guiding force (sahasraṇīthaḥ): it leads consciousness through countless movements and transitions; it pours in many currents (śatadhāraḥ) of delight and power. Wondrous (adbhuta), it becomes for Indra the soul-desired honey (kāmyaṃ madhu): sweetness that illumined mind can assimilate to widen and heighten action. ‘Field’ (kṣetra) is the inner nature—body-life-mind territory to be won for the divine. ‘Waters’ (āpaḥ) are the flowing life-energies and the subconscient currents; conquering them means mastering emotional/vital movement. Then Soma makes a wide path (uruṃ gātum): an open passage for ascent and for the descent of higher consciousness, granting fruitful boons (mīḍhvaḥ).
Universal truth
When delight becomes pure and abundant, it guides life through many transitions, conquers the inner territory and its turbulent currents, and opens a wide path for a larger, freer existence.
Themes
Soma-ritual, victory and conquest, path-opening, delight (madhu), guidance (nītha)
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma-Pavamāna seer-tradition (Mandala 9); specific rishi for 9.85.4 not securely identified
- Other hymns
- RV 9.85.1–9.85.3 (protect, impel, conquer resistance)
Family tradition
The Pavamāna corpus repeatedly maps purification → conquest of inner nature → widening path (uru gātu), a hallmark of Vedic yoga of ascent.
Significance
This verse is a compact sādhanā-program: abundance of Ananda, mastery of the field and waters, and opening of a wide path for larger being.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (for Indra)
- Epithets
- sahasraṇītha, śatadhāra, adbhuta, kāmya madhu, mīḍhvas
- Related deities
- Indra, Vāyu (currents), Āpaḥ (waters as powers), Uṣas (widening into light, thematic)
Cosmic role
Abundant delight that guides and widens; empowers Indra’s illumination; grants boons by conquering nature’s field and waters.
Inner power
Multiplying currents of Ananda that master the vital-emotional sea and open free passage for higher consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering to Indra; prayer for victory and widening of the path
स॒हस्र॑णीथः श॒तधा॑रो॒ अद्भु॑त॒ इन्द्रा॒येन्दु॑: पवते॒ काम्यं॒ मधु॑ । जय॒न्क्षेत्र॑म॒भ्य॑र्षा॒ जय॑न्न॒प उ॒रुं नो॑ गा॒तुं कृ॑णु सोम मीढ्वः ॥
स॒हस्र॑ऽनीथः । श॒तऽधा॑रः । अद्भु॑तः । इन्द्रा॑य । इन्दुः॑ । प॒व॒ते॒ । काम्य॑म् । मधु॑ । जय॑न् । क्षेत्र॑म् । अ॒भि । अ॒र्ष॒ । जय॑न् । अ॒पः । उ॒रुम् । नः॒ । गा॒तुम् । कृ॒णु॒ । सो॒म॒ । मी॒ढ्वः॒ ॥
sahasra-nīthaḥ | śata-dhāraḥ | adbhutaḥ | indrāya | induḥ | pavate | kāmyam | madhu | jayan | kṣetram | abhi | arṣa | jayan | apa | urum | naḥ | gātum | kṛṇu | soma | mīḍhavaḥ
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4 × ~11
Majestic, expansive; imagery of multiplicity (thousand/hundred) suits Triṣṭubh breadth
Produces a sense of wideness and victorious expansion; helps the listener feel ‘space’ opening inwardly.
- सहस्रणीथः (sahasraṇīthaḥ)
- Literal: having a thousand leadings. Symbolic: many-guiding inner intelligence of Ananda; countless right movements
- शतधारः (śatadhāraḥ)
- Literal: hundred-streamed. Symbolic: multiple currents of joy/force entering the being
- अद्भुत (adbhuta)
- Literal: wondrous. Symbolic: supraphysical marvel of transformed consciousness
- काम्यं मधु (kāmyaṃ madhu)
- Literal: desired honey. Symbolic: soul-desired sweetness of Ananda fit for Indra’s illumination
- क्षेत्र (kṣetra)
- Literal: field. Symbolic: the embodied nature to be cultivated and conquered for the divine
- अपः (apaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: life-energies, emotional currents, subconscient flows
- उरुं गातुम् (uruṃ gātum)
- Literal: wide path. Symbolic: broad free passage for ascent/descent; widened consciousness
- मीढ्वः (mīḍhvaḥ)
- Literal: bountiful giver. Symbolic: power that grants fruitful realizations and capacities
Soma offering for victory and unhindered passage: used to invoke Soma’s many-streamed purification to open ‘wide paths’ (gātu) and to support conquest (jayan) in ritual and life.
During Soma-yajña, especially when invoking Soma’s abundance and boon-giving power
Chanted as Soma streams are collected and offered; intention for conquest and broad passage
Use when feeling constricted or stuck: chant to invite widening, mastery of emotions, and guidance through transitions.
nītha ‘leading’ from √nī ‘lead’ indicates guidance across many movements (sahasra-). śata-dhārā highlights multiplicity of streams—Soma as multi-channel force. kṣetra (field) is the arena of cultivation and battle: inner body-life-mind. apas (waters) are life-currents and subconscious energies; ‘conquering waters’ implies mastery over vital/subtle currents. gātu ‘path’ is access to higher movement; Soma makes it urú (wide), i.e., unobstructed progression under ṛta.
kāma as soul’s aspiration (kāmya), opening of the path (gātu) under ṛta, mastery of the waters (life-currents)
Gātu is the ṛta-path; Soma makes it wide by purification and victory.
Widening supports truth-consciousness by removing narrow ego formations.
From many streams of delight arises the Vast; creation as progressive widening and mastery of waters/field.
Integral-Vedic: bṛhat (vastness) as a key marker of higher consciousness; Soma as agent of widening.
Streams = multiple channels of joy-force; field = embodied nature; waters = vital/subconscient flows; wide path = expanded consciousness and unobstructed progress.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The many-streamed Soma as conquering force that wins the field and the waters and opens a wide path. Mythically: Soma’s victorious flow clears territory and waters; psychologically: delight-clarity masters the vital currents and creates unobstructed access for the soul’s journey.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √nī ‘lead’ (nītha) relates to PIE *neH₁- ‘lead’ (cf. Lat. dūcere is different, but ‘n’ lead roots appear across IE; Sanskrit nayati is the clear Indic continuation). gātu ‘path’ aligns with the widespread IE motif of ‘way/path’ as spiritual-ritual access (compare PIE *gʷeh₂- ‘go, step’ proposed for some ‘go’ lexemes; exact etymology debated). √kṛ ‘make’ reflects PIE *kwer-/*ker- ‘do/make’ (broadly; exact correspondences complex), but the formula ‘kṛṇu gātum’ is characteristically Vedic.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi petitions Soma as mīḍhvas (boon-giver) to transform the human condition: not merely give ‘honey’ but actively conquer obstructing domains (kṣetra, apas) and create a wide gātu. The relationship is practical and yogic: Soma’s purification becomes the method of progress.
Widen the inner space; let multiple currents of refined joy guide action and master emotional waters.
Anāhata (widening, sweetness) and Viśuddha (free flow); support from Sahasrāra/brow for guidance.
Dirgha (three-part breath) emphasizing lateral expansion of ribs; on exhale feel ‘waters’ settling; then chant.
Vast, buoyant, victorious calm.
Chant 12 times imagining a hundred streams of cool honey-light descending and circulating; then contemplate one constriction dissolving into a wide inner road.
Keep udatta prominence on sahasraṇīthaḥ, śatadhāraḥ, indrā́ya, madhu; let the repeated ‘jayan’ clauses carry a rhythmic lift; exact accents require a svara-marked source.
Slightly lengthen the long compounds (sahasraṇīthaḥ, śatadhāraḥ) without breaking; give ‘uruṃ no gātuṃ’ a spacious, opening cadence.
sahasraṇīthaḥ: retroflex ṇī; articulate ‘-nī-thaḥ’ clearly, śatadhāraḥ: aspirate dh; long ā, kāmyaṃ: nasal ṃ; ‘kām-yaṃ’, abhy arṣā: keep ‘rṣ’ cluster crisp, not ‘risha’, uruṃ: nasal ṃ; roll into ‘gātuṃ’ with long ā, mīḍhvaḥ: long ī; retroflex ḍh with aspiration
Majestic and open-throated; allow resonance to create a sense of wideness on the final pāda.
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