Rig Veda 2.16.5: Mandala 2, Sukta 16, Mantra 5
Sukta 2.16
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada Bhārgava
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
वृष्णः कोशः पवते मध्व ऊर्मिर्वृषभान्नाय वृषभाय पातवे । वृषणाध्वर्यू वृषभासो अद्रयो वृषणं सोमं वृषभाय सुष्वति ॥
vṛ́ṣṇaḥ kóśaḥ pavate mádhva ūŕmir vṛṣabhā́n nā́ya vṛṣabhā́ya pātáve | vṛ́ṣaṇādhvaryū vṛṣabhā́so ádrayo vṛ́ṣaṇaṃ sómaṃ vṛṣabhā́ya suṣvati ||
Струится крепкий сосуд; волна сладости течёт для Быка — в пищу, для Быка — в питьё. Крепкие адхварью, быкоподобные давильные камни, выжимают крепкую Сому для Быка.
Word by Word
- वृष्णः
- of the bull / of the mighty oneNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कोशः
- the vessel, cask (container)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवते
- flows, streams, is purifiedVerbलट्; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot पू (धातु) [पवते]
- मध्वः
- of sweetness / of honey (mead)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (वैदिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊर्मिः
- wave, surgeNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition to the flowing one)Root ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषभान्नाय
- for the bull’s food / for the bull as nourishmentNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot वृषभ + अन्न (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषभाय
- for the bull (i.e., Indra)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पातवे
- to drinkVerbal noun (infinitival dative)दातिव-इन्फिनिटिव (वैदिक); चतुर्थी एकवचनRole प्रयोजन (purpose)Root पा (धातु) → पातृ/पातु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषणा
- with the mighty (one)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole करण (with/through the mighty one)Root वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अध्वर्यू
- the two Adhvaryu priestsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा द्विवचन (वैदिक रूप)Role कर्तृRoot अध्वर्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषभासः
- bull-like, vigorous (ones)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition)Root वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्रयः
- press-stonesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition)Root अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषणम्
- the mighty oneAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (in apposition to वृषणम्)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषभाय
- for the bull (Indra)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुष्वति
- presses out well, expresses (Soma)Verbलट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot सु + षु/सु (धातु) [सुष्वति]
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): वृष्णः | कोशः | पवते | मध्वः | ऊर्मिः | वृषभान्नाय | वृषभाय | पातवे || वृषणा | अध्वर्यू | वृषभासः | अद्रयः | वृषणम् | सोमम् | वृषभाय | सुष्वति । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: ऊर्मिः+वृषभान्नाय → ऊर्मिर्वृषभान्नाय (विसर्ग/रेफ-सन्धि)
- वृषभासः+अद्रयः → वृषभासो अद्रयः (विसर्गः + अ-)
- वृषणम्+सोमम् → वृषणं सोमम् (अनुस्वार/नकार-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The strong vessel streams; the wave of sweetness flows for the Bull as food and drink. The strong Adhvaryus, the bull-like pressing stones, press the strong Soma for the Bull.
Inner meaning
The ‘vessel’ is the prepared inner receptacle (mind-heart) through which Soma (bliss) is clarified and set flowing. The ‘wave of sweetness’ is the rising current of delight when consciousness is purified. This nourishment is for Indra—the illumined mind-force—because illumination grows by drinking bliss. The Adhvaryus are the disciplined executive powers of the being (right action, right method), and the pressing-stones are the steady energies that crush ego-mixtures and extract the essence. The repeated vṛṣan/vṛṣabha stresses intensified force: bliss is not sentimental; it is a potent substance that empowers victorious clarity.
Universal truth
Joy becomes a transforming power when it is purified, contained, and methodically cultivated; disciplined practice extracts the essence of experience and feeds a stronger, clearer consciousness.
Themes
Soma pressing, madhu wave, Indra as Bull, ritual-to-psychological mapping
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada Bhārgava
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (Bhṛgu lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.14–2.19 (Indra-focused, with Soma motifs)
Family tradition
A seerly approach that links Soma-process (purification/pressing) to inner disciplines; ritual images become a psychology of practice.
Significance
Gṛtsamada highlights the technology of transformation: the prepared vessel, the clarified flow, and the disciplined press—an inner yogic method encoded as Soma-rite.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (Soma foregrounded as empowering substance)
- Epithets
- Vṛṣabha (Bull), Vṛṣan (strong)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Indra is strengthened by Soma to perform world-liberating acts; Soma is the immortal delight that sustains the gods’ victory.
Inner power
Illumined mind-force grows by drinking purified bliss; disciplined energies extract and offer that bliss upward.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing (pavana/pavamāna context by imagery though hymn is Indra-stuti)
वृष्ण॒: कोश॑: पवते॒ मध्व॑ ऊ॒र्मिर्वृ॑ष॒भान्ना॑य वृष॒भाय॒ पात॑वे । वृष॑णाध्व॒र्यू वृ॑ष॒भासो॒ अद्र॑यो॒ वृष॑णं॒ सोमं॑ वृष॒भाय॑ सुष्वति ॥
वृष्णः॒ । कोशः॑ । प॒व॒ते॒ । मध्वः॑ । ऊ॒र्मिः । वृ॒ष॒भऽअ॑न्नाय । वृ॒ष॒भाय॑ । पात॑वे । वृष॑णा । अ॒ध्व॒र्यू इति॑ । वृ॒ष॒भासः॑ । अद्र॑यः । वृष॑णम् । सोम॑म् । वृ॒ष॒भाय॑ । सु॒स्व॒ति॒ ॥
vṛṣṇaḥ | kośaḥ | pavate | madhvaḥ | ūrmiḥ | vṛṣabha-annāya | vṛṣabhāya | pātave | vṛṣaṇā | adhvaryū iti | vṛṣabhāsaḥ | adrayaḥ | vṛṣaṇam | somam | vṛṣabhāya | susvati
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4×11 syllables (approx.)
Pulsing, repetitive emphasis (vṛṣ- refrain) gives a pounding ‘pressing’ feel, mirroring the Soma extraction.
Creates a rhythmic sense of compression-and-release; supports meditative ‘pressing out’ of essence and a resulting flow of sweetness.
- कोशः (kośaḥ)
- Literal: vessel, container. Symbolic: inner receptacle/‘sheath’ prepared to hold and channel bliss-consciousness
- पवते (pavate)
- Literal: flows, is purified/clarified. Symbolic: process of inner purification where delight becomes clear and usable
- मध्वः ऊर्मिः (madhvaḥ ūrmīḥ)
- Literal: wave of sweetness. Symbolic: rising tide of ānanda in the being
- अध्वर्यू (adhvaryū)
- Literal: Adhvaryu priests. Symbolic: executive faculties: disciplined action, technique, the doer-as-offerer
- अद्रयः (adrayaḥ)
- Literal: pressing-stones. Symbolic: steady forces of practice (abhyāsa) that press out the essence from life-stuff
- सोमम् (somam)
- Literal: Soma. Symbolic: divine bliss/immortal delight-substance
- वृषभाय (vṛṣabhāya)
- Literal: for the Bull (Indra). Symbolic: for the victorious illumined mind that must be nourished
Direct Soma-pressing imagery: Adhvaryus and stones press Soma for Indra; also maps to inner discipline and extraction of delight-essence.
During pressing and offering sequences; when describing Soma’s flow and inviting Indra to partake.
Chanted as Soma is pressed/strained and offered; reinforces the potency and readiness of Soma for Indra.
A mantra for inner purification practices (breathwork, mantra-japa, mindful discipline) emphasizing ‘pressing out sweetness’ from experience.
: middle of √pū/√pav ‘purify/flow’ (Soma ‘pavamāna’ tradition). : ‘sweet’ (PIE *médʰu ‘honey’; cf. English ‘mead’). : food (PIE *h₂ed- ‘eat’ related). : ritual functionary; from adhvara ‘sacrifice’ (uncertain etymology) + -yu. (adri): pressing stone; possibly ‘stone’ root. √su ‘press’ (Soma pressing).
purification and flowing of delight (pavamāna principle), nourishment of the divine force, discipline (adhvaryu) and concentration (adri) as inner processes
Ṛta appears as correct method: purification and right channeling of delight into higher power.
Purified Soma is ‘truth of delight’—not mixed with ego; clarity of essence.
From compression to flow: essence extracted becomes a nourishing stream that empowers cosmic victory.
Aurobindonian symbolism: Soma = ānanda; pressing = tapas; Indra = illumined mind nourished by bliss.
The vessel is the prepared psyche; waves of sweetness are rising ānanda; stones are disciplined pressures of practice; flow is purification leading to a steady bliss-current.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-pressing as empowerment of Indra: the sweet wave flows, priests and stones press the potent Soma for the Bull. Inner sense: disciplined action and concentrated force extract purified delight which feeds and strengthens the illumined will for victory.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu is a clear PIE inheritance (*médʰu) with wide cognates (Old English medu ‘mead’). The shared Indo-European sacral-poetic motif of an intoxicating sacred drink empowering the warrior-god is linguistically and thematically reinforced by this inherited lexeme.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents the rite as already in motion—Soma is streaming and pressed ‘for’ Indra—so Indra is invited to enter and drink. The human side provides purification, concentration, and offering; Indra supplies the transforming victorious energy.
Sense a ‘vessel’ in the heart-mind; invite a clarified wave of sweetness to rise and feed luminous intelligence.
Anāhata (sweetness/ānanda) supporting Ājñā (illumination)
Gentle ujjāyī or nasal breathing; on inhale feel ‘pressing’ (tapas), on exhale feel ‘flow’ (pavate).
Quiet bliss-current with contained strength.
Practice: 5 minutes of steady breath, then chant 9 times; visualize impurities being pressed out and a clear sweetness streaming upward; end with 2 minutes silent savoring without grasping.
Chant with attention to Vedic accents; the repeated vṛṣ- words should carry crisp consonants without harshness.
Let the line ‘madhva ūrmir’ swell slightly like a wave; keep ‘adrayo’ and conjuncts clean; avoid swallowing final vowels before pause.
vṛṣṇaḥ: vocalic ṛ + retroflex ṣ, kośaḥ: long o; ś is palatal, pavate: ‘va’ clear, not ‘ba’, ūrmīḥ: long ū; ṛm conjunct smooth, adhvaryū: dhv cluster; long ū, adrayaḥ: dr cluster; light y
Warm, flowing, slightly rounded tone to evoke sweetness; steady articulation for the ‘pressing’ words.
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