Rig Veda 9.92.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 92, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.92
- Rishi
- Rebha Kāśyapa
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
प्र सुमेधा गातुविद्विश्वदेवः सोमः पुनानः सद एति नित्यम् । भुवद्विश्वेषु काव्येषु रन्तानु जनान्यतते पञ्च धीरः ॥
prá su-medhā́ gātu-víd viśvá-devaḥ sómaḥ punānáḥ sáda etí nítyam | bhúvad víśveṣu kā́vyeṣu rántā́nu jánān yatate páñca dhī́raḥ ||
Вперёд движется Сома — благомудрый, ведающий путь, принадлежащий всем богам; очищаясь, он неизменно приходит на священное седалище (сабха). Став вкушающим во всех поэтических вдохновенных творениях (kāvya), стойкий простирается среди народов пятикратно — в мудром действии (dhī).
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- सु॑मे॒धा
- good-minded, wiseAdjectivemasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (qualifier of सोमः)Root सु-मेधा (prātipadika)
- गा॑तु॒विद्
- knower of paths/waysAdjectivemasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (qualifier of सोमः)Root गातु-विद् (prātipadika; vid ‘to know’)
- वि॒श्वदे॑वः
- belonging to/allied with all the godsAdjectivemasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (qualifier of सोमः)Root विश्व-देव (prātipadika)
- सोमः
- SomaNounmasculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot सोम (prātipadika)
- पुना॒नः
- purifying himself / being purifiedParticiplemasculine, nominative singular; present participle ātmanepadaRole Kartā (apposition to सोमः)Root √पू (पुनाति) / punāna- (present middle participle)
- सदः
- seat, session, assemblyNounneuter, accusative singularRole Karma (goal of motion)Root सदस् (prātipadika)
- एति
- goesVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot √इ (एति)
- नित्यम्
- always, continuallyIndeclinable (adverbial accusative)accusative singular used as adverbRoot नित्य (prātipadika used adverbially)
- भुवत्
- being; as it were / in beingParticipleneuter, nominative/accusative singular used adverbially (Vedic)Root भुवत् (present participial stem of √भू ‘to be’)
- विश्वेषु
- in allAdjective (substantivized)neuter, locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot विश्व (prātipadika)
- काव्येषु
- in poetic/ritual compositions; in inspired worksNounneuter, locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot काव्य (prātipadika)
- रन्ता
- delighter, one who gives joyNoun (agent)masculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to सोमः)Root √रम् (रमते) → रन्तृ/रन्ता (agent-noun, Vedic)
- अनु
- along, afterIndeclinableupasarga / preposition-like indeclinableRoot अनु (upasarga)
- जनानि
- peoples, generationsNounneuter, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot जन (prātipadika)
- अतते
- stretches out, extends, pervadesVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepadaRoot √तन् (तनुते/तनोति) with preverb आ- (Vedic: atate)
- पञ्च
- fiveIndeclinable (numeral)cardinal number; (here) accusative-like usage with implied ‘ways/streams’Root पञ्च (numeral)
- धीरः
- the inspired/wise oneAdjective/Nounmasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (apposition to सोमः)Root धीरा (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- Padaccheda (resolved): प्र | सुमेधा | गातुविद् | विश्वदेवः | सोमः | पुनानः | सदः | एति | नित्यम् || भुवत् | विश्वेषु | काव्येषु | रन्ता | अनु | जनानि | अतते | पञ्च | धीरः || प्रमुख सन्धि: (1) गातुविद्विश्वदेवः → गातुविद् + विश्वदेवः (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: द् + व्). (2) रन्तानु → रन्ता + अनु (स्वर-सन्धि: आ + अ → आ). (3) जनान्यतते → जनानि + अतते (स्वर-सन्धि: इ + अ → य). Accent marks retained as in Saṃhitā
- pada-forms given without attempting full accent re-assignment
The meaning
Outer meaning
Forward moves Soma, of good intelligence, knower of the path, belonging to all the gods; purifying, he comes always to the session. Becoming the enjoyer in all inspired works, the steadfast one extends himself through the peoples in fivefold wise action.
Inner meaning
Soma is sumedhā—right intelligence infused with delight; gātuvit—knower of the inner routes of ascent; viśvadeva—harmonizer who carries the whole pantheon of powers. He comes ‘always to the session’ (sadas) as a constant principle of purification in sadhana. As ‘enjoyer’ (rantā) in all kāvya (inspired works), Soma becomes the rasa that makes all spiritual activity fruitful and harmonious. ‘Fivefold’ (pañca) suggests the integral extension through the five parts/planes of the human being (physical, vital, mental, and their higher openings), or fivefold operations of the sacrifice—Soma pervades and organizes the collective life (janān) with steadfast wisdom (dhīraḥ).
Universal truth
The delight of purified consciousness is inherently intelligent and path-knowing; it sustains consistent practice, enriches all inspired work, and can permeate life in an integral, many-sided way.
Themes
Soma-ritual, path-knowledge, fivefold human field, mantric inspiration
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.92 (hymn context)
Significance
The mantra reads like a self-description of the seer-force: path-knowing, integral, constant in the inner session—suggesting a rishi-vision emphasizing consistency and integrality of ananda in works and life.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- sumedhā (good-intelligent), gātuvit (path-knower), viśvadeva (all-gods), dhīra (steadfast)
- Related deities
- Viśve Devāḥ, Indra (mind-power strengthened by Soma), Sarasvatī (inspired flow in kāvya), Agni (leader of sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Soma as the integrative essence that supports all divine powers and continually renews the sacrifice; he is the rasa within inspired action.
Inner power
Ananda with intelligence: it guides, purifies, and harmonizes; it pervades life’s multiplicity in a fivefold integral manner.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna Soma chants in Soma yajña; praising Soma’s constant arrival to the sadas
प्र सु॑मे॒धा गा॑तु॒विद्वि॒श्वदे॑व॒: सोम॑: पुना॒नः सद॑ एति॒ नित्य॑म् । भुव॒द्विश्वे॑षु॒ काव्ये॑षु॒ रन्तानु॒ जना॑न्यतते॒ पञ्च॒ धीर॑: ॥
प्र । सु॒ऽमे॒धाः । गा॒तु॒ऽवित् । वि॒श्वऽदे॑वः । सोमः॑ । पु॒ना॒नः । सदः॑ । ए॒ति॒ । नित्य॑म् । भुव॑त् । विश्वे॑षु । काव्ये॑षु । रन्ता॑ । अनु॑ । जना॑न् । य॒त॒ते॒ । पञ्च॑ । धीरः॑ ॥
pra | su-medhāḥ | gātu-vit | viśva-devaḥ | somaḥ | punānaḥ | sadaḥ | eti | nityam | bhuvat | viśveṣu | kāvyeṣu | rantā | anu | janān | yatate | pañca | dhīraḥ
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4 pādas of ~12 syllables; expansive enough for epithets and integrality terms (viśvadevaḥ, gātuvit).
Forward-moving opening (‘pra…’) with steady, even continuation—mirrors ‘nityam’ (always).
Builds sustained aspiration and steadiness; supports integration of practice into daily action.
- सुमेधाः (sumedhāḥ)
- Literal: of good intelligence. Symbolic: luminous discernment born from purified delight
- गातुवित् (gātuvit)
- Literal: knower of the path. Symbolic: inner guide that knows routes of ascent and right progress
- विश्वदेवः (viśvadevaḥ)
- Literal: belonging to all the gods. Symbolic: integral harmonizer of multiple powers/faculties
- पुनानः (punānaḥ)
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: continuous refinement of nature into clarity
- सदः एति (sada eti)
- Literal: goes to the session. Symbolic: enters the inner assembly where faculties meet in yoga
- काव्येषु (kāvyeṣu)
- Literal: in inspired works/poems. Symbolic: in all acts of inspired creation and mantra-cognition
- रन्ता (rantā)
- Literal: enjoyer, delighting. Symbolic: rasa that makes works fruitful; ananda as participant, not spectator
- धीरः (dhīraḥ)
- Literal: steadfast, wise. Symbolic: stable consciousness holding to truth and wideness
- पञ्च (pañca)
- Literal: five. Symbolic: integral fivefold extension (levels/parts/operations) through the being
- जनान् (janān)
- Literal: peoples. Symbolic: the many movements of life; collective and multiplicity within the person
Repeated Soma-purification and approach to the sadas (ritual session); inwardly, the recurrent arrival of clarified delight into the collected mind of the sacrifice, energizing all mantric works (kāvya).
During ongoing purification/recitation sequences; emphasizes continuity and all-gods character of Soma.
Recitation to affirm Soma’s fitness for all gods and his steady participation in the rite.
A mantra for integrating spirituality with work: chant before creative/intellectual tasks so that ‘Soma becomes the enjoyer in all inspired works’—bringing joy, clarity, and steadiness.
punānáḥ < √pū ‘purify’: Soma as clarifier of mixed consciousness. gātu < √gā ‘go’ (path as going) + -tu: a passage; gātu-vit: one who knows the passages through inner states. rantā < √ram ‘delight’: Soma’s essential action is to establish delight in kāvya (seer-forms). yatate < √yat ‘stretch, extend, strive’: the force distributes itself through the ‘fivefold’ field, suggesting a systematic permeation of the whole human instrument.
Rita (gātu: right path; ordered passage), integration of divine powers (viśva-deva), Ananda (√ram delight as spiritual enjoyment)
Gātuvit indicates knowledge of ṛta’s paths—right routes through complexity.
Kāvya here is not aesthetic alone but truth-inspired formation; Soma becomes its inner relish and power.
Ananda as creative principle pervading works and peoples; fivefold extension suggests manifestation across planes/parts.
Integral yoga perspective: divine delight organizing mind-life-body and collective movements.
Forward motion = progress of consciousness; sadas = inner council of faculties; fivefold = complete pervasion of the human instrument.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the ‘knower of the path’ who repeatedly comes to the sadas and becomes the enjoyer in all kāvya: the mythic action is the divine draught entering the communal-sacrificial space and making inspired speech fruitful, then spreading through the fivefold human domain.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhū ‘become’ (bhúvat) reflects PIE *bʰuH- ‘be, grow’ (cf. English be, Latin fuī). √i ‘go’ (éti) reflects PIE *h₁ey- ‘go’ (cf. Greek eîmi ‘I go’). √ram ‘delight’ is an old Indo-Iranian sacral root for enjoyment/peace, central to Soma’s semantic field.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s work (kāvya) becomes the field of Soma’s delighting presence: Soma is portrayed as an inner collaborator who ‘enjoys’ and perfects inspired formations. The reciprocity is: the human offers purification and right session (sadas), Soma returns as path-knowledge (gātu-vit) and steady fivefold permeation (dhīraḥ… pañca).
Let purified delight guide the path (gātuvit) and harmonize all inner powers (viśvadeva); offer all work as kāvya—truth-inspired creation.
Ājñā (path-knowing intelligence) with Sahasrāra (all-gods integrality)
Moderate ujjāyī for 3 minutes; chant with smooth continuity to embody ‘nityam’.
Steady integrated awareness; joy in action; quiet strength.
After chanting, choose one daily action and consciously infuse it with (1) clarity (sumedhā), (2) right direction (gātuvit), (3) joy as participant (rantā), (4) fivefold care—body, energy, mind, heart, and higher intention.
Keep the opening ‘pra’ with a slight lift; sustain evenness through ‘nityam’; allow a gentle emphasis on ‘pañca’ to mark fivefold extension.
Do not rush the epithets (sumedhā, gātuvit, viśvadevaḥ); articulate them as successive recognitions of Soma’s inner functions.
(sumedhāḥ): dh aspirated; long ā; visarga, (gātuvit): long ā; soft t, (viśvadevaḥ): v clearly; short e, (kāvyeṣu): long ā; yeṣu with clear y, (rantā): retroflex ṇ? (here ranta with dental n in translit; keep clear n) and long ā, (dhīraḥ): long ī; visarga
Even, steady, quietly luminous; convey ‘always’ (nityam) through continuity rather than force.
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