Rig Veda 9.92.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 92, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.92
- Rishi
- Rebha Kāśyapa
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
तन्नु सत्यं पवमानस्यास्तु यत्र विश्वे कारवः संनसन्त । ज्योतिर्यदह्ने अकृणोदु लोकं प्रावन्मनुं दस्यवे करभीकम् ॥
tán nu satyám pavamānasya astu yátra víśve kā́ravaḥ saṃ-násanta | jyótir yád áhne ákṛṇod u lokám prā́van mánum dásyave karabhī́kam ||
Да будет это воистину истиной о Соме очищающемся: там, где сходятся все творцы деяния. Когда он сотворил Свет — мир для дня, он защитил Ману и вверг Дасью в заточение.
Word by Word
- तत्
- that (it)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नु
- now/indeedIndeclinableनिपातRoot नु (निपात)
- सत्यम्
- truth; trulyNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवमानस्य
- of the purifying (Soma)Adjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root पवमान (कृदन्त; √पू ‘पवते’)
- अस्तु
- let it beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √अस्
- यत्र
- whereIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/स्थानवाचक अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot यत्र (अव्यय)
- विश्वे
- allAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- कारवः
- singers/poetsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot कारु (प्रातिपदिक)
- संनसन्त
- came together/assembledVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √नस् (Vedic; ‘to approach/come together’), उपसर्ग: सम्
- ज्योतिः
- lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अह्ने
- for the dayNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (दत्तिव), एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अकृणोत्
- madeVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √कृ
- उ
- indeed/alsoIndeclinableनिपातRoot उ (निपात)
- लोकम्
- world; realmNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रावन्
- protected; furtheredVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √अव (रक्षण/पालन), उपसर्ग: प्र
- मनुम्
- ManuProper nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दस्यवे
- for the Dasyu (enemy)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot दस्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- करभीकम्
- Karabhīka (a person/tribal name)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot करभीक (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): तन्नु → तत् + नु
- पवमानस्यास्तु → पवमानस्य + अस्तु
- कारवः संनसन्त → कारवः + संनसन्त (visarga before sibilant)
- ज्योतिर्यदह्ने → ज्योतिः + यत् + अह्ने (ः + य → र्; then y + a)
- अकृणोदु → अकृणोत् + उ (final -t before vowel often voiced in saṃhitā)
- प्रावन्मनुं → प्रावन् + मनुम् (anusvāra in saṃhitā for final -n before m)
- दस्यवे करभीकम्: no further sandhi
The meaning
Outer meaning
This is the truth of Soma’s purification: where all the workers gather. When he made Light a world for the day, he protected Manu and drove the Dasyu into confinement.
Inner meaning
The ‘truth’ (satyam) of Soma’s process is the convergence of all formative energies (kāravaḥ—makers, builders of consciousness) into a unified work. Soma establishes the luminous field of waking awareness (jyotiḥ… lokam) so the day-consciousness can operate. He safeguards the true human being (Manu = the mental man aspiring to the divine law) and forces the Dasyu (dark, disorderly impulses) into limitation—binding the subconscious resistance so it cannot invade the clarified mind.
Universal truth
When inner energies unite around truth, light becomes a stable world to live in; then the higher human nature is protected and the forces of obscurity are contained.
Themes
truth-affirmation, light vs darkness, collective sacrifice, protection of the human
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma Pavamāna corpus; specific seer not preserved in the provided source.
- Other hymns
- RV 9.92.4 (preceding), RV 9.92.6 (following)
Family tradition
Pavamāna hymns are drawn from multiple families and arranged for Soma ritual utility; the ‘seer’ is often the inspired state of the sacrificer-community.
Significance
Focuses on Satya as the criterion of purification—linking Soma’s process to the birth of a luminous ‘world’ in consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Satyá (truth-bearing, by function here), Jyotiḥ-kṛt (light-maker, by action)
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of Vṛtra/obscurity), Agni (leader of inner sacrifice), Mitra-Varuṇa (Satya/Ṛta guardians, thematic)
Cosmic role
Establisher of luminous order; ally of the gods against the Dasyus; protector of Manu (the human law).
Inner power
Power of bliss that organizes the psyche around truth and drives out obscurity by containment and clarification.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering; recited to affirm the efficacy (satya) of the process and its protective function.
तन्नु स॒त्यं पव॑मानस्यास्तु॒ यत्र॒ विश्वे॑ का॒रव॑: सं॒नस॑न्त । ज्योति॒र्यदह्ने॒ अकृ॑णोदु लो॒कं प्राव॒न्मनुं॒ दस्य॑वे कर॒भीक॑म् ॥
तत् । नु । स॒त्यम् । पव॑मानस्य । अ॒स्तु॒ । यत्र॑ । विश्वे॑ । का॒रवः॑ । स॒म्ऽनस॑न्त । ज्योतिः॑ । यत् । अह्ने॑ । अकृ॑णोत् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । लो॒कम् । प्र । आ॒व॒त् । मनु॑म् । दस्य॑वे । कः॒ । अ॒भीक॑म् ॥
tat | nu | satyam | pavamānasya | astu | yatra | viśve | kāravaḥ | sam-nasanta | jyotiḥ | yat | ahne | akṛṇot | oṃ iti | lokam | pra | āvat | manum | dasyave | kaḥ | abhīkam
48
4 pādas of ~12 syllables
Declarative, truth-affirming cadence with spacious phrasing.
Creates conviction and clarity; supports ‘truth-setting’ intention before meditation or work.
- सत्यम् (satyam)
- Literal: truth. Symbolic: Truth-being; right seeing that stabilizes consciousness
- का॒रवः (kāravaḥ)
- Literal: makers, artisans. Symbolic: Formative powers—thought-forces that build the inner world
- संनसन्त (saṃnasanta)
- Literal: come together, unite. Symbolic: Integration of faculties; gathered will for sadhana
- ज्योतिः (jyotiḥ)
- Literal: light. Symbolic: Illumination; awakened consciousness
- लोकम् (lokam)
- Literal: world, realm. Symbolic: Stable plane/state of awareness formed by light
- मनु (manu)
- Literal: Manu. Symbolic: The true human/mental being aligned to dharma and ascent
- दस्यु (dasyu)
- Literal: hostile, robber. Symbolic: Forces of ignorance, chaotic impulses, obscuring tendencies
- अभीकम् (abhīkam)
- Literal: near, confinement/close quarters (contextual). Symbolic: Restriction/binding of adverse forces so they cannot roam
Affirmation of Soma’s satya in the collective rite where all officiants gather; mythic remembrance of establishing light and protecting the human order (Manu) against hostile forces.
During Pavamāna flow/collection and prior to offering portions to deities.
Affirmation of Soma’s truth-power; symbolic protection of the yajamāna/Manu against hostile forces.
Use before focused work or meditation to gather scattered energies (‘all makers come together’) and establish a bright field of attention.
satya from sat ‘being’ (√as ‘to be’) + -ya: truth as ‘in accordance with being’. kāravaḥ likely from √kṛ ‘make’: the doers/poets who shape the sacrifice (outer) and the formation of consciousness (inner). jyotiḥ: light as illumination. dasyu: hostile/robber in myth; psychologically, forces that steal light/knowledge. karabhī́ka: interpreted as an enclosure/pen—image of restraining the dark powers; the root nuance suggests ‘binding/holding in’ (semantic field of confinement).
Satya (truth as being), Rita (ordering of day-world through light), protection of Manu (human law/order)
The ‘makers’ unite to build an ordered loka; disorder (Dasyu) is restrained—Ṛta prevails.
Explicit: Soma’s purification is validated as Satya—effective truth in action.
Light creating a ‘world for the day’—cosmogony as inner psychology: illumination forms a stable realm.
Integral-psychological Veda: cosmogony as formation of consciousness-states.
day
Day = waking clarity; light-world = stable attentive mind; confinement of Dasyu = containment of intrusive subconscious impulses.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The making of Light into a world for the day and the protection of Manu against the Dasyu: the archetypal victory of illumination over the obstructing powers. Soma’s ‘truth’ is validated where the makers unite—collective concentration enables the emergence of the day-world (waking truth-consciousness).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- manu- is a key Indo-Iranian/IE figure (PIE *manu-) connected with ‘man’ and the thinking being (cf. Germanic *mann-). √av ‘protect’ (prā́vat) aligns with IE themes of help/protection by the divine (cf. Latin avēre is not cognate; but Indo-Iranian √av is robust). The sat/satya complex reflects the deep IE metaphysical linkage of ‘being’ and ‘truth’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asserts a test of Soma’s reality: truth manifests ‘where all the kāravaḥ unite’—i.e., when human faculties and practitioners concentrate. Soma then performs the divine office of world-making (light into loka) and guardianship (Manu protected), indicating a reciprocal law: human unity of will invites the divine establishment of illumination and the binding of inner adversaries.
Unify ‘kāravaḥ’—your constructive thoughts—into one intention; invoke Soma to establish a bright inner ‘day-world’.
Ajna (light/clarity) and Manipura (protective force, containment).
Box-breath (4-4-4-4) to ‘build the loka’ of steady attention; then soften into natural breath.
Clear, collected, protected waking awareness.
When intrusive impulses arise, do not fight chaotically—contain them by returning to the established light-field; repeat the mantra to reassert Satya.
Chant with standard Vedic accent discipline; emphasize udatta on key truth-words (satyam, jyotiḥ) as per recension (exact svara requires accent text).
Give a firm, steady stress-feel to ‘tan nu satyam’; keep ‘jyotir’ bright and forward; avoid rushing consonant clusters in ‘prāvan manuṃ’.
saṃnasanta: ‘ṃn’ (anusvāra before n), jyotiḥ: clear ‘jyo’ diphthong-like glide, visarga audible, dasyave: dental ‘s’, not ś, abhīkam: long ī, keep k unaspirated
Steady, affirmative, slightly forceful but controlled.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
