Rig Veda 1.86.4: Mandala 1, Sukta 86, Mantra 4
Sukta 1.86
- Rishi
- Gotama Rāhūgaṇa
- Devata
- Marutās
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अस्य वीरस्य बर्हिषि सुतः सोमो दिविष्टिषु । उक्थं मदश्च शस्यते ॥
asyá vī́rasya bárhiṣi sutáḥ sómo díviṣṭiṣu | uktháṃ mádaś ca śasyate ||
अस्य वीरस्य बर्हिषि सुतः सोमो दिविष्टिषु प्रस्थाप्यते। उक्थं मदश्च शस्यते।
Word by Word
- अस्य
- of this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भानुसार), षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation) / षष्ठी-सम्बन्धRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्य (षष्ठी एकवचन)
- वीरस्य
- of the hero/strong oneNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive) — ‘of the hero/strong one’Root वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
- बर्हिषि
- on/at the sacrificial grass (barhis)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole अधिकरण (स्थान) — locativeRoot बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतः
- pressed (out)Participle (Adjective) / Kṛdantaपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) ‘pressed/expressed’Role विशेषण (of सोमः) / कर्मणि-भाव (pressed)Root √सु (सुनोति) → सुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
- सोमः
- Soma (the pressed soma-juice)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (of शस्यते) — subjectRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिविष्टिषु
- in the divine rites/contests (festal gatherings)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole अधिकरण (सन्दर्भ/अवसर) — ‘in/among’Root दिविष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘heavenly/bright rites, contests, festivities’)
- उक्थम्
- the hymn of praise (uktha)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (co-subject with मदः) — what is praisedRoot उक्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदः
- the exhilaration/raptureNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (co-subject with उक्थम्) — what is praisedRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक; ‘intoxication, exhilaration, rapture’)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRole समुच्चय (coordination)Root च (निपात)
- शस्यते
- is praised / is recitedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया — passive/middle sense ‘is praised/recited’Root √शंस् (शंसति) — ‘to praise, recite’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): अस्य | वीरस्य | बर्हिषि | सुतः | सोमः | दिविष्टिषु | उक्थम् | मदः | च | शस्यते । विशेष: ‘सोमो दिविष्टिषु’ इत्यत्र विसर्ग-सन्धिः पदपाठे पृथक् (सोमः | दिविष्टिषु) इति
- ‘मदश्च’ = ‘मदः च’ (विसर्गः + च → श्च) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
On the sacred grass of this hero, the pressed Soma in the heavenly strivings is set forth; the hymn and the ecstasy are proclaimed.
Inner meaning
The ‘hero’ (vīra) is the aspiring soul-force in the seeker. On his barhis (the spread sacrificial seat: a prepared, purified foundation of consciousness), Soma (divine delight) is pressed and offered amid ‘heavenly strivings’ (diviṣṭiṣu): efforts toward the luminous mind. Then uktha (word of affirmation/true speech) and mada (ecstatic uplift) arise—mantra-knowledge and bliss mutually intensifying.
Universal truth
When the inner ground is prepared, delight can be distilled; true speech and spiritual joy naturally manifest in the upward striving.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Mantric proclamation, Ecstatic intensification
The seer
- Rishi
- Gotama Rāhūgaṇa
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 1.84, RV 1.86
Family tradition
Gautama hymns often integrate Marut force with Soma delight and the effective word (uktha), showing a complete inner yajña.
Significance
Balances force and joy: the Marut-driven striving culminates in Soma’s ecstasy and the utterance of truth—central to Aurobindo’s ‘Ananda and illumination’ pairing.
The deity
- Devata
- Marutās (with Soma as inner sacrificial power)
- Epithets
- diviṣṭiṣu (connected with heavenly strivings), yajñavāhasaḥ
- Related deities
- Soma, Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Maruts support the struggle upward; Soma provides the immortal delight that sustains and crowns the effort.
Inner power
Dynamic purification (Maruts) enabling the distillation of bliss (Soma) and the emergence of true speech (uktha).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma yajña imagery (pressing and offering Soma) within Marut praise.
अ॒स्य वी॒रस्य॑ ब॒र्हिषि॑ सु॒तः सोमो॒ दिवि॑ष्टिषु । उ॒क्थं मद॑श्च शस्यते ॥
अ॒स्य । वी॒रस्य॑ । ब॒र्हिषि॑ । सु॒तः । सोमः॑ । दिवि॑ष्टिषु । उ॒क्थम् । मदः॑ । च॒ । श॒स्य॒ते॒ ॥
asya | vīrasya | barhiṣi | sutaḥ | somaḥ | diviṣṭiṣu | uktham | madaḥ | ca | śasyate
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3×8
Steady and declarative; suitable for stating the accomplished inner rite.
Stabilizes the mind in a sense of sacred order; evokes quiet joy and affirmation.
- वीरस्य (vīrasya)
- Literal: of the hero. Symbolic: The courageous soul-force (psychic will) leading the ascent
- बर्हिषि (barhiṣi)
- Literal: on the sacred grass. Symbolic: Prepared foundation of consciousness; purified field for offering
- सुतः सोमः (sutaḥ somaḥ)
- Literal: pressed Soma. Symbolic: Distilled divine Ananda/bliss extracted by tapas and aspiration
- दिविष्टिषु (diviṣṭiṣu)
- Literal: in heavenly strivings/battles. Symbolic: Inner efforts toward illumination; conflict with resistance on the way to higher mind
- उक्थम् (uktham)
- Literal: hymn, solemn utterance. Symbolic: Word of truth/affirmation; mantra that expresses realized seeing
- मदः (madaḥ)
- Literal: intoxication, rapture. Symbolic: Spiritual ecstasy; uplift of consciousness by Soma-delight
Marks the Soma offering on the barhis and the proclamation of uktha—bridging ritual act and inspired speech to seat the Maruts in the rite.
During Soma-pressing sequences and praises that accompany offering and recitation of uktha.
Setting forth Soma; chanting of uktha; invoking ecstatic uplift as auspicious sign.
Use to ‘prepare the seat’ before meditation: create inner purity, then invite delight and truthful affirmation (sankalpa aligned with truth).
vīrá ‘hero’ (inner warrior). barhís from √bṛh ‘grow, expand’. soma from √su ‘press’ (extract essence). diviṣṭi (div + iṣṭi) ‘heaven-aimed striving/oblation’; dyu from PIE *dyeu-. ukthá from √vac/√ukth? traditionally ‘utterance/hymn’; mada from √mad ‘be exhilarated’.
Soma as delight that intensifies consciousness (mada), Barhis as receptivity/field, Uktha as mantra-power
The sacrifice proceeds in Ṛta when the ground is prepared and Soma is rightly distilled; then speech and joy arise in order.
Uktha as Satya-vāc: speech that carries truth-force because it is born of Soma and striving.
Delight as creative nectar that supports ascent and manifestation of truth.
Ananda-centered Vedantic current; integral synthesis of will-force and bliss.
unspecified
unspecified
Soma juice = distilled bliss; barhis = purified mind-field; heavenly striving = ascent through higher mental planes.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-on-the-barhis scene: the sacramental essence is pressed and proclaimed with hymn and ecstasy, preparing the field for divine descent. Inner sense: the ‘hero’ establishes receptivity; Soma (delight) and uktha (true word) together raise the being into diviṣṭi—striving toward heaven.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyu/div- continues PIE *dyeu-; √mad ‘exhilarate’ has Indo-Iranian prominence in sacral intoxication language; the coupling of ‘pressed drink + hymn’ reflects an archaic IE ritual-poetic complex.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi situates the offering as an inner event: the sacrificer-hero prepares barhis, presses Soma, and voices uktha; this is the reciprocal basis upon which the Maruts can be invoked to act and protect.
Prepare the inner seat; distill delight; let truthful speech/affirmation arise from that delight.
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana (alternate nostril) 3–5 rounds to ‘spread the barhis’, then chant with soft, full exhale to taste ‘Soma’ as sweetness in awareness.
Quiet rapture with clarity; devotional affirmation.
First, ‘spread the barhis’: relax the body, steady the mind. Next, ‘press Soma’: concentrate in the heart or crown until a subtle sweetness/joy appears. Finally, let one short truthful affirmation (uktha) arise naturally; rest in the uplift (mada) without excitement.
Observe Vedic accents; keep ‘sutaḥ somaḥ’ smooth and slightly lifted; allow ‘madaś ca’ to brighten without becoming excited.
Let the first pāda be grounded (barhiṣi), second luminous (diviṣṭiṣu), third celebratory (uktham madaś ca).
barhiṣi: ‘ṣ’ retroflex; do not say ‘barhishi’ with dental s, sutaḥ: soft final visarga, diviṣṭiṣu: articulate ‘ṣṭ’ cluster cleanly, uktham: aspirate ‘kh’ clearly, madaḥ: soft visarga; keep ‘a’ open
Warm, reverent, slightly resonant to evoke Soma sweetness.
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