Rig Veda 9.23.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 23, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.23
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Shanta (peace)
अभि सोमास आयवः पवन्ते मद्यं मदम् । अभि कोशं मधुश्चुतम् ॥
abhí somāsa āyávaḥ pávante mádyaṃ mádam | abhí kóśaṃ madhuścútam ||
अभि सोमास आयवः पवन्ते मद्यं मदम् । अभि कोशं मधुश्चुतम् ॥
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; governs accusative; sense: ‘towards, upon, over’Role Adhikaraṇa (directional/locative sense with motion)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सोमासः
- Soma (plants/juices), the Soma-dropsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- आयवः
- swift/active (as an epithet of Soma-streams)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; सोमासः इति विशेषणम्Role Kartā (as qualifier of the subject)Root आयु (प्रातिपदिक) → आयव्- (वैदिक बहुवचन-प्रातिपदिक ‘आयवः’)
- पवन्ते
- they purify/flow (as purifying streams)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root पू (धातु) ‘to purify/cleanse’
- मद्यं
- intoxicating (drink), exhilaratingNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘मद’ हेतु/स्वरूपम्Role KarmaRoot मद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदम्
- intoxication, exhilarationNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; governs accusative; sense: ‘towards, upon’Role Adhikaraṇa (directional)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- कोशम्
- vessel, container (soma-vat)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (goal/object reached)Root कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुश्चुतम्
- honey-dripping, sweet-flowingAdjective (participial)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; कोशम् इति विशेषणम्Role Karma (as qualifier of ‘कोशम्’)Root मधु-च्युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक); √च्युत्/√च्यु (to drip, to flow) with prefix sense ‘honey-shedding’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अभि | सोमासः | आयवः | पवन्ते | मद्यं | मदम् | अभि | कोशम् | मधु-श्चुतम् । 1) ‘सोमास आ॒यव॒:’ = सोमासः + आयवः (विसर्ग-लोप/संहितायाम्)
- 2) ‘मधु॒श्चुत॑म्’ = मधु + चुतम् → मधुश्चुतम् (उपध्मानीय/श्च्-संधि: उ + च → उश्च)
- 3) ‘पवन्ते’ वैदिके √पू (पवते/पवन्ते) ‘to purify, to flow as purifier’
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Somas, the seekers, purify themselves and flow toward the drinkable rapture; they flow toward the honey-dripping vessel.
Inner meaning
The aspiring forces (āyavaḥ) in us become ‘Soma’ when they consent to purification—refining motive, emotion, and thought. They move toward ‘madyam madam’: the rapture that can be consciously ‘drunk’, i.e., assimilated as stable delight rather than excitement. They flow toward the ‘kośa’—the inner cup or sheath/vessel (often the heart-consciousness) that can contain and distribute Ananda; it ‘drips honey’ when the being is receptive and consecrated.
Universal truth
Delight becomes transformative when it is purified and contained: not scattered as stimulation, but held in a receptive vessel (heart/being) and shared as sweetness in life.
Themes
Soma purification, bliss as nourishment, inner receptacle
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seers
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.23, Rig Veda 9.83 (Soma purification), Rig Veda 9.109 (Soma and vessels)
Family tradition
Pavamāna seers map the inner technology of delight: purification → flow → containment (vessel) → distribution of sweetness.
Significance
The seer teaches that rapture must be purified and ‘vessel-held’—a key to making bliss stable rather than episodic.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Madhu, Indu, Pavitra-car (moving through the filter)
- Related deities
- Agni (inner priest who receives into the vessel), Indra (illumined mind that drinks Soma), Aśvins (healers who prepare receptivity)
Cosmic role
Purifier and delight-giver who fills the vessels of the sacrifice and, inwardly, the vessels of consciousness.
Inner power
Refining bliss: transforms raw vital excitement into clear Ananda that can be held and radiated.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration into vessels (grahas/kośas) and offering
अ॒भि सोमा॑स आ॒यव॒: पव॑न्ते॒ मद्यं॒ मद॑म् । अ॒भि कोशं॑ मधु॒श्चुत॑म् ॥
अ॒भि । सोमा॑सः । आ॒यवः॑ । पव॑न्ते । मद्य॑म् । मद॑म् । अ॒भि । कोश॑म् । म॒धु॒ऽश्चुत॑म् ॥
abhi | somāsaḥ | āyavaḥ | pavante | madyam | madam | abhi | kośam | madhu-ścutam
Repetitive ‘abhi … abhi …’ creates a converging, drawing-in rhythm—like streams gathering into a cup.
Naturally induces inward collection and receptivity; supports heart-centered absorption.
- āyavaḥ
- Literal: seekers/aspirants. Symbolic: aspiring energies in the being turning toward the Divine
- pavante
- Literal: they purify themselves; they flow purifying. Symbolic: self-refinement of consciousness; removal of mixture (desire, restlessness) from delight
- madyam
- Literal: to be drunk, drinkable. Symbolic: assimilable Ananda—delight that can be integrated into nature
- madam
- Literal: rapture, ecstasy. Symbolic: spiritual intoxication that lifts consciousness into a higher poise
- kośam
- Literal: vessel, container; sheath. Symbolic: the heart-cup / inner receptacle; also the subtle sheath capable of holding higher delight
- madhu-ścutam
- Literal: honey-dripping. Symbolic: a being that naturally exudes sweetness—Ananda overflowing into life
Directly fits the Soma filtration and collection into vessels (kośa); inner practice: purification leading to the ‘drink’ of assimilable bliss
During the flow into cups; especially where Soma is described as honeyed and drinkable
Chant while Soma is collected; invoke purification and sweetness filling the vessel
Use before devotional meditation to ‘prepare the cup’: settle the nervous system, refine desire, and invite a calm sweetness into the heart.
pávante from √pū ‘purify’ in middle; kośa ‘container’ becomes a psychological ‘vessel’ for holding the refined essence. madya ‘drinkable’ and mada ‘rapture’ from √mad unify sacramental drinking with inner assimilation of ecstasy.
purification (pavamāna), assimilation of ecstasy (madya/mada), the vessel of consciousness (kośa)
Purification (pavamāna) is alignment to ṛta—right vibration and right containment.
When delight is purified, it supports truthful perception rather than glamour or excitement.
The vessel of being becomes a womb of sweetness; creation is sustained by honeyed essence.
Integral yoga reading: kośa as subtle sheath; Soma as Ananda permeating and transforming the koshas.
Flow = movement of consciousness; honey = sweetness of Ananda; vessel = heart/sheath capable of holding and radiating delight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma’s self-purification and entry into the honey-dripping vessel: the sacramental essence becomes fit to be ‘drunk.’ Psychologically, the energies are refined until bliss becomes assimilable and can be held steadily in the inner cup (kośa) rather than spilling into disorder.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pū ‘purify’ is Indo-Iranian central in ritual language. √mad ‘exhilarate’ links sacramental drink to altered luminous consciousness, a widespread IE sacral motif (mead/soma-like intoxicants as divine inspiration).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi describes the movement ‘toward’ (abhi) the kośa: the human system must provide a prepared receptacle; Soma responds by self-purifying and filling that vessel with honeyed delight, establishing a stable inner sacrament.
Purify the emotional-vital field, then collect delight into a steady heart-cup; let sweetness drip naturally into thoughts and actions.
Anahata (kośa as heart-cup); Vishuddha (sweetness expressing as truthful speech)
Long exhale practice (inhale 4, exhale 6–8) to encourage ‘flow into the vessel’; brief pause after exhale to taste calm delight.
Receptive, heart-centered Ananda; quiet rapture without agitation.
Chant 9 times slowly. Between repetitions, place attention in the center of the chest as a cup. On each exhale feel Soma ‘pour’ in; after finishing, rest in sweetness and let it ‘drip’ into the whole body.
Precise svara requires accented text; chant with lineage-correct udātta/anudātta/svarita when available.
Let both ‘abhi’ phrases be slightly gathering/in-drawing; soften on ‘madhuścutam’ to express sweetness.
abhi: ‘bh’ aspirated, not ‘b’, somāsa: long ā; keep ‘s’ clear, pavante: ‘va’ soft; ‘nte’ crisp, madyam: ‘dy’ conjunct clear, madam: short a’s; avoid turning into ‘modam’, kośam: long ō (kośa), ‘ś’ palatal, madhuścutam: ‘dh’ aspirated; ‘ścu’ conjunct; final ‘tam’ light nasal
Warm, rounded, heart-resonant tone; avoid sharpness to preserve ‘honey’ rasa.
9
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