Rig Veda 9.27.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 27, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.27
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
एष इन्द्राय वायवे स्वर्जित्परि षिच्यते । पवित्रे दक्षसाधनः ॥
eṣá índrāya vāyáve svàrjit pári ṣicyate | pavítre dakṣasā́dhanaḥ ||
एष इन्द्राय वायवे च पवित्रे परि षिच्यते—स्वर्जित्, दक्षसाधनः।
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one)Pronoun (demonstrative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot एतद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (prātipadika)
- वायवे
- for VāyuNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Vedic voc./dat. form वायवे)Role सम्प्रदानRoot वायु (prātipadika)
- स्वर्जित्
- winning heaven; heaven-conqueringAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (agreeing with एषः)Role कर्तृRoot स्वर् + जित् (√जि ‘to conquer’), prātipadika: स्वर्जित्
- परि
- around; forth (as preverb with √सिच्)Indeclinable (preverb/adverb)अव्ययम्Root परि (upasarga/avyaya)
- षिच्यते
- is poured; is sprinkledVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (passive: the subject is the patient)Root √सिच् (सिञ्चति) ‘to pour, sprinkle’
- पवित्रे
- in/through the filter (sieve)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot पवित्र (prātipadika)
- दक्षसाधनः
- accomplishing skill/power; effecting abilityAdjective/Noun (compound epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (agreeing with एषः/स्वर्जित्)Role कर्तृRoot दक्ष + साधन (from √साध् ‘to accomplish’), prātipadika: दक्षसाधन
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: एष इन्द्राय → एषः इन्द्राय (visarga before vowel). इन्द्राय वायवे: no internal sandhi
- both are dat. sg. recipients. स्वर्जित्परि → स्वर्जित् परि (final -t + following p-; pada-split restores). पवित्रे दक्षसाधनः: simple juxtaposition
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma is poured all around upon the purifier (filter) as an offering for Indra and Vāyu; it is a winner of the luminous world (svah) and accomplishes dakṣa (power/skill).
Inner meaning
The delight-principle (Soma) is set into the process of inner purification (pavitra) so that it may feed both the illumined Mind (Indra) and the Life-breath/Prāṇa-force (Vāyu). When delight is purified, it becomes a force that wins the higher luminous consciousness (svar) and builds dakṣa—effective will, right discernment in action, and competent spiritual workmanship.
Universal truth
When joy and aspiration are purified of mixture (ego, desire, inertia), they become the fuel of both clear intelligence and balanced life-force; then consciousness naturally rises into a brighter order and action becomes skillful, true, and powerful.
Themes
libation, Indra-Vayu, light-conquest, effective power (dakṣa)
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma Pavamāna tradition; specific rishi not securely identified for this verse in the provided source.
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.27.1, Rig Veda 9.27.3, Rig Veda 9.27.4, Rig Veda 9.27.5, Rig Veda 9.27.6
Family tradition
Pavamāna Soma hymns are commonly associated with seer-families (e.g., Kaṇva, Gṛtsamada, etc.), but this verse’s rishi is uncertain here; treat as a ‘Soma-seer’ (pavamāna-darśin).
Significance
The ‘unknown’ attribution itself suits Soma: the experience is impersonal—delight descending from a vaster consciousness, not owned by the ego-personality.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (purifying Soma), offered for Indra and Vāyu
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (purifying), Svarjit (winner of light-world), Dakṣasādhana (accomplisher of right power/skill)
- Related deities
- Indra, Vāyu, Agni (as inner priest of sacrifice), Sūrya (as the light with which Soma is often paired)
Cosmic role
Soma is the flowing, refining essence that links earth-life to the luminous worlds; it nourishes the gods (higher powers) and makes ascent possible.
Inner power
Purified ānanda that strengthens illumined intelligence (Indra) and harmonized life-breath (Vāyu), enabling right, effective spiritual action (dakṣa).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavamāna) in Soma Yajña; chanting during the flowing/straining of Soma.
ए॒ष इन्द्रा॑य वा॒यवे॑ स्व॒र्जित्परि॑ षिच्यते । प॒वित्रे॑ दक्ष॒साध॑नः ॥
ए॒षः । इन्द्रा॑य । वा॒यवे॑ । स्वः॒ऽजित् । परि॑ । सि॒च्य॒ते॒ । प॒वित्रे॑ । द॒क्ष॒ऽसाध॑नः ॥
eṣaḥ | indrāya | vāyave | svaḥ-jit | pari | sicyate | pavitre | dakṣa-sādhanaḥ
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3 pādas of 8 syllables (typical Gāyatrī cadence).
Quick, bright, and forward-moving—suited to the ‘pouring’ and ‘winning’ motion.
Creates a feeling of circulation and uplift: delight being refined, then rising to feed mind and breath.
- eṣaḥ
- Literal: this (Soma/Indu). Symbolic: the immediate, present movement of purified delight in the seeker
- pavitra
- Literal: purifier, filter. Symbolic: the discriminating instrument of inner purification—clarity, viveka, the refining mind-heart
- pari ṣicyate
- Literal: is poured around. Symbolic: the pervasion of the whole being by the purified essence; consecration of all parts
- indrāya
- Literal: for Indra. Symbolic: for the illumined Mind and its power to break coverings
- vāyave
- Literal: for Vāyu. Symbolic: for the harmonized prāṇa—life-force that carries inspiration and steadies movement
- svaḥ-jit (svarjit)
- Literal: winner of svah (luminous world). Symbolic: that which conquers higher light-consciousness; ascent into the supramental/illumined ranges
- dakṣa-sādhanaḥ
- Literal: accomplishing dakṣa. Symbolic: builder of right power/skill—effective tapas guided by truth
Soma offering directed to Indra-Vāyu pair; pouring/sprinkling in the filter aligns with preparation for shared reception.
During Soma pavana (filtering) sequences; especially when Soma is offered to Indra-Vāyu cups/portions.
Pressing, mixing, straining through wool/grass filter; libation offerings to deities.
Use as a mantra for ‘purifying joy’: before meditation or pranayama to align clarity (Indra) and breath-force (Vāyu) with a higher aim (svar).
√sic ‘pour’ (PIE *seykʷ- ‘pour’ often cited). svàr/svaḥ from dyu/svar ‘shine, luminous world’ (Indo-European ‘sky/light’ semantic complex). dakṣa: ‘skill, capacity, force of intelligent effectiveness’ (often linked to √dakṣ ‘be able, be strong’). Vāyu relates to √vā ‘blow’ (PIE *h₂weh₁- ‘blow’).
svar-jit (conquest of luminous consciousness), dakṣa (effective intelligence/competence), integration of mind-force (Indra) and life-force (Vāyu)
Purification through pavitra is the restoration of ṛta in the vital and mental currents—right flow instead of mixture.
Svarjit implies entry into truth-light where perception and action coincide.
Refinement of essence from mixture—like extracting the immortal from the mortal; ascent by distillation.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): Soma as ānanda-substance enabling higher consciousness.
The ‘flow’ is the movement of delight through discrimination; wind is prāṇa; the luminous world is heightened consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The shared offering to Indra and Vāyu: Soma is poured in the purifier for the twin recipients. Inner reading: the clarified delight is distributed through the being to empower both the life-force movement (Vāyu) and the victorious luminous mind (Indra), enabling conquest of svar (the light-plane) and establishing dakṣa (effective capacity).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sic ‘pour’ has strong PIE parallels in the libation lexicon. Vāyu from √vā ‘blow’ aligns with Indo-European wind/breath roots; svar as ‘luminous world’ participates in the PIE *dyew-/*deiw- semantic sphere of sky and shining divinity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi frames Soma as a functional mediator: through the act of pouring (pari ṣicyate) in the purifier, the seeker offers a clarified essence that simultaneously strengthens breath-life (Vāyu) and mental victory-force (Indra). The devatās respond by establishing dakṣa—right effectiveness—in the human instrument.
Let purified delight circulate through the whole being; offer it upward to illumined mind and outward into balanced breath-life.
Anāhata to Ājñā axis (joy refined into clarity); optional Sahasrāra orientation for ‘svar’.
Nadi-śodhana (alternate nostril) with a gentle ‘offering’ intention on exhale; brief kumbhaka only if trained.
Bright, clarified uplift—calm enthusiasm without agitation.
Begin with 9 slow repetitions, feeling ‘pavitra’ as inner discernment. Then sit silently: sense a clean joy feeding clear thought (Indra) and steady breath-force (Vāyu).
Use the Rigvedic three-tone approach: udatta (raised), anudatta (lowered), svarita (falling); exact accents depend on the śākhā padapāṭha with svara marks.
Keep clarity on compound accents: svarjit, dakṣasādhanaḥ; avoid flattening the cadence at pāda ends.
eṣa: ‘e’ longish, ṣ retroflex; final visarga in eṣaḥ is light before vowel/voiced consonant, vāyave: vā-ya-ve with clear ‘y’; do not turn into ‘vaaye’, pavitre: pa-vi-tre, crisp ‘tr’ cluster, dakṣa: retroflex ‘ṣ’; not dental ‘s’
Bright, clean, flowing tone—like a stream being strained.
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