Rig Veda 9.46.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 46, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.46
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Shanta (peace)
परिष्कृतास इन्दवो योषेव पित्र्यावती । वायुं सोमा असृक्षत ॥
paríṣkṛtāsa índavo yóṣeva pitŕyāvatī | vāyúṁ sómā asṛkṣata ||
परिष्कृताः शुचय इन्दवः पित्र्यावतीं योषामिव वायुम्—चलत्प्राणम्—प्रति स्वयमेव प्रससृजिरे।
Word by Word
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषण) अव्ययRoot परि (उपसर्ग) / परि-
- इष्कृतासः
- well-prepared, well-adornedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (with ‘इन्दवः’)Root इष्कृत (√कृ with preverb इष्-/इष्-?; prātipadika: इष्कृत- ‘well-prepared/arranged’)
- इन्दवः
- drops (of Soma), Soma-juicesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot इन्दु-
- योषा
- a young woman, maidenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (उपमान-प्रयोग) (इव-समास/उपमा)Role (उपमान)Root योषा-
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- पित्र्यावती
- possessing/connected with the fathers (ancestral), having paternal lineageAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (योषा-विशेषण)Role (विशेषण)Root पित्र्यावत्- (पितृ + यावत्/वत्; prātipadika: पित्र्यावत्-)
- वायुम्
- Vāyu (the Wind-god)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वायु-
- सोमाः
- the Soma (drops/juices)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सोम-
- असृक्षत
- they flowed/ran forth, were releasedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), मध्यमपद/आत्मनेपद, तृतीया पुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √सृज् (सृजति) with augment a-; Vedic aorist middle
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): परि | इष्कृतासः | इन्दवः | योषा | इव | पित्र्यावती | वायुम् | सोमाः | असृक्षत । 1) परिष्कृतासः → परि + इष्कृतासः (उपसर्ग ‘परि’ पृथक्; संहितायां ‘परि’ + स्वरादि ‘इ…’ इत्यत्र संयोगः). 2) योषेव → योषा + इव (आ + इ → ए; संधि-रूप ‘योषेव’). 3) पित्र्यावती । वायुम् → पदान्त ‘…ी’ + ‘वा…’ इत्यत्र विशेष-संधि न
- केवल पदविरामः. 4) वायुं सोमा → वायुम् + सोमाः (म् + स…; संहितायां ‘वायुं सोमा’). स्वर/उदात्त-चिह्न: परि॑ष्कृतास॒ (परि॑, कृतास॒), इन्द॑वो॒, योषे॑व॒, पित्र्या॑वती, सोमा॑, असृक्षत (अचिह्नित/पदपाठानुसार)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Perfectly prepared, the bright Soma drops—like a maiden rich in ancestral heritage—have released themselves toward Vāyu.
Inner meaning
The purified Soma forces (indavaḥ), made ready in all parts (pariṣkṛtāsaḥ), move like a yoṣā (maiden)—not as sensual imagery, but as the soul’s receptive, luminous nature—carrying pitrya-vatī: the strength of the ‘Fathers’, i.e., ancestral/primordial powers of truth and the established gains of past realization. They release themselves toward Vāyu: the Life-Breath, the great mover in us. Psychologically, clarified delight offers itself to the purified prāṇa, so breath becomes a carrier of Ananda and a vehicle for higher consciousness.
Universal truth
When inner joy is refined and made ready, it joins the breath of life; then life-force itself becomes a bearer of delight and a channel for higher movement.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Vāyu, purification, lineage of the Fathers
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.46 (hymn context)
Significance
This verse explicitly links Soma to Vāyu—key for a meditation guide: Ananda and prāṇa must unite. The rishi-vision is of prepared delight becoming breath-carried transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (with Vāyu as recipient/associate)
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Indavaḥ (the bright drops), Vāyu (the mover)
- Related deities
- Indra (often drinks Soma after Vāyu in ritual sequence), Agni (prepares the offering), Maruts (winds/energies allied to Vāyu)
Cosmic role
Soma: purified delight offered to the gods; Vāyu: distributor and carrier, first receiver of Soma in many Vedic sequences (prāṇa as vehicle).
Inner power
Union of Ananda and prāṇa: joy becomes mobile, pervading, and effective; breath becomes luminous and uplifting.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering sequence where Vāyu is a principal recipient of first Soma draught (Vāyavya graha).
परि॑ष्कृतास॒ इन्द॑वो॒ योषे॑व॒ पित्र्या॑वती । वा॒युं सोमा॑ असृक्षत ॥
परि॑ऽकृतासः । इन्द॑वः । योषा॑ऽइव । पित्र्य॑ऽवती । वा॒युम् । सोमाः॑ । अ॒सृ॒क्ष॒त॒ ॥
pari-kṛtāsaḥ | indavaḥ | yoṣā-iva | pitrya-vatī | vāyum | somāḥ | asṛkṣata
Two half-lines shown; exact pāda structure to be verified.
Graceful and releasing—preparedness followed by a smooth outward movement toward Vāyu.
Promotes refinement and then surrender into breath; excellent for pranayama-linked chanting.
- pariṣkṛtāsaḥ
- Literal: made perfectly ready/adorned. Symbolic: fully prepared, harmonized movements of consciousness; refined energies
- indavaḥ
- Literal: bright drops. Symbolic: luminous currents of purified Ananda
- yoṣā iva
- Literal: like a maiden. Symbolic: receptive, luminous soul-nature offering itself to the higher movement
- pitrya-vatī
- Literal: possessing ancestral (of the Fathers) wealth. Symbolic: endowed with the force of the ‘Fathers’: established truth-powers, past spiritual attainment, foundational consciousness
- Vāyu
- Literal: wind/god of air. Symbolic: prāṇa, the moving breath-life that can carry Soma (Ananda) into all parts
- asṛkṣata
- Literal: they let themselves go/released. Symbolic: self-offering of purified delight into the life-breath for distribution and action
Soma offerings are classically offered first to Vāyu and Indra-Vāyu in the Soma sacrifice; this verse reflects that liturgical sequence as an inner ordering of prāṇa (vāyu) receiving clarified Soma.
In Soma-yajña, associated with the Vāyu cup/portion and Soma’s movement toward Vāyu.
Chanting as Soma is prepared and offered, especially in relation to Vāyu’s reception.
Use before breathwork: refine emotional tone, then offer it into the breath so prāṇa becomes calm, bright, and supportive.
pari-kṛtāsaḥ: ppp nom.pl. of √kṛ with pari- ‘around, fully’ → ‘fully prepared’. yoṣā ‘maiden’ from √yu/√yau ‘to join, mix, be youthful’ (semantic field of youth and union). pitrya-vatī: possessive -vatī; pitṛ ‘father’ (PIE *ph₂tḗr; cf. Lat. pater). vāyu from √vā ‘to blow’ (PIE *h₂weh₁- ‘blow’; cf. Lat. ventus via related developments). asṛkṣata: aorist of √sṛj ‘to let loose, discharge’.
prāṇa as carrier of offering and inspiration (vāyu), ancestral seer-force (pitṛya) as transmitted spiritual capacity, readiness/purification as prerequisite to right movement (Ṛta)
Pariṣkṛta (well-prepared) and directed offering implies Ṛta as correct arrangement and sequence of inner movements.
Pitrya-vatī suggests continuity of truth-force from the ‘Fathers’—the stable gains of consciousness that support present ascent.
Transmission of essence into movement: refined substance (Soma) entering the cosmic breath (Vāyu) to animate worlds.
Integral-yogic bridge of Ananda and Prāṇa; also resonates with Upanishadic prāṇa centrality (conceptual).
Drops = refined joy; wind = breath-life; maiden = receptive soul-nature; Fathers = foundational truth-powers; movement toward Vāyu = joy entering breath to pervade the system.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The purified Soma-drops go first to Vāyu. Mythically this is the ritual precedence of Vāyu; psychologically it is the offering of clarified delight into the life-breath so that prāṇa becomes luminous, well-directed, and capable of bearing the gods’ influx.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pitṛ continues PIE *ph₂tḗr (Lat. pater, Gk. πατήρ). vāyu is tied to the IE ‘blowing’ root (PIE *h₂weh₁-), comparable to wind terms across IE. The possessive formation -vatī (pitrya-vatī) is a productive Indo-Aryan morphological strategy for ‘endowed with’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer frames Soma’s movement as rightly sequenced and tradition-bearing (‘pitrya’): the offering is not private invention but aligned with the Fathers’ established path, ensuring the breath-force (Vāyu) receives and distributes Soma according to Ṛta.
Offer refined joy into the breath: feel each inhale ‘receive’ Soma, each exhale distribute it through the body.
Anahata (breath-heart nexus) with support from Vishuddha (air/ether channel).
Gentle pranayama: inhale 4, exhale 6 (or equal 5–5) while mentally repeating the mantra; feel Vāyu as a luminous current.
Receptive, purified, pervaded by calm delight; prāṇa becomes smooth and sattvic.
Begin by ‘preparing’ the inner state—soften, refine, make ready. Then chant and immediately sit, sensing the breath as the carrier of a subtle sweetness (Soma) spreading through nerves and mind.
To be verified; chant with a graceful, even tone; let svara rises (udātta) lightly lift the phrase without harshness.
Keep pariṣkṛtāsa as a smooth compound; emphasize Vāyuṃ clearly as the destination/recipient.
pariṣkṛtāsaḥ: pronounce ṣkṛ (ष्कृ) carefully; keep ṛ vowel clear., yoṣeva: keep long ō (योषे) distinct., vāyuṃ: nasal anusvāra on ‘uṃ’ is clear but not overdone.
Soft, refined, airy—matching the Vāyu motif.
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