Rig Veda 9.57.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 57, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.57
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
स मर्मृजान आयुभिरिभो राजेव सुव्रतः । श्येनो न वंसु षीदति ॥
sá marmṛjān áyubhir íbho rājéva suvratáḥ | śyénो na váṃsu sīdati ||
स मर्मृजान आयुभिरिभो राजेव सुव्रतः । श्येनो न वंसु षीदति ॥
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्मृजानः
- purifying/cleansing (himself/others)Participle (Adjectival) / Verb-derivedपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययः (Vedic intensive/reduplicated present stem)Role Kartā (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) / AgentiveRoot √मृज् (मार्जने ‘to cleanse/purify’) → मर्मृजान- (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- आयुभिः
- with vital powers / with life-forcesNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम् (RV usage often n.), तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot आयु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इभः
- the strong one; bull/elephant-like (mighty)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) / AppositionRoot इभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- राजा
- kingNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (उपमान-भागः) / AppositionRoot राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययम्Root इव
- सुव्रतः
- of good observance; well-disciplinedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) / गुणवाचकRoot सु-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; सु + व्रत ‘good vow/observance’)
- श्येनः
- hawk, falconNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (उपमान-भागः) / AppositionRoot श्येन (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययम् (इव-समार्थकः)Root न
- वंसु
- good/treasure; desirable wealthNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वंसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सीदति
- sits down; settles; alightsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √सद् (सीदति; ‘to sit down, settle, alight’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (RV-pada style): सः | मर्मृजानः | आयुभिः | इभः | राजा | इव | सुव्रतः || श्येनः | न | वंसु | सीदति || 1) ‘राजेव’ = ‘राजा इव’ (अ + इ → ए). 2) ‘श्येनो न’ = ‘श्येनः न’ (विसर्गः पदान्ते ओ-रूपेण; संहितायां ‘ओ’). 3) ‘वंसु षीदति’ संहितापाठे ‘षीदति’ (Vedic orthography) = ‘सीदति’ (√सद्)
- पदपाठे पृथक् ‘वंसु | सीदति’. 4) उच्चारण-चिह्नाः (॑/॒) संहितायां वैदिकस्वर-निर्देशकाः
- पदच्छेदे शब्दरूपं अपरिवर्तितं, स्वरः पृथक् निर्दिष्टः न कृतः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Polished, strengthened by life-powers, strong like a king and faithful to right law, he settles like a falcon upon the desired treasure.
Inner meaning
As Soma is clarified (marmṛjānaḥ), the life-forces (āyubhiḥ) become refined and supportive rather than restless. The purified Ananda becomes ‘kingly’—a governing power in the nature—aligned with the right law (suvrataḥ, rita). Like a falcon (śyenaḥ), swift and sure, it descends and alights on the true treasure (vaṃsu): stable inner richness—light, joy, and power held in possession.
Universal truth
When the vital energies are purified and disciplined by truth, consciousness gains sovereign mastery and can seize and hold the real wealth of life.
Themes
Soma-falcon myth, Establishment of right order, Treasure as inner wealth, Purified vitality
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.57.1, Rig Veda 9.57.2, Rig Veda 9.57.4
Significance
The seer-vision emphasizes governance (rājā) and rita-alignment (suvrata): the rishi is describing the moment when purified delight becomes a ruling principle rather than a passing experience.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Suvrata, Indu
- Related deities
- Indra (victory/sovereignty), Varuṇa (ṛta-law), Agni (purifying will)
Cosmic role
Purifier and kingly sustainer of the sacrifice; establishes right order and grants ‘wealth’ to gods and men.
Inner power
Refines prāṇa and mind into a stable, sovereign joy that can hold illumination without disturbance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering; praise during filtration
स म॑र्मृजा॒न आ॒युभि॒रिभो॒ राजे॑व सुव्र॒तः । श्ये॒नो न वंसु॑ षीदति ॥
सः । म॒र्मृजा॒नः । आ॒युऽभिः॑ । इभः॑ । राजा॑ऽइव । सु॒ऽव्र॒तः । श्ये॒नः । न । वंसु॑ । सी॒द॒ति॒ ॥
saḥ | marmṛjānaḥ | āyu-bhiḥ | ibhaḥ | rājā-iva | su-vrataḥ | śyenaḥ | na | vaṃsu | sīdati
24
3 × 8 (approx.)
Firm, settling cadence—movement to repose
Creates a feeling of stabilization and ‘landing’ in the heart of experience; good for grounding after energizing practice.
- मर्मृजानः (marmṛjānaḥ)
- Literal: being polished/cleansed. Symbolic: purification of consciousness; refinement of the vital-mind substance
- आयुभिः (āyubhiḥ)
- Literal: with life-powers. Symbolic: prāṇic energies harnessed to support inner growth
- इभः (ibhaḥ)
- Literal: strong, mighty (also ‘elephant’). Symbolic: massive steadiness and force in the being
- राजेव (rājā-iva)
- Literal: like a king. Symbolic: sovereign governance of nature by the soul’s joy
- सुव्रतः (su-vrataḥ)
- Literal: of good vow/right law. Symbolic: aligned to rita; disciplined truth-guided movement
- श्येनः (śyenaḥ)
- Literal: falcon. Symbolic: swift intuition that captures the treasure of light
- वंसु (vaṃsu)
- Literal: desirable treasure, wealth. Symbolic: inner riches: stable Ananda, knowledge, and capacity
Pavamāna sequence; emphasizes Soma’s sovereignty and right-working (suvrata) as he ‘takes seat’ in the offering, mirroring establishment of right life-force in the practitioner.
As the clarified Soma is gathered and prepared for offering
Chant while Soma is ‘polished’ through the pavitra and collected
For stabilizing joy and disciplining life-energy: chant after pranayama or after emotional turbulence to re-establish inner kingship.
vratá is ‘chosen law/working’ (from √vṛ ‘choose, will’), hence ‘right self-discipline’ and ‘true functioning’. śyéna is a crucial Soma myth-image (the falcon that brings Soma); here it signals swift, sure seizure of the ‘treasure’—inwardly, the capture of luminous gain by clarified life-force.
Vrata (right law/self-rule), Āyu (life-force as instrument of realization), Sovereignty of purified consciousness
Suvrata explicitly signals alignment to right law; the ‘kingly’ principle is rita’s governance in the human system.
The true treasure is not outer gain but satya-wealth—light and joy held securely.
From purification to establishment: consciousness-force becomes a stable ruler in the manifest nature.
Integral Yoga resonance: purification → transformation of prāṇa → establishment of psychic/soul governance.
Polishing = inner purification; falcon = swift intuitive descent; treasure = concentrated inner attainment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-falcon mythologem: Soma is likened to a śyena that settles on treasure. Inner sense: purified delight, empowered by life-force, swiftly seizes and establishes the luminous gain (vaṃsu) within the governed right-working (suvrata).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vratá as ‘chosen law’ reflects an archaic nexus of will/choice (√vṛ) and rule—comparable in function to Indo-European concepts of ‘order’ upheld by correct action. √sad ‘sit’ is a stable IE root (cf. Latin sedēre), supporting the image of ‘establishment’/‘taking seat’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents Soma as a model of inner kingship: when polished, Soma becomes suvrata and brings mastery. The practitioner’s implied task is to allow Soma to ‘sit’—to establish stable possession of the inner treasure rather than a passing ecstasy.
After chanting, feel the breath and prāṇa ‘polished’—smooth, even; then rest in the sense of an inner king seated in the heart, with intuition (falcon) bringing the true treasure.
Anāhata (seat of stable joy) with Manipura (sovereign force)
Lengthen exhalation to encourage ‘settling’; brief kumbhaka after exhale if comfortable
Settled joy; poised mastery
Offer restlessness into the stream; affirm one ‘suvrata’ (right rule) for the day; sit until the mind naturally quiets.
Maintain crisp Vedic accents; avoid over-melisma—let the ‘settling’ be in the breath, not in pitch slides.
Give weight to suvrataḥ and śyenaḥ; allow the final cadence (sīdati) to gently ‘land’.
मर्मृजानः: roll ‘r’ lightly; keep nasalization clear, आयुभिः: articulate ‘yubhiḥ’ without swallowing ‘bh’, राजेव: split as rājā-iva in feeling, श्येनः: palatal ‘ś’ (not dental s)
Steady, warm, grounded
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