Rig Veda 9.7.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 7, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.7
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
पवमानो अभि स्पृधो विशो राजेव सीदति । यदीमृण्वन्ति वेधसः ॥
pávamāno abhí spṛ́dho víśo rā́jeva sīdati | yad ī́m ṛṇvánti vedhásaḥ ||
पवमानः स्पृधोऽभि विशोऽभि राजेव सीदति, यदा एनं वेधसः प्रवर्तयन्ति अन्तः समुत्थापयन्ति च।
Word by Word
- पवमानः
- the purifying (Soma), as he flowsAdjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot पवमान- (√पू ‘to purify/cleanse’, present participle middle)
- अभि
- towards, againstIndeclinableRoot अभि (upasarga/preverb)
- स्पृधः
- rivals/hostile (ones)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot स्पृध्- (f.) ‘rivalry, hostility; rival’
- विशः
- the clans/peoplesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot विश्- (f.) ‘clan, people, settlement’
- राजा
- a kingNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उपमान-कर्तृ in simile)Root राजन्- (m.) ‘king’
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableRoot इव
- सीदति
- sits/settles (down), takes his seatVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √सद् ‘to sit, settle, take a seat’
- यदा
- whenIndeclinable (conjunction)Root यदा
- ईम्
- him (enclitic: ‘him/this one’)IndeclinableRole कर्म (enclitic object ‘him’)Root ईम् (enclitic particle/pronounial adverb)
- ऋण्वन्ति
- they set (him) in motion / impelVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √ऋ ‘to go, move, set in motion’ (Vedic: ‘to impel/urge, set going’)
- वेधसः
- the inspired ones/priestsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot वेधस्- (m.) ‘wise one, inspired priest; arranger’
Sandhi Notes
- पवमानो → पवमानः (visarga in pausa)
- स्पृधो → स्पृधः (RV pada form; nom./acc. pl. of स्पृध्)
- राजे॑व → राजा + इव
- यदी॑मृ॒ण्वन्ति → यदा + ईम् + ऋण्वन्ति (ईम् enclitic ‘him’; sandhi: a + ī → ī)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Purifying, he sits over rivalries and peoples like a king, when the wise shapers set him in motion.
Inner meaning
As Soma purifies, he enthrones himself (sīdati) as sovereign consciousness over spṛdhaḥ—inner rivalries, conflicts of impulses—and over viśaḥ—the many ‘peoples’ or sub-personalities in the being. Like a rājā, he establishes central rule. This happens when vedhasaḥ, the wise formers (inner priests/creative intelligences), ‘raise’ and set him going: when our discerning faculties cooperate with the delight-force, it becomes kingly order in the psyche.
Universal truth
Inner harmony requires a sovereign principle. When purified delight is supported by wisdom, it can govern competing drives and unify the many voices of the personality.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Inner sovereignty, Purification, Overcoming opposition
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer(s) of RV 9.7.
- Other hymns
- RV 9.7.1–9.7.9
Significance
This vision frames yoga as inner kingship: Soma becomes the ruling Ananda that pacifies rivalries when supported by the ‘wise shapers’—our conscious collaboration with the divine force.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Rājā-iva (king-like), Vedhasām priya (favored of the wise shapers—implied)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Varuṇa (order)
Cosmic role
Establishes harmony and victory in the sacrifice; empowers the gods by ordered delight.
Inner power
Sovereign delight that unifies and governs psychological multiplicity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering
पव॑मानो अ॒भि स्पृधो॒ विशो॒ राजे॑व सीदति । यदी॑मृ॒ण्वन्ति॑ वे॒धस॑: ॥
पव॑मानः । अ॒भि । स्पृधः॑ । विशः॑ । राजा॑ऽइव । सी॒द॒ति॒ । यत् । ई॒म् । ऋ॒ण्वन्ति॑ । वे॒धसः॑ ॥
pavamānaḥ | abhi | spṛdhaḥ | viśaḥ | rājā-iva | sīdati | yat | īm | ṛṇvanti | vedhasaḥ
48
4 × 12
Regal steadiness with a concluding lift on the causal clause (yad…ṛṇvanti).
Settling and centering; evokes inner authority and composure over turbulence.
- pavamānaḥ
- Literal: purifying. Symbolic: conscious force cleansing and clarifying nature
- spṛdhaḥ
- Literal: rivalries, contests. Symbolic: conflicting desires and impulses; inner fragmentation
- viśaḥ
- Literal: peoples, clans. Symbolic: multiple parts/subselves in the being
- rājā iva
- Literal: like a king. Symbolic: central sovereign consciousness establishing order
- sīdati
- Literal: sits, takes seat. Symbolic: enthronement/stabilization in the center (heart/mind)
- vedhasaḥ
- Literal: wise builders, shapers. Symbolic: inner powers of discernment and formation (Agni-like priestly intelligence)
Soma purification: enthronement imagery aligns with Soma being placed/strained and then offered; recited in pavamāna sequences
During moments emphasizing Soma’s supremacy and the ordering of the rite.
Chant as Soma is prepared/raised; invoke governance over disorder.
A mantra for emotional regulation and leadership: chant when feeling pulled by competing desires; use to re-center before decisions.
√pū ‘purify’ → Soma’s essential action of clarification; √sad ‘sit/establish’ → the settling of sovereignty in consciousness; spṛ́dh ‘rivalry’ marks inner conflict; védhas ‘shaper’ from √vidh ‘to arrange, work’ → faculties that fashion the rite/inner formation.
Inner kingship (rājan) as governance of faculties, Conflict (spṛdh) as opposition of ignorance vs knowledge
Kingly Soma represents Ṛta’s rule within the microcosm, pacifying rivalries.
Wise shapers (vedhasaḥ) operate by truth-vision to enthrone Soma.
From multiplicity to unity: the many ‘peoples’ become a kingdom under one luminous law.
Vedic polity as psychology: kṣatra becomes inner mastery under divine delight.
Purification is clarification of affect; throne is stable central awareness; rivalries are turbulent cross-currents in prāṇa and desire.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘enthronement of Soma’ mythologem: Soma, once purified, becomes king over the competing forces—ritually enthroned in the vessel/pressing area, psychologically enthroned as the ruling clarity over divided impulses.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rājā ‘king’ is from PIE *h₃rēǵ- ‘to rule’ (cf. Latin rēx). √sad ‘sit’ is PIE *sed- (cf. Latin sedēre, Eng. sit is Germanic but cognate concept).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ‘vedhas’ (inner/ritual shapers) cooperate with Soma: human intelligence fashions the conditions of purification, and Soma responds by establishing kingship—order and calm mastery—over the practitioner’s many ‘viśaḥ’ (faculties).
Enthrone a quiet joy at the center; observe rival impulses as ‘clans’ and let the kingly awareness unify them.
Anāhata (seat/throne of balance) with Maṇipūra support (governance).
Lengthened exhale (e.g., inhale 4, exhale 8) to pacify spṛdhaḥ; then chant once per breath cycle.
Centered, sovereign calm.
After chanting, name the top three ‘rivalries’ in you; offer them to the central joy and choose one harmonizing action.
Rigvedic tri-svara; exact accents require svara-pāṭha for RV 9.7.5.
Hold rājā-iva with a dignified, even tone; articulate spṛdhaḥ distinctly; keep cadence steady to evoke ‘sīdati’ (settling).
pavamāno: long ā; nasal m, spṛdhaḥ: vocalic ṛ; aspirated dh; visarga, viśaḥ: palatal ś; visarga light, rājāiva: long ā; sandhi -āi- smooth, ṛṇvanti: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṇ; v clear, vedhasaḥ: dh aspirated; final ḥ
Steady, regal, centered in the chest resonance.
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