Rig Veda 9.112.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 112, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.112
- Rishi
- Traditionally attributed within Soma-Pavamāna corpus
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna, with refrain ‘for Indra’
- Chandas
- Not securely derivable from supplied extract alone
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
कारुरहं ततो भिषगुपलप्रक्षिणी नना । नानाधियो वसूयवोऽनु गा इव तस्थिमेन्द्रायेन्दो परि स्रव ॥
kārúr aháṃ tató bhiṣág úpala-prakṣiṇī nanā | nā́nā-dhiyo vasūyávo ’nú gā́ iva tasthiméndrāyéndo pári srava ||
நான் வாக்கின் கலைஞன்; மற்றொருவன் பிஷக் (மருத்துவர்); இன்னொருத்தி கல்-அழுத்தியில் அரைப்பவள். எங்கள் தியானங்கள் பலவகை; வசு (செல்வம்) நாடுபவர்கள்; சத்தியத்தின் வழியைப் பின்பற்றி, கதிர்கள்/மாடுகள் போல ஒழுங்கில் நின்றுள்ளோம். ஓ இந்து, இந்திரனுக்காகச் சுற்றிலும் முன்னும் பாய்ந்து ஓடு.
Word by Word
- कारुः
- a singer/poet (artisan of praise)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot कारु-
- अहम्
- IPronounउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अहम्
- ततः
- from there; thenIndeclinableअव्यय (अपादानार्थे/क्रमे)Role अपादानRoot ततः (तद्-तस्)
- भिषक्
- a physician/healerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot भिषज्/भिषक्-
- उपलप्रक्षिणी
- a grinder of stones; a woman who cleans/polishes with a stone (stone-worker)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot उपल-प्रक्षिणी
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध-अव्ययRoot न
- ना
- and/also (Vedic connective)Indeclinableवैकल्पिक/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (वेदिक प्रयोग)Root ना
- नानाधियः
- of various thoughts/insightsAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग (धियः), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot नाना + धि-
- वसूयवः
- seekers of wealth (desirers of goods)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot वसूयु-
- अनु
- after; alongIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अनु
- गाः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot गो-
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमान-अव्ययRoot इव
- तस्थिम
- I have stood; I take my standVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot स्था (धातु)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र-
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma-drop)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु-
- परि
- around; forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि
- स्रव
- flow!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot स्रु (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): कारुः अहम् ततः भिषक् उपलप्रक्षिणी न ना । नाना-धियः वसूयवः अनु गाः इव तस्थिम् इन्द्राय इन्दो परि स्रव ॥ प्रमुख-सन्धि: (1) भिषगु॑पलप्र॒क्षिणी॑ → भिषक् + उपलप्रक्षिणी (ज्/क् + उ-; पदान्त क्, संहितायां ग्-प्रतीति)
- (2) वसू॒यवोऽनु॒ → वसूयवः + अनु (विसर्ग + अ- → ‘ओऽ’)
- (3) गा इव (संधि न होकर पदविभाग)
- (4) इन्द्रा॑येन्दो॒ → इन्द्राय + इन्दो (आ + इ → ऐ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
I am a singer/poet; another is a healer; another grinds at the stone-press. Diverse are our understandings, seeking wealth; we stand following like cows. O Indu, flow around for Indra.
Inner meaning
The ṛṣi identifies inner functions within the collective being. Kāru (poet) is the creative word-soul that shapes consciousness by mantra. Another is bhiṣak, the restoring intelligence. Another is upalaprakṣiṇī, the grinder at the pressing stone: the force that persistently extracts Soma—delight—from the hard stuff of experience. Though dhiyas are many, the true seekers of plenitude (vasūyavaḥ) can align by following the gāḥ—rays of knowledge—moving in ordered rhythm. Then Soma is asked to circulate for Indra: let delight feed the illumined mind so all functions cooperate in one ascent.
Universal truth
A healthy inner life needs multiple capacities—expression, healing, and steady labor. When they follow the light together, delight flows and the mind becomes victorious.
Themes
Soma-ritual, inner disciplines as differentiated powers, illumination and plenitude
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.112.1–2, 9.112.4
Family tradition
Pavamāna seer-collective voice rather than a single autobiographical rishi (common in RV 9 collections).
Significance
A compact psychology of integral practice: Word, healing, and disciplined extraction of delight; unity achieved by following the rays of knowledge.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu), oriented to Indra
- Epithets
- Indu, Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra, Sarasvatī/Vāc (implicit through kāru and Word)
Cosmic role
Soma is the circulating essence that unifies diverse powers and feeds Indra’s victorious illumination.
Inner power
Pervasive Ananda that integrates expression (kāru), restoration (bhiṣak), and disciplined practice (pressing).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing/purification chant with refrain to Indra
का॒रुर॒हं त॒तो भि॒षगु॑पलप्र॒क्षिणी॑ न॒ना । नाना॑धियो वसू॒यवोऽनु॒ गा इ॑व तस्थि॒मेन्द्रा॑येन्दो॒ परि॑ स्रव ॥
का॒रुः । अ॒हम् । त॒तः । भि॒षक् । उ॒प॒ल॒ऽप्र॒क्षिणी॑ । न॒ना । नाना॑ऽधियः । व॒सु॒ऽयवः॑ । अनु॑ । गाःऽइ॑व । त॒स्थि॒म॒ । इन्द्रा॑य । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । परि॑ । स्र॒व॒ ॥
kāruḥ | aham | tataḥ | bhiṣak | upala-prakṣiṇī | nanā | nānādhiyaḥ | vasu-yavaḥ | anu | gāḥ-iva | tasthima | indrāya | indo iti | pari | srava
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4×8 (approx.)
Balanced and aphoristic; self-identification then widening to collective alignment
Builds self-understanding and integration; ends with a devotional current that ‘binds’ the parts together.
- kāruḥ
- Literal: poet, singer, maker of song. Symbolic: mantric/creative power that gives form to inner experience
- bhiṣak
- Literal: healer. Symbolic: restorative discernment that harmonizes the being
- upalaprakṣiṇī
- Literal: stone-grinder at the press. Symbolic: persistent practice that extracts essence from resistance
- nānādhiyah
- Literal: of various thoughts. Symbolic: multiple sub-personalities/mental lines in us
- vasūyavaḥ
- Literal: desiring riches. Symbolic: seeking plenitudes of consciousness (light, strength, joy)
- gāḥ (go)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of illumination/knowledge (not cattle)
- anu…tasthima
- Literal: we have stood following. Symbolic: alignment/discipleship to the leading truth-current
- Indu…pari srava
- Literal: O Soma, flow around. Symbolic: let delight pervade and unify all parts
- Indrāya
- Literal: for Indra. Symbolic: to empower the illumined mind as leader
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna) in Soma-yāga contexts (e.g., Agniṣṭoma): the flow of clarified Soma through the filter for Indra’s strengthening.
During Soma extraction and offering sequences
Recited as Soma is pressed/filtered; thematically mirrors pressing stones (upala)
A mantra for team harmony and inner parts-work: chant to align different roles within oneself (creator, healer, doer) under a single light-guidance.
(kāru-) from √kṛ ‘to make/do’ → ‘maker’, specifically maker of hymn; dhī (in ) from √dhī/√dhā in Vedic sense ‘vision, thought-power’ (not mere intellect). (bhiṣák) related to healing/curing (later √bhiṣ ‘to heal’), functionally ‘restorer’. ‘stone’ + (agent noun, ‘one who grinds/works’) evokes soma-pressing stones (adri/grāvan). from vasu ‘good, wealth, radiance’ + desiderative/agentive sense ‘seeking vasu’: inner plenitude rather than material goods. (go) polyvalent: cow/ray/illumination; in inner sense ‘luminous knowledges’ recovered and guided. from √sru ‘to flow’ (PIE *sreu- ‘flow’).
dhī (inspired vision), vasu (plenitude/fullness of being), collective yajña as differentiated inner functions
‘Following like the gāḥ’ indicates lawful movement of illumination—Ṛta as patterned flow.
Gāḥ as rays of truth: knowledge leads, parts follow.
Extraction of essence (Soma) from matter (stone) as a creation-process within consciousness.
Aurobindo-style: Vāc (Word), Chikitsā (healing), and Tapas (pressing) integrated by Soma-Ananda feeding Indra-illumination.
Stone = resistance/compact habit; pressing = sustained effort; cows/rays = illumined perceptions; Soma flow = delight permeating the system.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The yajña as a coordinated cosmos of powers: poet (kāru), healer (bhiṣak), and presser (upala-prakṣiṇī) are differentiated functions through which Soma is released and offered to Indra. Mythically, Soma’s flowing empowers Indra; psychologically, the illumined delight (Soma) is extracted from dense nature and distributed through ordered inner faculties, like ‘cows/rays’ moving in a guided line.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sru ‘flow’ (sráva) continues PIE *sreu- (‘to flow’; cf. English ‘stream’ via Germanic developments, and Greek ῥέω ‘flow’ is often compared though with phonological caveats). √kṛ ‘make’ (kāru-) reflects PIE *kwer-/ *ker- ‘do/make’ (broadly attested in Indo-Iranian). The semantic layering of gó- (‘cow’ → ‘ray/wealth/knowledge’) is an inherited Indo-European poetic technique where concrete pastoral terms carry abstract value (wealth/light).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker situates himself within a collective sacrificial-psychic economy: each person embodies a function (mantra-making, healing integration, pressing/extraction). The Devatā (Soma as Indu) is invoked to ‘flow’—i.e., to become available as conscious delight/illumination—so Indra (victorious luminous force in the practitioner) is strengthened. Reciprocity: human differentiated effort prepares the Soma; Soma’s descent/flow empowers the inner Indra to accomplish victory and plenitude.
Integrate three inner functions: speak truth (kāru), heal disharmony (bhiṣak), and persist in practice (pressing). Follow the ‘rays’ of clear perception.
Viśuddha (Word), Anāhata (healing harmony), Maṇipūra (steady effort) coordinated under Ājñā (light-lead)
Three-part breath: inhale (receive rays), hold briefly (press/extract), exhale (let Soma flow ‘pari srava’)
Integrated, coherent, quietly victorious.
Before chanting, ask: What in me must be expressed? What must be healed? What must be steadily worked? Chant once for each, then repeat the refrain to unify them in delight and clarity.
Svara not supplied; keep a gentle rise on self-identification (kāruḥ aham) and a settling cadence on ‘gā iva tasthima’.
Do not blur sandhi: vasūyavo ’nu (pause lightly before ’nu). Keep ‘gā iva’ distinct.
kāruḥ: long ā; visarga lightly aspirated, upalaprakṣiṇī: split as upala-prakṣiṇī; pronounce kṣi clearly, vasūyavaḥ: long ū; v sound not b, tasthima: cluster sth pronounced cleanly
Warm, integrative, steady; refrain smooth and flowing.
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