Rig Veda 9.39.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 39, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.39
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
सुत एति पवित्र आ त्विषिं दधान ओजसा । विचक्षाणो विरोचयन् ॥
sutá eti pavítra ā́ tviṣíṃ dádhāna ójasā | vi-cákṣāṇo vi-rocáyan ||
பிழிந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட அவன் பவித்ரத்தினிடமே வருகின்றான்; தன் ஓஜஸால் ஒளிவீச்சை அணிகின்றான்; விவேகக் கண்ணால் நோக்கி, உள்ளுலகங்களை ஒளிரச் செய்கிறான்.
Word by Word
- सुतः
- pressed (Soma), the pressed oneAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot √सु (सु- ‘to press, extract’) → सुत (PPP)
- एति
- goes, comes forthVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √इ (इ- ‘to go’)
- पवित्रः
- the purifier; the filter (Soma as purifier)Noun (also adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सुतः के विशेषण/समनाधिकरण)Root पवित्र (prātipadika; ‘purifier, filter’)
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्ग (एति इत्यस्य)Role (क्रियाविशेषण)Root आ (upasarga)
- त्विषिम्
- splendour, brillianceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot त्विषि (स्त्री; ‘splendour, brilliance’)
- दधानः
- bearing, placing (on himself)Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि)Role कर्तृ (सुतः के विशेषण)Root √धा (धा- ‘to put, place, bear’) → दधान (present participle)
- ओजसा
- with strength, by vigourNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot ओजस् (नपुंसक; ‘strength, vigour’)
- विचक्षणः
- discerning, far-seeingAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सुतः के विशेषण)Root विचक्षण (adj.; ‘discerning, clear-sighted’)
- विरोचयन्
- causing to shine, illuminatingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि)Role कर्तृ (सुतः के विशेषण)Root वि + √रुच् (रुच्- ‘to shine, illuminate’) → रोचयन् (causative pres. participle)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): सुतः | एति | पवित्रः | आ | त्विषिम् | दधानः | ओजसा | विचक्षणः | विरोचयन् । विशेष: ‘आ’ उपसर्गः ‘एति’ इत्यनेन सह (आ-एति) अर्थतः संयुक्तः।
- छन्दो/स्वरचिह्नाः (उदात्तादयः) पाठभेद-चिह्नाः, पदच्छेदं न परिवर्तयन्ति।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Pressed, he comes to the purifier, taking brilliance by his power; discerning, he makes things shine.
Inner meaning
Soma, expressed by inner effort, approaches the ‘pavitra’—the clarifying sieve of discrimination and right process. There it assumes ‘tviṣ’ (radiant intensity) by ‘ojas’ (effective force). With ‘vicakṣaṇa’ (clear-seeing discernment) it illumines the inner worlds—mind, life, and subtle physical—so that obscurities are lit and reordered. The verse describes a yogic sequence: release → purification → empowerment → illumination.
Universal truth
When delight is purified by discernment, it becomes power and light: true joy clarifies perception and radiates through the whole being.
Themes
Soma-ritual, illumination, inner vision, purifying knowledge
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.39.4 (from beyond heaven to the purifier), RV 9.83 (Soma at the filter becomes radiant)
Significance
The seer articulates the core Pavāmāna yoga: purification is not negation but a process that turns sweetness into luminous power and right seeing.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavitra-gā (going to the filter), tviṣī-mān (full of splendor), vicakṣaṇa (discerning)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumination-force), Savitar (impeller of light), Agni (purifying will)
Cosmic role
Agent of purification that converts essence into radiance, enabling the gods (illumined powers) to act in the human instrument.
Inner power
Ananda transformed into ojas and tviṣ—delight becoming force and light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration (pavitra) during Soma-yajña
सु॒त ए॑ति प॒वित्र॒ आ त्विषिं॒ दधा॑न॒ ओज॑सा । वि॒चक्षा॑णो विरो॒चय॑न् ॥
सु॒तः । ए॒ति॒ । प॒वित्रे॑ । आ । त्विषि॑म् । दधा॑नः । ओज॑सा । वि॒ऽचक्षा॑णः । वि॒ऽरो॒चय॑न् ॥
sutaḥ | eti | pavitre | ā | tviṣim | dadhānaḥ | ojasā | vi-cakṣāṇaḥ | vi-rocayan
Likely Triṣṭubh (fits the energetic descriptive style; verify by syllable count in each pada)
44
4 padas × ~11 syllables
Bright, ascending cadence culminating in virocayan (illumination).
Elicits a felt ‘brightening’ in the head and chest; supports clarity and inner seeing.
- पवित्र (pavitra)
- Literal: purifier, filter. Symbolic: discriminating purification; inner sieve of truth
- त्विषि (tviṣi)
- Literal: splendor, brilliance. Symbolic: illumined intensity of consciousness
- ओजस् (ojas)
- Literal: vigor, power. Symbolic: effective spiritual force; steady potency
- विचक्षाण (vicakṣāṇa)
- Literal: seeing clearly, discerning. Symbolic: inner witness-vision; intuitive discrimination
- विरोचयन् (virocayan)
- Literal: making shine. Symbolic: illumining the inner planes; revealing hidden movements
Soma pressing and straining: describes Soma’s entry into pavitra (filter) and his acquisition of tviṣ (radiance)
When Soma is brought to the filter and begins to run clear and bright.
Chant as Soma passes through the strainer; symbolic of removing dross and empowering essence.
A mantra for mental clarity: chant before study/meditation to invoke discernment and luminous force.
suta- from √su ‘to press out, extract’ (Soma pressing). pavitra- from √pū ‘to purify’ with instrument suffix. tviṣ- ‘shine, be bright’ (cf. Indo-Iranian *tviṣ-). dadhāna- pres. mid ptc. from √dhā ‘to place, put on’. ojas- ‘vigor’ (strength-substance). vi-cakṣ ‘to see distinctly’ from √cakṣ ‘see’. vi-rocay- causative from √ruc ‘shine’.
discernment (viveka-like vi-cakṣāṇa), purification as revelation, ojas as spiritual force
pavitra as the lawful process that makes the flow right and fit.
vicakṣaṇa—truth-seeing as the mark of purified consciousness.
Emergence of light from the pressed essence; manifestation through purification.
Yoga-psychological Vedism: purification yields illumination (Aurobindo’s ‘psychic alchemy’).
dawn-like brightening (suggestive)
Discernment-filter clarifies delight into radiant power that lights the inner worlds.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma’s transformation through the filter: the pressed god enters the pavitra and emerges radiant. Inwardly, the essence released by tapas/effort is refined by discernment and becomes luminous knowledge-power.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ruc ‘shine’ is widely Indo-European in semantic field of light (though exact PIE mapping debated). √cakṣ ‘see’ relates to Indo-Iranian visual roots (Av. čaš-). √dhā ‘place’ is a robust PIE root (*dʰeh₁-).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer witnesses and implicitly invites the divine process: Soma’s purification is presented as an inner yoga—power (ojas) supports the assumption of radiance (tviṣ), culminating in a discriminating sight that illumines the practitioner’s world.
Let delight pass through discernment; cultivate clear-seeing (vicakṣaṇa).
Ajna (discernment/vision); Anahata (sweetness purified).
Nadi shodhana (alternate nostril) 5–7 rounds, then chant to ‘filter’ the mind.
Luminous clarity with quiet joy.
During chanting, imagine a bright stream passing through a fine sieve at the brow; feel the mind becoming clear and the whole inner field illuminated.
Not provided; chant with a gentle rising contour on ā tviṣiṃ dadhāna and a bright emphasis on virocayan.
Mark three peaks: pavitre (arrival), ojasā (power), virocayan (illumination).
pavitre: clear ‘tri’ cluster, tviṣiṃ: ‘tv’ conjunct clean; nasalized -ṃ at end, dadhānaḥ: aspirated dh; long ā, ojasā: o-ja-sā with long ā, vicakṣāṇaḥ: ‘kṣ’ conjunct; long ā, virocayan: ‘ro’ rolled r; ‘c’ as ‘ch’ (palatal) not ‘k’
Clear, bright, slightly nasal resonance to aid ‘inner shining’.
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