Rig Veda 9.72.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 72, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.72
- Rishi
- Soma-Pavamāna tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Adbhuta (wonder)
हरिं मृजन्त्यरुषो न युज्यते सं धेनुभिः कलशे सोमो अज्यते । उद्वाचमीरयति हिन्वते मती पुरुष्टुतस्य कति चित्परिप्रियः ॥
háriṁ mṛjanti aruṣó ná yujyate sáṁ dhenúbhiḥ kalaśé sómo ajyate | udvā́cam ī́rayati hinváte matī́ puruṣṭutásya káti cit paripriyáḥ ||
அவர்கள் ஹரியை (செம்பொன் நிறச் சோமனை)த் தூய்மைப்படுத்துகின்றனர்; அருண-பொன்னிறக் குதிரைபோல் அவன் செயலுக்கு யோகப்படுகிறான். பசு-பாலோட்டங்களுடன் கலசத்தில் ஊற்றப்படுகிறான்; சோமன் தன் பாத்திரத்தில் அபிஷேகிக்கப்படுகிறான். அவன் வாக்கை உயர்த்தி, மதியை இயக்குகிறான்; மிகப் புகழப்பட்டவர்க்கு அவன் பலவிதமாக நெருங்கிய அன்பனாகிறான்.
Word by Word
- हरिम्
- the tawny one (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot हरि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मृजन्ति
- they cleanse/purifyVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot मृज्
- अरुषः
- the ruddy oneAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अरुष- (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like/asIndeclinableनिपातRoot न
- युज्यते
- is yoked / gets harnessedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युज्
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot सम्
- धेनुभिः
- with the milch-cows (i.e., streams of milk)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot धेनु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- कलशे
- in the jar/vesselNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot कलश- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot सोम- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अज्यते
- is anointed/smeared (i.e., flows, is poured/clarified)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अञ्ज्
- उत्
- up, forthIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot उत्
- वाचम्
- speech/voiceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वाच्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईरयति
- sets in motion, raisesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot ईर्
- हिन्वते
- (as he) is impelled/urged onVerb (participle-like finite form)लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन (वेदिक प्रयोग; ‘for/while he is being impelled’)Role अधिकरण (भावे/सापेक्षे)Root हिन्व्
- मती
- with thought/insightNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot मति- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुष्टुतस्य
- of the much-praised oneAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root पुरुष्टुत- (प्रातिपदिक)
- कति
- how manyInterrogative/Indefinite numeral(अव्ययवत्) बहुवचनार्थे; here used with चित् = ‘how many/so many’Root कति
- चित्
- indeed, evenIndeclinableनिपातRoot चित्
- परि
- around, all aboutIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot परि
- प्रियः
- dear, belovedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेषण (to Soma/puruṣṭuta)Root प्रिय- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): हरिम् | मृजन्ति | अरुषः | न | युज्यते | सम् | धेनुभिः | कलशे | सोमः | अज्यते | उत् | वाचम् | ईरयति | हिन्वते | मती | पुरुष्टुतस्य | कति | चित् | परि | प्रियः । 1) मृजन्त्यरुषः → मृजन्ति + अरुषः (इ + अ = य्-सन्धि)
- 2) धेनुभिः कलशे (विसर्ग-सन्धि न; पदान्तः ‘ः’ के बाद व्यञ्जन)
- 3) सोमो अज्यते → सोमः + अज्यते (विसर्गः ओ-आदेशः: अ/आ-आदि पर ‘ः’ → ‘ओ’)
- 4) उद्वाचम् → उत् + वाचम् (त् + व् → द्व्)
- 5) चित्परि → चित् + परि (त् + प् = त्प्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The tawny Soma is cleansed and prepared; he is poured with milk into the vessel, and in the process he awakens speech and impels thought, becoming dear to the much-praised one.
Inner meaning
Soma-Pavamāna is the ecstatic essence purified in the being. As it is clarified (mṛj-), it becomes a dynamic force yoked to the inner work (yujyate): the seeker’s aspiration is harnessed and made effective. The ‘milk-streams’ are nurturing currents of clarified consciousness that carry the delight into the inner ‘jar’ (kalaśa)—the prepared psychic-vital-mental vessel. When Soma rises, Vāc (inspired speech/mantric revelation) is uplifted and mati (thought, intention) is set into luminous motion; delight makes the soul intimate with the Divine, not as emotion but as increasing identity and sweetness of union.
Universal truth
When delight is purified from mixture and desire, it becomes a power: it clarifies the mind, raises truer speech, and turns thought into inspired will. The most intimate love for the Divine grows from repeated inner consecration rather than from belief alone.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification and consecration, Speech and inspiration, Devotional intimacy
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma-Pavamāna seers (Book 9; specific rishi for 9.72 uncertain in the provided data)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.1 (Pavamāna corpus opening themes), RV 9.61 (Soma as inspirer of Vāc), RV 9.96 (Soma streams and purification imagery)
Family tradition
Pavamāna hymn families transmitting the Soma-vision: purification as both ritual filtration and inner catharsis.
Significance
The ‘seer’ here is the collective yogic consciousness that discovered delight (Soma) as a method: purify it, pour it into the vessel of the being, and it becomes the awakener of inspired word and illumined thought.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Hari (tawny/golden), Aruṣa (ruddy), Pavamāna (self-purifying), Madhu (honey-sweet)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Uṣas, Sūrya, Varuṇa (via ṛta/guardianship motifs in adjacent hymns)
Cosmic role
The flowing, clarifying delight that supports gods (powers) and renews life; the ‘nectar’ that makes consciousness luminous and effective.
Inner power
Ananda as a dynamic purifier: it refines emotion, energizes will, illumines thought, and releases inspired speech (Vāc).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavamāna-stotra context)
हरिं॑ मृजन्त्यरु॒षो न यु॑ज्यते॒ सं धे॒नुभि॑: क॒लशे॒ सोमो॑ अज्यते । उद्वाच॑मी॒रय॑ति हि॒न्वते॑ म॒ती पु॑रुष्टु॒तस्य॒ कति॑ चित्परि॒प्रिय॑: ॥
हरि॑म् । मृ॒ज॒न्ति॒ । अ॒रु॒षः । न । यु॒ज्य॒ते॒ । सम् । धे॒नुऽभिः॑ । क॒लशे॑ । सोमः॑ । अ॒ज्य॒ते॒ । उत् । वाच॑म् । ई॒रय॑ति । हि॒न्वते॑ । म॒ती । पु॒रु॒ऽस्तु॒तस्य॑ । कति॑ । चि॒त् । प॒रि॒ऽप्रियः॑ ॥
harim | mṛjanti | aruṣaḥ | na | yujyate | sam | dhenu-bhiḥ | kalaśe | somaḥ | ajyate | ut | vācam | īrayati | hinvate | matī | puru-stutasya | kati | cit | pari-priyaḥ
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4 pādas × 12 syllables (Jagatī norm)
Long, forward-flowing cadence suited to ‘streaming’ imagery; a sense of continuous movement and uplift.
Encourages sustained breath and a ‘pouring’ resonance; supports meditative continuity while keeping an energized, progressive drive.
- हरिम् (harim)
- Literal: the tawny one (Soma). Symbolic: the golden delight-principle in the being, luminous and energizing when purified
- मृजन्ति (mṛjanti)
- Literal: they cleanse/purify. Symbolic: disciplined inner clarification—removing obscurity, desire-mixture, and inertia from consciousness
- अरुषः (aruṣaḥ)
- Literal: ruddy, red-gold. Symbolic: dawn-like radiance of purified delight; a force that carries illumination
- युज्यते (yujyate)
- Literal: is yoked. Symbolic: consecration of energies to the yoga/work; harnessing life-force to the divine aim
- धेनुभिः (dhenubhiḥ)
- Literal: with the milch-cows / milk-streams. Symbolic: streams of nourishment—rays/currents of luminous consciousness feeding the inner sacrifice
- क॒लशे (kalaśe)
- Literal: in the jar/vessel. Symbolic: the prepared inner receptacle (mind-heart-vital) capable of holding refined delight
- अज्यते (ajyate)
- Literal: is anointed/poured. Symbolic: steady infusion of delight into the instrument; sanctifying the nature
- वाचम् (vācām)
- Literal: speech/word. Symbolic: inspired revelation, mantra-voice, truth-speaking arising from clarity
- मती (matī)
- Literal: thought, intention. Symbolic: the mental will; when impelled by Soma it becomes luminous, effective, and upward-driven
- पुरुष्टुतस्य (puruṣṭutasya)
- Literal: of the much-praised (the Divine). Symbolic: the transcendent/indwelling Lord who is approached by praise as aspiration
- परिप्रियः (paripriyaḥ)
- Literal: very dear/intimate beloved. Symbolic: delight culminating in closeness—psychic intimacy with the Divine Presence
Cleansing and pouring Soma into kalaśa; stimulation of vāc (recitation) and matí (inspiration) in Soma rite.
During Soma-yajña sequences when Soma is filtered and offered; chanted as part of purification praises.
Filtering/clarifying Soma through wool; pouring into kalaśa; offering with accompanying stotra.
Use as a ‘purification of delight’ mantra before meditation: offer emotional turbulence into a luminous, steady sweetness; then sit for japa/inner listening to Vāc.
mṛjanti (√mṛj) ‘wipe/cleanse’ is central to Soma purification. yujyate (√yuj) ‘yoke’ indicates harnessing of energy; inwardly, Soma yoked to the yoga of transformation. ajyate (√añj) ‘anoint’ suggests consecration and smooth flow. vāc and matí: speech and inspired thought rise together—Soma as catalyst of mantra and vision.
Elevation of speech (ud-vāc), Activation of inspired thought (matī), Belovedness as intimate union with the divine delight
Purification is alignment: the flow becomes lawful (ṛta) and therefore truth-bearing (satya) in Vāc and mati.
Uplifted Vāc indicates speech becoming a carrier of truth, not impulse.
‘Pouring into the vessel’ mirrors formation of a new inner world—consciousness organized around delight.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral yoga reading (Aurobindo–Kashyap): Soma as Ananda shaping mind and life.
Purified vital-mental substance becomes a luminous current; the ‘vessel’ is the prepared adhāra; the ‘horse’ is harnessed life-energy driven by delight rather than desire.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘purified Soma in the jar’ myth: the tawny god is cleansed, yoked, and poured with milk-streams into the kalaśa; then he raises speech and impels inspiration. Mythically, divine delight becomes the intimate beloved power that awakens mantra and vision.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj ‘yoke’ reflects PIE *yeug- (cf. Latin iugum, English yoke), a core IE ritual-technical verb extended here from physical harnessing to spiritual harnessing. The pairing of vāc (speech) and matí (thought) parallels archaic IE poetics where inspired speech is the vehicle of sacred efficacy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi describes a reciprocal intimacy: as Soma is purified and established in the vessel, he in turn elevates the r̥ṣi’s speech and sets the inspired mind in motion. The deity becomes ‘paripriyaḥ’—beloved in every way—because he actively participates in the inner formation of the hymn and consciousness.
Purify delight: feel a golden stream rising through the spine into the heart and throat; let speech and thought become quiet, then inspired.
Viśuddha (Vāc) and Anāhata (sweet intimacy/devotion)
Slow nasal breathing with gentle internal ‘pouring’ on exhale; brief kumbhaka after inhale to ‘hold the vessel’.
Calm, luminous flow (sattvic ananda) with a subtle upward drive.
Begin with offering: ‘May my mixed emotions be clarified.’ Then repeat the mantra 9 or 27 times, listening for a truer word-current within; end by sitting silently, allowing mati to move only when it feels illuminated.
Vedic svara as per śākhā tradition (udātta/anudātta/svarita); consult a marked Saṃhitā for exact accents.
Let udātta syllables be slightly higher and clearer; avoid musical sliding—keep a steady, flowing recitation matching the ‘pouring’ sense.
Keep retroflex ṛ in mṛjanty clear (mṛ-)., Differentiate ś/ṣ/s if present in your recitational tradition; here focus on clean sibilants in puruṣṭutasya., Maintain vowel length: (somo) vs (somaḥ) per sandhi in your text., Articulate conjuncts gently: paripriyaḥ without over-hardening.
Warm, flowing, slightly resonant in the throat (supporting Vāc) with steady breath.
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