Rig Veda 1.43.9: Mandala 1, Sukta 43, Mantra 9
Sukta 1.43
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Devata
- Soma
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
यास्ते प्रजा अमृतस्य परस्मिन्धामन्नृतस्य । मूर्धा नाभा सोम वेन आभूषन्तीः सोम वेदः ॥
yā́s te prajā́ amṛ́tasya párasmīn dhā́mann ṛtásya | mūrdhā́ nā́bhā soma véna ābhū́ṣantīḥ soma védaḥ ||
ఓ సోమా! నీ ప్రజా-శక్తులు అమృతత్వపు పరమ ధామంలో, ఋత స్థితిలో నివసించేవి; అవి శిరస్సుపై కిరీటంలా ఉన్నతంగా, నాభి-కేంద్రంలో స్థిరంగా వేరూనుకున్నవి. ఓ సోమా, ఓ వేన (దర్శి-ప్రేరణ)! అవి అలంకరించి సత్త్వాన్ని నిర్మించుటను నీవు ఎరుగుదువు.
Word by Word
- याः
- who/which (fem. pl.)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक; ‘those who/which’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you/yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘ते’ = तव)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रजाः
- offspring, creatures, progenyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (याः … प्रजाः)Root प्रजा (प्र + √जन्)
- अमृतस्य
- of immortality / of the immortal (realm)Noun/Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अमृत (a- + मृत)
- परस्मिन्
- in the farthest / in the highestAdjective/Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot पर (सर्वनामिक-विशेषण)
- धामन्
- in the abode, in the stationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: धामन् = धामनि)Role अधिकरणRoot धामन् (√धा ‘to set/establish’ से)
- ऋतस्य
- of ṛta (cosmic order, truth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root ऋत
- मूर्धा
- head, summitNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेष्य (उपमा-प्रयोगे)Root मूर्धन्
- नाभा
- navel, hubNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: नाभा = नाभिः)Role कर्तृ/विशेष्य (उपमा-प्रयोगे)Root नाभि
- सोम
- O SomaNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोम
- वेन
- O beloved/desired one (Vena)Noun/Adjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वेन
- आभूषन्तीः
- adorning, making splendidVerb (present participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (याः … आभूषन्तीः)Root आ-√भूष् (to adorn, to make splendid)
- सोम
- O SomaNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोम
- वेदः
- O knower (wise one)Noun/Adjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (वैदिक: वेदः ‘O knower’)Role सम्बोधनRoot √विद् (to know) / वेद (नामरूप ‘knowledge/knower’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (as given in Saṃhitā): यास्ते = याः + ते
- परस्मिन्धामन् = परस्मिन् + धामन् (n → nd before dh)
- नाभा = Vedic nominative of नाभि
- धामन् used for सप्तमी ‘धामनि’
- आभूषन्तीः is a present active participle (śatṛ) agreeing with याः/प्रजाः (fem. pl.). Accents in the prompt are noted but not re-assigned per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma’s ‘offspring’ or emanated powers dwell in the highest home of immortality, in the station of ṛta; they are ‘crowned above’ and ‘rooted in the navel’; Soma the seer (vena) knows them as they adorn/build the being.
Inner meaning
The mantra points to Soma’s higher formations—powers of delight and luminous consciousness (prajāḥ) that arise from the supramental/immortal plane (amṛtasya parasmin dhāman). These powers establish themselves from ‘mūrdhā’ (the summit: higher mind/overmind opening) down to ‘nābhā’ (navel-centre: vital foundation), creating an integrated axis of realization. Soma as venaḥ (seer-will: intuitive delight) knows and governs these inner births as they ‘adorn’ (ābhūṣantīḥ) and construct the soul-nature in r̥ta.
Universal truth
True transformation is not a mental invention; it is an organic ‘birth’ of higher powers that descend from the immortal plane and reorganize life from summit to foundation according to the law of truth (ṛta).
Themes
Soma cosmology, Emanation of powers, Truth-order station, Inner centres (crown/navel symbolism)
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition (general attribution for RV 1.43; specific rishi uncertain)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.43.8, RV 9 (Soma maṇḍala: thematic parallels)
Family tradition
Early Maṇḍala 1 Soma hymn cluster
Significance
The seer articulates a vertical yoga: higher immortal powers descend and establish themselves from crown to navel, forming an integral order of r̥ta in the embodied being.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma
- Epithets
- Vena (seer-will)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind), Agni (will), Sarasvatī (inspiration)
Cosmic role
Generator and sustainer of immortal powers; link between the highest home and embodied life through the nectar of consciousness.
Inner power
Gnostic delight that births inner faculties and harmonizes the whole being in ṛta.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma praise within Soma hymn sequence; contemplative stotra describing Soma’s higher seat
यास्ते॑ प्र॒जा अ॒मृत॑स्य॒ पर॑स्मि॒न्धाम॑न्नृ॒तस्य॑ । मू॒र्धा नाभा॑ सोम वेन आ॒भूष॑न्तीः सोम वेदः ॥
याः । ते॒ । प्र॒ऽजाः । अ॒मृत॑स्य । पर॑स्मिन् । धाम॑न् । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । मू॒र्धा । नाभा॑ । सो॒म॒ । वे॒नः॒ । आ॒ऽभूष॑न्तीः । सो॒म॒ । वे॒दः॒ ॥
yāḥ | te | pra-jāḥ | amṛtasya | parasmin | dhāman | ṛtasya | mūrdhā | nābhā | soma | venaḥ | ābhūṣantīḥ | soma | vedaḥ
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4 pādas × 11 syllables (likely)
Expansive, architectural movement suitable for describing higher worlds and structured descent.
Gives a sense of vertical ascent/descent; stabilizes attention along the central channel and evokes ordered wideness.
- prajāḥ
- Literal: offspring, progeny, creatures. Symbolic: Emanated soul-powers: faculties born of delight—clarities, widenesses, harmonies
- amṛtasya parasmin dhāman
- Literal: in the highest home of immortality. Symbolic: Supramental/immortal consciousness-plane; deathless being
- ṛtasya dhāman
- Literal: station of ṛta. Symbolic: Plane of right order where truth-vision becomes law of movement
- mūrdhā
- Literal: head, crown. Symbolic: Summit of consciousness; opening to higher mind/supramental influx
- nābhā
- Literal: navel. Symbolic: Central vital foundation; the life-centre to be reorganized
- venaḥ
- Literal: seer, desirous one. Symbolic: Intuitive will of delight; Soma as inner knower and inspirer
- ābhūṣantīḥ
- Literal: adorning, embellishing. Symbolic: Perfecting and building the nature by higher harmonies
- vedaḥ
- Literal: knows. Symbolic: Gnosis: direct knowledge that governs manifestation
Contemplative/theological affirmation within Soma hymnody: Soma as knower of the immortal stations and as source of progenitive powers aligned with ṛta.
During Soma offerings or recitation of Soma hymns; also apt for meditative recitation on ‘ṛta’ and inner descent.
Recitation as praise/knowledge (vidyā) rather than petition; mental offering of attention to the ‘highest home’.
Use as a contemplative mantra for aligning crown-to-navel integration: ‘May higher immortal powers organize my life in truth.’
√vid ‘know’ → vedaḥ (2nd sg. perfect-like present in Vedic usage). ā-√bhūṣ ‘adorn, equip, make splendid/ready’ suggests formative ordering, not mere decoration. prajā from pra-√jan ‘be born forth’ → emanated faculties. dhāman ‘abode’ from √dhā ‘set’ → that which is established. vena (often ‘lovely/desire/seer’) relates to √van ‘to desire, win, love’—in Vedic psychology, the yearning that opens vision.
amṛta (immortality), ṛta (truth-order), dhāman (luminous station), axis symbolism (mūrdhan–nābhi: crown to centre integration)
Explicit: Soma’s progeny dwell in ṛta’s station; order is the law of their manifestation.
Knowledge (vedaḥ) of Soma is satya-gnosis governing the adornment/building of being.
Emanation (prajāḥ) from the highest home; vertical structuring of the cosmos within the human microcosm.
Integral Vedantic (Aurobindo): higher planes (amṛta) project powers that transform mind-life-body.
Cool nectar corresponds to a descending delight that forms luminous faculties and harmonizes the vital centre (navel) under the crown of higher consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘highest abode of immortality’ mythologem: a supramental station (parasmai dhāman) where ṛta is native, from which Soma’s progenitive powers descend to adorn and organize existence. It encodes ascent (to mūrdhan) and foundation (nābhi) as a single vertical integration.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid ‘know’ is a central IE root (cf. Latin vidēre, etc.), here in the sacral register: the deity is ‘the knower’. pra-√jan (prajā) uses inherited preverb + birth root to express emanation—an old IE way to conceptualize generation of powers/offspring.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acknowledges Soma’s sovereign knowledge of the immortal order and its emanations: Soma is both source and knower of the prajāḥ that operate in ṛta. The reciprocity is contemplative: by recognizing Soma’s cosmic architecture, the rishi aligns the inner work with that architecture—seeking participation in amṛta through ṛta.
Contemplate the ‘highest home’ of immortality and invite Soma’s higher ‘prajāḥ’ to descend and organize the being in ṛta.
Sahasrara (mūrdhā) to Manipura (nābhi) axis
Slow inhale drawing light down from crown; pause sensing order; exhale settling it into the navel-centre.
From scattered mind to vertically aligned, truth-ordered awareness.
After calming breath, recite 9 times; visualize a crown of cool light above and a steady golden-vital centre below, linked by a white current of Soma.
Use śākhā-specific svara; maintain a lifted tone on ‘amṛtasya’/‘ṛtasya’ phrases to mark the higher station.
Let ‘parasmin dhāman’ be slightly elongated (sense of height); articulate ‘mūrdhā nābhā’ distinctly to mark the axis.
‘amṛtasya’: clear ‘ṛ’ vowel, ‘dhāmann’: hold the ‘n’ lightly (sandhi), ‘ābhūṣantīḥ’: long ū and long īḥ at end, ‘venaḥ’: pronounce ‘ve’ clean, not ‘vai’
Cool, steady, contemplative; keep resonance in head and chest.
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