Rig Veda 9.113.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 113, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.113
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma hymn tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
पर्जन्यवृद्धं महिषं तं सूर्यस्य दुहिताभरत् । तं गन्धर्वाः प्रत्यगृभ्णन्तं सोमे रसमादधुरिन्द्रायेन्दो परि स्रव ॥
parjányavṛddhaṃ mahiṣáṃ táṃ sū́ryasya duhitā́bharat | táṃ gandharvā́ḥ práty agṛbhṇan táṃ sóme rásam ā́dadhuḥ indrāyéndo pári srava ||
పర్జన్యునిచే పోషింపబడిన ఆ మహావృషభాన్ని—సూర్యుని దుహిత (కుమార్తె) తీసుకొచ్చింది. గంధర్వులు అతనిని ప్రత్యగ్రహించారు; సోమంలో వారు రసం—ఆనందసారాన్ని—స్థాపించారు. ఓ ఇందూ, ఇంద్రునికోసం చుట్టూ ప్రవహిస్తూ ముందుకు ప్రవహించు.
Word by Word
- पर्जन्यवृद्धम्
- grown/strengthened by Parjanya (rain)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root पर्जन्य-वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; वृद्ध < √वृध्)
- महिषम्
- the buffalo; the mighty one (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- him/thatPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- सूर्यस्य
- of the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- दुहिता
- the daughterNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभरत्
- brought/boreVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √भृ (भरति)
- तम्
- him/thatPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- गन्धर्वाः
- the GandharvasNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रति
- towards; in responseIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थः)Root प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अगृभ्णन्
- seized; tookVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √ग्रह् (गृह्णाति)
- तम्
- him/thatPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- सोमे
- in SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- रसम्
- juice; essenceNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रस (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- unto; into; towardsIndeclinableअव्ययRole (उपसर्गार्थः)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अदधुः
- they placed; they putVerbलिट्/परिपूर्णभूत (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √धा (दधाति)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma-drop)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around; forthIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थः)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्रव
- flow!Verbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √स्रु (स्रवति)
Sandhi Notes
- संधि-विच्छेद (मुख्य): पर्जन्य॑वृद्धं → पर्जन्य-वृद्धम्
- सूर्य॑स्य दुहि॒ताभ॑रत् → सूर्यस्य दुहिता अ-भरत् (अ + भरत्, लुङ्)
- ग॑न्ध॒र्वाः प्रत्य॑गृभ्णन् → गन्धर्वाः प्रति अ-गृभ्णन् (अ + गृभ्णन्, लुङ्)
- सोमे॒ रस॒माद॑धुः → सोमे रसम् आ-दधुः
- इन्द्रा॑येन्दो॒ → इन्द्राय इन्दो
- परि॑ स्रव → परि स्रव
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma plant, grown large by the rain (Parjanya), is the great Bull. The Daughter of the Sun brought it. The Gandharvas received it. They placed the essential juice (Rasa) in the Soma. O Indu (Drop), flow for Indra.
Inner meaning
The principle of Divine Delight (Soma) is nourished by the Rain of Grace (Parjanya) from the higher heavens. It is a potent force (Mahisha/Bull). The Daughter of the Sun (Illumination or Divine Revelation) brings this delight to the conscious being. The Gandharvas (masters of subtle rhythm and harmony) receive it, stabilizing its vibration, and extracting the pure essence (Rasa) of Ananda. This bliss is then directed to flow towards the Divine Mind (Indra) to empower it.
Universal truth
True spiritual delight is not a creation of the human ego; it descends from the Truth-Consciousness (Sun), is nurtured by Grace, harmonized by subtle life-forces, and serves to illumine the mind.
Themes
Soma myth of acquisition/guardianship, descent of delight, illumination-to-essence transformation
In ritual
Where it is used
Mythic legitimation of Soma’s descent and guardianship; supports sanctity of pressing and the transfer of rasa into Soma for offering to Indra.
प॒र्जन्य॑वृद्धं महि॒षं तं सूर्य॑स्य दुहि॒ताभ॑रत् । तं ग॑न्ध॒र्वाः प्रत्य॑गृभ्ण॒न्तं सोमे॒ रस॒माद॑धु॒रिन्द्रा॑येन्दो॒ परि॑ स्रव ॥
प॒र्जन्य॑ऽवृद्धम् । म॒हि॒षम् । तम् । सूर्य॑स्य । दु॒हि॒ता । आ । अ॒भ॒र॒त् । तम् । ग॒न्ध॒र्वाः । प्रति॑ । अ॒गृ॒भ्ण॒न् । तम् । सोमे॑ । रस॑म् । आ । अ॒द॒धुः॒ । इन्द्रा॑य । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । परि॑ । स्र॒व॒ ॥
parjanya-vṛddham | mahiṣam | tam | sūryasya | duhitā | ā | abharat | tam | gandharvāḥ | prati | agṛbhṇan | tam | some | rasam | ā | dadhuḥ | indrāya | indo iti | pari | srava
Mythic legitimation of Soma’s descent and guardianship; supports sanctity of pressing and the transfer of rasa into Soma for offering to Indra.
(parjanya) rain-god; etymology debated; linked to rain/striking/overflowing semantics. (mahiṣa) ‘buffalo/bull’ from mah- ‘great’ semantic field (cf. mahāt). (gandharva) possibly ‘fragrance-bearer’ folk etymology; functionally Soma-guardian. (rasa) from √ras ‘taste, savor’ → essence; in Vedic often the extracted ‘sap’ of Soma and of experience.
rasa (essence/delight), descent and mediation of inspiration (Gandharvas)
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The myth of Soma’s descent and custody: rain-force nourishes the potent essence; solar illumination ‘brings’ it; Gandharvas as liminal guardians receive and hold it; then the rasa is installed in Soma. Psychologically: the delight-essence is grown by descending force (grace), carried by illumination into the practitioner, safeguarded by subtle inspirers, and fixed as a stable savor of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rasa ‘sap/taste’ relates to sensory ‘taste’ roots widespread in IE (though exact PIE reconstruction is uncertain); the semantic move from ‘taste’ to ‘essence’ is a shared poetic mechanism. The solar kinship term duhitā ‘daughter’ continues PIE *dʰugh₂tḗr (cf. English ‘daughter’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recalls the supra-human provenance of Soma to intensify trust in its power: Soma is not a mere plant-juice but an essence mediated by cosmic agencies (rain, sun-ray, Gandharvas). This authorizes the invocation ‘flow for Indra’—so the inner Indra may act with a divinely sourced rasa.
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