Rig Veda 9.14.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 14, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.14
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
गिरा यदी सबन्धवः पञ्च व्राता अपस्यवः । परिष्कृण्वन्ति धर्णसिम् ॥
girā́ yadī́ sávandhavaḥ páñca vrā́tā apasyávaḥ | paríṣkṛṇvanti dharṇasím ||
ప్రకాశమయ వాక్కు (గిరా) ద్వారా, కర్మనిష్ఠమైన ఐదు అనుబంధ గణాలు (పంచ వ్రాతా) ధారణశక్తి (ధర్ణసి)ని మలిచి శుద్ధి చేస్తాయి; అప్పుడు వారు సోమ-శక్తిని సమ్యక్ ధారణకు సిద్ధం చేస్తారు.
Word by Word
- गिरा
- by/with a hymn, by praiseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole करणRoot गिर् (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक) < √गॄ/गॢ (गीरणे/स्तुतौ) (निरुक्त-परम्परा)
- यदी
- when/ifIndeclinableसम्बन्धबोधक/शर्तार्थक अव्यय (वैदिक: ‘यदी’)Root यदि (अव्यय) + इति (निपात) → यदी (वैदिक रूप)
- सबन्धवः
- having companions/kinsmen; with alliesNoun (used adjectivally)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot स-बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक: बन्धु ‘kinsman/ally’ + स- ‘with, having’)
- पञ्च
- fiveNumeralअव्ययवत् (संख्या); (यहाँ) बहुवचन-सम्बन्धी विशेषणRoot पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- व्राताः
- bands, companies, troopsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot व्रात (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपस्यवः
- active, industrious, skillful in workAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन (व्राताः इति विशेष्य)Role कर्तृRoot अपस्/अपस्यु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘कार्यशील/कर्मकुशल’)
- परिष्कृण्वन्ति
- they prepare/arrange, they make ready (all around)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथम पुरुष; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot परि-√कृ (करणे) (वैदिक: कृण्वति-प्रयोग)
- धर्णसिम्
- the support/strength; sustaining powerNoun(वैदिक) द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot धर्णसि (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक नपुंसक/पुं-प्रयोग; ‘धारण-शक्ति/आधार/समर्थ्य’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): गिरा | यदी | सबन्धवः | पञ्च | व्राताः | अपस्यवः | परिष्कृण्वन्ति | धर्णसिम् । 1) यदी = यदि + इति (वैदिक संधि/निपात-समासरूप). 2) सबन्धवः: स- उपसर्गवत्/पूर्वपद ‘स’ + बन्धु
- अर्थ ‘सह-बन्धु/सहचर’. 3) परिष्कृण्वन्ति: परि- उपसर्ग + √कृ का वैदिक वर्तमान-धातुरूप ‘कृण्व-’
The meaning
Outer meaning
When, by song/word, the five allied companies—workers—refine the sustaining power, they prepare it all around.
Inner meaning
Through the illumined word (girā), the ‘five allied companies’ (pañca vrātāḥ sabandhavaḥ)—the coordinated powers of the being (often read as five prāṇas, five senses, or five functional energies)—work as willing artisans (apasyavaḥ). They shape and refine ‘dharṇasim’, the sustaining force: the capacity to hold, carry, and rightly bear the Soma-power in life and action.
Universal truth
Spiritual force becomes stable and effective when all parts of the being collaborate under a higher word of guidance, refining the capacity to sustain truth in action.
Themes
Inner faculties, Discipline and formation, Soma preparation, Mantric shaping
The seer
Significance
This verse highlights the rishi’s psychology of integration: transformation is a collective action of the whole instrument, coordinated by the illumined word.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Dharṇasi (giver/embodiment of sustaining power), Pariṣkṛta (to be refined/polished)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (word-power), Agni (worker of the sacrifice), Aśvins (harmonizing powers)
Cosmic role
Soma as the force that must be prepared and stabilized so it can uphold the rite/world-order.
Inner power
Stabilizing ananda: delight that becomes a steady strength rather than a passing ecstasy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma preparation/purification verses (pavamāna)
गि॒रा यदी॒ सब॑न्धव॒: पञ्च॒ व्राता॑ अप॒स्यव॑: । प॒रि॒ष्कृ॒ण्वन्ति॑ धर्ण॒सिम् ॥
गि॒रा । यदि॑ । सऽब॑न्धवः । पञ्च॑ । व्राताः॑ । अ॒प॒स्यवः॑ । प॒रि॒ऽकृ॒ण्वन्ति॑ । ध॒र्ण॒सिम् ॥
girā | yadi | sa-bandhavaḥ | pañca | vrātāḥ | apasyavaḥ | pari-kṛṇvanti | dharṇasim
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3×8 syllables
Measured and artisanal; a ‘working’ rhythm with clear segmentation.
Encourages coordination and steadiness; supports disciplined integration of energies.
- girā
- Literal: by song/word. Symbolic: mantric guidance; illumined speech that organizes the being
- sabandhavaḥ
- Literal: related, allied. Symbolic: harmonized faculties acting together rather than in conflict
- pañca vrātāḥ
- Literal: five companies/orders. Symbolic: fivefold powers of the human instrument (senses/prāṇas/energies) disciplined into right functioning
- apasyavaḥ
- Literal: active, working, skillful. Symbolic: conscious effort aligned with the yajña; craftsmanship of transformation
- pariṣkṛṇvanti
- Literal: they polish, refine, prepare all around. Symbolic: integral purification and integration of the nature
- dharṇasim
- Literal: the sustaining/holding power. Symbolic: inner steadiness and capacity to contain higher force without distortion
Describes cooperative ritual/inner faculties ‘preparing’ Soma; aligns with pressing, filtering, and the coordinated chants/acts.
During processing/straining and arranging Soma for offering
Recitation while Soma is ‘worked upon’—filtered, clarified, readied
Chant before disciplined practice (study, yoga, service) to align the ‘fivefold instrument’ and build steadiness.
gir: ‘voice, song, speech’ (instr. girā). vrāta: ‘troop, group under rule’ (from √vṛ ‘to choose/enclose’ → ordered assemblage). apasyu: from apas ‘work’ + -yu ‘inclined to’ → ‘eager/active in work’. pari-kṛ: √kṛ ‘make’ with pari ‘around’ → ‘fashion fully’. dharṇasi: likely from √dhṛ ‘to hold, support’ (PIE *dher-), a noun of support/sustenance.
mantra (gir) as formative power, ordered collectivity (vrāta) as inner discipline, support (dhṛ) as stability in ṛta
Refining dharṇasi is restoring right function so action can follow ṛta.
Truth must be ‘borne’ (dharṇasi) by a prepared instrument; otherwise it spills into distortion.
Creation as craftsmanship: powers shaped by word into stable capacity.
Integral yoga psychology: harmonization of parts under higher guidance; stabilization of force.
Five companies = fivefold energies; refining = purification of habits; sustaining power = nervous-mental capacity to hold higher intensity without imbalance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘five companies’ as collaborative powers that prepare the divine drink. Mythic-ritual surface: priests/teams; inner myth: fivefold powers of the being disciplined into a single work to refine Soma (delight/clarity) into a sustaining force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dharṇasi from √dhṛ ‘hold’ continues PIE *dher- ‘support’. √kṛ ‘make’ is an Indo-Iranian workhorse root for formation/creation; the compositional use with preverbs (pari-) is a hallmark of early IE poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi frames Soma’s coming-to-power as dependent on right formation by gir (inspired speech) and coordinated inner ‘workers’. The deity is not distant: Soma’s manifestation increases as the human being organizes its faculties into a disciplined offering.
Bring the fivefold instrument into one rhythm under a chosen inner word (girā): breath, senses, mind, heart, will.
Maṇipūra (dharṇa/holding power) supported by Viśuddha (girā)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 for steadiness; silently repeat ‘girā’ on inhale and ‘dharṇasim’ on exhale.
Collected, integrated, capable of sustained aspiration.
Before chanting, set an intention: ‘All parts cooperate.’ After chanting, do 5 minutes sense-withdrawal (pratyāhāra) to feel the ‘five’ gather inward.
Accents marked (e.g., गि॒रा, सब॑न्धवः, व्राता॑, अप॒स्यव॑:); full svara melody requires śākhā-specific notation.
Keep a steady cadence; emphasize the collective terms ‘pañca vrātāḥ’ and the refining verb ‘pariṣkṛṇvanti’; land calmly on ‘dharṇasim’.
girā: soft ‘g’ with long ā, sab-andhavaḥ: clear ‘ndh’ cluster, pañca: nasal ‘ñ’, vrātāḥ: long ā; aspirate ‘th’ in visarga context, pariṣkṛṇvanti: retroflex ṣ; conjunct ‘kṛ’ with vocalic ṛ, dharṇasim: retroflex ṛ; avoid turning into ‘dharnasim’ with plain r
Even, disciplined, slightly warm; avoid dramatic force.
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