Rig Veda 9.3.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 3, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.3
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एष विप्रैरभिष्टुतोऽपो देवो वि गाहते । दधद्रत्नानि दाशुषे ॥
eṣá vipráir abhíṣṭuto ’pó devó ví gāhate | dádhad rátnāni dāśúṣe ||
ఈ దేవుడు, విప్రులచే అభిష్టుతుడై, అప్ (జలము) లోనికి దిగుతాడు; రత్నాలను ధరించి, దాశుష్ (దానకర్త) కు వాటిని ప్రసాదిస్తాడు.
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one), hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एष-
- विप्रैः
- by the inspired poets/priestsNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभिष्टुतः
- praised, laudedParticiple (past passive)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (एषः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (एषः-सम्बद्धः)Root √स्तु (स्तुतौ) + अभि-; क्त (PPP)
- अपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक) बहुवचन-रूपम्
- देवः
- the god (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth; intensivelyIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः (√गाह् इत्यस्य)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- गाहते
- enters, plunges intoVerbलट् (वर्तमानकालः), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role क्रियाRoot √गाह् (प्रवेशने/मज्जने) आत्मनेपदम्
- दधत्
- placing, bestowing; bearingParticiple (present active)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (देवः/एषः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (देवः-सम्बद्धः)Root √धा (धारणे/स्थापने) शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- रत्नानि
- treasures, giftsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- दाशुषे
- to the giver/worshipper (patron)Noun (agent, archaic Vedic)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot √दाश् (दान/पूजन) क्त्वसु/वसु-प्रत्ययान्त (दाश्वस्) → दाशुष्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एषः | विप्रैः | अभिष्टुतः | अपः | देवः | वि | गाहते | दधत् | रत्नानि | दाशुषे || 1) एष विप्रैः → एषः विप्रैः (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते)
- 2) अभिष्टुतोऽपो → अभिष्टुतः अपः (विसर्गः + अ- आरम्भे ‘ऽ’ अवग्रहः; मूलतः -ः अ- संधिः)
- 3) दधद्रत्नानि → दधत् रत्नानि (पदान्त-त् + र-; संहितायां त् → द् (जश्त्व) इति)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, praised by seers, plunges into the waters; carrying treasures, he gives them to the giver (the sacrificer).
Inner meaning
The purified Soma-current enters the ‘waters’—the flowing energies of life and the subtle consciousness-waves—and permeates them. When the inner being offers (dāśuṣe: the one who gives), Soma returns the true riches: clarity, force, joy, and inspirations that are not personal acquisitions but divine gifts.
Universal truth
When aspiration and offering are sincere, the higher delight descends into the movements of life and transforms them, bestowing inner wealth that supports growth and right action.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Waters symbolism, Gift reciprocity, Treasure-bestowal
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.3.1-9
Significance
The anonymous seer-voice here is characteristically ‘Somaic’: it describes the descent of purified delight into the life-streams and the reciprocal law of giving—offering opens the channel for inner riches.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- deva, pavamāna
- Related deities
- Āpas (Waters), Indra, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Mediator of purification who enters the cosmic waters and releases their hidden boons for gods and humans.
Inner power
Transformative Ananda that penetrates the vital nature and converts it into a vessel of higher gifts.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification and offering chants
ए॒ष विप्रै॑र॒भिष्टु॑तो॒ऽपो दे॒वो वि गा॑हते । दध॒द्रत्ना॑नि दा॒शुषे॑ ॥
ए॒षः । विप्रैः॑ । अ॒भिऽस्तु॑तः । अ॒पः । दे॒वः । वि । गा॒ह॒ते॒ । दध॑त् । रत्ना॑नि । दा॒शुषे॑ ॥
eṣaḥ | vipraiḥ | abhi-stutaḥ | apaḥ | devaḥ | vi | gāhate | dadhat | ratnāni | dāśuṣe
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4 × ~12
Undulating, wave-like rhythm mirroring ‘waters’ and ‘plunging’.
Creates a sense of immersion and cleansing, then a gentle uplift as ‘treasures’ are bestowed.
- vipraiḥ abhiṣṭutaḥ
- Literal: praised by the seers. Symbolic: confirmed by illumined faculties; supported by inner knowledge
- apah
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: consciousness-waves, life-energies, subtle currents; also the purifying medium of transformation
- vi gāhate
- Literal: plunges/enters deeply, wades through. Symbolic: pervades and works within the vital-mental substance, not remaining aloof
- ratnāni
- Literal: treasures/jewels. Symbolic: spiritual riches: illumination, right perception, strength, joy, truth-speech
- dāśuṣe
- Literal: to the giver (worshipper). Symbolic: to the one who offers ego and action into the inner sacrifice
Soma mixed with waters and strained; the verse links praise (stuti) with Soma’s entry into waters and the bestowal of ratna to the sacrificer.
During straining/mixing with waters and presentation to priests/deities
Recited as Soma is washed/filtered and made ready; emphasizes praise and gift-exchange
Meditation for emotional cleansing: let joy enter difficult feelings (‘waters’) and convert them into usable energy and insight.
ap- ‘waters’ is a central Vedic symbol: √ap ‘water’ (PIE *h₂ep-). gāhate from √gāh ‘to plunge, bathe’; suggests immersion and permeation. dāśuṣe: perfect/participial formation from √dā ‘give’, denoting the sacrificer as ‘the giver’; reciprocity is encoded morphologically.
Exchange law of sacrifice (giving and receiving), Rasa carried through apas (consciousness-waters), Ratna as inner attainments
The law of reciprocity (offering → receiving) is an expression of R̥ta in spiritual practice.
Treasures are ‘true’ riches—states of being, not external gain.
Descent of higher force into the waters of becoming to bring out concealed potentials.
Integral/psychological Veda: transformation of the vital by Ananda.
Waters = the mutable field of emotions and life-force; Soma’s plunge = deliberate entry of purified joy into life to cleanse and enrich it.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma entering the waters and emerging as treasure-bearer. Mythically the pressed Soma mingles with waters in purification; inwardly the delight-force penetrates the life-consciousness (apas) and returns as clarified riches to the one who offers (dāśuṣ).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- apó ‘waters’ continues PIE *h₂ep- (cf. Latin aqua often compared though not a direct cognate; more direct: Old Prussian ape ‘river’). √dā ‘give’ is PIE *deh₃- (Greek didōmi, Latin dōnum), showing an inherited sacral economy of ‘gift’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s praise activates Soma’s movement; Soma responds by bestowing ratna. The verse explicitly encodes reciprocity: the human is dāśuṣ ‘giver’, the god is dádhat ‘bearer’ and bestower—gift answers gift on the plane of ṛta.
Offer a difficulty into the inner stream; visualize Soma-joy entering it and carrying out ‘treasures’ (insight, calm, strength).
Svādhiṣṭhāna (waters/emotion) refined upward toward Anāhata (joy)
Inhale imagining cool nectar descending into the lower abdomen; exhale offering tension into the flow.
From disturbed vital waves to purified, supportive emotional energy.
Chant 12 times; after each round, sit 30 seconds feeling the ‘waters’ settle and brighten.
Not specified; apply śākhā-based svara if available. Otherwise chant with steady accent on lexical peaks (devo, gāhate, ratnāni).
Maintain clear caesura at the pāda break (|). Let ‘vi gāhate’ be slightly emphasized to convey immersion.
vipraiḥ: visarga-like ḥ at end, keep diphthong ai, abhiṣṭutaḥ: retroflex ṣṭ, do not split, apo: short a, pure o, gāhate: long ā, dāśuṣe: long ā, retroflex ṣ
Cool, even, flowing; avoid harshness to keep ‘water’ quality
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