Rig Veda 9.49.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 49, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.49
- Devata
- Soma
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तया पवस्व धारया यया गाव इहागमन् । जन्यास उप नो गृहम् ॥
tayā́ pavasva dhā́rayā yayā́ gā́va ihā́gaman | janyā́sa úpa no gṛhám ||
ఆ ధారతోనే పవిత్రమై ప్రవహించు—ఆ ధార వల్ల ఇక్కడికి గో (కాంతికిరణాలు) వస్తాయి; జన్యాసః (స్వజన శక్తులు) మా గృహం (దేహాశ్రయం) సమీపానికి రానివ్వు.
Word by Word
- तया
- by/with that (stream)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow clearVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √पू (पवते) / √पु (to purify)
- धारया
- with a stream; by a currentNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot धारा (प्रातिपदिक) < √धृ (to hold, to flow/stream)
- यया
- by whichPronounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गावः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय)
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः (आगमनार्थे)Role (क्रियाविशेषकः)Root आ (उपसर्ग)
- अगमन्
- cameVerbलुङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √गम् (to go)
- जन्यासः
- the kindred/kinsmen; those of the same stockAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot जन्य (प्रातिपदिक) < √जन् (to be born, beget)
- उप
- near; up toIndeclinableउपसर्गः (समीपार्थे)Role (क्रियाविशेषकः)Root उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- नः
- to us; ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक रूपम्)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गृहम्
- house; homeNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तया | पवस्व | धारया | यया | गावः | इह | आ | अगमन् | जन्यासः | उप | नः | गृहम् । इहागमन् = इह + आ + अगमन् (आ-उपसर्गः ‘आ’ आगमनार्थे; ‘इह’ अव्ययम्)
- अन्यत्र विशेष-सन्धिः न।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma is urged to purify himself in that particular flowing stream by which the “cows” come here, and by which the kindred powers approach our home.
Inner meaning
The purifying current of Soma-consciousness is invoked to move through the inner channel (dhārā) so that the rays of illumination (gāvaḥ) enter the embodied being (gṛha). As the light enters, allied soul-forces (janyāsaḥ—kindred powers, supportive formations of the being) gather around the inner life, stabilizing the sādhanā and making the body-mind a fit dwelling for the divine influx.
Universal truth
When consciousness is purified by a steady inner flow, knowledge-light naturally arrives and supportive energies assemble; the “home” of the person becomes a receptive vessel for higher truth.
Themes
illumination, purification stream, integration, home of consciousness
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.49, Rig Veda 9.50
Significance
The seer-voice here is the collective aspiration of the sacrificer-consciousness calling Soma’s purifying flow to establish illumination in the ‘house’ of the being—typical of RV 9’s inner alchemy of purification and ascent.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Soma (delight/bliss), Pavitra-pāta (moving through the filter)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Uṣas, Aśvins, Maruts
Cosmic role
The divine delight that is pressed out and clarified, becoming a luminous current that nourishes gods and worlds; mediator of ascent and wideness.
Inner power
Ānanda that purifies mind-life, brings illumination (go), and gathers supportive inner powers into a harmonized field.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna) during Soma-yajña
तया॑ पवस्व॒ धार॑या॒ यया॒ गाव॑ इ॒हागम॑न् । जन्या॑स॒ उप॑ नो गृ॒हम् ॥
तया॑ । प॒व॒स्व॒ । धार॑या । यया॑ । गावः॑ । इ॒ह । आ॒ऽगम॑न् । जन्या॑सः । उप॑ । नः॒ । गृ॒हम् ॥
tayā | pavasva | dhārayā | yayā | gāvaḥ | iha | āgaman | janyāsaḥ | upa | naḥ | gṛham
Likely Triṣṭubh (common in RV 9; 4 pādas of ~11 syllables)
44
4 x 11 (approx.)
Forward-driving, wave-like cadence suited to ‘flow’ imagery.
Builds a felt sense of steady inner current; supports concentration on continuous purification and the arrival of light.
- पवस्व (pavasva)
- Literal: purify yourself; flow clear. Symbolic: let consciousness clarify itself; allow the bliss-current to become transparent
- धारा (dhārā)
- Literal: stream, current. Symbolic: continuous inner flow of awareness/ānanda through the being
- गावः (gāvaḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of light, illuminations, knowledges entering the mind
- इह (iha)
- Literal: here. Symbolic: into the present embodied field of practice
- जन्यासः (janyāsaḥ)
- Literal: those of the same birth/kindred. Symbolic: kindred powers—harmonizing inner faculties, helpful divine formations
- गृहम् (gṛham)
- Literal: house, home. Symbolic: the embodied being (body-life-mind) as the dwelling-place to be consecrated
Soma’s dhārā (filtered stream) in ritual; inwardly, the clarifying current that brings ‘cows’ (lights) and gathers allied powers into the embodied home
During the flowing/straining of Soma through the filter into vessels; chanted as the clarified Soma is offered
Straining Soma (pavitra), collecting the stream, offering to deities
Use as a purification mantra before meditation: visualize a clear stream descending through the spine/central channel, inviting ‘rays of knowledge’ into the body-mind.
dhārā from √dhṛ ‘hold, carry’ → ‘that which carries’ hence stream. go ‘cow’ in RV frequently denotes ‘light-ray’ (semantic bridge: shining/brightness and the ‘herd’ of illuminations). jan- ‘be born’ → janya ‘kindred, of the same birth’; psychologically, allied god-powers/faculties. gṛha ‘house’ from √gṛh ‘seize/hold’ → dwelling, the held-together embodiment.
go as illumination/knowledge recovered from obscurity, integration of powers in the ‘house’ (gṛha) as yogic embodiment
Purification aligns the inner movements with Ṛta, allowing the true lights (go) to arrive without distortion.
The coming of ‘cows’ signifies truth-illumination establishing itself in embodied life.
The descent/arrival of light-forces into the human vessel as a microcosmic recapitulation of cosmic manifestation.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent by purification and descent of light/ānanda.
A steady inner stream of clarified awareness bringing illuminations into the embodied field and gathering harmonizing forces.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘coming of the cows’ mythologem: the cows arrive by the Soma-stream. Inner sense: by the clarified current of delight, illuminations (go) return into the human field, and allied powers gather to inhabit the inner home.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan ‘be born’ (janyāsaḥ) reflects PIE *ǵenh₁- (cf. Latin gignere). √dhṛ (dhārā) reflects PIE *dher- ‘hold’. The ‘cow = light’ metaphor is an Indo-Iranian poetic inheritance (cf. Avestan imagery of light/wealth in herds).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks for a specific operative dhārā: not any flow, but the stream that brings illumination and gathers supportive kin-powers. The devata’s reciprocity is integrative—lighting the mind and establishing harmony in the embodied ‘house’.
Invite a continuous ‘clear stream’ of awareness to descend and cleanse thoughts; receive illuminations without strain.
Ājñā (illumination) and Anāhata (harmonizing ‘kindred powers’)
Nādī-śodhana-like gentle alternate breathing; then a steady, even inhalation/exhalation imagining a single stream (dhārā).
Quiet, lucid receptivity with a subtle sense of descent and inner gathering.
Chant slowly; on ‘dhārayā’ feel continuity; on ‘gāvaḥ’ welcome light-thoughts; on ‘gṛham’ offer the body as a consecrated dwelling.
Use Vedic accenting as per Saṃhitā: maintain udatta peaks on accented syllables; avoid flattening svarita transitions (exact svara requires śākhā-specific notation).
Keep ‘pavasva’ crisp; lengthen ā in ‘dhārayā’; articulate ‘gāvaḥ’ with clear vā; ‘āgaman’ with distinct long ā.
tayā: dental t, clear long ā, pavasva: v as soft labio-dental, not English w, dhārayā: aspirated dh, long ā, gāvaḥ: long ā; final ḥ as light visarga, janyāsaḥ: palatal ny, not ‘niy’, gṛham: vocalic ṛ in gṛ- (short, tapped)
Clear, flowing, slightly nasal resonance to suggest ‘streaming’.
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