Rig Veda 9.51.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 51, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.51
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अभ्यर्ष विचक्षण पवित्रं धारया सुतः । अभि वाजमुत श्रवः ॥
abhý arṣa vi-cákṣaṇa pavítraṃ dhā́rayā sutáḥ | abhí vā́jam utá śrávaḥ ||
ఓ విచక్షణా, పవిత్రం (వడపోత) గుండా ధారలో సుత (పిండిన) సోమం అభ్యర్ష—ప్రవహించు; వాజ (బల-సంపద) వైపుకూ, శ్రవస్ (యశో-శ్రుతి) వైపుకూ ప్రవహించు.
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, overIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; governs accusative sense ‘towards/over’Role Adhikaraṇa (directional/goal marker)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अर्ष
- flow! rush!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root ऋष् (धातु)
- विचक्षण
- O discerning oneAdjective (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन एकवचन (हे विचक्षण)Role Sambodhana (address to Soma)Root वि-चक्ष् (धातु) → विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक ‘discerning’)
- पवित्रम्
- the filter, strainerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (goal/object of motion)Root पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- धारया
- with the stream/currentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole Karaṇa (instrument/means)Root धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतः
- pressed (Soma)Participle (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘pressed’Role Kartā (agent/subject: Soma)Root सु (धातु) → सुत (कृदन्त, PPP)
- अभि
- towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; directional ‘towards’Role Adhikaraṇa (directional/goal marker)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वाजम्
- prize, strength, victoryNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (attained object)Root वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक निपातRole (connector)Root उत (अव्यय)
- श्रवः
- fame, renownNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: श्रवः < श्रवस्)Role Karma (attained object)Root श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (resolved): अभि | अर्ष | विचक्षण | पवित्रम् | धारया | सुतः || अभि | वाजम् | उत | श्रवः || 1) ‘अभ्य॑र्ष’ = ‘अभि’ + ‘अर्ष’ (इकारस्य यणादेशः: i → y before vowel). 2) ‘प॒वित्रं॒ धार॑या’ shows external sandhi with anusvāra/stop not required
- words remain separate. 3) ‘श्रव॑:’ is Vedic neuter accusative sg of ‘श्रवस्’, written with visarga (ः) in saṃhitā orthography. Accents as in the given saṃहितापाठ: अभ्य॑र्ष (svarita on य), विचक्षण (unmarked here), धार॑या (udātta on र), वाज॑म् (udātta on ज), श्रव॑ः (udātta on व)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Flow forth, O clear-seeing one, pressed Soma, along the stream through the filter; flow toward vāja (plenitude of force) and toward śravas (fame/hearing).
Inner meaning
Let the purified delight (Soma) move consciously through the pavitra—inner discernment and purification—so it becomes clear-seeing (vicakṣaṇa) in us. As it flows, it brings vāja: effective power, capacity, victorious energy; and śravas: the soul’s true ‘hearing’—inspired receptivity and the luminous renown of truth in the being (the inner name established by realization).
Universal truth
When joy is purified by clarity, it becomes both strength and true receptivity; the current of consciousness can be trained to flow toward power and inspired understanding.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification, Force (Vāja), Inner hearing (Śravas)
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.51.2, Rig Veda 9.51.3, Rig Veda 9.51.4, Rig Veda 9.52.1
Family tradition
Pavamāna tradition emphasizes Soma’s passage through the pavitra; the seer frames purification as a movement toward power (vāja) and inspired receptivity (śravas).
Significance
A concise instruction-mantra: ‘let the delight flow through purification into strength and inspired hearing’—a map of inner alchemy.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Vicakṣaṇa (clear-seeing), Pavamāna (purifying), Suta (pressed)
- Related deities
- Indra, Maruts, Sarasvatī (as inspiration/śravas)
Cosmic role
Carries the essence through purification, converting it into strength and luminous recognition.
Inner power
A discerning bliss-current that transforms into capacity (vāja) and inspired receptivity (śravas).
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna chanting during Soma filtration
अ॒भ्य॑र्ष विचक्षण प॒वित्रं॒ धार॑या सु॒तः । अ॒भि वाज॑मु॒त श्रव॑: ॥
अ॒भि । अ॒र्ष॒ । वि॒ऽच॒क्ष॒ण॒ । प॒वित्र॑म् । धार॑या । सु॒तः । अ॒भि । वाज॑म् । उ॒त । श्रवः॑ ॥
abhi | arṣa | vi-cakṣaṇa | pavitram | dhārayā | sutaḥ | abhi | vājam | uta | śravaḥ
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4 × ~8; repeated ‘abhi’ gives marching directionality.
Directional and mantra-like; repetition reinforces ‘flow toward’ intention.
Guides attention like a channel; helpful for concentration and energetic alignment.
- abhi arṣa
- Literal: flow forth toward. Symbolic: direct the current of consciousness intentionally
- vicakṣaṇa
- Literal: clear-seeing, discerning. Symbolic: luminous intelligence within delight
- pavitram
- Literal: filter, purifier. Symbolic: inner sieve of discrimination; psychic purification
- dhārayā
- Literal: by the stream/current. Symbolic: continuous movement of experience/consciousness
- sutaḥ
- Literal: pressed. Symbolic: brought out by practice and offering
- vājam
- Literal: prize, strength, plenitude. Symbolic: effective force, capacity for right action
- śravaḥ
- Literal: hearing, fame. Symbolic: inspired receptivity; truth-established recognition in the soul
Chanted during Soma filtration (pavitra) to invoke the clarified flow and its boons (vāja, śravas)
As Soma passes through the filter (pavitra)
Directing the flow; consecration and purification
Use as a meditation cue for ‘channeling’ emotions through clarity into effective action and deeper listening.
(arṣa) from √ṛṣ/√arṣ ‘to flow, rush’ → streaming movement. (vi-cakṣaṇa) from √cakṣ ‘to see’ with vi- ‘distinctly’ → discriminating vision. (pavitra) from √pū ‘purify’ → instrument of purification. (dhārā) from √dhṛ ‘to hold’ → held stream/channel. (vāja) from √vaj/√vāj ‘strength, impel’ → plenitude of force and victorious energy. (śravas) from √śru ‘hear’ → that which is heard/renown; psychologically ‘inner hearing of the true word’ and its realized radiance.
Purification as prerequisite for power, Vāja as realized force/plenitude, Śravas as inner audition of truth (śruti principle)
Flow through pavitra symbolizes alignment with ṛta—separating truth from mixture.
Vicakṣaṇa indicates truth-seeing emerging from purified delight.
Transformation by filtration: essence becomes force and inspired knowledge.
Yoga of purification and conversion of energies (Aurobindonian).
The current of feeling-energy purified by discernment, redirected toward strength and inspired hearing.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma’s passage through the pavitra: the mythic purification that transforms raw sap into divine drink. Inner sense: consciousness must be sifted/clarified so that the delight-force becomes ‘clear-seeing’ and can deliver true power (vāja) and luminous ‘hearing’ (śravas).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ corresponds to PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear’ (cf. Greek klýō, English ‘loud’ via *ḱleu- ‘be heard’), supporting śravas as ‘that which is heard/renown’. √dhṛ ‘hold’ reflects PIE *dʰer- ‘hold’ (broadly attested).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi directs Soma’s movement (‘flow toward…’) as an act of inner command/aspiration. Soma, as conscious power (vi-cakṣaṇa), responds by bringing realizations: force-plenitude (vāja) and the soul’s true hearing/renown (śravas).
Feel a bright current rising and passing through an inner ‘filter’ of sincerity and discrimination; direct it to strength and inner hearing.
Viśuddha (purification) leading to Ājñā (clear-seeing)
Nadi-śodhana (alternate nostril) for 3–5 minutes, then chant; visualize the ‘pavitra’ as a luminous sieve at the throat/forehead line.
Clear, streamlined, empowered.
During emotional turbulence, repeat slowly and imagine the emotion becoming a clear stream; end in silence listening inwardly for śravas (the subtle ‘true hearing’).
Tri-svara framework; exact accents need svara-marked recension.
Emphasize repeated ‘abhi’ as gentle directional pulses; keep ‘vicakṣaṇa’ crisp and clear.
abhy arṣa: pronounce as ‘abhyarṣa’ with clear rṣ (retroflex ṣ), vicakṣaṇa: kṣ conjunct clean; short a’s, pavitraṃ: final ṃ nasalized, dhārayā: long ā’s sustained, śravaḥ: ś palatal; final ḥ light
Clear, bright, lightly propulsive
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