Rig Veda 9.63.24: Mandala 9, Sukta 63, Mantra 24
Sukta 9.63
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer-poets
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
अपघ्नन्पवसे मृधः क्रतुवित्सोम मत्सरः । नुदस्वादेवयुं जनम् ॥
apághnan pavase mṛ́dhaḥ kratuvít soma matsaráḥ | nudasvā́devayuṃ jánam ||
ఓ సోమా! దాడులను సంహరించేవాడా, నీవు నిన్ను నీవే పవిత్రం చేసుకుంటున్నావు; ఓ క్రతువిత్ (సంకల్పజ్ఞ), మత్సర (ఉల్లాసదాయక)! దేవుని కోరని అదేవయు జనులను దూరం నెట్టు.
Word by Word
- अपघ्नन्
- striking away, removingVerbPresent participle active (śatṛ), nominative singular masculine; from class 2 √हन् ‘to strike/kill’ with preverb अप-Role KartāRoot अप-हन् (√हन्)
- पवसे
- thou purifiest; thou flowestVerbPresent indicative, 2nd person singular, Ātmanepada (middle); ‘thou purifiest/flowest’Role Kriyā (main verb)Root √पू (पवते)
- मृधः
- hostilities, harmsNounFeminine, accusative plural (Vedic ending -ः for -स्) ‘hostilities/harms’Role KarmaRoot मृध् (prātipadika: मृध्/मृध-)
- क्रतुवित्
- knower of sacred resolve/ritual powerAdjective (compound)Bahuvrīhi/tatpuruṣa-type compound; ‘knowing (vit) the kratu (purpose/ritual power)’; nominative singular masculine agreeing with सोमRole Viśeṣaṇa (of Kartā) / Kartṛ-sāmānādhikaraṇyaRoot क्रतु + √विद्
- सोम
- O SomaNounMasculine, vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot सोम (prātipadika)
- मत्सरः
- the exhilarating (one)Noun/AdjectiveMasculine, nominative singular; epithet of Soma ‘intoxicating/exhilarating’ (also ‘rivalrous’ in later usage)Role Kartā (in apposition to implied ‘त्वम्’/Soma) / ViśeṣyaRoot मत्सर (prātipadika)
- नुदस्व
- drive awayVerbImperative, 2nd person singular, Parasmaipada; ‘thrust away/drive off!’Role Kriyā (injunctive command)Root √नुद्
- अदेवयुम्
- the ungodly, not devoted to the godsAdjectiveMasculine, accusative singular; qualifying जनम्Role Karma (qualifier)Root अ-देवयु (prātipadika: देवयु ‘devotee of the gods’ with privative अ-)
- जनम्
- people, folkNounMasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot जन (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- Pada resolution: अपघ्नन् पवसे मृधः | क्रतुवित् सोम मत्सरः | नुदस्व अदेवयुम् जनम् || 1) अपघ्नन् is a Vedic present active participle (śatṛ) from अप-√हन्, used predicatively with पवसे. 2) मृधः shows Vedic accusative plural ending -ः (< -स्). 3) नुदस्व + अदेवयुम्: no external sandhi change beyond juxtaposition
- read as two padas in pada-text
The meaning
Outer meaning
Smiting attacks, you purify yourself; O Soma, knower of the will, exhilarant: drive away the people who do not seek the gods.
Inner meaning
As Soma clarifies, it becomes a defender: it strikes down inner assaults (mṛdhaḥ)—confusions, depressions, hostile impulses. Being ‘kratuvit’ (knower of the will), it reveals true intention and right resolve in the sadhaka. As ‘matsara’ (exhilarant), it raises energy and courage. Then it drives away the ‘adeva-yu’ tendencies—parts of us that refuse the Divine, prefer inertia, ego, or falsehood.
Universal truth
Purified delight is a power of protection and discernment: it strengthens true will and expels inner forces that deny the higher purpose.
Themes
protection, expulsion of negativity, will-knowledge (kratuvit), Soma as purifier-warrior
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer-poets (specific r̥ṣi uncertain)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.63.20–23 (build-up to protective action), RV 9.61/9.66 (Soma driving away evil; thematic)
Family tradition
Protective/warrior strain within Soma hymns: Soma as purifier and slayer of inner hostility
Significance
The rishi frames purification as spiritual battle: Ananda is not passive sweetness; it is a will-knowing force that rejects the anti-divine and safeguards the ascent.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Apaghnan (smiting), Kratuvit (knower of will), Matsara (exhilarant), Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra (slayer of Vṛtra; allied function), Agni (guardian and purifier; allied function)
Cosmic role
Soma protects the sacrifice and the sacrificer by repelling hostile forces; he empowers the gods by his clarified delight.
Inner power
Joy as a weapon of light: it strengthens resolve, clears intention, and ejects obscurity and resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification with apotropaic (protective) intention; used to ward off hostility in Soma rite
अ॒प॒घ्नन्प॑वसे॒ मृध॑: क्रतु॒वित्सो॑म मत्स॒रः । नु॒दस्वादे॑वयुं॒ जन॑म् ॥
अ॒प॒ऽघ्नन् । पा॒व॒से॒ । मृधः॑ । क्र॒तु॒ऽवित् । सो॒म॒ । म॒त्स॒रः । नु॒दस्व॑ । अदे॑वऽयुम् । जन॑म् ॥
apa-ghnan | pāvase | mṛdhaḥ | kratu-vit | soma | matsaraḥ | nudasva | adeva-yum | janam
48
4 × ~12
Strong, driving, with imperative thrust; suited to rejection and protection.
Elicits courage and clarity; supports a decisive inner ‘no’ to adverse movements.
- अपघ्नन् (apaghnan)
- Literal: striking away, smiting. Symbolic: forceful removal of inner obstacles and attacks
- मृधः (mṛdhaḥ)
- Literal: attacks, hostilities. Symbolic: adverse formations: doubt, fear, obscurity, compulsions
- क्रतुवित् (kratu-vit)
- Literal: knower of kratu (will/resolve). Symbolic: illumined will: discerning true intention and right direction
- मत्सरः (matsaraḥ)
- Literal: exhilarating, intoxicating. Symbolic: uplifting Ananda-energy that combats tamas
- नुदस्व (nudasva)
- Literal: thrust away, drive out. Symbolic: active rejection of false movements; inner purification by exclusion
- अदेवयुम् (adeva-yum)
- Literal: not desiring the gods/divine. Symbolic: anti-divine tendencies: egoism, disbelief, inertia, lower preference
Protective/apotropaic function within Soma rite: Soma as purifier who repels hostile forces and anti-divine tendencies
During purification/offerings when protection of the rite is invoked
Chant as Soma is filtered/handled; intention to repel obstacles and impurity
Use when facing negativity, addiction-like pulls, or psychic attack sensations: affirm rejection of ‘adeva-yu’ movements.
apaghna(n): present participle from apa-√han ‘to smite away’; mṛdha: ‘hostility’ (possibly from √mṛdh ‘contend, be hostile’); kratuvit: kratu ‘will-power, effective intention’ + vit ‘knowing’ from √vid; matsara: from √mad ‘exhilarate’ with intensifying/agentive formation; nudasva: imperative middle of √nud ‘push away’; adevayu: a-privative + devayu ‘seeking the gods’ (devá + √yu ‘to join, yoke/seek’).
kratu (effective will), battle of light vs obstruction (mṛdh), adeva-yu as inner anti-divine impulse
Kratu aligned to ṛta becomes victorious; adverse forces are those that deviate from right order.
‘Knower of will’ implies truth in intention; purification restores satya in motive.
Evolution proceeds by purification and exclusion of the anti-divine; protection is part of creation’s advance.
Integral/Aurobindonian: hostile forces as psychological resistances; Soma as Ananda-shakti aiding transformation.
Hostile tribes = inner formations; smiting = decisive will; exhilaration = sattwic energy; purification = clarification of motive.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The purifier is also the warrior: Soma smites mṛdhaḥ (attacks) and drives away the ‘non-god-seeking’ forces. Mythically this is the cleansing deity repelling demons; psychologically it is the expulsion of inner movements that refuse the divine orientation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √han (in apahan) corresponds to PIE *gʷhen- ‘strike, kill’ (cf. Avestan jan-, Greek phónos in semantic field); √vid (in -vit) is PIE *weid- ‘see/know’ (cf. Latin vidēre, English ‘wit’); √nud ‘push’ fits PIE *neud-/*neudh- ‘push, thrust’ (comparative alignment by meaning).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi relies on Soma not only for ecstasy but for discernment and force: Soma as kratuvit clarifies the will, and as purifier-warrior he removes hostile pressures and the ‘adeva-yu’ collective tendency—establishing a protected inner field for Ṛta.
Invoke purified joy as protective force; clarify intention (kratu) and reject anti-divine impulses.
Maṇipūra (will/decisive power) with support from Ājñā (discernment)
Forceful but controlled exhale (kapālabhātī-lite: 30 gentle pulses) only if suitable; otherwise long exhale with mental ‘nudasva’
Courageous clarity; energized purity; strengthened boundaries of consciousness.
Name the ‘adeva-yu’ movement within (habit, doubt, cynicism). Chant, then consciously choose one concrete rejection and one affirmative divine action immediately after.
Exact udātta/anudātta/svarita requires recension marks; not fully reconstructible from the provided plain text.
Give firm articulation to ‘apaghnan’, ‘nudasva’; keep ‘kratuvit’ clear as the semantic pivot.
(apaghnan): pronounce ‘ghn’ cluster smoothly (like ‘g-hn’), no extra vowel, (mṛdhaḥ): vocalic ṛ; final ḥ audible but light, (kratuvit): crisp dental t; short vowels, (adeva-yum): split as a-deva-yum; keep y glide
Firm, steady, slightly forceful (without shouting); end with clean cutoff to embody rejection.
21
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
