Rig Veda 9.65.20: Mandala 9, Sukta 65, Mantra 20
Sukta 9.65
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अप्सा इन्द्राय वायवे वरुणाय मरुद्भ्यः । सोमो अर्षति विष्णवे ॥
apsā́ índrāya vāyáve váruṇāya marúdbhyaḥ | sómo arṣati víṣṇave ||
జలధారలలో సోమము ఇంద్రునికై, వాయువికై, వరుణునికై, మరుద్గణములకై, విష్ణువికై ప్రవహిస్తుంది.
Word by Word
- अ॒प्साः
- in the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole अधिकारण (स्थान/आधार) — ‘अप्सु’ (जल/आपः में)Root अप् (प्रातिपदिक ‘अप्’ > लोके ‘अप्स्/अप्सु’), जल
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वायवे
- for VāyuNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: -ए)Role सम्प्रदानRoot वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणाय
- for VaruṇaNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- मरुद्भ्यः
- for the MarutsNoun (Proper/Collective)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमः
- Soma (the pressed juice)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्षति
- flows / streamsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथम पुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root ऋष् (धातु) ‘गत्यर्थ/प्रवाह’
- विष्णवे
- for ViṣṇuNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: -ए)Role सम्प्रदानRoot विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विच्छेद): अ॒प्साः | इन्द्रा॑य | वा॒यवे॒ | वरु॑णाय | म॒रुद्भ्य॑ः | सोमो॑ | अर्षति॒ | विष्ण॑वे || 1) ‘अ॒प्सा’ इति संहितापाठ-रूपं पदपाठे ‘अ॒प्साः’ (अप्-शब्दस्य वैदिक लोकेटिव/अधिकारणार्थक प्रयोग) इति ग्रह्यते—अर्थतः ‘अप्सु/आपः’ = ‘जल में’। 2) ‘सोमो॑’ = ‘सोमः’ (विसर्गः पदान्ते, संहितायां ओ-आदेशः/विसर्ग-लोपः)। 3) ‘वायवे, विष्णवे’ चतुर्थी एकवचन के वैदिक रूप (-ए) हैं (क्लासिकल -आय के स्थान पर)। 4) उच्चारण-चिह्न (उदात्त/अनुदात्त/स्वरित) संहितापाठानुसार शब्दों पर स्थित हैं
- पदच्छेद में शब्दरूप अपरिवर्तित रखे गए हैं।
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the waters Soma flows for Indra, Vayu, Varuna, the Maruts, and for Vishnu.
Inner meaning
Soma (purified Ananda) moves in the ‘waters’ (apsu)—the subtle currents of consciousness—nourishing multiple divine powers within: Indra (illumined mind), Vāyu (life-breath and inner movement), Varuṇa (vastness and law of truth), Maruts (dynamic thought-forces and pranic storm-powers), and Viṣṇu (all-pervading stride, expansive consciousness). One delight feeds each faculty according to its divine function, harmonizing the whole being.
Universal truth
A single purified joy, moving through the depths of consciousness, can energize and harmonize all higher faculties—illumination, breath-force, truth-law, dynamic energies, and expansive being.
Themes
Soma distribution, waters symbolism, pantheon integration, purified flow
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.65 (Soma Pavamāna hymn context)
Significance
The seer presents a key psychological doctrine: one purified Ananda can serve many inner gods—integrating mind, breath, law, dynamism, and vastness into a coordinated yoga.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (offered to multiple devas)
- Epithets
- Soma, Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra, Vāyu, Varuṇa, Maruts, Viṣṇu
Cosmic role
Universal sustainer of the gods; the flowing essence that empowers divine functions across the cosmos.
Inner power
Ananda circulating through consciousness-waters to feed illumination (Indra), breath-movement (Vāyu), truth-order (Varuṇa), dynamic energies (Maruts), and expansive realization (Viṣṇu).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering/chant during purification and distribution to deities
अ॒प्सा इन्द्रा॑य वा॒यवे॒ वरु॑णाय म॒रुद्भ्य॑: । सोमो॑ अर्षति॒ विष्ण॑वे ॥
अ॒प्साः । इन्द्रा॑य । वा॒यवे॑ । वरु॑णाय । म॒रुत्ऽभ्यः॑ । सोमः॑ । अ॒र्ष॒ति॒ । विष्ण॑वे ॥
apsāḥ | indrāya | vāyave | varuṇāya | marut-bhyaḥ | somaḥ | arṣati | viṣṇave
48
Likely 4×12 in the hymn’s prevailing Jagatī; verify with pada syllable scan from a critical text.
Enumerative, mantra-like listing that feels like distributing offerings to inner powers.
Creates a sense of inclusive invocation—multiple faculties awakening in sequence.
- apsu/apsāḥ
- Literal: in the waters. Symbolic: in subtle consciousness-flows; the inner ocean of being
- indra
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: divine mind/illumination that breaks the coverer
- vāyu
- Literal: Vayu. Symbolic: life-breath, inner movement, pranic regulation
- varuṇa
- Literal: Varuna. Symbolic: vastness, truth-law, ethical/spiritual order
- marut-bhyaḥ
- Literal: for the Maruts. Symbolic: dynamic forces of thought and prāṇa that drive progress
- viṣṇave
- Literal: for Vishnu. Symbolic: expansive consciousness; the wide strides of realization
- arṣati
- Literal: flows. Symbolic: continuous descent/circulation of Ananda through the system
Soma as oblation distributed to multiple deities in Soma sacrifice; reflects multi-devatā offering logic within pressing day.
When Soma is conceptually apportioned to various deities in the rite
Recitation aligning offerings to specific devatās
A ‘whole-being’ harmonization mantra: before meditation, dedicate delight to mind (Indra), breath (Vāyu), conscience/truth (Varuṇa), energies (Maruts), and expansion (Viṣṇu).
ap- ‘water’ (PIE *h₂ep- ‘water’ cf. Latin aqua with different development; Hittite āp-). vāyu from √vā ‘blow’ (wind/breath). varuṇa linked to √vṛ ‘cover/encompass’ (semantic: encompassing law/vastness). marut from √mar? (often ‘storm’ etymologies). viṣṇu associated with √viṣ/√viś ‘pervade’ (traditional) and the ‘three strides’ mythic complex; here recipient of Soma’s flow.
integration of divine powers (polytheistic functions as inner faculties), pervasion/expansion (Vishnu), law/vastness (Varuna)
Varuṇa indicates the law of r̥ta; Soma flowing ‘in waters’ suggests r̥ta as a current that orders all powers.
Indra’s light must be fed by Soma to remain true and not egoic.
One essence differentiated into many divine functions—unity expressing as multiplicity.
Vedic integralism: deities as powers of one Consciousness.
Waters = subconscious/causal streams of awareness; wind = prāṇa; storm = dynamic energies; vast strides = expansion beyond limitation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma flowing ‘in the waters’ as a universal nourishment offered to several gods. Innerly, the clarified delight circulates through the subtle currents of the being and energizes distinct divine functions—force (Indra), breath (Vayu), law-purity (Varuna), dynamic purifiers (Maruts), and expansive pervasion (Vishnu).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ap- ‘waters’ reflects PIE *h₂ep-. The distributional dative chain (to Indra/Vayu/Varuna/Maruts/Vishnu) is a characteristic Indo-European poetic listing technique, coordinating multiple divine functions under a single flowing action (arṣati).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions Soma as mediator among the powers: Soma’s flow is directed purposefully ‘for’ each deity. The human role is to harmonize inner faculties by offering the same delight-essence to all, preventing one-sided development.
Circulate delight through the ‘waters’ of awareness and offer it inwardly to key faculties (illumination, breath, truth-law, dynamic force, expansion).
Viśuddha (flow/purification) and Sahasrāra (Viṣṇu-expansion)
Slow breathing with a gentle internal ‘offering’ on each exhale: Indra → Vāyu → Varuṇa → Maruts → Viṣṇu.
Integrative, wide, quietly uplifted.
If one faculty dominates (overthinking/overactivity), return to ‘apsu’—feel a deeper current beneath surface mind, and let Soma equalize the system.
Requires svara-marked source; chant with clear three-tone Vedic intonation, keeping the deity-names distinct and evenly weighted.
Slight pause after each deity name to mark inner offering; keep ‘somo arṣati’ flowing as the unifying refrain.
apsāḥ: clear ps cluster, long ā, indrāya/vāyave/varuṇāya/viṣṇave: keep long vowels distinct; retroflex ṣ in viṣṇu, marudbhyaḥ: articulate dbhy cluster carefully, soft final ḥ, arṣati: retroflex ṣ, light r
Even, clear, offering-like.
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