Rig Veda 9.77.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 77, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.77
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अयं नो विद्वान्वनवद्वनुष्यत इन्दुः सत्राचा मनसा पुरुष्टुतः । इनस्य यः सदने गर्भमादधे गवामुरुब्जमभ्यर्षति व्रजम् ॥
ayáṃ no vidvā́n vanavad vanuṣyát índuḥ satrā́cā mánasā puruṣṭutáḥ | inásya yáḥ sádane gárbham ādadhe gavā́m urubjáṃ abhyárṣati vrajám ||
ఈ ఇందు (సోముడు) సర్వజ్ఞుడై, మన కోసం వనం-వనం వెదకువాడిలా (గుప్తాన్ని) గెలుచుకొంటాడు; మనస్సుతో నేరుగా, నిరంతరం సాగేవాడు; అనేకులచే స్తుతింపబడినవాడు. యాడు సదనంలో/ఆసనంలో గర్భం (అంతర్నిహిత నిర్మాణం) స్థాపించునో, వాడు గవామ్—గోవుల—విస్తారమైన ఆవరణమైన ఉరు-బ్జ వ్రజం, అంటే ప్రకాశ రశ్ముల గుంపు కూడే ఆ పశువాడి వైపు వేగంగా ప్రవహిస్తాడు.
Word by Word
- अयम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / for usPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विद्वान्
- knowing, wiseAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (परस्मैपदी-परिप्रयोगः; ‘knowing’)Role KartāRoot विद् (धातु) → विद्वस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- वनवत्
- wood-like; as (one) with wood (i.e., with strength/firmness)Adjective/Adverbialनपुंसकलिङ्गे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणम्Role KaraṇaRoot वन (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
- वनुष्यति
- seeks/strives, wins (like in the forest)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वनुष्य (धातु)
- इन्दुः
- the Soma-dropNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सत्राचा
- moving/going in the sattra (continuous rite)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सत्र + अञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘going in a sattra’)
- मनसा
- with (his) mindNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुष्टुतः
- much-praisedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot पुरु + स्तु (धातु) → स्तुत (कृदन्त) / ‘much-praised’
- इनस्य
- of the mighty/strong oneNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot इन (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सदने
- in the seat/dwellingNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सदन (प्रातिपदिक)
- गर्भम्
- embryo; germNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
- आदधे
- has placed/has depositedVerbलिट् (परोक्सभूत/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot धा (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
- गवाम्
- of the cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- उरुब्जम्
- wide(-opening), broad-cleavingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (व्रजम् विशेषयति)Role KarmaRoot उरु + भज्/भञ्ज् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wide-opening/cleaving’)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role UpasargaRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अर्षति
- flows/rushesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot ऋष्/अर्ष् (धातु; ‘to flow, rush’)
- व्रजम्
- enclosure; cattle-pen; foldNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot व्रज (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: अ॒यं नो॑ वि॒द्वान्व॑नवद्वनुष्य॒त इन्दु॑: स॒त्राचा॒ मन॑सा पुरुष्टु॒तः । इ॒नस्य॒ यः सद॑ने॒ गर्भ॑माद॒धे गवा॑मुरु॒ब्जम॒भ्यर्ष॑ति व्र॒जम् ॥ पद-विच्छेदः (मुख्य-सन्धि-निरसनम्): 1) विद्वान्वनवत् → विद्वान् + वनवत् (न् + व = न्व्) 2) वनवद्वनुष्यत → वनवत् + वनुष्यति (त् + व = द्व्) 3) वनुष्यत इन्दुः → वनुष्यति + इन्दुः (इति-लोपः/पदसन्धिः) 4) गर्भमादधे → गर्भम् + आदधे (म् + आ = मा) 5) गवामुरुब्जम् → गवाम् + उरुब्जम् (म् + उ = मु) 6) उरुब्जमभ्यर्षति → उरुब्जम् + अभि + अर्षति (म् + अ = म; अभि उपसर्गः ‘अर्षति’ इत्यनेन सह) स्वर-टिप्पणी: उदात्त/अनुदात्त/स्वरित चिह्नाः संहिता-पाठानुसारं
- पद-विच्छेदे सामान्यतः स्वरचिह्न-परिवर्तनं/लोपः दृश्यते।
The meaning
Outer meaning
This Soma, knowing, wins for us, seeking like one who goes to the woods; moving straight with the mind, praised by many. He who in the seat sets the embryo rushes to the wide pen of the cows.
Inner meaning
Soma is ‘vidvān’—a conscious power, not an inert juice. He ‘wins the woods’ (vanavat): he finds the hidden inner realms where truth is concealed. Moving ‘satrācā manasā’ indicates a direct, unwavering mental orientation toward the goal. In the ‘seat’ (sadane)—the established inner place (heart/central consciousness)—he sets the ‘embryo’ (garbha): the seed of the new being, the formation of higher consciousness. Then he rushes toward the ‘wide enclosure of the rays’ (gavām urubjam… vrajam): the opened luminous field where the herds of light (insights, intuitions) are gathered and secured.
Universal truth
True transformation begins when a conscious delight-force plants a new seed in the depths; thereafter knowledge opens as a protected, widening field of illumination.
Themes
finding the cows (rays), inner formation, straight course of mind
The seer
- Rishi
- Ascribed to the Soma-Pavamāna seers of the Ninth Maṇḍala (exact rishi uncertain)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.77.1, Rig Veda 9.77.2, Rig Veda 9.77.3, Rig Veda 9.77.5
Significance
The seer’s hallmark here is the psychology of ‘garbha’—the Vedic insight that realization is a birth-process: a seed set in the inner seat must mature into a luminous life.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- vidvān (knowing), pūru-stuta (praised by many), satrācā (straight-moving)
- Related deities
- Agni (garbha/fire in the heart), Indra (opener of the cow-pen), Bṛhaspati (lord of the Word who breaks the cave)
Cosmic role
Bearer of the seed of the new creation in the human; opener of the pen of rays.
Inner power
Germinative ananda: it plants the divine formation and drives toward stable illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration and praise during pressing
अ॒यं नो॑ वि॒द्वान्व॑नवद्वनुष्य॒त इन्दु॑: स॒त्राचा॒ मन॑सा पुरुष्टु॒तः । इ॒नस्य॒ यः सद॑ने॒ गर्भ॑माद॒धे गवा॑मुरु॒ब्जम॒भ्यर्ष॑ति व्र॒जम् ॥
अ॒यम् । नः॒ । वि॒द्वान् । व॒न॒व॒त् । व॒नु॒ष्य॒तः । इन्दुः॑ । स॒त्राचा॑ । मन॑सा । पु॒रु॒ऽस्तु॒तः । इ॒नस्य॑ । यः । सद॑ने । गर्भ॑म् । आ॒ऽद॒धे । गवा॑म् । उ॒रु॒ब्जम् । अ॒भि । अर्ष॑ति । व्र॒जम् ॥
ayam | naḥ | vidvān | vanavat | vanuṣyataḥ | induḥ | satrācā | manasā | puru-stutaḥ | inasya | yaḥ | sadane | garbham | ādadhe | gavām | urubjam | abhi | aṣarti | vrajam
48
4 × 12
Even and purposeful; supports ‘straight movement’ (satrācā).
Stabilizes attention; encourages a sense of inward placing (garbha) followed by an outward opening into light.
- विद्वान् (vidvān)
- Literal: knowing. Symbolic: Soma as conscious intelligence of delight
- वनवत् / वनुष्यतः (vanavat / vanuṣyataḥ)
- Literal: winning the woods / desiring the woods. Symbolic: seeking hidden inner planes and concealed truth
- सत्राचा (satrācā)
- Literal: straight, continuous. Symbolic: unbroken orientation of consciousness
- सदने (sadane)
- Literal: in the seat, dwelling. Symbolic: inner station—heart-cave/psychic seat
- गर्भम् (garbham)
- Literal: embryo, seed. Symbolic: seed of higher formation; new consciousness-being
- गवाम् (gavām)
- Literal: of cows. Symbolic: of rays of knowledge
- व्रजम् (vrajam)
- Literal: pen, enclosure. Symbolic: secured luminous field; stable knowledge-domain
Used to affirm Soma as knower and path-maker toward the cow-pen (treasure of light); ritually parallels Soma’s movement to the place of offering, psychologically to the heart-seat.
As Soma is prepared and directed toward offering; also as an inner ‘consecration’ moment
Invocation of Soma’s knowing power to establish the ‘seed’ and open the rays
A mantra for initiating a new sādhanā phase, setting intention in the heart, or beginning creative work from a deeper source.
vidvā́n (√vid 'know') marks Soma as conscious guide. van- is polyvalent: 'wood/forest' and 'win/desire'—supporting the inner sense 'seeking hidden places to win the light'. satrā́cā 'straight/continuous' indicates unwavering movement. garbha (embryo) is the seed of new formation in the seat (sadana). vraja (pen) is a standard Vedic symbol for the hidden store of rays (go) recovered by the gods.
garbha (inner seed of becoming), vidyā/knowledge (vidvān), recovery of rays (go) from concealment
Satrācā indicates the straight line of R̥ta in consciousness.
Gavām vraja = stable domain of truth-rays rather than scattered thoughts.
Embryonic creation within the human seat leading to a new luminous world.
Vedic creation-psychology anticipating Upaniṣadic ‘inner birth’ themes.
Woods = hidden subconscious/inner worlds; embryo = nascent higher self-formation; pen = protected clarity; herd = gathered illuminations.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The rushing toward the vraja (cow-pen) of the rays and the placing of the garbha in the seat: the myth of recovering hidden light is fused with a creation motif—Soma establishes the inner embryo of truth-being and then drives toward the wide enclosure of illumination.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid 'know' continues PIE *weyd- (cf. Latin vidēre). √dhā continues PIE *dheh₁-. The 'cows as lights' poetic equation is a shared Indo-European metaphorical strategy: concrete pastoral terms carry abstract luminous/gnostic meanings.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Soma is invoked as an inner guide who knows and wins for the seeker: by establishing the garbha (new consciousness) in the heart-seat, Soma enables the recovery of the rays of knowledge gathered in the hidden pen.
Place the ‘seed of the new consciousness’ in the heart-seat; then expand into a wide field of rays in the mind.
Anahata (sadana/seat)
Gentle coherence breathing (5–6 breaths/min) while resting attention in the heart; on exhale, imagine the pen of rays widening around the head.
Collected inwardness leading to spacious clarity.
Chant softly; after chanting, hold the sensation of a golden seed in the heart for 2–3 minutes; then allow thoughts to become ‘rays in a pen’—present but orderly and luminous.
Standard Rigvedic three-tone; consult a pada-krama svara source for exact teaching.
Mark the steady line on satrā́cā mánasā; keep ‘gárbham ādadhe’ clearly segmented.
vidvān: final nasal should be light, not over-lengthened., vanuṣyataḥ: keep ‘ṣy’ cluster clear (ṣu-ṣya)., urubjam: pronounce ‘ru’ clearly; avoid adding a vowel between r and u., abhy arṣati: keep sandhi: ‘abhyarṣati’ with a clean ‘rṣ’ cluster.
Steady, centered, slightly softer in the first half; broaden resonance on ‘gavām… vrajam’.
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