Rig Veda 9.99.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 99, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.99
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तमस्य मर्जयामसि मदो य इन्द्रपातमः । यं गाव आसभिर्दधुः पुरा नूनं च सूरयः ॥
tám asya marjayāmasi mádo yá índrapātamaḥ | yáṃ gā́va āsábhir dadhúḥ purā́ nū́naṃ ca sūríyaḥ ||
అతనినే మేము శుద్ధి చేస్తాము—ఇది మదః (ఆనంద-రసం), ఇంద్రుడు పానము చేయుటకు అత్యుత్తమమైనది; దీనిని కిరణాలు (గావః) తమ నోళ్లలో ధరిస్తాయి—పూర్వమూ ఇప్పుడూ, ఓ సూరయః (ప్రకాశవంతులారా).
Word by Word
- तमस्य
- of darknessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्जयामसि
- we cleanse / we purifyVerbलट् (वर्तमान); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √मृज् (मृज्/मार्ज्) ‘to wipe, cleanse, polish’
- मदः
- the rapture / exhilarationNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विषय (as subject/apposition)Root मद (प्रातिपदिक) ‘intoxication, exhilaration, rapture’
- यः
- which / whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध/अन्वय (relative pronoun; subject of relative clause)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रपातमः
- most fit for Indra to drink / Indra’s best draughtAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त (superlative)Role विशेषण (qualifier of मदः / यः)Root इन्द्र + पातम (प्रातिपदिक); पातमः = superlative (-तम) of पातम ‘drink/that which is drunk’ (Vedic epithet)
- यम्
- whom / whichPronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (object of दधुः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गावः
- the cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (subject of दधुः)Root गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- आसभिः
- with (their) mouthsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-बहुवचनRole करण (instrument)Root आस (प्रातिपदिक) ‘mouth’ (Vedic; instr. pl. of आस्/आस)
- दधुः
- they have placed / they setVerbलिट् (परोक्ष/परफेक्ट); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (relative clause verb)Root √धा ‘to place, set, put’
- पुरा
- formerly / of oldIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRole अधिकारण (temporal)Root पुरा (अव्यय)
- नूनम्
- now / just nowIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRole अधिकारण (temporal)Root नूनम् (अव्यय)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययRole समुच्चय (connector)Root च (अव्यय)
- सूरयः
- the patrons / noblesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (co-subject with गावः, understood with दधुः)Root सूरि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘patron, lord, inspired patron’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved: इन्द्रपातमः is a compound (इन्द्र + पातमः) functioning as an epithet
- no external sandhi change needed. आसभिर्दधुः → आसभिः + दधुः (visarga before voiced dental d becomes र् in saṃhitā: ः + द → र्द). नूनं च is simple conjunction without change. Relative-correlative structure: यः … (madáḥ) and यम् … दधुः
The meaning
Outer meaning
We cleanse this Soma-rapture, most fit for Indra to drink; whom the cows/rays have placed in their mouths, formerly and even now, O seers.
Inner meaning
The practitioners purify the ecstasy (madaḥ) of Soma—delight refined into a force that Indra (illumined mind) can ‘drink’, i.e., assimilate as power for breaking the cover. The ‘cows’ (gāvaḥ) are rays of knowledge; they ‘hold him in their mouths’—the luminous faculties seize, taste, and articulate the bliss-substance as conscious experience and speech. This is perennial (“then and now”): whenever seer-vision awakens, the rays take Soma into expression and Indra is strengthened.
Universal truth
Joy becomes transformative when purified and consciously received by the illumined mind; knowledge ‘tastes’ truth and turns it into lived power across ages.
Themes
Cleansing/polishing, Indra’s draught, Rays (cows) symbolism, Perennial recurrence
The seer
- Rishi
- Anukramaṇī varies for RV 9.99; situated in the Pavamāna Soma seer tradition (often linked broadly with Soma-seers within Kāṇva/Angirasa streams).
- Other hymns
- RV 9.97 (Soma as strengthening Indra), RV 9.86 (Pavamāna: Soma and the cows/rays), RV 1.32 (Indra-Vṛtra victory: the empowered mind breaks the cover)
Family tradition
Book 9 liturgical-seer poetry used by udgātṛ/adhvaryu lineages; emphasizes Soma’s purification as inner alchemy.
Significance
The seer’s insight: bliss is not a private emotion; when purified, it is food for the illumined mind and becomes light-bearing speech through the rays.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Mada (rapture), Indra-pātama (Indra’s best drink), Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra, Bṛhaspati (lord of inspired speech; implied via ‘mouths’), Uṣas (illumination; supportive)
Cosmic role
Nourisher of Indra and the gods; the clarifying current that turns essence into strength and right action.
Inner power
Ananda that becomes ojas/tejas in the mind—fuel for illumination and for the slaying of inner Vṛtra.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration and offering to Indra in Soma-yāga contexts
तम॑स्य मर्जयामसि॒ मदो॒ य इ॑न्द्र॒पात॑मः । यं गाव॑ आ॒सभि॑र्द॒धुः पु॒रा नू॒नं च॑ सू॒रय॑: ॥
तम् । अ॒स्य॒ । म॒र्ज॒या॒म॒सि॒ । मदः॑ । यः । इ॒न्द्र॒ऽपात॑मः । यम् । गावः॑ । आ॒सऽभिः॑ । द॒धुः । पु॒रा । नू॒नम् । च॒ । सू॒रयः॑ ॥
tam | asya | marjayāmasi | madaḥ | yaḥ | indra-pātamaḥ | yam | gāvaḥ | āsa-bhiḥ | dadhuḥ | purā | nūnam | ca | sūrayaḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
A cleansing, polishing rhythm—measured but strong; second hemistich opens outward (‘then and now’).
Clears emotional turbulence; leaves a bright, empowered mental clarity suitable for concentration and decisive action.
- marjayāmasi
- Literal: we cleanse/polish. Symbolic: inner clarification: refining experience so it can be safely integrated
- madaḥ
- Literal: intoxication/rapture. Symbolic: ecstatic ananda that energizes consciousness
- indra-pātamaḥ
- Literal: most to-be-drunk by Indra. Symbolic: most fit to empower the illumined mind for victory over obstruction
- gāvaḥ
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledge, luminous faculties
- āsabhiḥ
- Literal: with mouths. Symbolic: powers of tasting/receiving and expressing—speech and perception channels
- sūrayaḥ
- Literal: seers/illumined ones. Symbolic: those in whom the light is active; inner witnesses who can hold Soma consciously
Purificatory polishing of Soma prior to offering to Indra; also a refrain-like affirmation of Soma as Indra’s best draught.
During pressing/straining and prior to offering; especially in Indra-related Soma sequences
Purification chant while Soma is strained; intention that it become fit for Indra’s ‘drinking’
Chant before focused work or spiritual study: refine excitement into steady luminous energy and articulate insight cleanly.
marjayāmasi from √mṛj ‘wipe, cleanse, polish’ (PIE *merg- ‘wipe’ is often cited; cf. Latin mergō ‘dip’ is different but related semantic field). índrapātama: Indra + pātama (superlative from √pā ‘drink’). gā́vaḥ as ‘cows’ also functions as ‘rays’ in RV symbolic diction; justified by their frequent association with dawn/light and recovery of illumination.
Continuity of revelation (purā…nūnam), Assimilation of delight by the conquering force (Indra), Illumination as ‘rays’ that hold Soma
Purification aligns delight with ṛta so it can lawfully empower Indra (illumined governance).
The rays ‘set Soma in the mouth’—truth is tasted and spoken without distortion.
Essence becomes force: ananda → illumination → victorious action.
Integral-psychological theism: deities as functional powers of consciousness.
Tasting = conscious assimilation; cows/rays = luminous perceptions that convert delight into knowledge and speech.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as Indra’s supreme draught, cleansed and held by the ‘cows’ (rays). Mythically: the cows possess Soma; psychologically: illuminations (rays of knowledge) receive and retain the delight-ecstasy, which then empowers the Indra-force for victory.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘drink’ is a stable Indo-Iranian verb with PIE correspondences in drink/guard semantics (compare Latin pāscō ‘feed’ is adjacent semantically). The superlative formation -tama (pātama) is a common IE morphological strategy for intensification.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi performs marjana (polishing) as human cooperation; the Devata’s role is to become the very mada that Indra drinks. The illumined ones (sūrayaḥ) are invoked as those in whom rays already ‘hold’ Soma—suggesting a lineage of realization renewed in the present.
Purify joy: let delight become clear, quiet, and strong; offer it to the illumined mind (Indra) to break inner resistance.
Maṇipūra to Ājñā (ojas rising into illumined clarity)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to ‘polish’ excitation into steadiness.
Sattvic exhilaration—clear, strong, luminous.
Chant 12 times, then sit: feel a cool-sweet current at the palate/throat (mouth symbolism), then let it rise to the brow as clear decisive light.
Maintain clear udatta on accented syllables (notably in indrapātamaḥ); keep svarita falls gentle to preserve ‘polishing’ continuity.
Do not over-stress enclitics; let ‘marjayāmasi’ be smooth and even; give a bright lift on ‘indra-’.
marjayāmasi: ‘rj’ cluster clean, not ‘rjya’ blurred, indra-pātamaḥ: keep compound crisp; long ā in pā, gāvaḥ: open long ā; v soft (not English w), sūrayaḥ: long ū, light ‘yaḥ’ ending
clear, steady, slightly bright—like ‘polished’ tone
12
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.
