Rig Veda 9.108.8: Mandala 9, Sukta 108, Mantra 8
Sukta 9.108
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
सहस्रधारं वृषभं पयोवृधं प्रियं देवाय जन्मने । ऋतेन य ऋतजातो विवावृधे राजा देव ऋतं बृहत् ॥
sahasrá-dhāraṃ vṛṣabháṃ payo-vṛ́dhaṃ priyáṃ devā́ya jánmane | ṛténa yá ṛtá-jāto vivāvṛdhé rājā devá ṛtáṃ bṛhát ||
โคอุสุภะผู้มีธารานับพัน ผู้เพิ่มพูน “น้ำนม” (páyas) อันหล่อเลี้ยง ผู้เป็นที่รักแห่งการบังเกิดอันเป็นทิพย์—ผู้ซึ่งเกิดจาก ṛta (สัจธรรม/ระเบียบจักรวาล) และเติบโตด้วย ṛta ย่อมเป็นเทพผู้ทรงราชา: คือ ṛta อันไพศาลยิ่งนั้นเอง.
Word by Word
- सहस्रधारम्
- having a thousand streamsAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (स्तुत्य-वस्तु/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)Root सहस्र-धार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
- वृषभम्
- the bull (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पयोवृधम्
- increasing/strengthening with milk (nourishing)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (वृषभम् इति विशेषणम्)Root पयस्-वृध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
- प्रियम्
- dear, belovedAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (देवाय जन्मने इति सम्बन्धः)Root प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाय
- for the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- जन्मने
- for (his) birth/originNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (देवाय सह)Root जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतेन
- by/with ṛta (cosmic order, truth)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतजातः
- born of ṛta / born in accordance with ṛtaAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (यः इति विशेषणम्)Root ऋत-जात (कृदन्त/समास; √जन् ‘to be born’)
- विवावृधे
- has grown, has increasedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √वृध् (वर्धते) with वि- (विवर्धते); Vedic perfect
- राजा
- kingNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (देवः इति समानाधिकरणम्)Root राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (राजा इति समानाधिकरणम्)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतम्
- ṛta (truth, order)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहत्
- great, loftyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (ऋतम् इति विशेषणम्)Root बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सहस्रधारम् | वृषभम् | पयोवृधम् | प्रियम् | देवाय | जन्मने | ऋतेन | यः | ऋतजातः | विवावृधे | राजा | देवः | ऋतम् | बृहत् । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) दे॒वाय॒ जन्म॑ने = देवाय + जन्मने (स्वर-सन्धि/पदसन्धि; रूपपरिवर्तनं न)
- (2) ऋ॒तेन॒ यः = ऋतेन + यः (विसर्गादि न; संयोगः मात्रम्)
- (3) ऋ॒तजा॑तो = ऋत + जातः (समास/कृदन्त-निर्माणः)
- (4) बृ॒हत् इति बृहन्त्-शब्दस्य नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (RV-प्रयोगः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, the powerful bull, flows in a thousand streams, increases the nourishing milk, is dear to the divine birth; born of ṛta and growing by ṛta, he becomes kingly god—vast ṛta itself.
Inner meaning
The purified Soma-consciousness (ānanda-force) pours through many channels of the being (“thousand streams”), strengthening the inner nourishment (payas) that feeds the soul’s growth. When our delight is founded on ṛta (right order, truth-acting) and increases by ṛta, it becomes sovereign in the nature: the delight becomes a ruling power that establishes the “vast Truth” as our stable inner law.
Universal truth
What is born from truth and enlarged by truth becomes a sovereign force in life; authentic growth is self-validating because it aligns with the deep order of reality.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Rita, kingship/sovereignty of truth, nourishment and plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Traditionally ascribed to the Soma Pavamāna seers of the Pavitra Maṇḍala (Book 9); specific rishi for 9.108 is not firmly preserved in common recensions.
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.108.1-13 (same sūkta context: Soma as purifier, sovereign of ṛta)
Family tradition
Pavamāna Soma hymns are largely communal/ritual-seer transmissions tied to the Soma-pressing tradition rather than a single family line in many listings.
Significance
The ‘seer’ here is the inner sacrificer: the awakened faculty that perceives Soma not as drink but as the truth-born delight-power establishing kingship of ṛta in the psyche.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- sahasradhāra (thousand-streamed), vṛṣabha (bull), payovṛdh (increaser of milk), ṛtajāta (ṛta-born), rājā deva (kingly god)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Varuṇa, Mitra
Cosmic role
Purifier and distributor of the immortal essence; establishes ṛta in the worlds and makes the gods strong.
Inner power
Ananda that becomes sovereign when aligned with truth; a purifying ecstasy that organizes mind-life into right order.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma Pavamāna chant during Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna-stotra sequences).
स॒हस्र॑धारं वृष॒भं प॑यो॒वृधं॑ प्रि॒यं दे॒वाय॒ जन्म॑ने । ऋ॒तेन॒ य ऋ॒तजा॑तो विवावृ॒धे राजा॑ दे॒व ऋ॒तं बृ॒हत् ॥
स॒हस्र॑ऽधारम् । वृ॒ष॒भम् । प्चायः॒ऽवृध॑म् । प्रि॒यम् । दे॒वाय॑ । जन्म॑ने । ऋ॒तेन॑ । यः । ऋ॒तऽजा॑तः । वि॒ऽव॒वृ॒धे । राजा॑ । दे॒वः । ऋ॒तम् । बृ॒हत् ॥
sahasra-dhāram | vṛṣabham | payaḥ-vṛdham | priyam | devāya | janmane | ṛtena | yaḥ | ṛta-jātaḥ | vi-vavṛdhe | rājā | devaḥ | ṛtam | bṛhat
Likely Triṣṭubh (common in Soma hymns of Book 9); exact pada scan depends on recension.
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables (Triṣṭubh-type cadence).
Strong, forward-driving, ‘kingly’ rhythm suited to proclamation of sovereignty (rājā).
Builds a sense of wideness and enthronement: the listener feels uplifted into a stable, truth-ordered joy.
- सहस्रधारम् (sahasradhāram)
- Literal: thousand-streamed. Symbolic: innumerable currents of consciousness/ānanda flowing through mind, life, and body
- वृषभम् (vṛṣabham)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: virile, fertilizing power; irresistible spiritual force
- पयोवृधम् (payovṛdham)
- Literal: increasing milk/nourishment. Symbolic: augmenting inner ‘milk’—clarity, strength, delight that nourishes the soul
- देवाय जन्मने (devāya janmane)
- Literal: for the divine birth. Symbolic: the birth of the godhead in us (higher consciousness taking embodiment)
- ऋतेन (ṛtena)
- Literal: by/through ṛta. Symbolic: by truth-acting order; right vibration that sets the being straight
- ऋतजातः (ṛtajātaḥ)
- Literal: ṛta-born. Symbolic: arising from the plane of truth (satyam-ṛtam), not from desire or ignorance
- राजा देवः (rājā devaḥ)
- Literal: king, god. Symbolic: sovereign inner ruler—delight enthroned as divine governance
- ऋतं बृहत् (ṛtaṃ bṛhat)
- Literal: the vast ṛta. Symbolic: the wide, all-containing truth-order (bṛhat = wideness of consciousness)
Pavamāna praise highlighting Soma’s ṛta-nature; used to establish Soma as the truth-bearing potency empowering the sacrifice and the inner ‘divine birth’ (janman).
During the pressing/filtering (pavana) when Soma is made fit for offering and for strengthening Indra and the gods.
Chanted as Soma flows/filters; supports the ‘purification’ intention and invocation of ṛta.
Use as a meditation-chant for aligning joy with integrity: repeat while contemplating ‘truth-born delight’ governing the day.
sahasra-dhāra- ‘thousand-streamed’ (sahasra ‘thousand’ + dhārā ‘stream’ from √dhṛ/√dhār ‘to hold/flow’). vṛṣabhá- ‘bull’ from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, be strong/virile’—Soma as raining plenitude. payas ‘milk/juice’ (nourishing essence) + √vṛdh ‘increase’. ṛtá- from √ar/ṛ ‘to fit, join, set in order’ → cosmic order; bṛhát from √bṛh ‘to grow, expand’ → vastness; the formula ṛtaṃ bṛhat anticipates the later triad satyam ṛtam bṛhat.
Rita (cosmic order), Truth-born growth (ṛta-jāta, ṛtena vivāvṛdhe), Bṛhat (the Vast), divine birth (devāya janmane)
Explicit: Soma is born of ṛta and increases by ṛta, culminating as ‘ṛtaṃ bṛhat’.
Satya as the stable truth behind right action; Soma embodies truth-substance when purified.
Divine birth (devāya janmane): emergence of higher consciousness into manifestation.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian): Soma as ananda-principle establishing supramental order in the being.
Many-streamed flow = multiple nadis/psychic currents; milk = luminous nourishment of consciousness; bull = creative force that fecundates and stabilizes truth in life.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the ‘bull’ and ‘thousand-streamed’ sovereign whose essence nourishes and increases; mythically the divine drink that empowers gods, psychologically the truth-force that multiplies inner substance (payas) and establishes sovereignty (rājā) of ṛta in the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- bṛhat (from √bṛh ‘grow’) parallels IE notions of expansion/height (cf. Germanic *berg ‘mountain’ is not direct but shares semantic field of ‘high/raised’). ṛta as ‘fitted order’ reflects an archaic Indo-Iranian concept (Avestan aša) indicating a shared inherited moral-cosmic law.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The hymn positions Soma not merely as an offering but as the agent of the ‘divine birth’ in the practitioner; the seer recognizes that growth must be ‘by ṛta’—alignment with right order—so Soma can become kingly within and widen consciousness into bṛhat.
Let delight (Soma) descend as a wide, many-streamed flow; affirm that joy must be ‘ṛta-born’—aligned with truth and right movement.
Anāhata to Sahasrāra axis (heart-joy widening upward into vastness).
Slow inhalation imagining ‘streams’ rising; gentle retention while feeling ‘ṛta’ as inner alignment; long exhale releasing falsehood/strain.
Widened, luminous equanimity with a sweet intensity of bliss.
Before action, ask: ‘Is this ṛta?’—then allow the action to be powered by quiet joy rather than desire; repeat the mantra to enthrone truth-guided delight.
Follow śākhā-specific udātta/anudātta/svarita; as a rule keep udātta peaks on key nouns (sahasradhāram, vṛṣabham, ṛtajātaḥ, rājā, bṛhat).
Let the cadence broaden on ‘ṛtaṃ bṛhat’ (slight lengthening), while keeping earlier compounds crisp.
Keep cerebral ‘ṛ’ clear in ṛtena/ṛtajātaḥ/ṛtam (not ‘ri’)., Differentiate vṛṣabham (vṛ-ṣa-bham) with retroflex ṣ., Sustain long ā in sahasradhāram, rājā, bṛhat not lengthened (short a in bṛhat).
Full, steady, ‘royal’ tone; avoid breathiness; end with spacious resonance on bṛhat.
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