Rig Veda 9.21.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 21, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.21
- Devata
- Soma
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आस्मिन्पिशङ्गमिन्दवो दधाता वेनमादिशे । यो अस्मभ्यमरावा ॥
ā́smín piśáṅgam indavo dádhāta venám ā́diśe | yó asmábhyam arā́vā ||
ในที่นี้ โอหยดโสมะ จงวางประกายสีทองแดงไว้; จงตั้งความใฝ่หา (vena) เพื่อการเปิดเผย. ขอผู้เอื้อเฟื้อแก่เราจงมีอยู่.
Word by Word
- आस्मिन्
- in thisPronounपुं/नपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्मिन्
- पिशङ्गम्
- tawny, reddish-brownAdjectiveपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पिशङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दवः
- the Soma-dropsNounपुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधात
- place, put (you all)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root धा (धातु)
- वेनम्
- the beloved/desired one (Vena)Nounपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वेन (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषण)Role (क्रिया-विशेषण)Root आ (उपसर्ग)
- दिशे
- for (the) direction/quarterNounस्त्री, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot दिश् (धातु) → दिशा/दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मभ्यम्
- to usPronounचतुर्थी, बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्मद्
- अरावाः
- bountiful, generousAdjectiveपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (यः … अरावाः)Root अरावन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: आस्मि॑न्पि॒शङ्ग॑म् → आस्मिन् + पिशङ्गम् (final -n + initial p, no change in writing beyond padapāṭha separation). इन्दवो॒ दधा॑ता → इन्दवः + दधात (visarga before voiced dental d becomes o in saṃhitā: -वः द- → -वो द-). वे॒नमा॒दिशे॑ → वेनम् + आ + दिशे (final -m before vowel ā shows anusvāra/assimilation in saṃhitā: -म् आ- → -मा-). Accent marks are retained as in saṃhitā
- pada-forms given without accent marking
The meaning
Outer meaning
In this place set the tawny splendor, O Soma drops; set the yearning (vena) for revelation/pointing out; he who is bountiful to us (arāvā).
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the Soma-currents to establish in the field of the being (asmin) a piśaṅga radiance—tawny-golden light of clarified delight. With it, they should place vena: the inspired longing and intuitive ‘desire to see’ that turns consciousness toward revelation (ādiśe, the indicating/showing). The bountiful power (arāvā) is Soma as giver of inner wealth: it awakens aspiration that is itself a faculty of vision.
Universal truth
Illumination is sustained by a purified joy and a true longing to know: aspiration, when clarified, becomes a seeing-power rather than a restless wanting.
Themes
awakening aspiration, radiant Soma, revelatory guidance
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9 (requests for light, wealth, and inspired seeing through Soma), RV 10.123 (Vena as a seer-impulse; thematic resonance)
Family tradition
Soma seers of inner illumination: establishing radiance (piśaṅga) and inspired longing (vena) as prerequisites for revelation.
Significance
The verse is a direct yogic petition: not for outer cattle/wealth, but for inner radiance and the awakened urge toward truth-revelation.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (Indavaḥ as bestowers of radiance and inspired longing)
- Epithets
- pavamāna (implied), piśaṅga (golden radiance bearer), arāvā (bountiful)
- Related deities
- Sūrya (light/revelation), Uṣas (awakening), Bṛhaspati (revelatory word)
Cosmic role
Soma as giver of splendour and inspirer of the seer-will that leads to revelation; enriches both gods and men with luminous substance.
Inner power
Awakens aspiration (vena) and establishes a warm, steady illumination that supports intuitive disclosure.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña: invocation during purification/flow to establish Soma’s splendour and beneficence for the sacrificer
आस्मि॑न्पि॒शङ्ग॑मिन्दवो॒ दधा॑ता वे॒नमा॒दिशे॑ । यो अ॒स्मभ्य॒मरा॑वा ॥
आ । अ॒स्मि॒न् । पि॒शङ्ग॑म् । इ॒न्द॒वः॒ । दधा॑त । वे॒नम् । आ॒ऽदिशे॑ । यः । अ॒स्मभ्य॑म् । अरा॑वा ॥
ā | asmin | piśaṅgam | indavaḥ | dadhāta | venam | ādiśe | yaḥ | asmabhyam | arāvā
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3×8 (probable)
Supplicatory yet bright; the sound supports ‘placing’ and ‘establishing’ rather than rushing.
Invokes warmth and aspiration; tends to kindle a steady inner glow and a gentle longing to know.
- अस्मिन् (asmin)
- Literal: in this (place). Symbolic: in this field of our nature—mind, life, body as the altar
- पिशङ्गम् (piśaṅgam)
- Literal: tawny/golden. Symbolic: warm radiance of illumination born of purified delight
- दधात (dadhāta)
- Literal: place, set, establish. Symbolic: make it stable and operative in consciousness
- वेनम् (venam)
- Literal: desire/longing; also a name linked with inspired seer-impulse. Symbolic: yearning that becomes intuition; aspiration that calls revelation
- आदिशे (ādiśe)
- Literal: for indicating/showing/revelation. Symbolic: toward inner disclosure—direct pointing-out of truth in experience
- अरा॑वा (arāvā)
- Literal: bountiful, generous. Symbolic: the giving power of Soma: inner richness, abundance of light and joy
Invocation to establish Soma’s radiant force and the inspired yearning that leads to revelation; ritually tied to Soma’s bestowal of ‘vena’ (seeking impulse) upon the chanter.
In the pavamāna sequence as Soma is clarified and offered; suitable as a personal petition for inner illumination.
Chant as an intentional ‘installation’ (dadhāta) of Soma’s radiance and inspired longing in the inner altar.
A mantra for seekers facing dullness or lack of inspiration: to kindle warm light and true aspiration before study/meditation.
‘tawny, ruddy-golden’. (2pl impv) from √dhā ‘place’ (PIE *dʰeh₁-). (vená) ‘desire/longing; charm’ possibly from √van ‘to desire, win, love’ (PIE *wenh₁- ‘desire, love’). - from √diś ‘point out, show’ (PIE *deyḱ- ‘show’ is often compared for ‘point/show’ semantics, though exact mapping varies). ‘bountiful’ from rā́ ‘gift’/√rā ‘give’.
vena (inspired longing) as动力 for knowledge, revelation/indication (ādiś) as guidance from higher truth
Establishing the right inner light and longing aligns the being with r̥ta: knowledge comes by ordered revelation, not by mental strain.
Ādiśa implies direct showing: satya as self-evident truth when the inner light is set.
Illumination installed in the field of nature; aspiration as the creative impulse that calls forth revelation.
Vedic psychology of revelation: desire transformed into intuition and seeing.
Sunrise-gold implied by piśaṅga (tawny radiance).
Golden light = awakened illumination in mind/heart; drops = infusions of delight; vena = aspirational intuition; revelation = direct inner seeing.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The implantation of ‘vena’—the inspired longing that leads to revelation—by Soma’s radiant presence. Mythically, Soma gives the seeker the golden light and the urge-to-see; psychologically, aspiration is itself a divine gift placed in the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vená aligns well with the IE desire-root *wenh₁- (cf. Latin Venus, venia; Germanic *wun- ‘joy, desire’). √dhā ‘place’ is PIE *dʰeh₁-. These support an old formula: the god ‘places’ desire/impulse in the human.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi requests not merely gifts but the inner condition for revelation: Soma must establish both radiance (piśaṅga) and seeking (vena). The reciprocity is transformative—Soma’s bounty becomes aspiration and guidance within the chanter.
Install a warm golden light in the inner field; awaken quiet aspiration that naturally turns toward revelation.
Anāhata (warmth/vena) rising to Ājñā (revelatory seeing).
Slow meditative breathing (6–6), visualizing golden Soma drops descending on inhale and spreading as radiance on exhale.
Quietly luminous, receptive, aspiration-filled.
Chant softly; then sit with attention in the heart: feel a golden glow; let a simple question arise—‘Show me what is true now’—and remain receptive rather than mentally searching.
Rigvedic three-tone; exact udatta/anudatta/svarita requires a marked recension text.
Chant as a gentle ‘installation’: slightly lengthen long vowels (ā, ī) without speeding; keep final ḥ/visarga audible where present.
: long ā at start; keep ‘smin’ cluster clear., : nasal ṅ before g; keep ‘pi’ short, ‘śaṅ’ clear., : clean dental n; avoid turning into ‘vem’., : long ā; articulate di-śe with palatal ś., : roll light r; long ā sustained.
Warm, intimate, steady; emphasize resonance over volume.
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