Rig Veda 9.22.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 22, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.22
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एते सोमास आशवो रथा इव प्र वाजिनः । सर्गाः सृष्टा अहेषत ॥
eté somāsa āśávo ráthā iva prá vājínaḥ | sárgāḥ sṛṣṭā́ aheṣata ||
โสมะ (Soma) ผู้ว่องไวเหล่านี้ ดุจรถศึกพุ่งไปข้างหน้า—ผู้ทรงพลังแห่งความอุดม; เมื่อถูกปลดปล่อยเป็นสายธาร ก็คำรามกึกก้องในยามหลั่งไหล.
Word by Word
- एते
- thesePronoun/Determinerपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (कर्तृपदस्य)Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / एष-प्रातिपदिक
- सोमासः
- Soma (drops/juices)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- आशवः
- swiftAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (सोमासः)Root आशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- रथाः
- chariotsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role उपमानम् (इव-योगे)Root रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमानार्थक-अव्ययम्Role सम्बन्धसूचकः (उपमा)Root इव (निपात)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableप्रवृत्त्यर्थकः (आगे/प्रकर्षे) उपसर्गःRole क्रियाविशेषणम्Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वाजिनः
- prize-winning, swift (lit. possessing vāja)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (सोमासः) / सहवाच्य-विशेषणम्Root वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सर्गाः
- streams, rushes (outpourings)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (द्वितीयः कर्तृसमूहः/अप्पोज़िशन)Root सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; √सृज्-सम्बद्धः)
- सृष्टाः
- released, let looseParticiple (Adjectival) / Kṛdantaपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP)Role विशेषणम् (सर्गाः)Root √सृज् (धातु) → सृष्ट (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि/क्त)
- अहेषत
- neighed/roared (made a rushing sound)Verbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रिया (कर्तृ=सोमासः/सर्गाः)Root √हिष्/√हेष् (धातु; ‘हेष्’ = हिनहिनायाम्/शब्दे)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एते | सोमासः | आशवः | रथाः | इव | प्र | वाजिनः | सर्गाः | सृष्टाः | अहेषत । (सोमास आ॒शवो॒ = सोमासः आशवः; रथा॑ इव॒ = रथाः इव; वा॒जिन॑: = वाजिनः; सर्गा॑: = सर्गाः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
These swift Soma-juices, like chariots, go forth as vājins; released as streams, they thunder.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma energies surge forward like well-yoked chariots: organized forces of movement in consciousness. As vājins they carry plenitude—effective power and joy of accomplishment. Their ‘thundering’ is the impactful descent of force that breaks inner dullness and announces a new intensity of life and mind under the pressure of delight.
Universal truth
When the inner essence is released and rightly directed, it becomes a swift, organized power that advances the journey and transforms inertia into vibrant movement.
Themes
Soma-ritual, victory-force, purified flow, inner dynamism
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.22 (hymn context)
Significance
The seer-voice emphasizes Soma as a dynamic evolutionary force: not merely cleansing, but releasing a swift, organized advance (ratha) that carries plenitude (vāja).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- āśu/āśava (swift), vājī (plenitude-bearer), pavamāna (purifying)
- Related deities
- Indra (receives strength/illumination), Maruts (roaring force; thematic), Agni (drives inner sacrifice; thematic)
Cosmic role
Sets the life of the worlds in motion by releasing the essence as streams that strengthen gods and men.
Inner power
Mobilizes aspiration and progress; turns delight into effective forward movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna Soma chants during filtration
ए॒ते सोमा॑स आ॒शवो॒ रथा॑ इव॒ प्र वा॒जिन॑: । सर्गा॑: सृ॒ष्टा अ॑हेषत ॥
ए॒ते । सोमा॑सः । आ॒शवः॑ । रथाः॑ऽइव । प्र । वा॒जिनः॑ । सर्गाः॑ । सृ॒ष्टाः । अ॒हे॒ष॒त॒ ॥
ete | somāsaḥ | āśavaḥ | rathāḥ-iva | pra | vājinaḥ | sargāḥ | sṛṣṭāḥ | aheṣata
32
4 × ~8 (probable)
Swift, rolling momentum; onomatopoetic force in aheṣata.
Builds energy and forward drive; helpful for overcoming tamas and lethargy.
- somāsaḥ
- Literal: Soma juices. Symbolic: currents of delight-consciousness
- āśavaḥ
- Literal: swift. Symbolic: rapid responsiveness of purified force
- rathā iva
- Literal: like chariots. Symbolic: organized, directed energies; instruments of progress
- pra
- Literal: forth, forward. Symbolic: evolutionary advance; outward manifestation of inner gain
- vājinaḥ
- Literal: bearers of vāja (prize/plenitude). Symbolic: energies of accomplishment and plenitude
- sargāḥ
- Literal: streams, outflows, releases. Symbolic: released movements of consciousness
- sṛṣṭāḥ
- Literal: let loose, released. Symbolic: unblocked flow after purification
- aheṣata
- Literal: they roared/thundered. Symbolic: powerful impact of force in the being
Pavamāna verses for the Soma flow during pressing/filtration in Soma-yajña
As Soma is released/strained and made ready for offering
Recitation to accompany the flowing Soma and invoke its swift, strengthening movement
Use when beginning a project or sadhana cycle—invoke ‘swift chariot-like’ movement of purified energy.
āśu/āśavá ‘swift’ (root √aś ‘to move quickly, to pervade’); rátha ‘chariot’ (vehicle of directed force in Indo-European poetics); sárga ‘sending forth, emission’ from √sṛj ‘to let go, release, pour’; aheṣata from √heṣ ‘to neigh/whinny, resound’—often used of horses and rushing sound; here bridges the chariot/horse image with the roaring of released Soma.
dynamic advance toward fulfillment (vāja), release of energies through purification (sṛj/sarga)
The ordered surge ‘like chariots’ suggests ṛta as coordinated progress rather than scattered impulse.
Truth manifests as effective movement when the essence is released without mixture.
Release (sṛṣṭi) as a creative act—streams of force entering manifestation.
Dynamic Vedantic/integral reading: Ananda becomes shakti for progress.
A released inner current surges forward with organized power, sounding through the being as transformative force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic image is the ‘released Soma’ as a chariot-host rushing forward with a thunderous sound. In inner terms, purified delight-energy becomes a disciplined vehicle of progress, carrying the being forward with victorious momentum (vāja).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sṛj ‘release’ continues PIE *sreg-/*sreig- ‘to let go/throw’ (semantic parallels in ‘streaming’ and ‘casting forth’). The chariot simile (rátha) is part of a widely attested Indo-European poetic complex of ‘vehicle of power/war’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer witnesses and affirms Soma’s forward surge; the hymn functions as a verbal ‘yoking’—by naming Soma as swift chariots, the rishi aligns the inner energies to move in an ordered, victorious direction rather than dispersing.
Feel a swift, clean current rising and moving forward through the system, like a chariot-drive of consciousness.
maṇipūra (mobilizing force)
brisk but smooth ujjāyī (light) for a few rounds, then settle into natural breath while chanting mentally
energized clarity; forward aspiration
Use to break inertia: chant standing or seated upright; after chanting, take one deliberate action aligned with your highest intention.
Tri-svara as per śākhā; if reciting simply, maintain a quick, even cadence and let ‘aheṣata’ land with a firm finish.
Let ‘ete somāsa’ begin clearly; slight emphasis on āśavaḥ, vājinaḥ, aheṣata to mark speed-power-roar.
āśavo: long ā; ś is palatal, rathā iva: keep hiatus lightly—‘rathā-iva’, sargāḥ: hard g; long āḥ, aheṣata: retroflex ṣ; ‘he-ṣa-ta’
full, resonant, forward
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