Rig Veda 9.3.1: Mandala 9, Sukta 3, Mantra 1
Sukta 9.3
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
एष देवो अमर्त्यः पर्णवीरिव दीयति । अभि द्रोणान्यासदम् ॥
eṣá devó ámartyaḥ parṇavī́r iva dīyati | abhí dróṇāny ā́sadam ||
ผู้นี้แลคือเทพ ผู้เป็นพลังอมตะ; ดุจผู้มีปีกย่อมแล่นไว เขามุ่งสู่ถังบีบคั้น มุ่งสู่ที่ตั้งอันเป็นที่ให้ตกตะกอนสงบลง
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one), hePronoun (Demonstrative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (कर्ता)Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एष-
- देवः
- god; the divine oneNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (कर्ता) (apposition to एषः)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमर्त्यः
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (देवः इति विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (कर्ता) (qualifier of subject)Root अ-मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समासः)
- पर्णवीरिव
- like a pṛṇavīri (leaf-/wing-like [swift] one); like a bird (simile)Indeclinable (comparative particle with nominal base)अव्ययम्; उपमान-वाचकः (इव)Role Karaṇa (करण) (manner/comparison: ‘like …’)Root पर्णवीरि (प्रातिपदिक) + इव (अव्यय)
- दीयति
- flows; is set in motion; is pouredVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role Kriyā (finite verb)Root दी / दा (धातु; ‘to flow, run, be poured’—Soma-usage)
- अभि
- towards; ontoIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)अव्ययम्; ‘towards/onto’ (governs accusative sense)Role Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण) / direction-markerRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- द्रोणान्य
- (wooden) troughs/vats; Soma-vesselsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role Karma (कर्म) (goal of motion with अभि)Root द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक) + -अनि (नपुंसक-बहुवचन-रूपम्) → द्रोणानि
- आसदम्
- to a seat/settling-place; for approaching/settlingKṛdanta (verbal noun/adverbial accusative)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषण-भावः (‘approaching/settling’)Role Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (manner/goal phrase with अभि)Root आ-सद् (धातु ‘to sit/settle/approach’) → आसद (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: ए॒ष दे॒वो अम॑र्त्यः पर्ण॒वीरि॑व दीयति । अ॒भि द्रोणा॑न्या॒सद॑म् ॥ पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): एषः | देवः | अमर्त्यः | पर्णवीरि-इव | दीयति | अभि | द्रोणानि | आसदम् | मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) पर्णवीरि॑व = पर्णवीरि + इव (इव-आद्यस्वरः संहितायाम् ‘…रिव’ इति)
- (2) द्रोणा॑न्या॒सद॑म् = द्रोणानि + आसदम् (इ + आ → या; संहितायाम् ‘-न्याऽ-’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The immortal god speeds like a winged one and moves toward the vats and the settling-place.
Inner meaning
Soma Pavamāna, the immortal delight-power, rushes with winged swiftness through the inner channels toward the ‘vats’—the prepared receptacles of consciousness—where it settles and becomes stable experience (āsadaṃ). The image is of ananda descending and taking its seat in the purified mind-life.
Universal truth
True transformation requires not only a flash of inspiration but a ‘settling’ of higher consciousness into stable receptivity; what descends must find a prepared vessel.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification, Descent/ascent of inspiration, Establishment of the Truth-current
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.3.1-4 (same short sequence; internal unity)
Significance
Anonymous Soma seers often represent a collective yogic insight: the process of purification and descent of delight into prepared receptacles of consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Deva, Amartya, Pavamāna
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
The self-purifying flow that moves toward offering, becoming fit for the gods and for the right-ordered work.
Inner power
A descending, clarifying bliss-force that ‘installs’ itself in the being and makes it receptive to higher action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna Soma chants during filtration toward the collecting vats.
ए॒ष दे॒वो अम॑र्त्यः पर्ण॒वीरि॑व दीयति । अ॒भि द्रोणा॑न्या॒सद॑म् ॥
ए॒षः । दे॒वः । अम॑र्त्यः । प॒र्ण॒वीःऽइ॑व । दी॒य॒ति॒ । अ॒भि । द्रोणा॑नि । आ॒ऽसद॑म् ॥
eṣaḥ | devaḥ | amartyaḥ | parṇavīḥ-iva | dīyati | abhi | droṇāni | āsadam
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3×8 (likely)
Quick, gliding movement matching ‘winged’ speed.
Energizes aspiration and creates a sense of descending current; helpful for shifting from scattered thought to a gathered receptivity.
- दे॒वः (devaḥ)
- Literal: god, shining one. Symbolic: luminous power of consciousness
- अम॑र्त्यः (amartyaḥ)
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: deathless principle beyond mind-life limitation
- पर्ण॒वीः इव (parṇavīḥ iva)
- Literal: like a winged one/bird. Symbolic: swift movement of consciousness, free flight of delight
- दीयति (dīyati)
- Literal: speeds, flows, is given/drives. Symbolic: dynamic descent/flow of the soma-current
- द्रोणा॑नि (droṇāni)
- Literal: vats, troughs. Symbolic: inner vessels: mind, heart, life prepared to receive
- आ॒सद॑म् (āsadam)
- Literal: seat, settling-place. Symbolic: stabilization of experience; the ‘installed’ state in sādhanā
Soma-pavamāna hymns used in Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna cycle) within Soma sacrifices such as Agniṣṭoma.
As Soma runs/flows to droṇa vessels and is set for offering.
Accompanies the flow and settling of Soma; supports orderly sequence of pressing → filtering → collecting.
Use at the start of meditation to invite a ‘descent’ of calm joy into the body-mind as into a prepared vessel.
Key terms: (1) amartyaḥ: a-mṛta ‘not dying’, from √mṛ ‘to die’. (2) dīyati: likely from √dī/√dyu ‘to shine/move swiftly’ in Vedic usage, expressing rapid motion/impulsion of the Soma-stream. (3) droṇa: ‘vat, trough’, a ritual container; symbolically a dhāraṇa ‘holder’ of rasa (essence). (4) āsadam: from ā-√sad ‘to sit down, settle, establish’; indicates the movement toward firm establishment of the flow.
Ṛta (right order in the movement toward establishment), Amṛtatva (immortality as stable consciousness), Rasa/Ānanda (essence-delight carried by Soma)
The movement toward the proper ‘seat’ reflects right placement—energies finding their true station in ṛta.
Immortality implies a truth-principle that does not decay with mental fluctuations.
Descent and settling: higher consciousness taking form in lower instruments.
Integral yoga resonance: descent (avataraṇa) into mind-life and establishment (āsana/āsada) as stable realization.
The winged flight is the swift movement of delight through subtle channels; vats are purified faculties; settling-place is stable samādhi-like poise.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The epiphany and swift advance of Soma-as-god: the purified delight/inspiration ‘flies’ toward the droṇa-vats. Mythically this is Soma’s arrival into the ritual vessels; inwardly it is the descent and rapid circulation of the immortal rasa toward the settled seat of consciousness (ā-sad).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- amartyaḥ is transparent Indo-European morphology: privative *n̥- (Skt a-) + √mṛ ‘die’ (cf. Latin mori, English mortal). The motion-to-settle complex in ā-√sad (PIE *sed- ‘sit’) parallels Latin sedēre, English sit, expressing ‘establishment’ as a core IE semantic.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The verse presents Soma as an autonomous divine force already in motion; the human role is implicit receptivity—preparing the ‘vats’ (capacities) and the ‘seat’ (stable poise). The reciprocity is that Soma brings immortality-force, while the sacrificer provides the ordered channels for its establishment.
Visualize a luminous nectar-current descending and seating itself in the heart and brow; cultivate receptivity.
Anāhata (settling of joy) and Ājñā (clarity)
Inhale: ‘winged ascent of attention’; exhale: ‘settling into the vat’—slow 4–6 count exhale emphasis.
Receptive concentration with a gentle, swift inner movement.
Prepare the ‘vats’ by relaxing body and quieting breath; repeat the mantra and feel the descent of a calm sweetness that becomes stable rather than fleeting.
Rigvedic accenting per Śākala tradition (udātta rise, svarita fall, anudātta low); exact accents require sourced svara text.
Let the first pāda be slightly brighter; soften into the last word āsadam to convey ‘settling’.
eṣa: ‘ṣ’ retroflex; short e, devo: ‘v’ as soft labio-dental, amartyaḥ: clear ‘tya’ cluster, parṇavīr iva: retroflex ṇ; keep iva separate, droṇāny: long ō; palatal ny
Light, flowing, slightly airy at start, grounded at the end.
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