Rig Veda 9.6.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 6, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.6
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अनु द्रप्सास इन्दव आपो न प्रवतासरन् । पुनाना इन्द्रमाशत ॥
ánu drapsā́sa índava ā́po ná pravatā́ asaran | punānā́ índram ā́śata ||
หยดโสมะไหลต่อเนื่องกัน ดุจสายน้ำที่ไหลลงตามลาดชัน. ในการเคลื่อนไหวที่ชำระตนเองนั้น พวกเขาไปถึงอินทระ—พลังแห่งจิตอันสว่าง—เพื่อให้พลังผู้มีชัยตื่นขึ้นในเรา.
Word by Word
- अनु
- along, after, in accordance withIndeclinableRoot अनु (upasarga/avyaya)
- द्रप्सासः
- drops (of Soma), dropletsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot द्रप्सा- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दवः
- Soma-dropsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (apposition to द्रप्सासः)Root इन्दु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आपः
- watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (of implied comparison)Root आप्- / आपः (प्रातिपदिक; pluralia tantum)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न (avyaya)
- प्रवतासरन्
- they flowed forth/ran forwardVerbलङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot सृ (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
- पुनानाः
- purifying themselves, being purifiedParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (qualifying द्रप्सासः/इन्दवः)Role Kartā (as qualifier of the subject)Root पू (धातु) → पुनान- (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; आत्मनेपदी वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आशत
- they reached, attainedVerbलङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot अश् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अनु | द्रप्सासः | इन्दवः | आपः | न | प्रवतासरन् | पुनानाः | इन्द्रम् | आशत । 1) प्रवता + असरन् → प्रवतासरन् (स्वर-सन्धि: आ + अ → आ). 2) अन्यत्र स्पष्ट सन्धि-परिवर्तनं न
- ‘आपो न’ इत्यत्र ‘आपः’ प्रथमा-बहुवचनस्य वैदिक-रूप ‘आपो’ (पदपाठे) प्रचलितम्, संहितायां ‘आपो’ एव दृश्यते।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma drops, following one another, flow like waters down a slope; as they purify themselves they reach Indra.
Inner meaning
The successive movements of delight (Soma) descend through the being like a clear current; as the consciousness is purified (pavamāna), this delight reaches and feeds Indra—the illumined mind-power—so that the awakening of victorious clarity and force becomes possible in us.
Universal truth
When inner joy is continually refined and allowed to flow without obstruction, it naturally nourishes the higher intelligence and awakens decisive power against obscurity.
Themes
Soma-flow, Purification process, Indra empowerment, Simile of waters
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.6.1-9.6.10 (same hymn; colophon needed for rishi identification)
Significance
The seer-voice here is characteristic of the Pavamāna vision: an experiential psychology of purification where Ananda becomes the operative power that prepares the mind for Indra’s illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (purifying Soma), culminating in Indra-attainment
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Indu (the bright drop), Suta (pressed out)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Uṣas, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Soma is the bliss-substance and immortal sap that circulates through the worlds, enabling the gods (powers) to act and the sacrifice (yajña) to progress.
Inner power
Ananda that clarifies itself into a steady stream, capable of feeding the illumined mind (Indra) and breaking inner resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavamāna recitation during Soma-yajña)
अनु॑ द्र॒प्सास॒ इन्द॑व॒ आपो॒ न प्र॒वता॑सरन् । पु॒ना॒ना इन्द्र॑माशत ॥
अनु॑ । द्र॒प्सासः॑ । इन्द॑वः । आपः॑ । न । प्र॒वता॑ । अ॒स॒र॒न् । पु॒ना॒नाः । इन्द्र॑म् । आ॒श॒त॒ ॥
anu | drapsāsaḥ | indavaḥ | āpaḥ | na | pravatā | asaran | punānāḥ | indram | āśata
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3 padas of ~8 syllables each (typical Gāyatrī cadence)
Quick, flowing, river-like movement; suited to describing continuous streaming.
Produces a sense of onward motion and cleansing momentum; supports meditation on continuous inner flow and descent.
- द्रप्सासः (drapsāsaḥ)
- Literal: drops. Symbolic: successive pulses of concentrated delight-consciousness
- इन्दवः (indavaḥ)
- Literal: Soma-drops. Symbolic: streams of ananda moving through the inner channels
- आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: purifying currents of consciousness, fluidity of inner life
- प्रवता (pravatā)
- Literal: down a slope, descent. Symbolic: natural downward flow into the embodied nature; descent of higher essence into mind-life-body
- पुनानाः (punānāḥ)
- Literal: purifying themselves. Symbolic: self-clarifying movement; removal of mixture (tamas/rajas) from delight
- इन्द्रम् (indram)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: luminous mind-force, the power of illumination and victorious discernment
- आशत (āśata)
- Literal: they reached/attained. Symbolic: arrive at the seat of illumined intelligence; establish contact
Describes Soma’s flow during straining/clarification; ritually it marks the successful movement of Soma toward Indra’s portion and empowerment.
During Soma sacrifice while Soma is filtered and made to flow in streams
Chant accompanies purification/straining and offering; invokes Soma’s movement toward Indra
Use as a mantra of ‘inner flow’: recite when seeking to clear mental turbulence and allow delight to descend and steady the mind.
drapsa- ‘drop’ often carries a glittering nuance in Vedic usage (sparkling points of Soma/light). √sṛ ‘flow’ is a primary IE motion root (PIE *ser- ‘flow’). √aś ‘reach/attain’ (āśata) expresses successful arrival—here the rite’s efficacy: purification culminates in Indra-attainment.
process of self-purification (punānāḥ), attainment of the Indra-power (āśata índram), ordered progression (anu)
The orderly, sequential ‘following’ of drops mirrors ṛta: right succession and right movement in consciousness.
Purification culminates in Indra—truth-illumination that dispels distortion.
Descent of essence into manifestation; circulation of the immortal sap sustaining the gods.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: Ananda as a fundamental power supporting higher Mind.
Like waters running downhill, purified delight moves by its own law into the mind and life, washing away obstruction and feeding illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Soma as waters’ mythologem: Soma’s descent and flow mirror cosmic waters, but the goal is not physical drainage—it is the reaching of Indra. Psychologically, successive impulses of clarified delight stream through the being and culminate in awakening the victorious luminous mentality.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sṛ ‘flow’ continues PIE *ser- ‘to flow’ (cf. Greek rheîn is different root; but the widespread IE hydronymic *ser-/*sor- family supports antiquity). ā́pas ‘waters’ corresponds to PIE *h₂ep- ‘water’ (cf. Latin aqua via *h₂ekʷ- is different; but Indo-Iranian āp- has Avestan āpō).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi witnesses and affirms the efficacy of the inner rite: as Soma becomes punāna (self-purifying), it naturally ‘reaches Indra’. The relation is one of guided process—right movement (anu, pravatā) yields right attainment (āśata).
Allow ‘inner delight’ to stream continuously; witness the mind being fed by a clearer, sweeter current.
Ājñā (Indra as illumined mind) with support from Anāhata (Soma as joy)
Gentle ujjāyī or smooth nāḍī-śodhana; feel the exhale as ‘downward streaming’ of clarity through the system.
Flow-state moving toward luminous stillness.
Chant in a steady rhythm; after each recitation, pause and sense a subtle stream descending through the forehead into the heart, settling as quiet joy and clear discernment.
Notated svaras not provided; chant with standard RV udātta/anudātta/svarita as per Śākala recension (requires pada + svara text for exact pattern).
Keep clear stress on udātta syllables; avoid flattening the cadence—let ‘anu … asaran’ sound like continuous flow.
: cluster ‘dr’ + ‘ps’—articulate lightly without inserting extra vowel, : short ‘i’ in ‘in-’, dental ‘d’, : ‘v’ as soft labio-dental; keep ‘t’ dental, : long ā at end; nasal ‘n’ clear
Clear, flowing, unforced; slightly resonant to evoke ‘streaming’.
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