Rig Veda 9.74.9: Mandala 9, Sukta 74, Mantra 9
Sukta 9.74
- Rishi
- Soma-pavamāna seer tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अद्भिः सोम पपृचानस्य ते रसोऽव्यो वारं वि पवमान धावति । स मृज्यमानः कविभिर्मदिन्तम स्वदस्वेन्द्राय पवमान पीतये ॥
adbhiḥ soma papṛcānásya te rásó ’vyó vā́raṃ ví pavamāna dhāvati | sá mṛjyámānaḥ kavíbhir madíntama svadásvéndrāya pavamāna pītáye ||
โสมะเอ๋ย เมื่อเจ้าผสานกับสายน้ำ รสแก่นของเจ้า—ที่กรองด้วยขนแกะ (avyá)—ย่อมไหลพุ่งผ่านตะแกรงกรอง ขณะเจ้าชำระตนเป็นผู้ชำระ (Pavamāna). เมื่อถูกขัดเกลาโดยกวีผู้เห็น (kavi) จนเป็นความรื่นรมย์อันมึนเมายิ่งนัก จงหวานชื่นเพื่ออินทระจะดื่ม—โอ้ ปวะมานะ.
Word by Word
- अद्भिः
- with watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole करणRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक: अद्/अप् ‘जल’)
- सोम
- O SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पपृचानस्य
- of (you) being mingled/filledAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root पपृचान (कृदन्त; √पृच्/पृञ्च् ‘मिश्रयति/सम्पृणक्ति’)
- ते
- of you/yourPronounषष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root युष्मद्
- रसः
- the juice/essenceNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot रस (प्रातिपदिक)
- अव्यः
- woolly; of sheep’s woolAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (रसस्य विशेषणम्)Root अवि (प्रातिपदिक ‘भेड़’ → अव्य ‘भेड़-सम्बन्धी/ऊन का’)
- वारम्
- the strainer/filterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वार (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart; forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषक)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- पवमान
- O Pavamāna (self-purifying Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पवमान (कृदन्त; √पू ‘पवते’ ‘to purify/flow’)
- धावति
- runs; streamsVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √धाव्
- सः
- he/that (Soma)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद्
- मृज्यमानः
- being cleansed/purifiedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; वर्तमान-कर्तरि/कर्मणि कृदन्त (passive sense: ‘being cleansed’)Role कर्तृ (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root मृज्यमान (कृदन्त; √मृज् ‘to wipe/clean’)
- कविभिः
- by the seers/poetsNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-बहुवचनRole करणRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदिन्तमम्
- most intoxicating/gladdeningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (स्वदस्व इत्यस्य)Root मदिन्तम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अत्यन्तं मदकर/आनन्दकर’)
- स्वद
- be sweet; taste wellVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (वैदिक संक्षिप्त रूप)Role क्रियाRoot √स्वद्
- स्व
- well; pleasantlyIndeclinableक्रियाविशेषणRoot स्व (निपात/अव्यय; प्रायः ‘well/pleasantly’)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पवमान
- O PavamānaNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पवमान (कृदन्त; √पू ‘पवते’)
- पीतये
- for drinkingNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान (अर्थे: ‘for drinking’)Root पीति (प्रातिपदिक; √पा ‘to drink’ → ‘drinking’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: रसोऽव्यो = रसः + अव्यः (अः + अ → ‘ओ’/ऽ). Other padas are already in near-pada form
- vocatives ‘सोम’, ‘पवमान’ are direct address. Accent marks in the given Saṃhitā text are not re-applied in the pada list
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Soma, mixed with the waters, your essence runs out—wool-filtered—through the strainer as you purify yourself. Cleansed by the seers into the most intoxicating, become sweet for Indra to drink, O Pavamāna.
Inner meaning
Soma’s rasa (essential delight) mingles with the waters—our flowing life-movements—and passes through the wool-filter (avya vāra): the discriminating purification that removes obscurity and turbulence. The kavis (seer-minds) actively cleanse and refine it into madintama—not intoxication of senses, but the highest ecstasy of inspired consciousness. Offered to Indra, it becomes the delight that empowers the illumined mind to break the Coverer (Vṛtra) and release the rays.
Universal truth
When delight is purified through discernment and guided by insight, it becomes a power that strengthens illumination and liberates consciousness from inner resistance.
Themes
Soma purification mechanics, seer-mediated refinement, offering to Indra, delight-substance (rasa)
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma-pavamāna seer tradition (Mandala 9)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.62, RV 9.96, RV 9.97
Family tradition
Pavamāna hymns: the rishis act as kavi-purifiers, emphasizing inner discrimination and refinement of delight
Significance
A direct description of the inner yoga-process: mixture (with waters) → filtration (vāra) → seer-refinement (kavi) → empowerment of illumination (Indra).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Rasavān (possessing essence), Avya-vāra (wool-filtered), Svādu (sweet)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Purifies the delight-essence and offers it as power to Indra, enabling the victory of light in the worlds.
Inner power
Ecstatic clarity—bliss refined into a force that strengthens discernment and illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration through wool and offering to Indra
अ॒द्भिः सो॑म पपृचा॒नस्य॑ ते॒ रसोऽव्यो॒ वारं॒ वि प॑वमान धावति । स मृ॒ज्यमा॑नः क॒विभि॑र्मदिन्तम॒ स्वद॒स्वेन्द्रा॑य पवमान पी॒तये॑ ॥
अ॒त्ऽभिः । सो॒म॒ । प॒पृ॒चा॒नस्य॑ । ते॒ । रसः॑ । अव्यः॑ । वार॑म् । वि । प॒व॒मा॒न॒ । धा॒व॒ति॒ । सः । मृ॒ज्यमा॑नः । क॒विऽभिः॑ । म॒दि॒न्ऽत॒म॒ । स्वद॑स्व । इन्द्रा॑य । प॒व॒मा॒न॒ । पी॒तये॑ ॥
at-bhiḥ | soma | papṛcānasya | te | rasaḥ | avyaḥ | vāram | vi | pavamāna | dhāvati | saḥ | mṛjyamānaḥ | kavi-bhiḥ | madin-tama | svadasva | indrāya | pavamāna | pītaye
48
4×12 (approx.)
Swift, cleansing movement; clear forward run like a stream
Creates a felt sense of ‘washing through’ and brightening; good for clearing heaviness.
- adbhiḥ
- Literal: with waters. Symbolic: with life-flows and emotional currents; also the clarifying medium of consciousness
- rasaḥ
- Literal: sap/essence. Symbolic: essential Ananda-juice of experience
- avyaḥ vāraḥ
- Literal: woolen strainer. Symbolic: purifying discernment; subtle filter of the inner sense that separates truth from mixture
- pavamāna
- Literal: self-purifying. Symbolic: the force that purifies itself in us through repeated movement and offering
- mṛjyamānaḥ
- Literal: being cleansed. Symbolic: progressive refinement of consciousness
- kavibhiḥ
- Literal: by seers/poets. Symbolic: illumined faculties that shape and clarify experience
- madintama
- Literal: most intoxicating. Symbolic: highest ecstasy of inspired delight that empowers spiritual action
- svadasva
- Literal: be sweet. Symbolic: be harmonious, delectable to the illumined mind—fit to be assimilated
- indrāya pītaye
- Literal: for Indra to drink. Symbolic: for the divine mind to receive and use as power of victory
Core Soma filtration verse: Soma mixed with water runs through woolen filter; offered especially to Indra in Soma rites
At the moment of pavamāna flow and preparation of Indra’s draught
Chant while Soma runs through the strainer; intention of sweetness and potency for Indra
Use for inner purification: before pranayama or when emotions feel mixed; visualize filtration into clarity.
papṛcāna: √pṛc ‘to mix, join’ (cf. Latin parcere is unrelated; closer is the general PIE mixing semantic). mṛjyamāna: √mṛj ‘wipe, cleanse, polish’ → purification. svad: √svad ‘to taste, be sweet’ (PIE *swād- ‘sweet’). Indra: the ‘lord of ind’ (power), often mapped inwardly to the illumined mental force that can receive Soma.
purification (mṛj), ānanda/intoxication (madin-tama) as spiritual rapture, Indra as recipient power
Purification aligns the flow with Ṛta—right channel and right measure.
Filtering is the movement from mixture to truth-clarity.
Release of essence through a channel; transformation of raw life into luminous power.
Integral yoga reading: Soma as Ananda refined to empower higher mind (Indra).
Waters = vital-emotional currents; wool filter = discrimination; stream = purified consciousness moving toward illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The filtration-rite as inner alchemy: Soma, mixed with waters, is purified through the woolen strainer and becomes the sweetest, most rapturous essence for Indra’s drinking—i.e., for the luminous mind-force to assimilate.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √svad ‘be sweet’ has clear Indo-European cognacy (PIE *swād-; cf. Greek hēdús ‘sweet’ via related developments, and English ‘sweet’ from Germanic *swōt- is often connected in broader etymological discussions). √mṛj ‘cleanse’ reflects a common ritual lexicon of ‘polishing/cleansing’ used for both objects and states of mind.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer (kavi) is an active purifier: through inspired faculties the Soma is refined into a form Indra can ‘drink’—meaning the higher mental sovereignty can receive and act from the delight-essence. The reciprocity is refinement offered, power received.
Let mixed emotions become ‘waters’; invite Soma-rasa to pass through an inner filter of witnessing and discernment; offer the refined joy to the illumined mind.
Viśuddha (purification/clarity) supporting Ājñā (illumination)
Exhale-focused cleansing: longer exhale, imagining flow through a filter at the throat/heart
Clear, sweet, quietly ecstatic
Do not suppress the waters; let them be filtered. Repeatedly ‘offer’ the refined sweetness to the higher intelligence for right action.
Observe udātta on sóma, rásaḥ, pavamā́na, mṛ́jyamānaḥ, índrāya; keep svarita glides where marked in the pada/śākha.
Let ‘dhāvati’ be a flowing push; soften on ‘svadasva’ (sweeten) as a gentle resolution.
adbhiḥ: cluster dbh—keep b audible; bh aspirated, papṛcānasya: retroflex ṛ; avoid swallowing middle vowels, avyaḥ: short a; vy cluster clean, mṛjyamānaḥ: retroflex ṛ; jy cluster, madintama: dental n; short i
Clean, fluid, slightly bright; avoid heaviness
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