Rig Veda 9.97.42: Mandala 9, Sukta 97, Mantra 42
Sukta 9.97
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
मत्सि वायुमिष्टये राधसे च मत्सि मित्रावरुणा पूयमानः । मत्सि शर्धो मारुतं मत्सि देवान्मत्सि द्यावापृथिवी देव सोम ॥
mátsi vāyúm iṣṭáye rā́dhase ca mátsi mitrā́váruṇā pū́yamānaḥ | mátsi śárdho mārútaṃ mátsi devā́n mátsi dyā́vāpṛthivī́ deva soma ||
เพื่อการแสวงหาและความสำเร็จของเรา จงรื่นรมย์ในวายุ (Vāyu); เมื่อท่านกำลังถูกชำระ จงรื่นรมย์ในมิตร–วรุณะ (Mitra–Varuṇa). จงรื่นรมย์ในหมู่มารุต (Marut) จงรื่นรมย์ในเหล่าเทพ; จงรื่นรมย์ในฟ้าและแผ่นดิน (Dyāvā-Pṛthivī) โอ โสมะ (Soma) ผู้เป็นเทพ.
Word by Word
- मत्सि
- be exhilarated / rejoiceVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root मद् (धातु) / मत्सि (तिङन्त-रूप)
- वायुम्
- Vāyu (Wind-god)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इष्टये
- for the sacrifice / oblationNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot इष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; यज्-सम्बद्धा ‘इष्टि’)
- राधसे
- for bounty / wealthNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot राधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्Role (सम्बन्ध)Root च
- मत्सि
- rejoiceVerbलोट्, परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root मद् (धातु)
- मित्रावरुणा
- Mitra and VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, द्विवचनम्Role KarmaRoot मित्र-वरुण (द्वन्द्व-प्रातिपदिक)
- पूयमानः
- being purified (O Soma)Participleवर्तमानकाले, आत्मनेपदीय-कर्तरि शानच्; पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot पू (धातु) + यमान (शानच्)
- मत्सि
- rejoiceVerbलोट्, परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root मद् (धातु)
- शर्धः
- host / troopNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शर्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मारुतम्
- Marut-host / belonging to the MarutsAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (शर्धः इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
- मत्सि
- rejoiceVerbलोट्, परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root मद् (धातु)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- मत्सि
- rejoiceVerbलोट्, परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root मद् (धातु)
- द्यावापृथिवी
- Heaven and EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः (द्वन्द्व), द्वितीया, द्विवचनम्Role KarmaRoot द्यावा-पृथिवी (द्वन्द्व-प्रातिपदिक)
- देव
- O godNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role (सम्बोधन)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक; सम्बोधन)
- सोम
- O SomaNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role (सम्बोधन)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक; सम्बोधन)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): मत्सि | वायुम् | इष्टये | राधसे | च | मत्सि | मित्रावरुणा | पूयमानः | मत्सि | शर्धः | मारुतम् | मत्सि | देवान् | मत्सि | द्यावापृथिवी | देव | सोम । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) वायुमि॒ष्टये = वायुम् + इष्टये (म् + इ → मि)
- (2) मित्रावरु॑णा = मित्रा + वरुणा (स्वर-संहितायां दीर्घ/संयोग-समासरूप)
- (3) दे॒वान्मत्सि = देवान् + मत्सि (न् + म → न्म)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The purified Soma is urged to “rejoice/delight” (matsi) in Vāyu, in Mitra-Varuṇa, in the Marut host, in all the gods, and in Heaven-and-Earth.
Inner meaning
As Soma-Bless (ānanda) becomes purified in the inner sacrifice, it naturally seeks and intensifies alliance with the chief powers of the yogic ascent: Vāyu (life-breath and dynamic prāṇa), Mitra-Varuṇa (harmony and vast truth-law), the Maruts (storm-forces that break inertia and drive aspiration), the totality of the gods (all awakened faculties), and Dyāvā-Pṛthivī (higher mind and embodied existence). “Rejoicing” is the sign that the delight-principle is no longer mixed with obscurity; it can now feed every divine function in us.
Universal truth
When inner delight is purified, it becomes universally nutritive: it strengthens breath and energy, establishes ethical-truthful order, empowers transformative forces, and reconciles spirit and matter into a single luminous life.
Themes
Soma as universal exhilarant, Pantheonic integration, Breath and law, Cosmic totality
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9.97 (surrounding verses 9.97.1-48), RV 9.96 (Pavamāna sequence), RV 9.98 (Pavamāna sequence)
Family tradition
Pavamāna (Soma) mandala: hymns of purification associated with Soma-pressing and inner clarification.
Significance
The “Soma-seers” speak from the experience of delight being refined into a power that can serve all divine principles in the human being.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Deva Soma
- Related deities
- Vāyu, Mitra, Varuṇa, Maruts, Dyāvā-Pṛthivī, All Devas
Cosmic role
Nectar of immortality; purifier and intensifier of the gods’ powers; mediator between human offering and divine increase.
Inner power
Ananda that clarifies the mind, sweetens the will, and harmonizes the total nature so higher light can act.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavamāna) chants
मत्सि॑ वा॒युमि॒ष्टये॒ राध॑से च॒ मत्सि॑ मि॒त्रावरु॑णा पू॒यमा॑नः । मत्सि॒ शर्धो॒ मारु॑तं॒ मत्सि॑ दे॒वान्मत्सि॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी दे॑व सोम ॥
मत्सि॑ । वा॒युम् । इ॒ष्टये॑ । राध॑से । च॒ । मत्सि॑ । मि॒त्रावरु॑णा । पू॒यमा॑नः । मत्सि॑ । शर्धः॑ । मारु॑तम् । मत्सि॑ । दे॒वान् । मत्सि॑ । द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी इति॑ । दे॒व॒ । सो॒म॒ ॥
matsi | vāyum | iṣṭaye | rādhase | ca | matsi | mitrāvaruṇā | pūyamānaḥ | matsi | śardhaḥ | mārutam | matsi | devān | matsi | dyāvāpṛthivī iti | deva | soma
48
4 pādas × ~12 syllables
Longer, rolling cadence suited to enumerations and expansive invocation.
Creates a widening field of attention—each ‘matsi’ feels like a successive opening of delight into another divine faculty.
- मत्सि (matsi)
- Literal: rejoice, be exhilarated. Symbolic: the surge of purified delight that empowers and harmonizes the faculties
- पूयमानः (pūyamānaḥ)
- Literal: being purified. Symbolic: consciousness clarified of mixture (ego, inertia, desire) so bliss can act truthfully
- वायु (vāyu)
- Literal: wind. Symbolic: prāṇa; the life-force that carries aspiration and supports inner movement
- मित्रावरुणा (mitrāvaruṇā)
- Literal: Mitra and Varuṇa. Symbolic: harmony/rightness (Mitra) and vast truth-law (Varuṇa) establishing ṛta in the being
- शर्धः मारुतम् (śardho mārutam)
- Literal: host of Maruts. Symbolic: dynamic energies that shatter resistance and quicken progress
- द्यावापृथिवी (dyāvāpṛthivī)
- Literal: Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: higher mind and embodied nature brought into conscious union
- सोम (soma)
- Literal: Soma. Symbolic: divine Ananda, the nectar of immortal consciousness
Soma is urged to gladden multiple divine powers—typical of offering-distribution logic in Soma rite; inwardly: delight is to pervade breath, law, energies, gods, and the two worlds.
During Soma yajña sequences while Soma is filtered and offered
Chanted as Soma flows through the strainer into bowls; invitation for Soma to gladden allied deities/powers
Use as a contemplative ‘integration mantra’: after meditation, offer inner delight to breath, truth, energies, and embodied life.
matsi: from √mad 'be glad, intoxicated, exhilarated'—Soma’s essential action: to delight and intensify. vāyu from √vā 'blow'—life-movement. rādh-as from √rādh 'accomplish, succeed'—fulfillment. mitra from √mi 'bind' (friendship/bond); varuṇa linked to √vṛ 'cover/encompass'—the all-encompassing law. marut related to √mar 'shine/flash' or storm semantics; śardha 'host' collective.
delight (mad) as integrative force, Mitra-Varuna as harmony and law (ṛta/satya), integration of multiple powers
Soma’s purification enables delight to move according to ṛta rather than desire-mixture.
Mitra-Varuṇa imply truth and right relation as the vessel for bliss.
Integration of heaven and earth through a purified delight-current.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral yoga reading (Aurobindo-Kashyap): delight as a power of consciousness, not mere ritual drink.
Wind = prāṇa; storm = transformative force; heaven/earth = higher mind/body; Soma-flow = bliss-current uniting all.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the universal delight that 'intoxicates' (gladdens) all powers—breath, law, storm-forces, gods, and the two worlds—showing a mythic image of one essence harmonizing the pantheon within an integrated consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mad (matsi) corresponds to PIE *med- 'be drunk/intoxicated' (cf. 'mead'); a classic Indo-European sacral intoxication motif. The enumerative style (repeated mátsi) is formulaic and mnemonic, typical of inherited oral poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi directs Soma’s delight as a deliberate distribution: Soma is asked to pervade and energize each cosmic function within the practitioner—vital breath (Vayu), ethical-cosmic law (Mitra-Varuna), transformative energies (Maruts), and the foundational planes (Heaven-Earth).
Offer purified joy to the breath (vāyu), to truth-harmony (mitra-varuṇa), to transformative energies (maruts), and to the whole being (heaven-earth).
Anāhata (joy/harmony) with support to Viśuddha/Ājñā (truth and clarity).
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow coherent breathing; on each ‘matsi’ feel delight expanding to a wider field.
Widening, integrative ananda with clarity.
After settling the mind, recall a pure gladness; mentally repeat ‘matsi’ as an inner refrain, dedicating joy to breath, truth, force, and embodiment.
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita per RV śākhā; repeated ‘matsi’ typically carries clear accentuation—use a recorded śākala recitation for exact svara.
Keep ‘matsi’ crisp; avoid dragging consonant clusters: mi-tsi. Maintain vowel purity in vāyum, mitrāvaruṇā, dyāvāpṛthivī.
: dental ‘t’, short ‘i’ in both syllables, : vā-yum with nasalized -um, : mi-trā-va-ru-ṇā (retroflex ṇ), : dyā-vā-pṛ-thi-vī (clear aspirate th)
bright, flowing, slightly uplifted on each invocation
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