Rig Veda 9.99.7: Mandala 9, Sukta 99, Mantra 7
Sukta 9.99
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स मृज्यते सुकर्मभिर्देवो देवेभ्यः सुतः । विदे यदासु संददिर्महीरपो वि गाहते ॥
sá mṛ́jyate sukármabhir devó devébhyaḥ sutáḥ | vidé yadā́su sam-dadír mahī́r apó ví gāhate ||
เขาถูกชำระด้วยการงานอันชอบธรรม—เทพผู้ถูกคั้นเพื่อเหล่าเทพ; ครั้นเมื่อเขาพึงเป็นที่รู้ เขาก็ประสานรวมอยู่ในน่านน้ำเหล่านี้ และดำดิ่งลึกสู่กระแสน้ำอันไพศาล.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मृज्यते
- is cleansed / is purifiedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (कर्मणि/मध्यस्थ-प्रयोगः: ‘is cleansed/purified’)Root मृज् (धातु)
- सुकर्मभिः
- by good deeds / by good worksNoun (compound)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot सु-कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवः
- the god (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (apposition to सः)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवेभ्यः
- to/for the godsNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतः
- pressed (out), expressedParticiple (verbal adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (qualifier of देवः/सः)Root सु (धातु) → सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; PPP)
- विदे
- may he find / may he knowVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of the clause ‘may he find/know’)Root विद् (धातु)
- यदा
- whenIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययम्Role अधिकरण (काल)Root यदा (अव्यय)
- असु
- in the life-breath / in vital spiritNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (वैदिक-रूपः)Role अधिकरणRoot असु (प्रातिपदिक)
- संददिः
- the arranger/bestower (who puts together)Noun (agent/actor)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (of the subordinate sense: ‘the bestower/placer together’)Root सम् + दा (धातु) → संददि (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; agent noun)
- महीः
- greatAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (qualifier of अपः)Root मही (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपः
- watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth (intensifier/separator)Indeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गःRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- गाहते
- enters / plunges intoVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot गाह् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): सः | मृज्यते | सुकर्मभिः | देवः | देवेभ्यः | सुतः | विदे | यदा | असु | संददिः | महीः | अपः | वि | गाहते । 1) देवेभ्यः सुतः: विसर्ग-सन्धिः (ः + स → ः स, लेखने ‘देवेभ्य॑: सु॒तः’)
- 2) यदासु → यदा + असु (स्वर-सन्धिः: आ + अ → आ; पदपाठे पृथक्)
- 3) संददिर्महीरपो → संददिः + महीः + अपः (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ः + म → र् (जिह्वामूलीय/रेफ-आदेश) ‘संददिर्म…’; तथा ‘महीः अपः’ में ः + अ → र् (RV संहितापाठ) ‘महीरपो’)
- 4) वि गाहते: उपसर्ग ‘वि’ पृथक् पद।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma, pressed for the gods, is purified by good ritual actions; when he is to be recognized, he gathers himself in the waters and plunges into the great streams.
Inner meaning
The delight-consciousness (Soma) is clarified by right inner workings (sukarmāṇi: sincere, skillful movements of will and thought). When the seeker is ready “to know” (vide), Soma concentrates within the flowing currents of consciousness (āpaḥ) and descends/enters deeply into the vast streams—i.e., the larger, more universal movements of being—so the bliss becomes stable, wide, and luminous rather than mixed with impulsions.
Universal truth
Purity is not mere suppression but intelligent right action: when aspiration and works are harmonized, the deeper current of consciousness opens and delight becomes vast, unified, and knowable.
Themes
Soma-ritual, purification to knowledge, waters as consciousness, integration and immersion
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seer tradition (Anukramaṇī varies; Kavi line of Soma hymns in Maṇḍala 9)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.99.1-11, RV 9.100.1-16, RV 9.96 (Pavamāna cluster), RV 9.97 (Pavamāna cluster)
Family tradition
Ninth Maṇḍala ‘Pavamāna’ corpus: a collective family tradition of seers transmitting the yoga of purification—Soma as inner ananda clarified through the filter of discernment.
Significance
The seer-voice here is less biographical and more ‘lineage of experience’: repeated visions of ananda becoming pure, wide, and fit for the gods (higher faculties).
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavamāna (self-purifying), indu (bright drop), suta (pressed/distilled), deva (luminous power)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Maruts, Aśvins
Cosmic role
Purifier and intensifier of life and mind; the nectar that makes the gods strong—i.e., empowers illumined faculties to act.
Inner power
Ananda that clarifies the system, unifies scattered energies, and opens the ‘great waters’ of wideness and intuitive knowing.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (pavamāna cycle)
स मृ॑ज्यते सु॒कर्म॑भिर्दे॒वो दे॒वेभ्य॑: सु॒तः । वि॒दे यदा॑सु संद॒दिर्म॒हीर॒पो वि गा॑हते ॥
सः । मृ॒ज्य॒ते॒ । सु॒कर्म॑ऽभिः । दे॒वः । दे॒वेभ्यः॑ । सु॒तः । वि॒दे । यत् । आ॒सु॒ । स॒म्ऽद॒दिः । म॒हीः । अ॒पः । वि । गा॒ह॒ते॒ ॥
saḥ | mṛjyate | sukarma-bhiḥ | devaḥ | devebhyaḥ | sutaḥ | vide | yat | āsu | sam-dadiḥ | mahīḥ | apaḥ | vi | gāhate
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each (Triṣṭubh norm; minor resolution possible)
Forward-driving, expansive cadence suited to ‘plunging into vastness’.
Builds a sense of widening and depth; supports a meditative descent from surface activity into broad, steady flow.
- मृज्यते (mṛjyate)
- Literal: is cleansed, wiped, purified. Symbolic: the being is clarified of mixture; consciousness becomes transparent
- सुकर्मभिः (sukarmabhiḥ)
- Literal: by good/right works. Symbolic: right inner movements—truthful effort, aligned will, sincere practice
- देवो देवेभ्यः सुतः (devo devebhyaḥ sutaḥ)
- Literal: the god pressed for the gods. Symbolic: delight distilled for the luminous powers—offered to higher faculties (illumined mind, intuition, etc.)
- विदे (vide)
- Literal: for knowing / to be known. Symbolic: moment of gnosis—readiness for direct recognition
- आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: streams of consciousness; subtle life-mind currents that can purify and widen
- महीः (mahīḥ)
- Literal: great, vast. Symbolic: the wideness (bṛhat) of consciousness
- वि गाहते (vi gāhate)
- Literal: plunges/enters deeply, immerses. Symbolic: deep inward descent into the universal flow; samādhi-like immersion
Mantra accompanies cleansing/clarifying and mixing with waters; Soma is prepared ‘for the gods’ and made fit for offering and for producing inspired knowledge.
During Soma-yajña: after pressing, while filtering through wool/grass into vessels; chanted to accompany the flow and clarification.
Pressing (savana), filtering (pavitra), collecting into bowls; offering to deities.
Use as a meditation mantra for ‘inner purification through right action’: chant before practice to align intention, then sit and feel consciousness widen like a river.
mṛjyate from √mṛj ‘wipe/polish’ indicates producing brilliance by removal of stain—psychologically removal of obscurity. sukarman ‘good work’ is not mere moralism but right-forming act aligned with ṛta. suta from √su ‘press out’ (Soma-technical). vide from √vid ‘know’ encodes teleology: purification aims at knowledge/recognition. apas ‘waters’ are multivalent: ritual waters + cosmic waters + inner currents of life/mind. √gāh ‘plunge’ marks immersion into vastness (mahīr apaḥ), suggesting expansion into the wide consciousness (bṛhat). sam-dadiḥ is a difficult poetic form; taken as ‘he integrates/joins together within these (waters)’—the sense of consolidation before immersion.
Vid (knowledge as goal of purification), Ṛta through sukarman (right action), Bṛhat/expansive consciousness (mahīḥ)
Purification by sukarmāṇi expresses Ṛta: right movement produces right clarity.
‘To be known’ indicates Satya as direct recognition, not belief.
From clarified essence into vast streams—microcosm entering the universal flow.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ananda as a power of consciousness leading to wideness and knowledge.
Waters = flowing consciousness; cleansing = removal of mixture; vast streams = universal planes of mind/life opening to ananda.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘pressed god for the gods’ who, once purified, enters the great waters: Soma becomes fit for divine reception and simultaneously immerses into the vast currents. Inwardly: disciplined right action clarifies delight, which then integrates the inner currents and plunges into wideness—knowledge becomes possible (vide).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid ‘know’ is a hallmark PIE root (*weyd-) with broad IE cognates (Latin vidēre, English wit). √su ‘press’ and √mṛj ‘wipe’ show archaic ritual lexicon; √gāh ‘plunge’ encodes embodied spatial metaphor for inner expansion—common IE poetic strategy (physical immersion → experiential transformation).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s sukarman is the enabling condition: by right operations he polishes Soma into a deva fit for devas; Soma reciprocates by opening vide—realization—through immersion into mahīr apaḥ, the wide inner streams where insight arises.
Let delight clarify the system: feel a ‘pure current’ descending and widening in the inner being.
Anāhata to Ājñā axis (widening-heart and clarifying-mind)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana or slow 1:1 breathing while chanting; then silent exhale-led settling into ‘streams’.
From collected attention to wide, flowing awareness (wideness with depth).
Begin with a brief self-offering (sukarma): truthful intention + steady effort; chant 3–9 times; then sit and sense the ‘waters’ of consciousness becoming vast and unified.
Follow the pada text with Vedic udātta/anudātta/svarita as marked in the Saṃhitā; emphasize udātta peaks on key verbs (mṛjyate, gāhate) where accented.
Keep a gentle rise on udātta syllables; avoid flattening the compound sukarmabhiḥ; maintain clear caesura after sutaḥ.
mṛjyate: light vocalic ṛ; avoid ‘mir’, sukarmabhiḥ: aspirate bh; do not over-lengthen a, devebhyaḥ: palatalize slightly before yaḥ; visarga soft before consonant, vi gāhate: long ā in gā-; dental t in -te
Clear, flowing, ‘stream-like’ tone; not percussive.
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