Rig Veda 2.40.1: Mandala 2, Sukta 40, Mantra 1
Sukta 2.40
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Soma-Pūṣan
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
सोमापूषणा जनना रयीणां जनना दिवो जनना पृथिव्याः । जातौ विश्वस्य भुवनस्य गोपौ देवा अकृण्वन्नमृतस्य नाभिम् ॥
somā́pūṣaṇā jánanā rayīṇā́ṃ jánanā divó jánanā pṛthivyā́ḥ | jātáu víśvasya bhúvanasya gopā́u devā́ akṛṇvann amṛ́tasya nā́bhim ||
Oh Soma at Pushan, mga manlilikha ng sagana, mga manlilikha ng langit, mga manlilikha ng lupa, ipinanganak bilang dalawang tagapagbantay ng lahat ng pagkakabuo, ginawa kayo ng mga diyos na sentro ng imortalidad.
Word by Word
- सोमापूषणा
- Soma and PūṣanNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot सोम + पूषण (प्रातिपदिक) (द्वन्द्व-समास)
- जनना
- begetters, progenitorsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot जनन (प्रातिपदिक) < √जन् (जने) (कृदन्त: -ana)
- रयीणाम्
- of richesNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनना
- begettersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot जनन (प्रातिपदिक) < √जन्
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनना
- begettersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot जनन (प्रातिपदिक) < √जन्
- पृथिव्याः
- of the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- जातौ
- born (as the two)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot जात (प्रातिपदिक) < √जन् (कृदन्त: क्त)
- विश्वस्य
- of all, of the wholeAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग (भुवनस्य इत्यस्य विशेषण), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनस्य
- of the world, of existenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root भुवन (प्रातिपदिक) < √भू (कृदन्त: -ana)
- गोपौ
- the two guardians/protectorsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot गोपा (प्रातिपदिक) < गो + √पा (पालने) (उपपद-समास)
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- अकृण्वन्
- made, fashionedVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √कृ (करणे)
- अमृतस्य
- of immortalityNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- नाभिम्
- navel; hub; central bondNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: सोमा॑पूषणा॒ जन॑ना रयी॒णां जन॑ना दि॒वो जन॑ना पृथि॒व्याः । जा॒तौ विश्व॑स्य॒ भुव॑नस्य गो॒पौ दे॒वा अ॑कृण्वन्न॒मृत॑स्य॒ नाभि॑म् ॥ 1) ‘सोमा॑पूषणा॒’ = ‘सोम + पूषणा’ (द्वन्द्व-समास; द्विवचन-प्रथमा). 2) ‘अकृण्वन्न॒मृत॑स्य’ = ‘अकृण्वन् + अमृतस्य’ (न् + अ → न् अ; संधि में दीर्घ/गुण नहीं; पदच्छेद में पृथक्). 3) ‘विश्व॑स्य॒ भुव॑नस्य’ में ‘स्य’ + ‘भु’ के बीच संहिता में केवल पद-सीमा/स्वर-चिह्न
- रूप-परिवर्तन नहीं। 4) ‘नाभि॑म्’ = नाभिम् (द्वितीया एकवचन)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma and Pūṣan are praised as begetters of riches, of heaven and earth; born as guardians of all becoming, the gods made them the navel of immortality.
Inner meaning
Soma (divine bliss) and Pūṣan (the guiding nourisher who leads on the paths) are invoked as twin generative powers: bliss gives the soul its immortal taste and cohesion; the guiding force organizes the journey and sustains progress. Together they generate the ‘heaven’ (higher mind) and ‘earth’ (foundation of embodied life) in the seeker, and become the central nexus (nābhi) where immortality (amṛta) is contacted—an inner center of delight-guidance around which the being is organized.
Universal truth
Lasting transformation requires both delight and guidance: bliss that makes the path worth walking, and a steady leading intelligence that keeps the journey true; their union becomes a living center of immortality within change.
Themes
Cosmic guardians, Cosmogonic grounding, Soma-ritual, Immortality-center
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava) / Gṛtsamada lineage
- Lineage
- Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.40.1-4, RV 2.12, RV 2.1
Family tradition
Gṛtsamada hymns often pivot from specific deities to universal principles (immortality, vastness, right order).
Significance
The seer pairs delight (Soma) with guidance (Pūṣan), indicating an integral path: sweetness of realization with right leading through life’s roads.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma-Pūṣan (dual)
- Epithets
- jananā rayīṇām, gopau (guardians), amṛtasya nābhi
- Related deities
- Indra (uses Soma for illumination), Agni (inner sacrifice), Sūrya (path-light)
Cosmic role
Soma: principle of immortal delight and cohesion; Pūṣan: protector and leader on paths, nourisher of growth. Together: guardians of becoming and the central channel to immortality.
Inner power
Union of Ananda and inner guidance: delight that opens, and guiding intelligence that stabilizes and leads the embodied journey.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-related praises; Pūṣan invoked for safe passage and prosperity within śrauta contexts
सोमा॑पूषणा॒ जन॑ना रयी॒णां जन॑ना दि॒वो जन॑ना पृथि॒व्याः । जा॒तौ विश्व॑स्य॒ भुव॑नस्य गो॒पौ दे॒वा अ॑कृण्वन्न॒मृत॑स्य॒ नाभि॑म् ॥
सोमा॑पूषणा । जन॑ना । र॒यी॒णाम् । जन॑ना । दि॒वः । जन॑ना । पृ॒थि॒व्याः । जा॒तौ । विश्व॑स्य । भुव॑नस्य । गो॒पौ । दे॒वाः । अ॒कृ॒ण्व॒न् । अ॒मृत॑स्य । नाभि॑म् ॥
somāpūṣaṇā | jananā | rayīṇām | jananā | divaḥ | jananā | pṛthivyāḥ | jātau | viśvasya | bhuvanasya | gopau | devāḥ | akṛṇvan | amṛtasya | nābhim
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4 × ~11 syllables
Majestic and generative; repeated ‘jananā’ builds a creative surge.
Elicits a sense of origin and centering; the final ‘amṛtasya nābhim’ lands as a meditative ‘hub’.
- सोम (Soma)
- Literal: soma-juice/deity. Symbolic: divine Ananda; nectar of consciousness; delight that immortalizes
- पूषण (Pūṣan)
- Literal: nourisher, protector of paths. Symbolic: inner guide; fostering intelligence that leads through transitions
- जनना (jananā)
- Literal: begetters. Symbolic: powers that generate states of consciousness and plenitudes
- रयीणाम् (rayīṇām)
- Literal: riches, plenitudes. Symbolic: inner abundance: light, strength, harmony, capacities
- दिवः (divaḥ)
- Literal: heaven. Symbolic: higher mind/illumined consciousness
- पृथिव्याः (pṛthivyāḥ)
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: stable embodied foundation; grounded practice
- गोपौ (gopau)
- Literal: guardians, cow-protectors. Symbolic: protectors of the rays/knowledges and of becoming
- अमृतस्य नाभिम् (amṛtasya nābhim)
- Literal: navel of immortality. Symbolic: central seat where deathless consciousness is contacted; inner hub of the yoga
Soma sacrifice context: paired invocation of Soma (the pressed draught and its godhead) with Pūṣan (protector/guide), supporting the yajña’s movement toward ‘amṛta’ (immortality) as a central aim.
Soma ceremonies; also travel/transition blessings (Pūṣan) and devotional Soma recitations
Stuti (praise) establishing the deities as central supports of the rite and the sacrificer
Meditate on ‘inner center’: repeat the mantra to feel a calm navel-center of delight and guidance before major decisions or transitions.
jananā: from √jan ‘to be born, generate’ (PIE *ǵenh₁- ‘beget’; cf. Lat. gignere, Eng. kin). rayi: ‘plenitude/wealth’ possibly from √rā ‘to give’/semantic field of gift and abundance; in Vedic usage rayi spans material and inner riches—here read as fullness of being. gopā: go- ‘cow/light-ray’ + √pā ‘to protect’ (PIE *peh₂- ‘protect, shepherd’), hence guardians of luminous herds/knowledges. nābhi: ‘navel, hub’ (PIE *h₃nobh-; cf. Lat. umbilicus is different, but Skt nābhi has clear IE cognates e.g., Old High German nab(a) ‘hub’). amṛta: a- ‘not’ + mṛta ‘mortal’ from √mṛ ‘die’.
amṛta (immortality), nābhi as cosmological center, guardianship of knowledge (gopā/go)
As gopau of bhuvana, they guard the right movement of manifestation—ṛta upheld in becoming.
Pūṣan embodies the true path; Soma embodies truth’s sweetness and cohesion.
Generation of heaven and earth within the seeker—higher and lower harmonized around an immortal center.
Integral Vedāntic tendency: immortality as realized consciousness, not mere post-mortem reward.
Moon-nectar→inner bliss; path-guardian→discerning guidance; heaven/earth→higher mind and embodied base integrated around a central ‘navel’.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘navel of immortality’: certain gods are established as the central hub (nābhi) through which amṛta is organized and accessed. Soma-Pūṣan function as twin guardians (gopāu) of the world’s becoming—psychologically, the ecstasy of illumination (Soma) and the right guidance/nourishment (Pūṣan) become the central channel by which the seeker aligns mortal life with deathless consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The generative epithet jananā (√jan) reflects PIE *ǵenh₁- ‘beget’. nābhi ‘hub/navel’ aligns with PIE *h₃nobh- ‘navel/hub’ (cf. Germanic ‘nave’). The heaven/earth dyad (div/pṛthivī) is an inherited IE cosmological binary frequently encoded in early Indo-European poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi does not bargain for externals but identifies the devatās’ cosmic office: they generate plenitude and uphold the whole field as guardians, and are already installed by the gods as the ‘center’ of immortality. The relationship is one of recognition and alignment—by naming their true function, the rishi opens a path for that function to operate in the human rite and consciousness.
Feel the union of delight (Soma) and guidance (Pūṣan) establishing an ‘immortal navel-center’ within.
Maṇipūra (navel center)
Bhrāmarī or slow ujjāyī lightly, bringing awareness to the navel; chant on exhale and rest attention at the center on ‘nābhim’.
Centered, cohesive awareness; sukha with direction—calm joy that knows its path.
During uncertainty, chant once, then ask inwardly: ‘What is the Pūṣan-path that preserves Soma-delight?’ Wait for a quiet, steady directive rather than an excited impulse.
Accents on somā́pūṣaṇā, jánanā, rayīṇā́m, dívo, pṛthivyā́ḥ, gópaū, amṛ́tasya, nā́bhim.
Keep the repeated ‘jananā’ steady and slightly lifted; let ‘amṛtasya nābhim’ be clear and centered.
somāpūṣaṇā: long ō/ā; retroflex ṣ in pūṣaṇā, rayīṇām: long ī; ṇ retroflex, pṛthivyāḥ: vocalic ṛ; th aspirated, gopau: go-pau, not ‘gōpō’, amṛtasya: clear ṛ, nābhim: long ā; bh voiced aspirate
Deep, rounded, centering; sustain vowels to evoke ‘amṛta’.
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