Rig Veda 9.10.4: Mandala 9, Sukta 10, Mantra 4
Sukta 9.10
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
परि सुवानास इन्दवो मदाय बर्हणा गिरा । सुता अर्षन्ति धारया ॥
pári suvānā́sa índavo mádāya barháṇā girā́ | sutā́ arṣanti dhā́rayā ||
Sa palibot, ang piniga na maliwanag na mga patak, na namumuo sa salita, ay umaagos sa kanilang agos para sa ekstasi, na ibinuhos, sila ay tumatakbo sa tuloy-tuloy na agusan.
Word by Word
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; ‘चारों ओर/परितः’ अर्थेRole AdhikaraṇaRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सुवानासः
- being pressed (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (सुवान- ‘pressed/being pressed’)Role KartāRoot √सु (सुनोति ‘to press/express Soma’) → सुवान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दवः
- Soma-dropsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदाय
- for exhilaration, for intoxicationNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)
- बर्हणाः
- strengthening, invigoratingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot बर्हण (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वर्धक/उत्साहक’)
- गिरा
- with song/hymn, by praiseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: गिरा = गीरा)Role KaraṇaRoot गिर्/गीर् (प्रातिपदिक ‘स्तुति/वाक्’)
- सुताः
- pressed (drops)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (सुत- ‘pressed’)Role KartāRoot √सु (सुनोति) → सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्षन्ति
- they flow, they rushVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √ऋष्/अर्ष् (अर्षति ‘to flow, rush’)
- धारया
- in/with a streamNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): परि | सुवानासः | इन्दवः | मदाय | बर्हणाः | गिरा | सुताः | अर्षन्ति | धारया । विशेष: ‘गिरा’ वैदिक तृतीया एकवचन (गीर्/गिर्) का रूप
- ‘सुवानासः’ = √सु का वर्तमान-कृदन्त (सुवान) प्रथमा बहुवचन
- ‘अर्षन्ति’ √ऋष्/अर्ष् का लट् 3pl.
The meaning
Outer meaning
All around, the pressed bright drops, swelling with song/word, flow for intoxication (ecstasy); poured out, they run in a stream.
Inner meaning
The illumined Soma-drops (indavaḥ), once pressed (sutāḥ), circulate and permeate the being (pari). They swell with the Word (girā barhaṇā): mantra-affirmation increases the current. Their goal is madāya—divine ecstasy, not nervous intoxication: a clarified rapture that strengthens the gods within. They flow continuously (dhārayā): a sustained stream of ananda supporting steady transformation.
Universal truth
When aspiration and true speech (the Word) enlarge inner delight, it becomes a continuous current—ecstasy that is stable, nourishing, and transformative rather than episodic.
Themes
Soma flow, Mantra and delight, Expansion of consciousness
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.10.1, Rig Veda 9.10.2, Rig Veda 9.10.3
Significance
The seer highlights a key yogic criterion: continuity (dhārā). The goal is not a momentary high but a stable current of illumined delight maintained by the Word.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Indu (bright drop), Suta (pressed), Pavamāna (purifier)
- Related deities
- Vāc (the Word), Indra, Agni
Cosmic role
Circulating life of the sacrifice—pervades, uplifts, and continuously nourishes the gods (higher powers) through ecstasy.
Inner power
A sustained ananda-stream amplified by mantra (vāk), producing stable exaltation and purification.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma libation and flowing during purification/pressing
परि॑ सुवा॒नास॒ इन्द॑वो॒ मदा॑य ब॒र्हणा॑ गि॒रा । सु॒ता अ॑र्षन्ति॒ धार॑या ॥
परि॑ । सु॒वा॒नासः॑ । इन्द॑वः । मदा॑य । ब॒र्हणा॑ । गि॒रा । सु॒ताः । अ॒र्ष॒न्ति॒ । धार॑या ॥
pari | suvānāsaḥ | indavaḥ | madāya | barhaṇā | girā | sutāḥ | arṣanti | dhārayā
Two pādas displayed
Wave-like and circling (‘pari… arṣanti… dhārayā’)—a rolling cadence that mimics pouring.
Induces a sense of flow and pervasion; helpful for entering meditative absorption with gentle rapture.
- pari
- Literal: around, all about. Symbolic: pervasion—ananda saturating all parts of the nature
- suvānāsaḥ / sutāḥ
- Literal: being pressed / pressed out. Symbolic: essence extracted by discipline and offering
- indavaḥ
- Literal: bright drops. Symbolic: luminous units of delight-consciousness
- madāya
- Literal: for exhilaration/intoxication. Symbolic: divine ecstasy—uplift that empowers and clarifies
- girā
- Literal: by the word/song. Symbolic: mantra-vāk—truth-speech that increases the force
- dhārayā
- Literal: in a stream/current. Symbolic: continuity of realization; sustained flow rather than flashes
Describes the actual Soma flow after pressing; inwardly maps the mantric word (gir) increasing the delight (mada) as the current of consciousness.
When Soma is poured and made to flow; the imagery matches the visible current in ritual.
Chanting as Soma runs through the filter and is poured for offering—invoking uplift (mada) and continuous flow (dhārā).
For cultivating ‘steady joy’: chant during japa/meditation to replace emotional volatility with a continuous current of calm ecstasy.
suvānāsaḥ from √su ‘press, extract’ (Soma-technical). mada from √mad ‘be glad/intoxicated’ (PIE *med- ‘take appropriate measure/ be in a certain mental state’ is debated; but Indo-Iranian √mad is clear; cf. Avestan mad-). gir from √gṛ ‘sing/praise’/√gir ‘utter’ (Vedic). arṣanti from √ṛṣ ‘flow’ (related to ‘ṛṣi’ by folk/poetic association of ‘flowing inspiration’ though etymology differs). dhārā from √dhṛ ‘hold’ → ‘that which holds/continues’ as a stream.
Mada as Ananda (divine ecstasy), Gir (mantra) as formative vibration, Expansion (barhaṇa) toward the Vast
Dhārā signifies ṛta as unbroken right movement—truth flowing without obstruction.
The Word that ‘swells’ the Soma must be satya-vāk; then ecstasy is clarifying, not clouding.
Word enlarges essence: vāk magnifies the pressed delight into a pervasive stream that sustains creation/work.
Mantra-śakti emphasis aligned with Aurobindo’s view: vāk intensifies consciousness-force and stabilizes ananda.
A circulating current of delight, increased by true speech, flows continuously through the inner channels.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘river of ecstasy’ mythologem: Soma as bright drops flows as a continuous current, intensified by the inspired word, producing mada—inner Ananda that powers the divine work.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The pervasive ‘flow’ imagery with inherited verbal roots (√ṛṣ) reflects a common IE poetic mapping of inspiration and sacred substance as a stream. The noun dhārā (from √dhṛ) shows the IE tendency to derive process-nouns from ‘holding/maintaining’ roots.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s gir is not commentary but catalyst: speech increases (barhaṇa) the Soma-current and directs it toward mada, showing reciprocity where mantra and deity-force amplify each other.
Feel a continuous stream of quiet joy circulating through the whole being; let mantra-sound ‘swell’ the current.
Anāhata (joy) spreading to Viśuddha (word/mantra) and Ājñā (luminous clarity).
Soft ujjāyī or simple slow breathing; on exhale, imagine Soma flowing down the front channel; on inhale, rising up the spine—forming a ‘pari’ circuit.
Flow-state: calm ecstasy, pervasion, continuity (dhārā).
Chant for 5 minutes, then sit silently and ‘track the stream’ of joy without grasping; if mind wanders, return to the felt flow, not to analysis.
Honor Saṃhitā accents; keep ‘pari’ light and circling, and allow ‘dhārayā’ to lengthen slightly to convey continuity.
Sustain the flow across word boundaries—avoid hard stops; let the chant ‘pour’ like a stream.
pari: light ‘r’ tap, suvānāsaḥ: long ā; final ḥ, indavo: ‘v’ soft; ‘o’ clear, madāya: long ā; keep ‘dā’ open, barhaṇā: ‘rh’ cluster careful; long ā, girā: hard ‘g’; long ā, arṣanti: retroflex ṣ; ‘nti’ crisp, dhārayā: long ā; ‘yā’ open
Liquid, continuous, slightly hushed but resonant; prioritize smoothness.
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