Rig Veda 9.21.2: Mandala 9, Sukta 21, Mantra 2
Sukta 9.21
- Devata
- Soma
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
प्रवृण्वन्तो अभियुजः सुष्वये वरिवोविदः । स्वयं स्तोत्रे वयस्कृतः ॥
pravṛṇvánto abhiyújaḥ súṣvaye varivo-vídaḥ | svayáṃ stotré vayaḥ-kṛ́taḥ ||
وہ آگے بڑھتے ہیں، حملے کے لیے جوتے ہوئے، اچھے دبانے کے لیے، وسیل جگہ کے پانے والے، وہ خود حمد میں زندگی کے بڑھاؤ کو بناتے ہیں، صحیح گیت سے وجود میں زیادہ حیاتی تیار کرتے ہیں۔
Word by Word
- प्रवृण्वन्तः
- choosing forth / selecting (they)Verb (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (कर्तरि वर्तमान कृदन्तः)Role कर्तृRoot √वृ (वृणोति ‘चुनोति/वृणुते’) + प्र-
- अभियुजः
- yoking/engaging (ones); harnessingAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (प्रवृण्वन्तः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root अभि- + √युज् (‘योजने’) → युज्- (कृदन्त/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुष्वये
- for the well-swelling/prosperous oneAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot सु- + √श्वि/√श्वा (‘श्वयति/श्वायते’ ‘फुल्ल/प्रसन्न/समृद्ध’—वेदिक) → सुष्वय- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरिवोविदः
- finders/winners of favour (wide room, grace)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (प्रवृण्वन्तः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root वरिवस् (n. ‘विस्तार/अवकाश/कृपा/उपकार’) + √विद् (‘ज्ञाने/लाभे’) → -विद् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वयम्
- of themselves; spontaneouslyIndeclinableअव्यय (विभक्त्याद्यभावः)Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root स्वयम् (निपात)
- स्तोत्रे
- in/at the hymn of praiseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot स्तोत्र (n.) < √स्तु (‘स्तुतौ’)
- वयस्कृतः
- making (one) vigorous/bringing strength (they)Adjective (past participial)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (प्रवृण्वन्तः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root वयस् (n. ‘बल/यौवन/जीवन-काल’) + √कृ (‘करणे’) → कृत (ppp) ; समास: वयः-कृत
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: प्रवृण्वन्तः | अभियुजः | सुष्वये | वरिवोविदः | स्वयम् | स्तोत्रे | वयस्कृतः || 1) ‘अभियुजः’ इति अभि-उपसर्गपूर्वक ‘युज्’सम्बद्ध-प्रातिपदिकम्
- संधिः आन्तरिकः (अभि+युज् → अभियुज्-). 2) ‘वरिवोविदः’ इति समास/समुच्चयः: वरिवस् + विद् (विद्-प्रातिपदिक), ‘वरिवो-’ इति वेदिक-रूपम् (वरिवस्-स्य ओ-आदेश/सन्ध्यन्तर). 3) ‘वयस्कृतः’ इति समासः वयस्+कृत
- ‘वयः’/‘वयस्’ इत्यस्य वेदिक-समासरूपे ‘वयस-’ प्रचलितम्.
- मन्त्रपाठे विरामचिह्नैः पदविभागः सूचितः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
They advance, yoked for the onset, for good pressing; finders of wide space, they themselves in the hymn create increase of life.
Inner meaning
The Soma-forces, disciplined and ‘harnessed’ (abhiyujaḥ), move as a coordinated surge of purified delight toward effective expression (suṣvaye). They open varivas—inner wideness and freedom from constraint—and by the right mantra (stotra) they build vayaḥ: a greater life-force and capacity in the being. The chant is not ornament; it is a formative act that increases the soul’s vitality under the law of r̥ta.
Universal truth
Rightly directed joy and aspiration create inner space and strengthen life: the word of truth, repeated with sincerity, reorganizes energy into growth.
Themes
inner widening, vital increase, Soma pressing
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9 (numerous verses on varivas ‘wide room’ and Soma as life-giver)
Family tradition
Pavamāna tradition emphasizing purification (pavitra), wideness (varivas), and life-increase (vayaḥ) through mantra.
Significance
The seer transmits a practical inner yoga: align energies, purify delight, use true speech to create wideness and growth.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- pavamāna (implicit in the hymn context), varivo-vid (finder of wideness), vayaḥ-kṛt (life-increaser)
- Related deities
- Indra, Bṛhaspati (as lord of mantra and wideness), Agni
Cosmic role
Soma as the purifier and expander who opens the worlds (wide spaces) and nourishes the life-principle for the gods’ action.
Inner power
A clarifying bliss that widens the mind-heart field and reorganizes prāṇa into a stronger, more luminous vitality.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña: pavamāna chants during pressing/flowing; also stotra context (sung/recited praise)
प्र॒वृ॒ण्वन्तो॑ अभि॒युज॒: सुष्व॑ये वरिवो॒विद॑: । स्व॒यं स्तो॒त्रे व॑य॒स्कृत॑: ॥
प्र॒ऽवृ॒ण्वन्तः॑ । अ॒भि॒ऽयुजः॑ । सुस्व॑ये । व॒रि॒वः॒ऽविदः॑ । स्व॒यम् । स्तो॒त्रे । व॒यः॒ऽकृतः॑ ॥
pra-vṛṇvantaḥ | abhi-yujaḥ | susvaye | varivaḥ-vidaḥ | svayam | stotre | vayaḥ-kṛtaḥ
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3×8 (probable)
Martial and progressive; a ‘yoked’ cadence that feels like forward steps.
Encourages steadiness and coordinated drive; supports the experience of inner widening after exertion.
- अभियुजः (abhi-yujaḥ)
- Literal: yoked/harnessed for attack/onset. Symbolic: disciplined powers aligned for a decisive inner advance
- सुस्वये (susvaye)
- Literal: for good pressing/sounding. Symbolic: for right intensification—proper purification and expression of delight
- वरिवोविदः (varivo-vidaḥ)
- Literal: finders of wide room. Symbolic: openers of inner freedom, wideness, and unobstructed movement of consciousness
- स्तोत्रे (stotre)
- Literal: in the hymn of praise. Symbolic: in the true mantra/affirmation that shapes consciousness
- वयस्कृतः (vayaḥ-kṛtaḥ)
- Literal: makers of increase of life. Symbolic: builders of higher vitality and enduring life-power (not mere physical longevity)
Describes the Soma-streams as active agents in the pressing: they create varivas (wide room) and vayas (vital increase) through the stotra—ritually, efficacy of chanting and pressing; inwardly, expansion and life-strength through purified delight.
During active pressing and offering phases, when the Soma is made fit and directed.
Chant to ‘yoke’ the Soma stream toward fruitful pressing and to invoke wideness and vitality.
Use before chanting/meditation sessions to set an intention: disciplined effort → inner space → renewed life-energy.
- from √vṛ (choose/turn) with pra- indicating forward/active movement; in RV can suggest ‘setting in motion/bringing forth’. from √yuj ‘yoke’ (PIE *yeug-). from su- + √su/√sū ‘press out Soma’ (pressing). ‘wide space, free scope’ (often spiritual freedom). √vid ‘find/know’ (PIE *weid-). ‘life, vigor’ (also ‘age’); √kṛ ‘make’ (PIE *kwer-/*ker- type ‘do/make’).
varivas (inner wideness/freedom), vayas (vital growth), self-effective divine energies (svayam)
The ‘good pressing’ is action in r̥ta: right method yields widening and increase, not agitation.
True stotra (right speech) is a satya-act that creates what it affirms in consciousness.
Expansion: from constrained field to wide room; from limited vitality to a more enduring life-power.
Vedic yoga of mantra and inner formation (speech as creative power).
Pressing = intensifying aspiration; yoking = aligning faculties; wide space = liberated consciousness; life-increase = strengthened prāṇic and mental capacity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma-forces as ‘yoked’ warriors advancing, who win ‘wide space’ (varivas). The inner myth is the conquest of constriction: purified delight opens the cramped being into freedom and increases life-force through mantra.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj (PIE *yeug-) and √vid (PIE *weid-) are transparent IE inheritances; the combination of ‘yoking’ and ‘finding wide space’ matches archaic IE poetic formulae of harnessing force to win territory—interiorized here as consciousness-space.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s stotra is presented as the very field where Soma becomes productive (vayaḥ-kṛt). The deity’s gift is not external but a transformation of capacity: widening (varivas) and strengthened living force (vayas) within the chanter.
Coordinate mind-breath-heart into one forward intention; then rest in the wideness that opens.
Anāhata (wideness/varivas) and Maṇipūra (disciplined drive).
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to simulate ‘pressing’ then ‘widening’ on exhale.
Collected, then expansive (from ekāgratā to bṛhat).
Chant 3–9 times; feel energies ‘yoked’ on inhale, offer effort upward on hold, and release into wide calm on exhale; conclude with a silent affirmation of inner freedom.
Three-tone Vedic contour; confirm exact udatta placements from a svara text.
Keep compound words clear: abhi-yujaḥ, varivo-vidaḥ, vayaḥ-kṛtaḥ; avoid swallowing final visarga/ḥ.
: articulate ṛ clearly; keep ṇv cluster distinct., : light ‘y’ glide; do not overlengthen ‘i’., : separate mentally as varivaḥ-vidaḥ., : pronounce kṛ with vocalic ṛ; keep final ḥ audible.
Firm and steady, like marching rhythm; end each pāda with a clean release.
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