Rig Veda 9.4.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 4, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.4
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त्वं सूर्ये न आ भज तव क्रत्वा तवोतिभिः । अथा नो वस्यसस्कृधि ॥
tváṃ sū́rye na ā́ bhaja táva krátvā távótibhiḥ | áthā no vásyasas kṛdhi ||
اے سوما، ہمیں سورج میں شریک کر, اپنے مؤثر ارادے اور اپنی مددوں سے؛ پھر ہمیں زیادہ بہتر حالت میں ڈھال۔
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- thou (you)Noun (Pronoun)पुं/स्त्री/नपुं (सर्वनाम), प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सूर्ये
- in/at the sun (in the solar realm)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- to us / for usNoun (Pronoun)षष्ठी/चतुर्थी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards; hither; untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग (आ-)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- भज
- apportion; grant; bestowVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot भज्
- तव
- of thee; thyNoun (Pronoun)षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रत्वा
- by (thy) resolve/power; through (thy) wisdomNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole करणRoot क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- तव
- of thee; thyNoun (Pronoun)षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊतिभिः
- with (thy) aids/helpingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole करणRoot ऊति (प्रातिपदिक)
- अथ
- then; thereafterIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/अनन्तर्ये निपातRoot अथ (निपात)
- नः
- to us / for usNoun (Pronoun)षष्ठी/चतुर्थी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वस्यसः
- of the better (state); of welfareAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रायः), षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (तुलनात्मक: ‘better’)Role सम्बन्धRoot वस्यस् (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक)
- कृधि
- make; do; bring aboutVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot कृ
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (resolved): त्वम् | सूर्ये | नः | आ | भज | तव | क्रत्वा | तव | ऊतिभिः | अथ | नः | वस्यसः | कृधि । Sandhi/phonetics: (1) सूर्ये॑ न॒ आ → सूर्ये नः आ (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ के बाद ‘आ’ पृथक्)
- (2) तवो॒तिभिः → तव ऊतिभिः (अ + ऊ संधि: तव + ऊतिभिः = तवो॒तिभिः; ओ-स्वर ‘उदात्त/स्वरित’ चिह्न सहित)
- (3) वस्य॑सस्कृधि → वस्यसः कृधि (विसर्ग-संधि: वस्यसः + कृधि → वस्यसस्कृधि; ‘ः’ + ‘क्’ → ‘स्’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Soma, grant us a share in the Sun by your purposeful power and by your aids; then make us into a more excellent condition.
Inner meaning
Soma (the delight-force purified in us) is asked to unite our being with Sūrya (the supramental/true seeing light). By Soma’s kratu (effective, luminous will) and ūti (helping impulsions of the divine), the seeker is remade into vasyasas—an increased, nobler state of consciousness.
Universal truth
Lasting human transformation comes when joy (ānanda) is yoked to truth-light (illumination) through a steady, intelligent will; then the nature is reshaped into a higher order.
Themes
Ascent to light, Aid and will, Initiatory participation
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.4.1, Rig Veda 9.4.2, Rig Veda 9.4.3, Rig Veda 9.4.4, Rig Veda 9.4.6, Rig Veda 9.4.7, Rig Veda 9.4.8, Rig Veda 9.4.9
Family tradition
Pavamāna Soma hymns are largely associated with specialized Soma-poet lineages; this verse is transmitted without a settled rishi attribution in the provided data.
Significance
The ‘unknown rishi’ functions as a collective seer-voice: the aspiration of the sacrifice itself—human nature calling the purified Ananda to bring it into solar truth and a higher becoming.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (the Purifying/Clarifying), Soma (Delight, Immortal Nectar)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Sūrya, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Purifier and intensifier of consciousness; mediator that carries the offering upward and brings down delight and illumination.
Inner power
Ananda-shakti that cleanses obscurity, strengthens will (kratu), and opens vision of Sūrya (truth).
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavamāna sequence)
त्वं सूर्ये॑ न॒ आ भ॑ज॒ तव॒ क्रत्वा॒ तवो॒तिभि॑: । अथा॑ नो॒ वस्य॑सस्कृधि ॥
त्वम् । सूर्ये॑ । नः॒ । आ । भ॒ज॒ । तव॑ । क्रत्वा॑ । तव॑ । ऊ॒तिऽभिः॑ । अथ॑ । नः॒ । वस्य॑सः । कृ॒धि॒ ॥
tvam | sūrye | naḥ | ā | bhaja | tava | kratvā | tava | ūti-bhiḥ | atha | naḥ | vasyasaḥ | kṛdhi
32
4 pādas of ~8 syllables (anuṣṭubh-type cadence)
Compact, directive, prayer-like; repeated refrain creates mantraic insistence.
Builds a steady upward pull: invocation → alignment with light → seal of transformation (vasyasas kṛdhi).
- सोम (soma)
- Literal: Soma-juice; pressed libation. Symbolic: Divine Bliss/Ananda, the nectar of consciousness that purifies and uplifts the being
- सूर्य (sūrya)
- Literal: Sun. Symbolic: Truth-light, illumined seeing; the luminous consciousness that reveals the real
- क्रतु (kratu)
- Literal: will, resolve, intelligent purpose. Symbolic: Effective spiritual will—illumined intention that organizes the inner sacrifice
- ऊति (ūti)
- Literal: help, aid, protection. Symbolic: Grace and supporting impulsions of the divine Power assisting the sadhaka
- वस्यस् (vasyas)
- Literal: better, more excellent condition. Symbolic: A higher formation of being—refined nature, widened consciousness, greater harmony
- आ भज (ā bhaja)
- Literal: share, allot, unite us to. Symbolic: To yoke the seeker into the solar consciousness; participatory union with truth
Soma as mediator to solar illumination; recitation in purification context aiming at ‘seeing/entering’ the light
During Soma-yajña, especially while Soma is being purified through the filter and offered
Chanting to accompany the flowing/clarifying Soma and to invoke its uplifting, strengthening power
Used as a meditation mantra for aligning delight with clarity: ‘May the inner Soma share me in the Sun; make my nature better.’
bhaja < √bhaj ‘to share, allot, partake’ (also ‘to enjoy’), hence ‘grant participation’. sū́rya from √svar/√sūr ‘shine’ (solar). ūti ‘help, aid’ possibly from √av/√ūt in Vedic usage meaning protection/support; instrumental plural ūti-bhiḥ. kratu as earlier: effective will.
participation in svàr/sūrya as truth-consciousness, grace + effort (ūti + kratu)
Soma’s purification restores right order in the consciousness, enabling the solar law of truth to act.
Union with Sūrya signifies entry into truth-seeing (satya-dṛṣṭi).
Transformation as re-creation: the being is ‘shaped’ anew into a higher formation.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral Vedic yoga (as read by Sri Aurobindo): ascent to truth-consciousness supported by Ananda.
Daybreak-to-day (movement toward full solar seeing)
The flowing Soma is the current of purified delight rising through the system and joining the solar center of truth-illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the giver of a ‘share in the Sun’: the nectar of delight becomes the means of entry into solar illumination—an initiatory myth of ascent from mixed consciousness to the sun-world.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhaj ‘share’ relates to PIE *bʰag- ‘to apportion’ (also seen in bhaga/saubhaga). Solar vocabulary aligns with PIE *sóh₂wl̥ ‘sun’ (though Sanskrit sūrya is not the direct reflex of *sóh₂wl̥, it belongs to the broader Indo-European solar lexicon and poetic system).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer requests not an external boon but an inner admission (‘share us in Sūrya’). Soma’s kratu and ūti are invoked as the operative divine means; the human side is the readiness to be transformed into ‘vasyas’.
Let delight become clear and purposeful, and offer it upward into the sun of inner truth.
Anāhata to Ājñā (delight rising to illumined seeing)
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana or slow inhale ‘Soma rising’, exhale ‘into Sūrya-light’ (no strain)
Quietly luminous (prasanna), widening toward clear perception.
Begin with a felt sense of inner sweetness/peace; invoke ‘kratu’ as steady resolve; imagine a golden clarity above the brow; end by affirming transformation: ‘vasyasas kṛdhi’—reshape my nature into the better.
Vedic accenting as per Śākala tradition: maintain udatta peaks on marked syllables (e.g., sū́rye, kratvā́, ūtíbhíḥ); avoid flattening the refrain.
Keep ‘táva kratvā́ távotíbhíḥ’ as a single forward-moving unit; slight pause after ‘ā bhaja’.
tvaṃ: nasalized ‘ṃ’ (anusvāra) with lip closure, sūrye: clear ‘ry’ cluster, not ‘ri-ye’, kratvā: pronounce ‘tvā’ with dental ‘t’ and ‘vā’ long, ūtibhiḥ: long ‘ū’, aspirate ‘bh’, final visarga as light breath ‘ḥ’, kṛdhi: vocalic ‘ṛ’ (as in ‘kr̥’), not ‘kidhi’
Clear, steady, bright; slightly lifted on solar words (sūrya).
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