Rig Veda 9.46.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 46, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.46
एतं मृजन्ति मर्ज्यं पवमानं दश क्षिपः । इन्द्राय मत्सरं मदम् ॥
etáṁ mṛ́janti márjyaṁ pávamānaṁ dáśa kṣípaḥ | índrāya matsaráṁ mádam ||
اس سوما کو، جو صاف کرنے کے قابل ہے، خود پاک کرنے والا, دس تیز ہاتھ اسے صاف کرتے ہیں، اِندر کے لیے سرور اور نشہ۔
Describes the Soma’s cleansing by human operators (ten fingers) through filtering/handling, producing the potent drink offered to Indra.
purification as transformation of raw force into luminous power, Indra strengthened by ecstasy aligned with right action, integration of faculties (ten) in the work
Purification is the Ṛta-process: right ordering of mixed movements into clarified force.
Clarity of delight supports truth-vision (Indra).
From mixed to pure: emergence of a higher force through filtering.
Psychological Veda: instruments (indriyas/prāṇas) as ritual agents in inner transformation.
Filtering = discernment; hands = faculties; flow = continuous Ananda-current refined into power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The cleansing of Soma by ‘ten swift ones’ (fingers/faculties) produces Indra’s ecstatic power. Psychologically, the disciplined handling of delight-energy purifies it into a force that empowers the victorious intelligence (Indra) to break limitation and establish Ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The concrete numeral daśa ‘ten’ is inherited (PIE *deḱm̥; cf. Lat. decem, Gk. δέκα). The verse exemplifies archaic IE poetics where numerals and body-based imagery (‘ten’ = hands) encode ritual technique and symbolic completeness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi highlights cooperative transformation: human agency (‘ten swift ones’) participates in Soma’s self-purifying nature (pavamāna). The result is offered to Indra—showing a triadic reciprocity: human work purifies Soma; Soma becomes ecstasy; Indra, empowered, supports the human victory over obstruction.
Bring all faculties into one act of purification—let attention ‘strain’ thoughts and emotions until only clear joy remains.
Maṇipūra (purifying effort) to Ājñā (illumined mind)
Exhale-focused cleansing: slow exhale imagining filtration; brief pause; inhale receiving bright joy.
Energetic purification leading to luminous steadiness.
Chant 10 times to match ‘ten hands’; with each repetition, consciously relax one faculty (sight, hearing, etc.) into a single inward offering, ending in a clear, bright stillness.
Notated svara unavailable; give a crisp lift on ‘pavamānam’ and a strong beat on ‘daśa kṣipaḥ’.
Mark a slight pause after pavamānam; then chant ‘daśa kṣipaḥ’ with quick, clean consonants.
(mṛjanti): vocalic ṛ—short, not ‘ri’., (kṣipaḥ): conjunct kṣ; light visarga at end., (indrāya): long ā; keep ‘dr’ cluster clean.
Purifying, focused, slightly martial clarity.
10
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