Rig Veda 9.86.36: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 36
Sukta 9.86
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
सप्त स्वसारो अभि मातरः शिशुं नवं जज्ञानं जेन्यं विपश्चितम् । अपां गन्धर्वं दिव्यं नृचक्षसं सोमं विश्वस्य भुवनस्य राजसे ॥
sapta svasā́ro abhí mā́taraḥ śiśúṃ návaṃ jajñānám jényam vipaścítam | apā́ṃ gandharváṃ divyáṃ nṛcákṣasaṃ sómaṃ víśvasya bhúvanasya rājáse ||
سات بہنیں، مائیں، اکٹھی ہوتی ہیں اور نئے بچے کو جنم دیتی ہیں, فاتح، سب کو سمجھنے والا۔ وہ سوما کو ظاہر کرتی ہیں، پانیوں میں الہی گندھرو، آدمیوں کا بینا، پوری دنیا کی ہونے کی بادشاہی طاقت کے لیے۔
Word by Word
- सप्त
- sevenAdjective (numeral)(अव्ययवत्) संख्या; प्रायः बहुवचन-विशेषणम्Role विशेषणम् (कर्तृपदस्य)Root सप्तन् (संख्याशब्द)
- स्वसारः
- sistersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (जज्ञा-नं प्रति)Root स्वसृ (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)उपसर्ग/उपपदRole दिशा/सम्बन्ध (माातरः इत्यस्य)Root अभि
- मातरः
- mothersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (जज्ञा-नं प्रति)Root मातृ (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- शिशुम्
- the childNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (जज्ञा-नं प्रति)Root शिशु (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- नवम्
- newAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (शिशुम् इति विशेषयति)Role विशेषणम् (कर्मपदस्य)Root नव (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- जज्ञानम्
- born, newly producedParticiple (past passive/PPP used adjectivally)पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (शिशुम् इति विशेषयति)Role विशेषणम् (कर्मपदस्य)Root √जन् (जनि) + क्त (भूतकृदन्त)
- जेन्यम्
- noble, worthy, of good lineageAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (शिशुम् इति विशेषयति)Role विशेषणम् (कर्मपदस्य)Root जेन्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; √जि/जन्य-सम्बन्ध)
- विपश्चितम्
- wise, discerningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (शिशुम्/सोमम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role विशेषणम्Root विपश्चित् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- अपाम्
- of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (गन्धर्वम् इत्यस्य)Root अप्/आप् (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- गन्धर्वम्
- Gandharva (celestial being); here: the Gandharva of the watersNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म/सम्बोधन-रूपेण स्तुत्यः (सोमं प्रति विशेषण-भावः)Root गन्धर्व (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- दिव्यम्
- heavenly, divineAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (गन्धर्वम्/सोमम् इति विशेषयति)Role विशेषणम्Root दिव्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- नृचक्षसम्
- having men as his gaze / seeing men; man-observingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (सोमम् इति विशेषयति)Role विशेषणम्Root नृ-चक्षस् (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समास; चक्षस् ‘दृष्टि’)
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (स्तुत्य/उपस्थाप्यः)Root सोम (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वस्य
- of all, of the wholeAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-सम्भवः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (भुवनस्य इत्यस्य)Root विश्व (सर्व/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनस्य
- of the world, of existenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (राजसे इत्यस्य)Root भुवन (नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; √भू)
- राजसे
- as/for the king (to the king)Noun (predicative/epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम् (वैदिके—‘राजे’ इत्यर्थे दत्तिवत्)Role सम्प्रदान/उद्देश्य (स्तुत्यः—‘राजा’ इति)Root राजन् (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसनम्): सप्त | स्वसारः | अभि | मातरः | शिशुम् | नवम् | जज्ञानम् | जेन्यम् | विपश्चितम् | अपाम् | गन्धर्वम् | दिव्यम् | नृचक्षसम् | सोमम् | विश्वस्य | भुवनस्य | राजसे । 1) मातरः: इत्यत्र मूलपाठे ‘मातर:’ विसर्ग-लोप/जिह्वामूलीय-प्रयोगः। 2) नृचक्षसं: पदे अन्त्य ‘म्’ परे ‘सोमम्’ इत्यत्र अनुस्वार/अनुनासिक-समायोजनं सम्भवति
- पदच्छेदे नृचक्षसम्। 3) उच्चारण-स्वराः (उदात्त/स्वरित/अनुदात्त) मूलपाठानुसारं
- पदच्छेदे स्वरचिह्नानि न पुनर्लिखितानि।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The seven sisters, the Mothers, gather around and bring to birth a new Child—victorious and discerning. They reveal Soma, the divine Gandharva in the waters, the seer of men, as the kingly power of the whole world.
Inner meaning
The ‘seven sisters/mothers’ are the sevenfold powers that nurture awakening—often read as the seven rivers/streams, but inwardly as seven energies or movements of consciousness (e.g., seven rays, seven prāṇic/mind currents) that surround the emerging psychic realization. The ‘new Child’ is the newborn higher consciousness—fresh, victorious (jenya), and all-discerning (vipaścita). Soma as ‘Gandharva in the waters’ indicates the hidden divine delight within the life-waters (apas): a subtle, enchanting presence that mediates between worlds and inspires. As nṛcakṣas (seer of men), it awakens human perception, establishing a sovereign order in the whole becoming.
Universal truth
Higher consciousness is born through the cooperation of multiple inner powers. The divine delight is already present within life’s depths; when revealed, it becomes a guiding sovereignty for the entire personality and its world.
Themes
Soma-ritual, inner birth of illumination, waters as consciousness-currents, sovereignty of the Truth
The seer
- Rishi
- Composite/anonymous Soma-Pavamāna tradition (RV Book 9 anthology)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.86 (context), RV 1.164 (sevenfold symbolism), RV 10.5 (Agni as child born of waters—parallel birth imagery)
Family tradition
The ‘seven’ motif is pan-Vedic (sapta sindhavaḥ, sapta rays). In the Soma anthology it often signals a shared esoteric vocabulary across seer-families rather than a single authorial voice.
Significance
This verse is a key psychological statement: the birth of the new consciousness is midwifed by a sevenfold Shakti, and Soma is the concealed delight in the waters that becomes kingly in the manifested life.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- new child (śiśuṃ navam), jenya (victorious), vipaścita (all-discerning), apāṃ gandharva (Gandharva in the waters), nṛcakṣas (seer of men), rājā (kingly power)
- Related deities
- Apas (waters), Gandharva (guardian of Soma’s secret), Aditi (motherhood of the infinite, conceptual kinship), Uṣas (awakening/birth imagery resonance)
Cosmic role
Hidden in the waters of existence, Soma is revealed as the sovereign essence that can rule and harmonize the worlds; he is born anew through purification and nurturing powers.
Inner power
Secret ananda in the life-depths becoming conscious, victorious, and discerning; a mediating inspiration that opens vision and establishes inner sovereignty.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification hymns; recited as Soma is filtered and ‘born’ into clarified form
स॒प्त स्वसा॑रो अ॒भि मा॒तर॒: शिशुं॒ नवं॑ जज्ञा॒नं जेन्यं॑ विप॒श्चित॑म् । अ॒पां ग॑न्ध॒र्वं दि॒व्यं नृ॒चक्ष॑सं॒ सोमं॒ विश्व॑स्य॒ भुव॑नस्य रा॒जसे॑ ॥
स॒प्त । स्वसा॑रः । अ॒भि । मा॒तरः॑ । शिशु॑म् । नव॑म् । ज॒ज्ञा॒नम् । जेन्य॑म् । वि॒पः॒ऽचित॑म् । अ॒पाम् । ग॒न्ध॒र्वम् । दि॒व्यम् । नृ॒ऽचक्ष॑सम् । सोम॑म् । विश्व॑स्य । भुव॑नस्य । रा॒जसे॑ ॥
sapta | svasāraḥ | abhi | mātaraḥ | śiśum | navam | jajñānam | jenyam | vipaḥ-citam | apām | gandharvam | divyam | nṛ-cakṣasam | somam | viśvasya | bhuvanasya | rājase
48
4 x ~12 syllables
Narrative, image-rich flow; supports ‘gathering around’ and ‘birth’ motifs with a steady unfolding.
Evokes a ceremonial ‘midwifing’ atmosphere—gentle power, revelation from depths, and a sense of sacred emergence.
- सप्त स्वसारः (sapta svasāraḥ)
- Literal: seven sisters. Symbolic: sevenfold energies/rays/streams supporting awakening
- मातरः (mātaraḥ)
- Literal: mothers. Symbolic: nurturing powers of Nature and inner Shakti that bring the new consciousness to birth
- शिशुं नवम् (śiśuṃ navam)
- Literal: new child. Symbolic: newborn spiritual consciousness/psychic awakening
- जेन्यम् (jenyam)
- Literal: victorious, to be won. Symbolic: conquering emergence that overcomes resistance
- विपश्चितम् (vipaścitam)
- Literal: all-discerning, wise. Symbolic: luminous discrimination; intuitive insight
- अपाम् (apām)
- Literal: of the waters. Symbolic: life-energy, subconscient depths, flowing consciousness-substance
- गन्धर्वम् (gandharvam)
- Literal: Gandharva. Symbolic: hidden divine intermediary; enchanting inner presence that holds the secret of Soma
- नृचक्षसम् (nṛcakṣasam)
- Literal: seer of men. Symbolic: power that opens human vision; inner witness-consciousness
- विश्वस्य भुवनस्य राजसे (viśvasya bhuvanasya rājase)
- Literal: as king of all the world. Symbolic: sovereign organizing power in the whole becoming
Soma Pavamāna chants in the Soma sacrifice (e.g., Agniṣṭoma): verses used during pressing/purification (pavamāna-stotra context broadly)
At moments emphasizing Soma’s manifestation from the waters/mixture into clarified offering; suitable in sequences highlighting Soma’s hiddenness and revelation.
Filtering and collecting Soma; mythic identification of Soma’s birth and enthronement in the rite.
Meditate on inner rebirth: invoke the seven supporting energies (breath currents, faculties, virtues) to bring forth a new center of consciousness from the depths.
Key terms: (1) vipáścit: from √cit ‘to perceive, be conscious’ with intensifying/qualifying element vipa-/vipaś- ‘inspired, vibrating, discriminative’; sense: ‘wide/discerning consciousness’. (2) jajñāná-: perfect/participial from √jan ‘be born, generate’; marks accomplished manifestation. (3) jényá-: gerundive/adj. from √ji ‘conquer’; ‘to be won/fit to conquer’—inner victory over obscurity. (4) nṛ-cákṣas: tatpuruṣa ‘man + eye/vision’ from √cakṣ ‘see’; ‘having vision for/among men’. (5) gandharvá-: traditional designation for Soma’s guardian; philologically opaque; here functions as a mythic title for the supraphysical carrier of delight in the waters (ap-).
R̥ta (ordered emergence of the divine in manifestation), Satyam-R̥tam-Bṛhat (truth-consciousness implied by vipáścit and kingship), inner rebirth (navam śiśum)
Implicit: the orderly ‘birth’ by the Mothers suggests lawful manifestation and right formation of the new consciousness.
Vipaścita (discernment) indicates emergence of truth-perception from the depths.
Revelation of the hidden essence in the waters; birth of a new principle that can rule the whole becoming.
Esoteric Vedic psychology: waters=subconscient/life; Soma=hidden delight; sevenfold powers=Shakti’s modalities; birth=spiritual emergence.
Waters = life-depths and subconscient; seven rivers = seven inner currents/energies; child = new awakened consciousness; Gandharva = subtle inspirer/guardian of the secret delight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘birth of Soma’ from/within the Waters: the seven ‘sisters’ and ‘mothers’ (seven streams/rays/powers) generate the new child (Soma) who is also the Gandharva—guardian/mediator of the nectar. Mythically, Soma is hidden in the waters and is brought forth; psychologically, delight and truth-vision are born from purified life-currents.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan ‘be born’ (jajñānam) continues PIE *ǵenh₁- ‘beget, produce’ (cf. Latin gignere, Greek gígnomai). √cakṣ ‘see’ (cákṣas) aligns with PIE *kʷekʷ- / *kek- ‘see’ (Vedic cakṣ-, Avestan čaxš- ‘eye/see’). √ji ‘conquer’ (jenya) reflects PIE *gʷʰei̯-/*gʷʰei̯ə- ‘live/overcome’ debated; in Indo-Iranian, the victory semantic is stable (Vedic ji-, Avestan zī- ‘to vanquish’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer does not ‘request’ first; he recognizes a cosmic process: the divine powers (mothers/sisters) generate Soma as kingly consciousness for the whole bhuvana. The reciprocity is implicit: by celebrating and cooperating with the birth/purification of Soma, the human vessel becomes fit for Soma’s sovereignty (rājase) and receives discerning sight (vipáścit, nṛ-cákṣas).
Visualize seven supportive currents (breath, attention, aspiration, calm, clarity, strength, devotion) encircling the heart; allow a ‘new child’ of awareness to be born from the depths.
Anāhata (psychic birth) with Sahasrāra (sovereignty of higher consciousness)
Gentle seven-breath cycle: 7 slow breaths, each invoking one supportive quality; then rest in stillness as the ‘child’ presence emerges.
Quiet wonder and inward tenderness; emergence of a new center of discernment.
Do not force revelation; ‘mothers gather’—cultivate conditions (purity, patience, receptivity). Notice subtle joy in the life-waters and let it organize the day’s movements.
Three-tone accents; give gentle prominence to sapta, mātaraḥ, śiśum navam, and apām gandharvam—avoid harsh attack; keep a ‘birth-ceremony’ softness.
Let pāda transitions feel like stages of emergence: gathering → birth → naming/revealing → enthronement.
svasāraḥ: keep long ā, jajñānam: palatal ñ; do not simplify to ‘jagnam’, gandharvam: clear ‘dh’ aspirate, nṛcakṣasam: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṣ
Warm, rounded, nurturing; sustained vowels to evoke ‘waters’ and ‘birth’.
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