Rig Veda 9.86.9: Mandala 9, Sukta 86, Mantra 9
Sukta 9.86
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seer-tradition
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
दिवो न सानु स्तनयन्नचिक्रदद्द्यौश्च यस्य पृथिवी च धर्मभिः । इन्द्रस्य सख्यं पवते विवेविदत्सोमः पुनानः कलशेषु सीदति ॥
divó ná sā́nu stanáyann acikradad dyáuś ca yásya pṛthivī́ ca dhárma-bhiḥ | índrasya sákhyaṃ pavate vi-vévidat sómaḥ punānáḥ kalaśéṣu sīdati ||
ایک آسمانی چوٹی کی طرح گرجتے ہوئے، وہ چلاتا ہے؛ اس کے قوانین سے آسمان اور زمین ترتیب پا کر کھڑے ہیں۔ اندر کی رفاقت کو دریافت کرکے جیتتے ہوئے، وہ بہتا ہے: سوما، پاک ہوتے ہوئے، پیالوں میں بیٹھ جاتا ہے - تاکہ روشن فتح کی طاقت تیار برتن میں سکونت پا سکے۔
Word by Word
- दिवः
- of heaven, of the skyNounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वेदे चल), षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ ‘स्वर्ग/द्युलोक’)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातRoot न
- सानु
- ridge, summitNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole उपमान (comparand; with न)Root सानु (प्रातिपदिक) अवयव/पर्वत-शिखर
- स्तनयन्
- thundering, roaringVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot स्तनय् (धातु) ‘गर्ज्/स्तनित’
- अचिक्रदत्
- cried out, roaredVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot क्रन्द्/क्रद् (धातु) ‘रुद्/नाद’
- द्यौः
- the Sky (Dyaus)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वेदे), प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक) ‘द्युलोक/आकाश’
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च
- यस्य
- whosePronounषष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथिवी
- the EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (समुच्चित)Root पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च
- धर्मभिः
- by (his) supports/laws, by ordinancesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) ‘धारण/नियम/आधार’
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सख्यम्
- friendship, allianceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक) ‘मैत्री/सखित्व’
- पवते
- purifies itself, flows (as purified)Verbलट्, आत्मनेपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot पू (धातु) ‘पवित्रेण शुद्धौ/प्रवाहे’
- विवेविदत्
- found out, attained, wonVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचन; वेदिक-रेडुप्लिकेटिव्-परफेक्ट/इम्पर्फेक्ट-छाया (वि-वे-विद)Role क्रिया (पूर्वकर्म/परिणाम: ‘having found/attained’)Root विद् (धातु) ‘जान्/विन्द्’ + वि- (उपसर्ग)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुनानः
- purifying himselfVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपदी, पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot पू (धातु) ‘शुद्धौ’
- कलशेषु
- in the jars, in the vesselsNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot कलश (प्रातिपदिक) ‘घट/पात्र’
- सीदति
- sits down, settlesVerbलट्, परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot सद् (धातु) ‘उपवेशने/निवासे’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): दिवः | न | सानु | स्तनयन् | अचिक्रदत् | द्यौः | च | यस्य | पृथिवी | च | धर्मभिः | इन्द्रस्य | सख्यम् | पवते | विवेविदत् | सोमः | पुनानः | कलशेषु | सीदति । Notable: अचिक्रदत् + द्यौः → अचिक्रदद्द्यौः (final -t before voiced d- becomes -d)
- कलशेषु is loc. pl. with internal sandhi (कलश + एषु)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Like a thundering heavenly summit he cries out; by his laws heaven and earth stand ordered. Finding and winning Indra’s friendship, Soma flows; being purified, he settles into the cups.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma rises like a charged peak of consciousness that ‘thunders’—a proclamation of awakened force. His dharmas are the inherent laws of truth that hold together mind (dyauḥ) and embodied life (pṛthivī). Soma then discovers Indra’s comradeship: bliss joins with illumined mind-power so that the will to conquer obscurity can act from delight rather than strain. The settling into cups indicates the descent and containment of this force into prepared inner vessels—disciplined faculties capable of holding the nectar without spilling into desire or excitement.
Universal truth
Spiritual realization must be both vast and lawful: when delight aligns with the illumined mind, higher power can be safely received and embodied in prepared capacities.
Themes
Indra-Soma alliance, world-order, purification into vessels
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma Pavamāna seer-tradition
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.86.1-12, Rig Veda 9.62 (Soma-Indra synergy themes), Rig Veda 9.96
Family tradition
Ninth Maṇḍala Soma-purification corpus; verses shaped for liturgical flow during pressing and for inner experiential mapping of ascent/descent.
Significance
Emphasizes dharma/ṛta as the condition for safely receiving power: Soma’s delight must ally with Indra’s illumination and be seated in fit vessels.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- punāna (being purified), stanayan (thundering), dharmavit (upholder of laws—implied)
- Related deities
- Indra, Dyauḥ, Pṛthivī, Varuṇa
Cosmic role
Nectar that, through purification, becomes a law-bearing power establishing heaven and earth and empowering Indra.
Inner power
Ananda that reveals itself dynamically, aligns with truth-law, and becomes a contained force in the disciplined being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma filtration and collection into kalaśas; Indra-Soma offering sequences
दि॒वो न सानु॑ स्त॒नय॑न्नचिक्रद॒द्द्यौश्च॒ यस्य॑ पृथि॒वी च॒ धर्म॑भिः । इन्द्र॑स्य स॒ख्यं प॑वते वि॒वेवि॑द॒त्सोम॑: पुना॒नः क॒लशे॑षु सीदति ॥
दि॒वः । न । सानु॑ । स्त॒नय॑न् । अ॒चि॒क्र॒द॒त् । द्यौः । च॒ । यस्य॑ । पृ॒थि॒वी । च॒ । धर्म॑ऽभिः । इन्द्र॑स्य । स॒ख्यम् । प॒व॒ते॒ । वि॒वेवि॑दत् । सोमः॑ । पु॒ना॒नः । क॒लशे॑षु । सी॒द॒ति॒ ॥
divaḥ | na | sānu | stanayan | acikradat | dyauḥ | ca | yasya | pṛthivī | ca | dharma-bhiḥ | indrasya | sakhyam | pavate | vi-vevidat | somaḥ | punānaḥ | kalaśeṣu | sīdati
48
4 × 12 syllables
Majestic, rolling rhythm; accommodates ‘thunder’ imagery and decisive closure in the kalaśa-seating.
Energizes the chest and head region; evokes a sense of power arriving and then being contained.
- सानु (sānu)
- Literal: summit. Symbolic: high station of consciousness; peak of realization
- स्तनयन् (stanayan)
- Literal: thundering. Symbolic: voice of awakened force; dynamic revelation that shakes inertia
- धर्मभिः (dharmabhiḥ)
- Literal: by laws, supports. Symbolic: intrinsic truth-laws (ṛta) that order mind and life
- इन्द्रस्य सख्यम् (indrasya sakhyam)
- Literal: Indra’s friendship. Symbolic: alliance of bliss with illumined mind; empowered victory over coverings
- पवते (pavate)
- Literal: flows, purifies. Symbolic: movement of clarified consciousness through the being
- कलशेषु (kalaśeṣu)
- Literal: in the cups. Symbolic: prepared inner vessels—disciplined mind/heart/body that can hold the force
Soma offering closely tied to Indra in Soma-yajñas; verse supports the Indra-Soma synergy in pressing and offering.
During Soma pressing when invoking Indra’s participation and seating Soma in vessels for offering.
Chant as Soma is led to cups; reinforces readiness/containment and Indra’s empowered reception.
Use before demanding action: align joy (Soma) with clarity (Indra) and ‘seat’ it into a chosen intention (inner cup).
stanayan from √stan ‘to thunder’; acikradat is intensive/reduplicated aorist from √krand ‘cry out’. dharma-bhiḥ from √dhṛ ‘hold’ → ‘that which upholds/order’. sakhya from sakhi ‘friend’ indicates alliance/companionship; Indra here is the power that breaks obstruction, so Soma’s friendship with Indra is the joining of delight-clarity with victorious force.
dharma as sustaining law, alliance of powers (sakhya), victory over obstruction (Indra-function)
Heaven and earth ‘stand’ by Soma’s dharmas—truth-order stabilizes the planes.
Lawful establishment implies satya as structural reality, not mere idea.
Cosmos maintained by dharma; spiritual force must express as order.
Integral psychological Veda: alliance of Ananda (Soma) and illumination (Indra) to transform nature under ṛta.
Thunder = awakening call; heaven/earth = mind/body; cups = disciplined receptacles; flow = descent of clarified delight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the alliance of Soma with Indra: Soma ‘finds’ Indra’s friendship and thereby becomes fit to participate in the thunderous, world-ordering power that supports heaven and earth. Innerly, delight-clarity joins victorious force to establish dharma (ordered truth) in the vessel.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyáuḥ ‘sky’ continues PIE *dyew- (bright sky/day), paired with pṛthivī as the classic IE heaven-earth dyad. The thunder-verb √stan parallels an Indo-European poetic motif of thunderous proclamation as divine power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents Soma as consciously seeking alliance with Indra—suggesting the aspirant’s need to harmonize blissful clarity (Soma) with executive power (Indra). The settlement in the cups indicates that this alliance must be embodied, not merely invoked.
Invite a ‘lawful power’: let joy rise strongly, then align it with truth and settle it into a chosen inner vessel (intention).
Ajna (illumined mind/Indra alliance) with support from Anahata (joyful force) and Manipura (containment).
4-4-6 breathing: inhale (summit/thunder), hold (dharma alignment), exhale (flow into cup).
Dynamic revelation → disciplined embodiment (śakti held in śānti).
Chant once to awaken force, then sit silently imagining a clear cup at the heart-mind; allow the energized delight to ‘seat’ without excitement.
Ṛgvedic accent with emphatic rises on stanayan/acikradat and indrasya; maintain clear svarita falls at pāda ends.
Let the first half be more forceful (thunder), second half more contained (kalaśeṣu sīdati).
(stanayan): dental n; avoid retroflex, (acikradat): crisp ‘kr’ cluster; final ‘t’ clean, (vivevidat): articulate repeated ‘vi-ve’ without rushing, (kalaśeṣu): śe long-ish; keep ṣ retroflex
Start resonant and bright; taper into a steady, contained tone on the final pāda.
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