Rig Veda 9.87.6: Mandala 9, Sukta 87, Mantra 6
Sukta 9.87
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
परि हि ष्मा पुरुहूतो जनानां विश्वासरद्भोजना पूयमानः । अथा भर श्येनभृत प्रयांसि रयिं तुञ्जानो अभि वाजमर्ष ॥
pári hí ṣmā puruhūtó jánānāṃ víśvāsarad bhójanā pūyamā́naḥ | áthā́ bhara śyenabhṛta práyāṃsi rayíṃ tuñjā́no abhí vā́jam arṣa ||
یقیناً لوگوں میں بہت پکارے جانے والے، پاک کیے گئے، تو خوشی کی تمام خوراکوں کے گرد پھرتا ہے۔ پھر اے شاہین پر سوار، اپنے آگے کے تحفے لے آ؛ روحانی فراوانی کو آگے بڑھاتے ہوئے، فتح مند قوت کی طرف بہہ جا۔
Word by Word
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपातRoot हि (निपात)
- ष्मा
- verily, just (emphatic particle)Indeclinableनिपात (वैदिक बलवर्धक/अनुनासिक-प्रयोग)Root ष्मा (निपात)
- पुरुहूतः
- much-invoked (often called upon)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot पुरुहूत (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनानाम्
- of the peoples, of menNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Root जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वासरत्
- all-autumnal; lasting through all seasons/autumnsAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अव्यक्त-लिङ्ग-विशेषणवत्)Role KarmaRoot विश्वासरद् (प्रातिपदिक; वि-श्वा-सरद्)
- भोजनाः
- nourishers; givers of food/refreshmentNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
- पूयमानः
- being purified (as Soma)Verbवर्तमानकालिकः कर्मणि/आत्मनेपद-प्रयोगः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः (शानच्-प्रत्ययः: ‘being purified’)Role KartāRoot पू (धातु) → पूयमान (कृदन्त)
- अथ
- then, thereafterIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थक अव्ययRoot अथ (अव्यय)
- आ
- towards, hitherIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भर
- bring! bear!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root भृ (धातु)
- श्येनभृतः
- of/borne by the eagle (swift carrier)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (सम्बन्धे: ‘of the eagle-bearer/borne by the eagle’)Root श्येनभृत् (प्रातिपदिक; श्येन + भृत्)
- प्रयांसि
- offerings; gifts; refreshmentsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot प्रयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रयिम्
- wealth, treasureNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- तुञ्जानः
- urging on, driving forthVerbवर्तमानकालिकः आत्मनेपद-प्रयोगः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गः (शानच्: ‘urging/impelling on’)Role KartāRoot तुञ्ज्/तुञ्ज (धातु; वैदिक) → तुञ्जान (कृदन्त)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वाजम्
- prize; strength; victoryNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्ष
- rush! flow!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root ऋष् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): परि | हि | ष्मा | पुरुहूतः | जनानाम् | विश्वासरत् | भोजनाः | पूयमानः | अथ | आ | भर | श्येनभृतः | प्रयांसि | रयिम् | तुञ्जानः | अभि | वाजम् | अर्ष । प्रमुख सन्धयः: (1) ‘अथा भ॑र’ = अथ + आ + भर (आ-उपसर्गः ‘भर’ इत्यनेन पृथक्) । (2) ‘विश्वास॑र॒द्भोज॑ना’ = विश्वासरत् + भोजनाः (त् + भ → द्भ, वैदिक-सन्धिः; तथा ‘भोजनाः’ प्रथमा बहुवचनम्) । (3) ‘श्येनभृत॒ प्रयां॑सि’ = श्येनभृतः + प्रयांसि (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते, पदपाठे ‘श्येनभृतः’ इति) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Purified Soma, much-invoked among men, moves around all foods; then, borne by the eagle, bring your gifts; thrusting forth wealth, flow toward victory.
Inner meaning
Soma as purified Ananda moves through and around all ‘foods’ (bhojanā)—all experiences that can be assimilated as delight when consciousness is clarified. Being puruhūta (often called), it answers the human aspiration repeatedly. The śyena (eagle) motif signals the swift ascent of consciousness that brings the Soma from the heights: the supramental/overmental carrier of the bliss-current. Soma is urged to bring prayāṃsi (forward gifts/advancing offerings): progressive endowments of light, joy, and power. Rayi here is not mere wealth but spiritual plenitude—resources of being. The flow is directed toward vāja: victorious force, the capacity to conquer inner obstruction and establish luminous mastery.
Universal truth
When delight is purified, it can assimilate life’s experiences without bondage, turning them into nourishment for growth; higher aspiration brings swift descents of grace that empower victory over limitation.
Themes
Soma descent myth, boon-bringing, inner nourishment and victory
The seer
- Rishi
- Soma-Pavamāna seer tradition (exact rishi requires hymn Anukramaṇī)
- Other hymns
- RV 9.87.1-9, RV 9.48 (śyena/eagle Soma motif appears in the Soma cycle—theme-level link)
Family tradition
Ninth maṇḍala’s specialized Soma poets; verse style suggests a practiced liturgical-psychological seercraft.
Significance
The seer frames purification not as denial but as right assimilation—Soma moving through all ‘foods’ of life and converting them into victorious plenitude.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Puruhūta, Pūyamāna, Śyenabhṛt
- Related deities
- Indra, Garuḍa/Śyena motif (carrier principle), Agni
Cosmic role
Circulator of delight through the worlds; distributor of gifts that strengthen the gods (powers) toward victory.
Inner power
Capacity to transmute experience into nourishment and to deliver swift ‘advances’ from higher planes.
In ritual
Where it is used
Pavamāna chant during Soma filtering and circulation around the vedi
परि॒ हि ष्मा॑ पुरुहू॒तो जना॑नां॒ विश्वास॑र॒द्भोज॑ना पू॒यमा॑नः । अथा भ॑र श्येनभृत॒ प्रयां॑सि र॒यिं तुञ्जा॑नो अ॒भि वाज॑मर्ष ॥
परि॑ । हि । स्म॒ । पु॒रु॒ऽहू॒तः । जना॑नाम् । विश्वा॑ । अस॑रत् । भोज॑ना । पू॒यमा॑नः । अथ॑ । आ । भ॒र॒ । श्ये॒न॒ऽभृ॒त॒ । प्रयां॑सि । र॒यिम् । तुञ्जा॑नः । अ॒भि । वाज॑म् । अ॒र्ष॒ ॥
pari | hi | sma | puru-hūtaḥ | janānām | viśvā | asarat | bhojanā | pūyamānaḥ | atha | ā | bhara | śyena-bhṛta | prayāṃsi | rayim | tuñjānaḥ | abhi | vājam | arṣa
44
4×11 (approx.)
Circling movement then forward surge
Creates a sense of encompassing life-experience, then a decisive push toward victory.
- पुरुहूतः (puruhūtaḥ)
- Literal: much-invoked. Symbolic: The ever-callable divine delight responding to repeated aspiration
- भोजना (bhojanā)
- Literal: foods, enjoyments. Symbolic: Experiences/energies to be assimilated by consciousness
- पूयमानः (pūyamānaḥ)
- Literal: being purified. Symbolic: Clarifying of emotion and desire into sattvic delight
- श्येनभृत (śyenabhṛt)
- Literal: eagle-borne. Symbolic: Carried by swift higher consciousness; descent/ascent of the luminous force
- प्रयांसि (prayāṃsi)
- Literal: forward-gifts, advances. Symbolic: Progressive endowments aiding the yoga’s advance
- रयिम् (rayim)
- Literal: wealth. Symbolic: Spiritual plenitude—inner resources, wideness, abundance of being
- वाजम् (vājam)
- Literal: prize/victory-force. Symbolic: Victorious power of realization
Invocation for Soma to bring boons (prayāṃsi, rayi) and energize the rite; śyena reference aligns Soma with heavenly origin and swift descent.
At the time of Soma’s purification and preparation for offering
Recitation to energize the flow, invoke gifts, and direct Soma to Indra’s victory
Chant when seeking to transform daily experiences into practice—before work, study, or difficult conversations.
śyena-bhṛt evokes the Soma-eagle myth (Soma stolen from heaven): psychologically, the swift supramental carrier that brings down the nectar. rayi from √rā ‘to give’ (wealth as given fullness). √tuj ‘push/impel’ marks active emergence of abundance.
rayi as fullness of being, vāja as victorious force, descent of nectar (Soma brought by śyena)
‘Moving around’ suggests orderly circulation—right distribution of energies under R̥ta.
Purification implies alignment with truth so that delight does not degrade into desire.
Descent of higher gifts (prayāṃsi) into the human field via the ‘eagle’ principle.
Integral-psychological reading: transmutation of life by purified Ananda.
Higher-winged aspiration carries bliss into the system; purified delight circulates through all life-energies and becomes strength for victory.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-brought-by-eagle mythologem (śyena-bhṛt) combined with boon-bringing: Soma, purified, circulates through all inner nourishments and then delivers forward-gifts—rayi and vāja—into the human field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘bear/bring’ is strongly IE (cf. Latin ferō, English ‘bear’ via Germanic *beran). This inherited carrying-root fits the śyena-bhṛt motif: the divine essence is ‘borne’ into manifestation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi calls Soma ‘much-invoked’—a communal reliance—and asks for concrete spiritual outputs: prayāṃsi (advancing gifts), rayi (fullness), vāja (victory-force). The devata is thus not only purifier but provider and activator of progress.
Assimilate all experiences as ‘food’ for awakening; invite swift higher help (śyena) to bring forward gifts.
Maṇipūra (assimilation/transformative fire) with Ājñā (higher guidance)
4-4-6 breathing while mentally repeating ‘pūyamānaḥ… prayāṃsi… vājam’ to combine purification and forward drive.
Expansive, integrative, confidently aspiring
Offer the day’s experiences inwardly; feel Soma circulate through them without grasping; then focus on one clear victory-intention and let the current ‘flow toward it’.
Vedic svara pattern per Śākala; exact accents need the marked saṃhitā text.
Mark the imperative ‘bhara’ with clear intent; keep ‘śyenabhṛta’ tightly joined, no pause between śyena-bhṛta.
puru-hūta: keep long ū., śyena: palatal ś, not dental s., arṣa: pronounce ṛ clearly; avoid ‘arsha’ with inserted vowel.
Clear, commanding, slightly soaring on ‘śyenabhṛt’ imagery
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