Rig Veda 9.98.9: Mandala 9, Sukta 98, Mantra 9
Sukta 9.98
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
स वां यज्ञेषु मानवी इन्दुर्जनिष्ट रोदसी । देवो देवी गिरिष्ठा अस्रेधन्तं तुविष्वणि ॥
sá vāṃ yajñéṣu mānavī́ índur janiṣṭa rodasī́ | devó devī́ giriṣṭhā́ asredhántaṃ tuviṣváṇi ||
وہ اندو تمہارے لیے انسانی قربانیوں میں پیدا ہوا، اے آسمان اور زمین؛ دیوی طاقتوں کے لیے دیوتا، پہاڑ پر بیٹھا، نہ تھکنے والا، زور آواز سے گرجتا ہوا۔
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाम्
- you two; of/for you twoPronounद्विवचनम्, षष्ठी/द्वितीया (वेदे बहुधा ‘वाम्’ = ‘of you two/you two’)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञेषु
- in the sacrificesNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- मानवी
- the human (rite/assembly), Manu’s (institution)Adjective (used substantively) / Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot मानवी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘of Manu/pertaining to men’)
- इन्दुः
- the Soma-dropNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनिष्ट
- was born; came into beingVerbलुङ् (आorist), परस्मैपदम्, ३ पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot जन् (धातु)
- रोदसी
- Heaven and Earth (the two worlds)Noun (dual)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचनम् (रिग्वैदिक स्थिर-युग्म)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot रोदसी (द्वन्द्व-प्रातिपदिक; ‘heaven-and-earth’)
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवी
- the goddessNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- गिरिष्ठाः
- mountain-dwelling (ones)Adjective (epithet) / Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot गिरि-स्था (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; ‘standing on the mountain’)
- अस्रेधन्तम्
- the unfailing oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अस्रेधन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘unfailing, not slackening’)
- तुविष्वणिम्
- the loud-roaring / mighty-sounding oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तुवि-स्वणि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘loud-sounding, mighty-voiced’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): स वाम् यज्ञेषु मानवी इन्दुः जनिष्ट रोदसी । देवः देवी गिरिष्ठाः अस्रेधन्तम् तुविष्वणिम् ॥ 1) ‘स’ → ‘सः’ (विसर्गः पदान्ते)
- 2) ‘गिरिष्ठा’ + ‘अस्रेधन्तम्’ → संहितायां ‘गिरिष्ठा अस्रेधन्तम्’ (अ + अ संयोगः; पाठभेदेषु दीर्घ/अवग्रह-चिह्न सम्भवः)
- 3) ‘इन्दुः’ पदान्त-विसर्गः
- 4) ‘रोदसी’ स्थिर-द्विवचन-शब्दः (द्यावापृथिव्यौ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indu (purified Soma) is generated in human yajñas for you, Heaven-and-Earth; he is a god among the goddess-powers, seated on the mountains, unfailing, and roaring thunderously.
Inner meaning
The delight-force (Soma) is born in the human inner sacrifice within the field of manifestation (Heaven-and-Earth = mind and life/body). As a divine presence amid the operative powers (devīḥ), it takes its seat on the ‘mountain’ (giri)—the uplifted summit of consciousness—and becomes an unfaltering, forceful vibration that breaks inertia and calls the being upward.
Universal truth
When aspiration and offering become sincere, a higher joy-consciousness is generated in the embodied being; it establishes itself at the summit of awareness and acts as a steady, awakening vibration that harmonizes mind-life-body with the greater cosmic order.
Themes
Birth of Soma, Heaven-and-Earth dyad, Ascent imagery, Mantric resonance
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.98 (Soma Pavamāna series), Rig Veda 9.99 (continuation in the same ritual-psychological stream)
Significance
The anonymity highlights a collective yogic discovery: Soma as a repeatable inner process—generated by sacrifice, seated in the heights, and acting through powerful vibration.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (with address to Rodasī: Heaven-and-Earth)
- Epithets
- Indu (luminous drop), Pavamāna (self-purifying), Giriṣṭha (mountain-seated), Asredhan (unfailing), Tuviṣvaṇi (mighty-sounding)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Uṣas, Dyāvā-Pṛthivī (Rodasī)
Cosmic role
Purifier and vivifier: the delight-principle that, once clarified, supports the worlds (dyāvā-pṛthivī) and empowers the gods (functional cosmic powers).
Inner power
Ananda that rises to the summit of consciousness and becomes a steady, forceful current dissolving tamas and awakening the faculties.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavamāna) within Soma-yajña sequences
स वां॑ य॒ज्ञेषु॑ मानवी॒ इन्दु॑र्जनिष्ट रोदसी । दे॒वो दे॑वी गिरि॒ष्ठा अस्रे॑ध॒न्तं तु॑वि॒ष्वणि॑ ॥
सः । वा॒म् । य॒ज्ञेषु॑ । मा॒न॒वी॒ इति॑ । इन्दुः॑ । ज॒नि॒ष्ट॒ । रो॒द॒सी॒ इति॑ । दे॒वः । दे॒वी॒ इति॑ । गि॒रि॒ऽस्थाः । अस्रे॑धन् । तम् । तु॒वि॒ऽस्वनि॑ ॥
saḥ | vām | yajñeṣu | mānavī iti | induḥ | janiṣṭa | rodasī iti | devaḥ | devī iti | giri-sthāḥ | asredhan | tam | tuvi-svani
Jagatī (probable, common in Soma Pavamāna verses of this type)
48
4 pādas × 12 syllables (approx.)
Broad, rolling cadence suited to ‘roaring’ and expansive imagery.
Creates a sense of ascent and widening; supports the feeling of Soma establishing itself in the heights and vibrating through the system.
- इन्दुः (induḥ)
- Literal: bright drop; Soma. Symbolic: luminous delight/essence of consciousness distilled by practice
- यज्ञेषु (yajñeṣu)
- Literal: in sacrifices. Symbolic: in inner offering: disciplined self-giving and aspiration
- मानवी (mānavī)
- Literal: human. Symbolic: in the embodied nature; the mortal instrument
- रोदसी (rodasī)
- Literal: Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: mind and life/body as the field of manifestation
- देवो देवीः (devo devīḥ)
- Literal: a god for the goddesses. Symbolic: the one delight-power energizing and harmonizing the faculties/forces
- गिरिष्ठाः (giriṣṭhāḥ)
- Literal: mountain-seated. Symbolic: established in the higher mind/summit-consciousness
- अस्रेधन् (asredhan)
- Literal: unfailing, not slackening. Symbolic: steady tapas; persistent inner movement
- तुविष्वणि (tuviṣvaṇi)
- Literal: mighty-sounding, thundering. Symbolic: mantric vibration that shatters obstruction and awakens
Soma hymns accompanying pressing and offering; emphasizes Soma’s (re)birth in the yajña and its elevation to the ‘mountain’ (uttara-vedi / higher seat symbolically).
During Soma-libations when the juice is filtered and offered
Pressing/straining Soma through the pavitra; libation accompanied by chant
Use as a meditation-chant for ‘generating inner delight’ through disciplined offering; recite at the start of practice to invoke steadiness and upward seating of consciousness.
janíṣṭa (perfect/aorist middle of √jan ‘be born, generate’): Soma ‘is born’ in the human yajña—i.e., manifested through pressing and through inner practice. giriṣṭhā́ ‘standing/placed on the mountain’ (girí + √sthā): a standard RV image for powers fixed in the heights; psychologically, stable in elevated consciousness. tuviṣváṇi: tuví ‘mighty’ + √svan ‘sound, resound’—Soma as the force that makes the Word thunder.
Manifestation (birth of the divine in the human), Vibration/Word (śabda as force), Ascent to the heights (giri as summit-consciousness)
Soma is ‘born’ in yajña to uphold harmony between Heaven-and-Earth—inner order between higher mind and embodied life.
Truth manifests when delight becomes steady and seated in the heights; the ‘mighty sound’ is the call of Satya into the mortal.
Generation of divine essence within the human field; descent/ascent interplay between worlds.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-yogic reading (Aurobindonian): Ananda as a fundamental principle emerging through sacrifice.
Soma = clarified joy; mountain = higher mind; thunder = liberating mantra-force breaking subconscious resistance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The (re)birth of Soma in the human yajña within the cosmic frame of Heaven-and-Earth, followed by his enthronement on the mountain and his mighty sounding. Inwardly: delight-light is generated by practice, rises to the summit of consciousness, and releases a powerful vibration of inspired speech.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan ‘be born’ continues PIE *ǵenh₁- (cf. Latin gignere, Greek gígnomai). √svan ‘sound’ corresponds to PIE *(s)wen- ‘sound’/resonance field (compare English ‘sound’ is different etymology, but Indo-Iranian shows shared verbal root).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Soma’s birth is conditioned by ‘mānavī’ yajña—human effort and offering—yet once born he becomes a ‘deva’ empowering other divine faculties; the rishi invokes this cycle: practice generates Soma, Soma amplifies inspiration and elevates the practice.
Generate and ‘seat’ a quiet, luminous delight above the mind; let it pervade mind-life-body.
sahasrara (mountain-seat) / ajna (luminous establishment)
Slow nasal breathing with gentle internal ‘humming’ on the final cadence to embody tuviṣvaṇi.
Uplifted, wide, vibrant stillness (ananda with force).
Begin with an inner offering (yajña): place attention in the heart, then lift to the crown; feel a bright drop forming, steadying, and sounding through the system without strain.
Follow Rigvedic recitation with udatta on marked syllables, svarita on dependent rises; this verse has multiple udatta marks—keep the melodic lift crisp on vāṃ, indur, indrāyá-type accents (as applicable).
Sustain the udatta slightly higher; let svarita fall-glide; avoid flattening compound accents like giriṣṭhā.
Keep retroflex ṭh in (giriṣṭhāḥ) clear; do not soften to dental., (tuviṣvaṇi): articulate ṣv cluster cleanly (ṣ + va)., (asredhan): keep ‘dh’ aspirated, not ‘d’., (rodasī): long ī at end, steady and open.
Resonant, slightly sonorous to embody ‘mighty-sounding’ without shouting.
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