Rig Veda 9.49.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 49, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.49
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
घृतं पवस्व धारया यज्ञेषु देववीतमः । अस्मभ्यं वृष्टिमा पव ॥
ghṛtáṃ pavasva dhā́rayā yajñéṣu deva-vītamaḥ | asmábhyam vṛṣṭím ā́ pava ||
以一道恒常之流，作为酥明之精华而流入我等祭祀中，噢，最为诸神所悦纳者；为我等净化，并降下甘霖——滋养丰盈的下临。
Word by Word
- घृतम्
- ghee; clarified butter (as the flowing Soma)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (पवस्व इति क्रियायाः) / विधेय-विशेष्यRoot घृत (प्रातिपदिक) < √घृ (सेचन/लेपन) से निष्पन्न
- पवस्व
- purify yourself; flow (as purified Soma)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot √पू (पवते) ‘शुद्धौ/पवने’
- धारया
- with a stream; in a flowing currentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot धारा (प्रातिपदिक) < √धृ ‘धारण’
- यज्ञेषु
- in the sacrifices; at the ritesNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) < √यज् ‘इष्टौ’
- देववीतमः
- most welcomed by the gods; most sought by the godsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सुपरलेटिव) — सोमस्य विशेषणम्Role विशेषण (कर्तृ/विधेय-सम्बन्ध)Root देव-वीत (प्रातिपदिक; ‘देवैः वीतः/आहूतः/प्राप्तः’) + तमप्
- अस्मभ्यः
- to usPronounचतुर्थी, बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृष्टिम्
- rain; shower (of blessing)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (पव इति क्रियायाः)Root वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) < √वृष् ‘वर्षणे’
- आ
- hither; forth; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः (आ-), क्रियायोगे ‘आ’ = ‘towards, hither, forth’Role क्रियाविशेषण (दिशा/सम्प्राप्ति)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- पव
- purify (yourself); flow (towards us)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (वेदिक-प्रयोग)Role क्रियाRoot √पू (पवते) ‘शुद्धौ/पवने’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: घृतम् | पवस्व | धारया | यज्ञेषु | देववीतमः | अस्मभ्यः | वृष्टिम् | आ | पव || संहितापाठे ‘अस्मभ्य॑य’ इति रूपं दृश्यते, तत् पदपाठानुसारं ‘अस्मभ्यः’ इत्यस्य वेदिक-सन्धि/उच्चारण-परम्परया (ः + स्वरादि) संहितारूप-परिवर्तनम्
- अर्थतः ‘अस्मभ्यः’ (to us) एव। ‘वृष्टिमा’ इति संहितारूपं = ‘वृष्टिम् आ’ (m + ā → mā) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Soma is asked to flow as ghṛta in a steady stream within the sacrifices, most dear to the gods, and to purify and bring rain for us.
Inner meaning
Soma’s flow becomes ghṛta—not merely clarified butter but the luminous essence of mind (clarified light-substance). In the inner yajña, this means the bliss-current turns into a clear, bright intelligence that the gods (higher powers) readily accept. The requested ‘rain’ (vṛṣṭi) is the descent of nourishing force—plenty of energy, inspiration, and fruitful results into the lower nature.
Universal truth
When delight is refined into clarity, higher powers cooperate; then a natural descent of nourishment and abundance follows.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Purification, Descent of abundance, Inner sacrifice
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.49, Rig Veda 9.50
Significance
The seer emphasizes the transformation of Soma into ghṛta—an Aurobindonian key for ‘clarified mind-stuff’—and prays for the downward grace (vṛṣṭi) that completes the inner sacrifice.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Epithets
- Pavamāna, Deva-vītama (most dear to the gods), Ghṛta-pravāha (flowing as ghṛta, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra (receiver of Soma, illumination), Agni (carrier of offering), Parjanya (rain, symbolic descent)
Cosmic role
Refiner of the pressed delight into a divine offering that sustains the gods and brings fertility to worlds.
Inner power
Turns raw sensation-delight into luminous intelligence and invokes the descending abundance that stabilizes realization.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-pavamāna chanting during Soma-yajña
घृ॒तं प॑वस्व॒ धार॑या य॒ज्ञेषु॑ देव॒वीत॑मः । अ॒स्मभ्य॑य वृ॒ष्टिमा प॑व ॥
घृ॒तम् । प॒व॒स्व॒ । धार॑या । य॒ज्ञेषु॑ । दे॒व॒ऽवीत॑मः । अ॒स्मभ्य॑म् । वृ॒ष्टिम् । आ । प॒व॒ ॥
ghṛtam | pavasva | dhārayā | yajñeṣu | deva-vītamaḥ | asmabhyam | vṛṣṭim | ā | pava
Likely Triṣṭubh (common in RV 9; 4x11 approximation)
44
4 x 11 (approx.)
Measured, sacrificial cadence; strong mid-line lift on invocatory epithets.
Creates a sense of brightening and then a downward settling, mirroring ascent-offering and descent-rain.
- घृतम् (ghṛtam)
- Literal: clarified butter. Symbolic: clarified light-essence; luminous mental substance
- यज्ञेषु (yajñeṣu)
- Literal: in sacrifices. Symbolic: in all acts of inner offering—attention, aspiration, self-giving
- देववीतमः (deva-vītamaḥ)
- Literal: most welcomed by the gods. Symbolic: most compatible with higher consciousness; readily received by illumined powers
- वृष्टिम् (vṛṣṭim)
- Literal: rain. Symbolic: descent of plenitude (force, inspiration, nourishment)
Soma Pavamāna cycle: verses used in Soma pressing/purification (pavamāna-stotra context; flowing through the filter/pavitra).
While Soma is flowing/being purified and offered to gods in the Soma rite
Straining, collecting, offering; invoking fertility/‘rain’ as result of sacrifice
Chant before creative work or healing practice: refine emotion into clarity (ghṛta) and invite a ‘rain’ of supportive energy and solutions.
Key verbs are from √pū/√pav ‘to purify, clarify, stream’ (Soma as the clarifying current). dhārā ‘stream’ (from √dhṛ ‘to hold/support’) implies a held, directed flow. vṛṣṭi ‘rain’ from √vṛṣ carries both ‘shower’ and ‘virile potency’, supporting the inner sense of a powerful descent of nourishment. deva-vītamaḥ: vīta in Vedic often means ‘enjoyed/pursued/desired’, hence Soma as the most relished offering-power for the gods.
yajña as inner offering, descent of plenitude (vṛṣṭi) as grace/fulfilment, purification as clarification of consciousness
Right offering (yajña) draws right response (vṛṣṭi) in Ṛta—exchange between human and divine planes.
Ghṛta symbolizes truth-clarity; when present, the gods ‘accept’ easily.
Descent of plenitude as the creative completion of aspiration—heaven’s response to purified offering.
Integral symbolic Vedism: transformation (purification) followed by descent (vṛṣṭi) of higher force.
Monsoon imagery (as symbol of descent)
Clarity flowing in the mind and a subsequent shower of nourishing force into life and body.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic action is Soma-as-rain: the purified Soma-current becomes the heavenly shower that nourishes worlds. Innerly, the clarified consciousness (ghṛta/Soma) descends as vṛṣṭi—plenitude and force—into the human field through yajña (self-offering).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pav/√pū ‘purify’ aligns with PIE *pewH-/*puH- type notions of cleansing/clarifying (semantic field: purification/clearness). vṛṣ ‘to rain’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Av. varəš- ‘rain’), preserving the old poetic equation of ‘rain = potency/fruitfulness’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker positions the human collectivity (asmabhyam) as recipients of a disciplined divine influx: Soma is invoked not merely to be offered to gods but to return as vṛṣṭi—an answering descent. This expresses reciprocity: human self-offering (yajña) invites divine clarification and nourishment.
Refine feeling into luminous clarity; offer it upward; then receive a calm descent of nourishing force.
Sahasrāra/Ājñā (clarity) with descent to Maṇipūra (strength) and Svādhiṣṭhāna (creative flow)
Inhale imagining bright ‘ghṛta’ rising; exhale imagining gentle ‘rain’ descending through the torso.
Luminous receptivity with a soft downward settling of energy.
On ‘ghṛtam’ visualize golden clarity; on ‘devavītamaḥ’ feel inner alliance with higher powers; on ‘vṛṣṭim’ allow a quiet shower of strength and contentment.
Maintain Vedic pitch accents; emphasize the epithet ‘devavītamaḥ’ with clear udatta rise where marked in tradition (exact svara per śākhā).
Hold long vowels: ghṛtam (short a), dhārayā (long ā), vṛṣṭim (retroflex ṣṭ). Keep ‘yajñeṣu’ with clear palatal ñ.
ghṛtam: gh aspirated; vocalic ṛ, yajñeṣu: ññ-like cluster (yaj-ñe-ṣu), not ‘yag-’, devavītamaḥ: vī long ī; final ḥ light, vṛṣṭim: vṛ with vocalic ṛ; ṣṭ as retroflex cluster, ā pava: long ā, then pava crisp
Bright, ringing, slightly elevated tone; soften on the ‘rain’ phrase for descent.
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