Hymn to Soma Pavamana
Rigveda IX.72 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 9 of the Rigveda, one of the 1,028 hymns organized within the ten books of the oldest Veda. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in Vedic Sanskrit and preserved through oral transmission across millennia.
This is a Good Works Translation produced for the Good Works Library from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension. Like the rest of Maṇḍala 9, it is addressed to Soma Pavamana — the Soma-plant's juice as it is pressed, filtered through the woolen strainer, and readied as a drink for Indra.
1. They groom the tawny one, as a ruddy horse being yoked; Soma is anointed with the milk in the vessel. He lifts up his voice; with their thought they speed him on — however many dear companions belong to the much-praised one.
2. Many thoughtful sages speak together, when they have milked Soma into Indra's belly. So too when the skillful-handed men cleanse the desired sweetness with the ten fingers, sisters of one nest.
3. Unresting, he passes on toward the cows, beyond the beloved roar of the Sun-maiden's voice. The vinaṅgṛṣa brought him delight accordingly; he dwells together with the twin kindred sisters.
4. Shaken clean by men, pressed by the stones, dear one on the sacred grass, lord of the cows from ancient days, the timely drop — rich in abundance, accomplishing Manu's sacrifice, pure, he purifies himself by insight, Soma, for you, Indra.
5. Urged on by the arms of men, pressed out in a stream, he purifies himself in his own way, Soma, for you, Indra. He has filled the powers of will, he has drawn the thoughts together at the rite; like a bird settling on a tree, the tawny one settled into the two bowls.
6. They milk the thundering, imperishable stalk — the poet — these working, thoughtful poet-sages. The streams of milk and the hymns go together, joined, ever renewed, in the womb, the seat of truth.
7. At the navel of the earth, the support of the great heaven, sprinkled amid the rivers in the swell of the waters — Indra's thunderbolt, the bull rich in abundance — Soma, lovely and exhilarating, purifies himself for the heart.
8. So purify yourself, over the whole earthly realm, seeking to help the singer and the one who stirs the pressing-stones, O wise one. Do not shut us out from the wealth that touches our dwelling; may we be clothed in abundant golden riches.
9. Now bring to us, O drop, a hundredfold gift of horses, a thousandfold gift of cattle and gold. Measure out to us the great, wealthy streams of nourishment; O purifying one, come to us, attend our praise.
Translator's note: "vinaṅgṛṣa" (v.3) is an obscure term of uncertain sense — possibly a name for the strainer or a minor mythic agent — and is left untranslated. "camū" (v.5, "the two bowls") refers to the paired vessels used in the soma ritual. "Indu" (v.9, "the drop") is a standing epithet of Soma.
Colophon
Rigveda IX.72 is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation rendered verse by verse from the Sanskrit text printed below. Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation.
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Source Text: ṛgveda IX.72
Sanskrit source text from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
harim mṛjanty aruṣo na yujyate saṁ dhenubhiḥ kalaśe somo ajyate |
ud vācam īrayati hinvate matī puruṣṭutasya kati cit paripriyaḥ || 1 ||
sākaṁ vadanti bahavo manīṣiṇa indrasya somaṁ jaṭhare yad āduhuḥ |
yadī mṛjanti sugabhastayo naraḥ sanīḻābhir daśabhiḥ kāmyam madhu || 2 ||
aramamāṇo aty eti gā abhi sūryasya priyaṁ duhitus tiro ravam |
anv asmai joṣam abharad vinaṁgṛsaḥ saṁ dvayībhiḥ svasṛbhiḥ kṣeti jāmibhiḥ || 3 ||
nṛdhūto adriṣuto barhiṣi priyaḥ patir gavām pradiva indur ṛtviyaḥ |
puraṁdhivān manuṣo yajñasādhanaḥ śucir dhiyā pavate soma indra te || 4 ||
nṛbāhubhyāṁ codito dhārayā suto 'nuṣvadham pavate soma indra te |
āprāḥ kratūn sam ajair adhvare matīr ver na druṣac camvo3r āsadad dhariḥ || 5 ||
aṁśuṁ duhanti stanayantam akṣitaṁ kaviṁ kavayo 'paso manīṣiṇaḥ |
sam ī gāvo matayo yanti saṁyata ṛtasya yonā sadane punarbhuvaḥ || 6 ||
nābhā pṛthivyā dharuṇo maho divo3 'pām ūrmau sindhuṣv antar ukṣitaḥ |
indrasya vajro vṛṣabho vibhūvasuḥ somo hṛde pavate cāru matsaraḥ || 7 ||
sa tū pavasva pari pārthivaṁ rajaḥ stotre śikṣann ādhūnvate ca sukrato |
mā no nir bhāg vasunaḥ sādanaspṛśo rayim piśaṅgam bahulaṁ vasīmahi || 8 ||
ā tū na indo śatadātv aśvyaṁ sahasradātu paśumad dhiraṇyavat |
upa māsva bṛhatī revatīr iṣo 'dhi stotrasya pavamāna no gahi || 9 ||
Source Colophon
Sanskrit text of the Rigveda, Śākala recension. The standard scholarly edition is the Bombay Oriental (Vishva Bandhu, 5 vols., 1963–66). IAST transliteration available from GRETIL (Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages) and Vedaweb (University of Cologne). Both sources are open access. IAST transliteration from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).