Hymn to Pavamana Soma
Rigveda IX.8 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. Maṇḍala 9 is composed entirely of hymns to Soma Pavamana — the Soma-juice in the act of being purified, pressed, and strained through wool before offering. 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.
1. These Soma-drops have flowed toward Indra's dear desire, strengthening his heroic power.
2. Being purified, seated in the cups, going toward Vāyu and the two Aśvins — may they grant us good strength.
3. O Soma, being purified for Indra's bounty, stir his heart, as you settle into the womb of truth.
4. The ten fingers cleanse you; seven thoughts drive you onward; the inspired singers have exulted along with you.
5. Released for the gods, for their exhilaration, passing through the fleece — we clothe you together with milk.
6. Purifying himself in the jars, the ruddy, golden one has wrapped himself in garments of milk.
7. Flow purely to us, together with the bounteous patron; strike away all hatreds. O drop, enter as a friend.
8. Pour down the rain of heaven, and splendor over the earth; O Soma, set strength in us for the battles.
9. May we partake of you, watcher of men, drunk by Indra, finder of the sun — a share in offspring and nourishment.
Translator's note: verse 5's "ati meṣyaḥ" (literally "through the ewes/fleece") refers to the woolen strainer through which the Soma-juice is filtered; rendered here as "passing through the fleece." Verse 9's final line names two things received together — "prajām iṣam," offspring and nourishment/refreshment — kept as a pair rather than merged.
Colophon
Rigveda IX.8 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.8
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.
ete somā abhi priyam indrasya kāmam akṣaran |
vardhanto asya vīryam || 1 ||
punānāsaś camūṣado gacchanto vāyum aśvinā |
te no dhāntu suvīryam || 2 ||
indrasya soma rādhase punāno hārdi codaya |
ṛtasya yonim āsadam || 3 ||
mṛjanti tvā daśa kṣipo hinvanti sapta dhītayaḥ |
anu viprā amādiṣuḥ || 4 ||
devebhyas tvā madāya kaṁ sṛjānam ati meṣyaḥ |
saṁ gobhir vāsayāmasi || 5 ||
punānaḥ kalaśeṣv ā vastrāṇy aruṣo hariḥ |
pari gavyāny avyata || 6 ||
maghona ā pavasva no jahi viśvā apa dviṣaḥ |
indo sakhāyam ā viśa || 7 ||
vṛṣṭiṁ divaḥ pari srava dyumnam pṛthivyā adhi |
saho naḥ soma pṛtsu dhāḥ || 8 ||
nṛcakṣasaṁ tvā vayam indrapītaṁ svarvidam |
bhakṣīmahi prajām iṣam || 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).