Hymn to Soma Pavamāna
Rigveda IX.81 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.
1. The beautifully adorned waves of Soma, purifying himself, flow forth into Indra's belly, when the pressed juices — lifted up with curds and the glorious milk of cows — have gladdened the hero for the sake of giving.
2. Soma has streamed toward the vats, like a swift-coursing bull, a draft-horse pulling its course; and knowing the double birth of the gods, he reaches what lies both yonder and here.
3. Pour wealth toward us, Soma, as you purify yourself; O drop, be generous with great bounty. Grant us vigor, striving with good judgment for our prosperity — do not pour our household away, far from us.
4. Let Pūṣan, purifying himself, bringer of good gifts, come to us, together with Mitra and Varuṇa, of one accord — Bṛhaspati, the Maruts, Vāyu, the Aśvins, Tvaṣṭar, Savitar, and gently guiding Sarasvatī.
5. Both Heaven and Earth, who set all things in motion, god Aryaman, Aditi, the Ordainer, Bhaga, Nṛśaṁsa, and the wide midspace — may all the gods delight in the one who purifies himself.
Translator's note: "the double birth of the gods" (verse 2) renders ubhayasya janmanaḥ*, a compact phrase that likely points to the two realms — divine and human — through which Soma is said to pass; it is kept close to the Sanskrit rather than expanded. "Nṛśaṁsa" (verse 5) is left as a proper name rather than translated, following its use elsewhere in the Rigveda as a minor deity invoked alongside Bhaga.*
Colophon
Rigveda IX.81 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.81
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.
pra somasya pavamānasyormaya indrasya yanti jaṭharaṁ supeśasaḥ |
dadhnā yad īm unnītā yaśasā gavāṁ dānāya śūram udamandiṣuḥ sutāḥ || 1 ||
acchā hi somaḥ kalaśām̐ asiṣyadad atyo na voḻhā raghuvartanir vṛṣā |
athā devānām ubhayasya janmano vidvām̐ aśnoty amuta itaś ca yat || 2 ||
ā naḥ soma pavamānaḥ kirā vasv indo bhava maghavā rādhaso mahaḥ |
śikṣā vayodho vasave su cetunā mā no gayam āre asmat parā sicaḥ || 3 ||
ā naḥ pūṣā pavamānaḥ surātayo mitro gacchantu varuṇaḥ sajoṣasaḥ |
bṛhaspatir maruto vāyur aśvinā tvaṣṭā savitā suyamā sarasvatī || 4 ||
ubhe dyāvāpṛthivī viśvaminve aryamā devo aditir vidhātā |
bhago nṛśaṁsa urv a1ntarikṣaṁ viśve devāḥ pavamānaṁ juṣanta || 5 ||
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).