Hymn to Soma
Rigveda IX.92 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 by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
The tawny draught, that living herb, is pressed and surgeth round the straining-cloth as a war-car urged to glory. While he is cleansed he sendeth forth a clarion cry for Indra, and with sweet libations rendereth grateful recompense to all the gods.
With eye upon mankind he hasteneth hither, winning the name of “Poet” within the filter’s womb; he taketh his place in the beakers as a Hotar on his sacred settle, and the seven seers, all flame of spirit, draw nigh unto him.
That most sagacious Pathfinder, portion of every god, goeth, as he is purified, unto the seat that is his own. He reclineth amid all songs; firm of will, he ordereth himself throughout the hosts of the fivefold folk.
Self-cleansing Soma, within thy hidden heart abide the thrice-eleven deities. The ten deft fingers, each in its proper might, and the seven rushing streams do tend thee upon the fleece of the sheep.
So standeth it, by all the minstrel throng agreed, concerning thee, O self-purifying one: thou madest the radiance of day and the broad expanse, thou gavest furtherance unto Manu, yet didst hem the Dasyu in narrow bounds.
Rounding the altar seats even as a Hotar passeth about the victims, moving to councils like a rightful king, Soma, now refined, hath reached the sacred vats and setteth himself therein as a wild bull amid the forest-wooden bowls.
Colophon
This hymn is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation are to be documented during audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
🌲
Source Text: ṛgveda IX.92
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.
pari suvāno harir aṁśuḥ pavitre ratho na sarji sanaye hiyānaḥ |
āpac chlokam indriyam pūyamānaḥ prati devām̐ ajuṣata prayobhiḥ || 1 ||
acchā nṛcakṣā asarat pavitre nāma dadhānaḥ kavir asya yonau |
sīdan hoteva sadane camūṣūpem agmann ṛṣayaḥ sapta viprāḥ || 2 ||
pra sumedhā gātuvid viśvadevaḥ somaḥ punānaḥ sada eti nityam |
bhuvad viśveṣu kāvyeṣu rantānu janān yatate pañca dhīraḥ || 3 ||
tava tye soma pavamāna niṇye viśve devās traya ekādaśāsaḥ |
daśa svadhābhir adhi sāno avye mṛjanti tvā nadyaḥ sapta yahvīḥ || 4 ||
tan nu satyam pavamānasyāstu yatra viśve kāravaḥ saṁnasanta |
jyotir yad ahne akṛṇod u lokam prāvan manuṁ dasyave kar abhīkam || 5 ||
pari sadmeva paśumānti hotā rājā na satyaḥ samitīr iyānaḥ |
somaḥ punānaḥ kalaśām̐ ayāsīt sīdan mṛgo na mahiṣo vaneṣu || 6 ||
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).
🌲