A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.
Rig Veda · 724 of 1027
Mandala 9: HYMN I. Soma Pavamana.
1.In sweetest and most gladdening stream flow pure, O Soma, on thy way, Pressed out for Indra, for his drink.
2.Fiend-queller, Friend of all men, he hath with the wood attained unto His place, his iron-fashioned home.
3.Be thou best Vṛtra-slayer, best granter of bliss, most liberal: Promote our wealthy princes’ gifts.
4.Flow onward with thy juice unto the banquet of the Mighty Gods: Flow hither for our strength and fame.
5.O Indu, we draw nigh to thee, with this one object day by day: To thee alone our prayers are said
6.By means of this eternal fleece may Sūrya’s Daughter purify Thy Soma that is foaming forth.
7.Ten sister maids of slender form seize him within the press and hold Him firmly on the final day.
8.The virgins send him forth: they blow the the skin musician-like and fuse The triple foe-repelling meath.
9.Inviolable milch-kine round about him blend for Indra’s drink, The fresh young Soma with their milk.
10.In the wild raptures of this draught, Indra slays all the Vṛtras: he, The Hero, pours his wealth on us.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn call Soma both a drink and a warrior for Indra?
The hymn presents Soma as a sacred juice and as a divine ally because the ritual drink is described as an active agent in the gods’ world: it is “pressed out for Indra, for his drink” and in its “wild raptures” Indra “slays all the Vṛtras.” The liquid Soma is literally consumed in the ceremony and imaginatively participates in cosmic battle, granting strength, fame, and liberation to the gods and worshippers.
This blending of roles mirrors other Rigveda hymns where ritual substances effect divine action; see Mandala 1 hymns to Indra, which also depict the sacrificial offering empowering the god to conquer chaos. The poem treats the sacrament as both material and efficacious presence that enacts the mythic victory.
Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.