Rig Veda · 763 of 1027
Mandala 9: HYMN XL. Soma Pavamana.
1.THE Very Active hath assailed, while purified, all enemies: They deck the Sage with holy songs.
2.The Red hath mounted to his place; to India, goes the mighty juice: He settles in his firm abode.
3.O Indu, Soma, send us now great opulence from every side, Pour on us treasures thousandfold.
4.O Soma Pavamana, bring, Indu, all splcndours hitherward: Find for us food in boundless store.
5.As thou art cleansed, bring hero strength and riches to thy worshipper, And prosper thou the singer’s hymns.
6.O Indu, Soma, being cleansed, bring hither riches doublypiled, Wealth, mighty Indu, meet for lauds.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn call Soma both 'Pavamana' (purified) and 'Red' who 'mounts to his place'?
The hymn treats Soma as a deity who is ritually purified and then ascends to his celestial seat: “Pavamana” marks the act of cleansing that readies Soma to confer blessings, and “The Red hath mounted to his place” describes his return to the gods after the libation. The cleansing makes Soma effective; once purified he becomes the active giver of wealth, strength, and protection to the worshipper.
This pattern of purificatory ascent links service and reward—the ritual prepares a divine agent who then bestows “treasures thousandfold” and “wealth” on the singer. Compare the Iliad’s sacrificial language where offerings restore favor; here the Rig Veda locates power in the poured, purified Soma who departs and settles in a firm abode to enact blessing.
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