Rig Veda · 772 of 1027
Mandala 9: HYMN XLIX. Soma Pavamana.
1.Poust down the rain upon us, pour a wave of waters from the sky, And plenteous store of wholesome fbod.
2.Flow onward with that stream of thine, whereby the cows have come to us, The kine of strangers to our home.
3.Chief Friend of Gods in sacred rites, pour on us fatness with thy stream, Ppur down on us a flood of rain.
4.To give us vigour, with thy stream run through the fleecy straining-cloth For verily the Gods will bear.
5.Onward hath Pavamana flowed and beaten off the Rākṣasas, Flashing out splendour as of old.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn call Soma 'Pavamana' and ask it to 'pour down the rain'?
The hymn names Soma Pavamana — “the Purifier” or “one who pours forth” — to stress its life-giving, cleansing action: the juice flows and “beateth off the Rākṣasas,” driving away harm while bringing sacred potency. The poets address Soma as a cosmic stream that transforms sacrifice into abundance, asking it to “pour a wave of waters from the sky” so households receive “plenteous store of wholesome food.”
This image links Soma with rain and fertility so closely that the ritual sip becomes meteorological blessing; the cultic act summons a visible, nourishing downpour. The emphasis echoes themes in the Atharva Veda and later Upanishads where sacrificial speech and sacrament effect worldly prosperity by aligning heaven’s waters with human welfare.
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