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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 837 of 1027

Mandala 9: HYMN CXIV. Soma Pavamana.

1.THE man who walketh as the Laws of Indu Pavamana bid,— Men call him rich in children, him, O Soma, who hath met thy thought. Flow, Indu, flow for Indra’s sake.

2.Kasyapa, Ṛṣi, lifting up thy voice with hymn-composers’ lauds, Pav reverence to King Soma born the Sovran Ruler of the plants. Flow, Indu, flow for Indra’s sake.

3.Seven regions have their several Suns; the ministering priests are seven; Seven are the Āditya Deities,—with these, O Soma, guard thou us. Flow, Indu, flow for Indra’s sake.

4.Guard us with this oblation which, King Soma, hath been dressed for thee.

Asked of Guide

Why does the hymn keep repeating “Flow, Indu, flow for Indra’s sake”?

The refrain “Flow, Indu, flow for Indra’s sake” is a ritual summons asking Soma (Indu) to pour himself out as the sacred drink so the god Indra may be empowered; the verb “flow” repeats to match the libation’s physical pouring and the hymn’s liturgical rhythm. The refrain ties the act of offering to social ends—“rich in children” and protection—so the pouring becomes a means of blessing and continuity.

The hymn names priests, suns, and Ādityas—specific cosmic and cultic agents—to show the libation’s scope: it nourishes the gods, secures priestly service, and “guard thou us.” This union of image and refrain works like the practice described in the Brāhmaṇa layer: repeated formulae make the sacrament efficacious.

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