Rig Veda · 731 of 1027
Mandala 9: HYMN VIII. Soma Pavamana.
1.OBEYING Indra’s dear desire these Soma juices have flowed forth, Increasing his heroic might.
2.Laid in the bowl, pure-flowing on to Vāyu and the Aśvins, may These give us great heroic strength.
3.Soma, as thou art purified, incite to bounty Indra’s heart, To sit in place of sacrifice.
4.The ten swift fingers deck thee forth, seven ministers impel thee on: The sages have rejoiced in thee.
5.When through the filter thou art poured, we clothe thee with a robe of milk To be a gladdening draught for Gods.
6.When purified within the jars, Soma, brightred and golden-hued, Hath clothed him with a robe of milk.
7.Flow on to us and make us rich. Drive all our enemies away. O Indu, flow into thy Friend. Send down the rain from heaven, a stream of opulence from earth. Give us, O Soma, victory in war. 9 May we obtain thee, Indra’s drink, who viewest men and findest light, Gain thee, and progeny and food.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn call Soma a 'robe of milk' when poured through the filter?
The hymn describes Soma as clothed with a “robe of milk” after pressing and filtering to picture purification and transformation into a pleasing, nourishing offering for the gods. The image bundles sensory detail and cultic function: the pressed juice becomes bright, golden, and milky, a “gladdening draught” that bestows vigor on Indra and the worshippers.
This robe metaphor also signals abundance and blessing—milk equals prosperity and life, so Soma’s milky robe promises “victory in war,” offspring, and food. The same association appears elsewhere in the Vedas where milk and streams mark divine favor and wealth, for example in hymns that liken rivers and gifts to cosmic nourishment.
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