Rig Veda · 737 of 1027
Mandala 9: HYMN XIV. Soma Pavamana.
1.REPOSING on the river’s wave the Sage hath widely flowed around, Bearing the hymn which many love.
2.When the Five kindred Companies, active in duty, with the song Establish him, the Powerful,
3.Then in his juice whose strength is great, have all the Gods rejoiced themselves, When he hath clothed him in the milk.
4.Freeing himself he flows away, leaving his body’s severed limbs, And meets his own Companion here.
5.He by the daughters of the priest, like a fair youth, hath been adorned, Making the milk, as ’twere, his robe.
6.O’er the fine fingers, through desire of milk, in winding course he goes, And utters voice which he hath found.
7.The nimble fingers have approached, adorning him the Lord of Strength: They grasp the vigorous Courser’s back.
8.Comprising all the treasures that are in the heavens and on the earth, Come, Soma, as our faithful Friend.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn call Soma 'clothed... in the milk' and 'make the milk his robe'?
The chapter describes Soma’s ritual transformation: the juice is purified and mixed with milk, so the hymn imagines Soma as being dressed in that milk. Verses say he is “clothed him in the milk” and “Making the milk, as ’twere, his robe,” treating the sacrificial drink as a visible sign of his sanctified, renewed state.
This image echoes other Vedic hymns where offerings and rites visibly change a deity’s shape — compare Rig Veda Mandala 9 hymns where Soma’s pressing and drinking are repeatedly described as birth, adornment, and joining the gods. The milk-robe signals Soma’s purity and readiness to bestow strength and treasures.
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.