Rig Veda · 742 of 1027
Mandala 9: HYMN XIX. Soma Pavamana.
1.O SOMA, being purified bring us the wondrous treasure, meet For lauds, that is in earth and heaven.
2.For ye Twain, Indra, Soma, are Lords of the light, Lords of the kine: Great Rulers, prosper ye our songs.
3.The tawny Steer, while cleansed among the living, bellowing on the grass, Hath sunk and settled in his home.
4.Over the Steer’s productive flow the sacred songs were resonant, The mothers of the darling Son.
5.Hath he not, purified, impregned the kine whb long to meet their Lord, The kine who yield the shining milk?
6.Bring near us those who stand aloof strike fear into our enemies: O Pavamana, find us wealth.
7.Soma, bring down the foeman’s might, his vigorous strength and vital powe’r, Whether he be afar or near.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn call Soma 'Pavamana' and ask him to purify and bring wealth?
The hymn names Soma “Pavamana,” which means “purifying one,” because the ritual pressing and offering of Soma is conceived as a cleansing, fertilizing force: “being purified bring us the wondrous treasure” and “Hath he not, purified, impregned the kine.” The poet links purification with productive power, so Soma’s ritual presence is the source of both sacred blessing and material abundance.
Those blessings are both cosmic and practical: Soma with Indra are “Lords of the light, Lords of the kine,” ruling cosmic order and the cattle economy that sustains the community. This pairing — purification that yields fertility and victory — echoes themes in the Atharva Veda where ritual drink and libation secure prosperity and defeat enemies through sacred action.
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