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Rig Veda · 749 of 1027
Mandala 9: HYMN XXVI. Soma Pavamana.
1.THE sages with the fingers’ art have dressed and decked that vigorous Steed Upon the lap of Aditi,
2.The kine have called aloud to him exhaustless with a thousand streams, To Indu who supporteth heaven.
3.Him, nourisher of many, Sage, creative Pavamana, they Have sent, by wisdom, to the sky.
4.Him, dweller with Vivasvān, they with use of both arms have sent forth, The Lord of Speech infallible.
5.Him, green, beloved, many eyed, the Sisters with prosing stones Send down to ridges of the sieve.
6.O Pavamana, Indu, priests hurry thee on to Indra, thee Who aidest song and cheerest him.
Asked of Guide
Why do the priests call Soma 'Pavamana' and send him to Indra?
The chapter shows the priests treating Soma as a living, purifying draught called Pavamana—“Him, nourisher of many, Sage, creative Pavamana”—whose ritual role is to be ritually purified and propelled skyward. They use skilled rites (“with the fingers’ art,” “use of both arms”) to prepare and hurry Soma so he can reach Indra and strengthen song and battle, since the hymn names him “who aidest song and cheerest him.”
This is a practical theology: Soma’s ascent makes divine power available. If you want a close parallel, compare the Rig Veda hymn to the later Atharva Veda rituals where libations and precise gestures similarly transfer potency from the liquid to the gods.
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