Rig Veda · 826 of 1027
Mandala 9: HYMN CIII. Soma Pavamana.
1.To Soma who is purified as ordering Priest the song is raised: Bring meed, as ’twere, to one who makes thee glad with hymns.
2.Blended with milk and curds he flows on through the long wool of the sheep. The Gold-hued, purified, makes him three seats for rest.
3.On through the long wool of the sheep to the meath-dropping vat he flows: The Ṛṣis’ sevenfold quire hath sung aloud to him.
4.Shared by all Gods, Infallible, the Leader of our holy hymns, Golden-hued Soma, being cleansed, hath reached the bowls.
5.After thy Godlike qualities, associate with Indra, go, As a Priest purified by priests, Immortal One.
6.Like a car-horse who shows his strength, a God effused for Deities. The penetrating Pavamana flows along.
Asked of Guide
Why does this hymn call Soma “purified” and link him with priests and Indra?
The hymn describes Soma as Pavamana—“the purified”—because the ritual pressing and filtering turn the plant-juice into a sacred, priestly drink: it “flows on through the long wool of the sheep” and reaches the bowls for use in worship. Calling Soma a Priest and associating him with Indra presents the drink as an active religious agent that carries divine power and joins the functions of ritual officiant and warrior-god.
The text treats purification as transformation: Soma becomes a Leader of hymns and is “shared by all Gods,” which gives the drink communal authority and efficacy in the sacrifice. This mirrors themes in other Vedic hymns, especially in Mandala 8 and 10 where Soma’s ritual role and friendship with Indra secure both inspiration and victory for worshippers.
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