Mandala 9 – Hymn 88: Simple and clear decoding

Introduction

The ninth mandala is that of Soma pavamana , purified Soma, flowing Soma.
It once formed the conclusion of the Rig Veda, before the Soma shortage around 2200 BCE (according to some archaeological and climatological hypotheses).
This mandala is entirely devoted to the sacred beverage. Each hymn describes its movements, its light, its power of inner transformation.
Here, the rishi Uśanas Kāvya sings of Soma as a living, purifying, ascending force, often compared to the gods—and sometimes superior to them.

Deciphering – Mandala 9; Hymn 88

1

This soma has been pressed… the intoxication that leads to Union.

Soma is presented as being offered to Indra , but above all as a force that leads to Union —inner union, dissolution of the ego, access to the inner “Heaven.”
The intoxication in question is not alcoholic: it is visionary , linked to the expansion of consciousness.
Pressed, purified, “chosen,” Soma is here a driving force of enlightenment .

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2

…like the great one that leads to abundant riches…
…all humans… have attained Heaven…

The Soma is compared to a victorious chariot . It “brings forth much,” not in gold, but in spiritual riches .
The “new wooden cups” that “raise” symbolize the human spirit when it is pure, clear, and ready to receive the light.
Through the Soma, “all born humans” can “obtain Heaven”:
→ the celestial dimension is found within oneself, during the entheogenic experience .

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3

I call upon the one who, like Vâyu… like the Nâsatyas… like Pûshan…

Soma is compared here to several deities:

• Vâyu : movement, breath, momentum.
• Nâsatyas : healing, guidance.
• Pûshan : inner nourishment, protection.

These comparisons say one simple thing:
→ Soma unites within itself all beneficial powers .
It inspires veneration because it opens consciousness , nourishes the spirit, and guides the seer.

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4

You are like Indra… Slayer of darkness… slayer of snakes… slayer of Dasyus.

Soma is likened to Indra , which is rare: Soma is often compared to Agni, but here it receives the inner warrior power of Indra.

• “Slayer of darkness” = dissolution of ignorance.
• “Serpents” = obstacles, fears, illusions (in many hymns, the serpent symbolizes inner suffocation, confusion).
• “Dasyus” = dark forces, anti-light, internal and external.

Soma is therefore seen as a liberation force .

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5

Like Agni… you shine… like a great voracious animal… like a wave.

The Soma is now liquid Agni :
→ fluid light, flowing fire.
It advances like a wave:
→ a metaphor for visions , for flows of inner light.
The “great voracious animal” evokes the raw power of the brew:
→ it “devours” impurities.

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6

…flowed beyond the tufts of wool… like rivers… all the way to the ocean.

The « tufts of wool » are the ritual filter.
But on a symbolic level:
→ it is the crossing of the veils of the mind .
The Soma flows like a river that joins the ocean:
→ the ocean = total consciousness , dissolution into the All.

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7

Thundering like the Maruts… purify yourself… enter into us… give us a good spirit…

Soma “enters us”:
→ direct reference to inner experience , to the passage of the brew into consciousness.
“Give us a good spirit” shows that Soma is a moral energy , not just a mystical one:
→ it calms, illuminates, clarifies.
“A thousand waters” = gushing forth, inspirations, visions.

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8

You are the rules of Varuna… you are like Mitra… you are happy like Aryaman.

Last verse: Soma is compared to:

• Varuna : cosmic order, depth, inner truth.
• Mitra : clarity, harmony, friendship, light, sovereignty.
• Aryaman : human warmth, sacred friendship, joy. Nobility, honor, and social order.

The message is clear:
→ Soma embodies cosmic order, clarity and profound joy .

It is a perfect synthesis: Soma is the cosmic law in motion, the light in action, the benevolence that infuses into consciousness.