Hear now the dialogue 'tween Indra, king most mighty, and the Maruts wild,
Who ride upon the storms and sing their songs of thunder and of wind.

Indra speaketh: I am the lord of all the heaven and the earth,
None doth surpass me in strength, none doth rival my great deeds.
I alone did slay the dragon, I alone did break his serpent coils,
I alone did drink the soma deep and became immortal ever.
Wherefore should these Maruts, though they be swift of foot,
Be counted equal unto me in glory and in might?

The Maruts do reply with voices like the wind's own roar:
We are the sons of heaven, born of the cosmic order's breath,
We ride upon the clouds and shake the very pillars of the world.
Our strength is the strength of youth eternal, never waning, ever keen,
We strike with lightning's fury, we devour with flames of fire,
And yet we honor Indra, for he is our lord and guide.

But hear us now, O Indra, mighty though thou be:
We do not kneel before thee as the servants to their master,
We stand beside thee as the brothers stand together in the fight.
Thy might is great, but ours combined doth shake the heavens wide,
Thy thunder is a single voice, but ours are manifold.

Indra doth respond with pride that burns like sacred fire:
Thou sayest well, O Maruts, and I hear thy words with gladness,
For a lord who hath no rivals soon becomes as dust and shadow.
Come then, ride beside me in the battles yet to come,
Let thy strength and mine be joined in purpose high and noble,
And together we shall conquer all the demons and the foes.

The Maruts hear and are appeased, their pride doth melt away,
And they do swear their loyalty to Indra, king of gods.
So was the great dispute resolved through words of wisdom spoken,
And Indra and the Maruts bound themselves in bonds of friendship strong,
That nevermore should pride or jealousy do tear them one from other,
But evermore they ride together through the cosmic reaches wide.

This is the lesson for all mortals who do dwell below:
That even the mightiest must honor those who stand beside,
That strength without the fellowship of others is but hollow pride,
And that the greatest victories come when many hearts do beat as one.