Hymn to Indra
Rigveda II.15 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 2 of the Rigveda, one of the 1,028 hymns organized within the ten books of the oldest Veda. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in Vedic Sanskrit and preserved through oral transmission across millennia.
This is a Good Works Translation produced for the Good Works Library from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
1. Now let me proclaim the truly great deeds of this great one — the true acts of the true one. In the Trikadruka vessels, having drunk of the pressed soma, in its exhilaration Indra slew the serpent.
2. Without a prop he propped up the lofty sky; he filled the two world-halves and the space between them. He held the earth firm and spread it wide — these things Indra did in the exhilaration of soma.
3. He measured out the eastward regions as one measures a dwelling; with the vajra he bored open the channels of the rivers. He set them loose freely on their long-running paths — these things Indra did in the exhilaration of soma.
4. Having gone around the carriers of Dabhīti, he burned up all their weapons in the kindled fire; he furnished Dabhīti with cattle, horses, and chariots — these things Indra did in the exhilaration of soma.
5. He brought the great turbulent river to a halt in its course; he carried those who could not swim safely across. Having come up from the water, they went forth toward wealth — these things Indra did in the exhilaration of soma.
6. He made the river flow northward by his greatness; with the vajra he ground up the wagon of Dawn, tearing the sluggish apart with the swift — these things Indra did in the exhilaration of soma.
7. Knowing the hidden place of the maidens, he became visible and stood up — the outcast one, Parāvṛk. The lame one stood upright, faced forward, and saw clearly — these things Indra did in the exhilaration of soma.
8. Praised by the Aṅgirases, he split open the Vala cave; he threw open the fortified places of the mountain. He broke through their man-made barriers — these things Indra did in the exhilaration of soma.
9. Having covered Cumuri and Dhuni with sleep, you slew the Dasyu; you carried Dabhīti forward. Even the staff-bearer found gold there — these things Indra did in the exhilaration of soma.
10. Now, Indra, may that bounteous gift of yours flow to your singer as he wishes. Grant to your praisers; let our portion not be consumed. May we, rich in good sons, speak with strength in the assembly.
Translator's note: Verses 6, 7, and 9 refer to old, now-obscure episodes (the breaking of Dawn's wagon; the restoration of the outcast Parāvṛk and a lame man's sight; the sleep-spell laid on Cumuri and Dhuni, and a staff-bearer's gold) that other Rigvedic hymns allude to elsewhere without enough surviving context to gloss with certainty. The renderings above are kept close and literal rather than filled out with guesses.
Colophon
Rigveda II.15 is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation rendered verse by verse from the Sanskrit text printed below. Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation.
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Source Text: ṛgveda II.15
Sanskrit source text from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
pra ghā nv asya mahato mahāni satyā satyasya karaṇāni vocam |
trikadrukeṣv apibat sutasyāsya made ahim indro jaghāna || 1 ||
avaṁśe dyām astabhāyad bṛhantam ā rodasī apṛṇad antarikṣam |
sa dhārayat pṛthivīm paprathac ca somasya tā mada indraś cakāra || 2 ||
sadmeva prāco vi mimāya mānair vajreṇa khāny atṛṇan nadīnām |
vṛthāsṛjat pathibhir dīrghayāthaiḥ somasya tā mada indraś cakāra || 3 ||
sa pravoḻhṝn parigatyā dabhīter viśvam adhāg āyudham iddhe agnau |
saṁ gobhir aśvair asṛjad rathebhiḥ somasya tā mada indraś cakāra || 4 ||
sa īm mahīṁ dhunim etor aramṇāt so asnātṝn apārayat svasti |
ta utsnāya rayim abhi pra tasthuḥ somasya tā mada indraś cakāra || 5 ||
sodañcaṁ sindhum ariṇān mahitvā vajreṇāna uṣasaḥ sam pipeṣa |
ajavaso javinībhir vivṛścan somasya tā mada indraś cakāra || 6 ||
sa vidvām̐ apagohaṁ kanīnām āvir bhavann ud atiṣṭhat parāvṛk |
prati śroṇaḥ sthād vy a1nag acaṣṭa somasya tā mada indraś cakāra || 7 ||
bhinad valam aṅgirobhir gṛṇāno vi parvatasya dṛṁhitāny airat |
riṇag rodhāṁsi kṛtrimāṇy eṣāṁ somasya tā mada indraś cakāra || 8 ||
svapnenābhyupyā cumuriṁ dhuniṁ ca jaghantha dasyum pra dabhītim āvaḥ |
rambhī cid atra vivide hiraṇyaṁ somasya tā mada indraś cakāra || 9 ||
nūnaṁ sā te prati varaṁ jaritre duhīyad indra dakṣiṇā maghonī |
śikṣā stotṛbhyo māti dhag bhago no bṛhad vadema vidathe suvīrāḥ || 10 ||
Source Colophon
Sanskrit text of the Rigveda, Śākala recension. The standard scholarly edition is the Bombay Oriental (Vishva Bandhu, 5 vols., 1963–66). IAST transliteration available from GRETIL (Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages) and Vedaweb (University of Cologne). Both sources are open access. IAST transliteration from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).