O Indra, tell us of thy birth and of thy first great deed — the day when thou didst drink the soma for the very first time! Even as a newborn, thou wast not weak as other babes are weak. No sooner hadst thou emerged from thy mother's womb than thou didst make thy will manifest in the universe.

Thou didst see the soma plant, that sacred draught which all the Devas desired for themselves. The other gods had been unable to possess it; it lay guarded in a distant realm, inaccessible and forbidden. But thou, having only just been born, didst declare that thou wouldst drink of it or know the reason why.

And so thou didst journey to the place where the soma grew, and those who would have stopped thee found themselves unable to do so. Thy power was too great; thy determination too fierce. When thou didst drink of the sacred juice, the very heavens split open. Lightning crackled from thy body; thunder rolled in thy voice.

Strengthened and empowered by the soma, thou didst immediately undertake thy first great task — the slaying of the serpent Vṛtra, that ancient foe of the gods and of creation itself. For ages, Vṛtra had coiled in the depths, holding the waters in bondage and casting darkness over all the worlds. But thou didst rise up with thy newly-acquired strength, thy newly-awakened power, and thou didst smite him down.

The blow was so mighty that the cosmos shook. The waters burst forth from their ancient prison, and they flowed down upon the earth in blessing. The light returned to the world; the creatures rejoiced; the people sang songs of thanksgiving.

Thus did thy birth lead to thy first deed, and thy first deed established thee as the mightiest of all the gods. From that moment onward, thy power hath been acknowledged by all creation. O Indra, praise be to thee for thy miraculous birth and thy incomparable first victory!