Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VI.47 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 6 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. Sweet indeed is this one, and honeyed too; strong indeed is this one, and full of savor too. And no one at all can withstand Indra, once he has drunk it, in the clashes of battle.
2. Sweet was this one here, most intoxicating, in which Indra rejoiced at the slaying of Vṛtra — he who struck down the many strongholds of Śambara, ninety and nine forts.
3. This one, drunk by me, stirs up speech; this one has roused eager thought. This wise one measured out the six wide worlds, beyond which no region reaches.
4. This is he who made the breadth of the earth and the height of heaven, this is he. This soma has held the milk-draught in the three downward-flowing streams, and the wide midspace.
5. This one found the wondrous-looking flood at the forefront of the dawns whose seats are bright. This great bull, joined with the Maruts, propped up heaven with a mighty prop.
6. Drink boldly the soma from the jar, O Indra, slayer of Vṛtra, hero in the struggle for goods. Pour yourself out fully at the midday pressing; place wealth in us, you who are the seat of wealth.
7. Indra, watch over us as one who goes before us; lead us forward toward greater well-being. Be a good crossing-place, carry us safely across; be good guidance, and gracious guidance too.
8. Knowing the way, lead us into open country, into sun-filled light, into safety and well-being. Lofty are your arms, Indra, arms of the mighty one — may we stand under them as under great shelters.
9. Set us, Indra, on the widest chariot-seat, drawn by your two best-carrying, hundredfold horses. Bring us the highest refreshment; let not the wealth of the rival outstrip us, bounteous one.
10. Indra, be gracious; seek life for me. Sharpen my thought like the edge of an iron blade. Whatever I say here, living for you, take pleasure in it; make me one the gods stand with.
11. Indra the protector, Indra the helper, Indra the hero easy to call on in every calling — I call. I call mighty, much-invoked Indra. May bounteous Indra grant us well-being.
12. May Indra, good protector, good helper through his help, who knows all things, be gracious to us. May he drive off hatred, may he make us fearless; may we be lords of good strength in our men.
13. May we stand in the good favor of him, worthy of worship, in his kindly good will. May that Indra, good protector, good helper, keep hatred far from us, even at a distance.
14. Down toward you, Indra, like a wave down a slope, our praise-songs and prayers, our teams of steeds, run. Wide is the gift for us, many the pressings; wielder of the vajra, you draw together the waters, the cattle, the soma-drops.
15. Who would praise him, who would satisfy him, who would sacrifice to him, when the bounteous one is fierce at every turn? Striking one after another as if with his two feet, by his powers he makes the last first, and the first last.
16. The hero is renowned, subduing one fierce foe after another, driving each past the other. Hostile to whoever grows too strong, king over both sides, Indra draws near to the tribes, to mortal men.
17. He casts off the friendships of his former allies, passes beyond them, and goes on with new ones. Shaking off those who bring no help, Indra passes through many autumns.
18. He becomes a counterpart to every form; that is his form, for anyone to see. Indra, of many shapes, moves through his powers of transformation — for a hundred and ten of his bay horses stand yoked to him.
19. Yoking his two tawny steeds to the chariot, Tvaṣṭṛ reigns abundantly here. Who could ever sit on the side of those who hate him, even while the wise patrons themselves sit in council?
20. We have come, O gods, to a field without pasture; the earth, wide as it is, has grown narrow for us. Bṛhaspati, take thought for us in this search for cattle; Indra, show the path to the praiser who stands so.
21. Day after day, alike in shape, he drove the dark ones, offspring of the dwelling, away to the other side. The bull slew the two dāsas as they sought to bargain, Varcin and Śambara, at Udavraja.
22. Prastoka indeed now gave from your bounty, Indra, ten treasure-chests, ten prize-steeds. From the gift of Divodāsa Atithigva we received in return the wealth taken from Śambara.
23. Ten horses, ten treasure-chests, ten garments with provisions besides, and ten lumps of gold — I have gained from Divodāsa.
24. Ten chariots with their trace-horses, a hundred cattle — Aśvatha gave to the Atharvans, to Pāyu.
25. Bearing a great gift, one that benefits all people, the son of Sṛñjaya honored the Bharadvājas.
26. O lord of the forest, be strong of limb, our friend who carries us onward, rich in good men. You are bound fast with straps of cowhide; stand firm. Let the one who mounts you win the victories there are to win.
27. From heaven and earth its might was drawn; from the lords of the forest its force was gathered. Wrapped round with straps of cowhide, the vigor of the waters — worship with an offering Indra's vajra, this chariot.
28. Indra's vajra, vanguard of the Maruts, embryo of Mitra, navel of Varuṇa — may it, taking pleasure in this offering-gift of ours, divine chariot, receive our oblations.
29. Make earth and heaven resound; let the world, spread out in many places, take note of you. O drum, joined with Indra and the gods, drive our enemies far away, farther still.
30. Cry out! Bestow on us strength and power. Thunder forth, driving away misfortunes. Snort away misery from here, O drum; you are the fist of Indra — stand firm.
31. Drive off those troops yonder, turn back these of ours; the drum sounds forth like a banner. Our men, swift as horse-winged birds, march together; let our charioteers be victorious, Indra.
Translator's note: verses 22–24 list gift-goods (kośa, "treasure-chest" or possibly a measure of goods; vastrādhibhojanā, "garments with provisions") whose exact referents are uncertain outside their ritual context, so they are rendered conservatively. Verses 26–30 address the dundubhi, the war-drum, addressed as "lord of the forest" because its frame is wood; "vajra" in 27–28 refers to the drum itself, likened to Indra's thunderbolt-weapon.
Colophon
Rigveda VI.47 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 VI.47
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.
svāduṣ kilāyam madhumām̐ utāyaṁ tīvraḥ kilāyaṁ rasavām̐ utāyam |
uto nv a1sya papivāṁsam indraṁ na kaś cana sahata āhaveṣu || 1 ||
ayaṁ svādur iha madiṣṭha āsa yasyendro vṛtrahatye mamāda |
purūṇi yaś cyautnā śambarasya vi navatiṁ nava ca dehyo3 han || 2 ||
ayam me pīta ud iyarti vācam ayam manīṣām uśatīm ajīgaḥ |
ayaṁ ṣaḻ urvīr amimīta dhīro na yābhyo bhuvanaṁ kac canāre || 3 ||
ayaṁ sa yo varimāṇam pṛthivyā varṣmāṇaṁ divo akṛṇod ayaṁ saḥ |
ayam pīyūṣaṁ tisṛṣu pravatsu somo dādhārorv a1ntarikṣam || 4 ||
ayaṁ vidac citradṛśīkam arṇaḥ śukrasadmanām uṣasām anīke |
ayam mahān mahatā skambhanenod dyām astabhnād vṛṣabho marutvān || 5 ||
dhṛṣat piba kalaśe somam indra vṛtrahā śūra samare vasūnām |
mādhyaṁdine savana ā vṛṣasva rayisthāno rayim asmāsu dhehi || 6 ||
indra pra ṇaḥ puraeteva paśya pra no naya prataraṁ vasyo accha |
bhavā supāro atipārayo no bhavā sunītir uta vāmanītiḥ || 7 ||
uruṁ no lokam anu neṣi vidvān svarvaj jyotir abhayaṁ svasti |
ṛṣvā ta indra sthavirasya bāhū upa stheyāma śaraṇā bṛhantā || 8 ||
variṣṭhe na indra vandhure dhā vahiṣṭhayoḥ śatāvann aśvayor ā |
iṣam ā vakṣīṣāṁ varṣiṣṭhām mā nas tārīn maghavan rāyo aryaḥ || 9 ||
indra mṛḻa mahyaṁ jīvātum iccha codaya dhiyam ayaso na dhārām |
yat kiṁ cāhaṁ tvāyur idaṁ vadāmi taj juṣasva kṛdhi mā devavantam || 10 ||
trātāram indram avitāram indraṁ have-have suhavaṁ śūram indram |
hvayāmi śakram puruhūtam indraṁ svasti no maghavā dhātv indraḥ || 11 ||
indraḥ sutrāmā svavām̐ avobhiḥ sumṛḻīko bhavatu viśvavedāḥ |
bādhatāṁ dveṣo abhayaṁ kṛṇotu suvīryasya patayaḥ syāma || 12 ||
tasya vayaṁ sumatau yajñiyasyāpi bhadre saumanase syāma |
sa sutrāmā svavām̐ indro asme ārāc cid dveṣaḥ sanutar yuyotu || 13 ||
ava tve indra pravato normir giro brahmāṇi niyuto dhavante |
urū na rādhaḥ savanā purūṇy apo gā vajrin yuvase sam indūn || 14 ||
ka īṁ stavat kaḥ pṛṇāt ko yajāte yad ugram in maghavā viśvahāvet |
pādāv iva praharann anyam-anyaṁ kṛṇoti pūrvam aparaṁ śacībhiḥ || 15 ||
śṛṇve vīra ugram-ugraṁ damāyann anyam-anyam atinenīyamānaḥ |
edhamānadviḻ ubhayasya rājā coṣkūyate viśa indro manuṣyān || 16 ||
parā pūrveṣāṁ sakhyā vṛṇakti vitarturāṇo aparebhir eti |
anānubhūtīr avadhūnvānaḥ pūrvīr indraḥ śaradas tartarīti || 17 ||
rūpaṁ-rūpam pratirūpo babhūva tad asya rūpam praticakṣaṇāya |
indro māyābhiḥ pururūpa īyate yuktā hy asya harayaḥ śatā daśa || 18 ||
yujāno haritā rathe bhūri tvaṣṭeha rājati |
ko viśvāhā dviṣataḥ pakṣa āsata utāsīneṣu sūriṣu || 19 ||
agavyūti kṣetram āganma devā urvī satī bhūmir aṁhūraṇābhūt |
bṛhaspate pra cikitsā gaviṣṭāv itthā sate jaritra indra panthām || 20 ||
dive-dive sadṛśīr anyam ardhaṁ kṛṣṇā asedhad apa sadmano jāḥ |
ahan dāsā vṛṣabho vasnayantodavraje varcinaṁ śambaraṁ ca || 21 ||
prastoka in nu rādhasas ta indra daśa kośayīr daśa vājino 'dāt |
divodāsād atithigvasya rādhaḥ śāmbaraṁ vasu praty agrabhīṣma || 22 ||
daśāśvān daśa kośān daśa vastrādhibhojanā |
daśo hiraṇyapiṇḍān divodāsād asāniṣam || 23 ||
daśa rathān praṣṭimataḥ śataṁ gā atharvabhyaḥ |
aśvathaḥ pāyave 'dāt || 24 ||
mahi rādho viśvajanyaṁ dadhānān bharadvājān sārñjayo abhy ayaṣṭa || 25 ||
vanaspate vīḍvaṅgo hi bhūyā asmatsakhā prataraṇaḥ suvīraḥ |
gobhiḥ saṁnaddho asi vīḻayasvāsthātā te jayatu jetvāni || 26 ||
divas pṛthivyāḥ pary oja udbhṛtaṁ vanaspatibhyaḥ pary ābhṛtaṁ sahaḥ |
apām ojmānam pari gobhir āvṛtam indrasya vajraṁ haviṣā rathaṁ yaja || 27 ||
indrasya vajro marutām anīkam mitrasya garbho varuṇasya nābhiḥ |
semāṁ no havyadātiṁ juṣāṇo deva ratha prati havyā gṛbhāya || 28 ||
upa śvāsaya pṛthivīm uta dyām purutrā te manutāṁ viṣṭhitaṁ jagat |
sa dundubhe sajūr indreṇa devair dūrād davīyo apa sedha śatrūn || 29 ||
ā krandaya balam ojo na ā dhā niḥ ṣṭanihi duritā bādhamānaḥ |
apa protha dundubhe ducchunā ita indrasya muṣṭir asi vīḻayasva || 30 ||
āmūr aja pratyāvartayemāḥ ketumad dundubhir vāvadīti |
sam aśvaparṇāś caranti no naro 'smākam indra rathino jayantu || 31 ||
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).