Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VII.25 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 7 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. Come to us with your help, great and mighty Indra, when armies clash against each other in equal fury. Let the dart fly from the hero's arms — let your mind not turn away from us in every direction.
2. Strike down our enemies in their strongholds, Indra — those mortals who threaten and oppress us. Keep far off the curse of the man who wishes to revile us; bring us a gathering of good things.
3. O helmeted one, a hundred are your helps for Sudās; let there be a thousand praises, and let your generosity be with us. Strike down the weapon of the hostile mortal aimed against us; grant us splendor and treasure besides.
4. For I depend, Indra, on one like you for strength of purpose; on a helper and hero like you for generosity. Every day, mighty as your own strength, fierce one — make your home among us, lord of the bay horses; do not fail us.
5. These Kutsas offer their strength to the one with bay horses, seeking in Indra the god-driven might. Make the enemy hosts wholly easy to slay, O hero; may we, as conquerors, win the prize.
6. So, Indra, fill us with the desirable wealth; may we come to know your great favor. Pour out nourishment rich in good sons for your generous patrons. Protect us always, all of you, with your blessings.
Translator's note: "śiprin" (v.3) is a standing epithet of Indra referring to his cheek-guards or helmet, rendered here as "helmeted one." "Harivas" (v.4), "lord of the bay horses," likewise names Indra by his team of tawny steeds. "Kutsā" (v.5) refers to the Kutsa clan/patrons associated with this hymn, kept untranslated as a proper name.
Colophon
Rigveda VII.25 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 VII.25
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.
ā te maha indroty ugra samanyavo yat samaranta senāḥ |
patāti didyun naryasya bāhvor mā te mano viṣvadrya1g vi cārīt || 1 ||
ni durga indra śnathihy amitrām̐ abhi ye no martāso amanti |
āre taṁ śaṁsaṁ kṛṇuhi ninitsor ā no bhara sambharaṇaṁ vasūnām || 2 ||
śataṁ te śiprinn ūtayaḥ sudāse sahasraṁ śaṁsā uta rātir astu |
jahi vadhar vanuṣo martyasyāsme dyumnam adhi ratnaṁ ca dhehi || 3 ||
tvāvato hīndra kratve asmi tvāvato 'vituḥ śūra rātau |
viśved ahāni taviṣīva ugram̐ okaḥ kṛṇuṣva harivo na mardhīḥ || 4 ||
kutsā ete haryaśvāya śūṣam indre saho devajūtam iyānāḥ |
satrā kṛdhi suhanā śūra vṛtrā vayaṁ tarutrāḥ sanuyāma vājam || 5 ||
evā na indra vāryasya pūrdhi pra te mahīṁ sumatiṁ vevidāma |
iṣam pinva maghavadbhyaḥ suvīrāṁ yūyam pāta svastibhiḥ sadā naḥ || 6 ||
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).