Hymn to Indra and Vāyu, with a Dānastuti
Rigveda VIII.46 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 8 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. The hymn opens as praise of Indra (vv. 1–24), turns to address Vāyu directly (vv. 25–29), and closes with a dānastuti — a formal catalogue of gifts of horses, camels, and cattle given by the patrons Pṛthuśravas Kānīta, Balbūtha, and Tarukṣa to the poet (vv. 21–33).
1. We belong to one like you, Indra, rich in abundant wealth, our leader — we belong to you, driver of the bay horses.
2. For truly, wielder of the stone, we know you as giver of nourishment; we know you as giver of riches.
3. Whose greatness the singers, the poets, praise with their songs — you of a hundred aids, you of a hundred powers.
4. Well-guided indeed is that mortal whom the Maruts, whom Aryaman, whom guileless Mitra protect.
5. Bestowing wealth in cattle and horses, and true heroism, driven on by the Ādityas he thrives, always with riches much desired.
6. That Indra we beg for a gift, the powerful, the fearless one; the ruler of riches we beg for wealth.
7. For in him are all aids, fearless, all together. May the bay horses bring him, rich in abundant wealth, to the pressed soma, for exhilaration.
8. That exhilaration of yours which is the choicest, Indra, which is the greatest Vṛtra-slaying, which won the sun together with your men, which is unconquerable in battles —
9. you who are unconquerable, granter of every boon, glorious, who are victor in the contests for strength — come, most powerful and good one, to our libations; may we come to a pen full of cattle.
10. Desiring cattle, may our prayer be granted as before, and with horses and chariots too; grant us abundance, greatly mighty one.
11. For I find no end at all, hero, to your bounty. Show us favor, bounteous one; even now, wielder of the stone, you have helped our thoughts with gifts of strength.
12. He who is lofty, whose friendship brings fame, he indeed, much praised, knows all creatures. Him, mighty Indra, all human generations call upon, priests with their ladles outstretched.
13. May he be our helper in the contests for strength, rich in abundant wealth, standing in front, the bounteous Vṛtra-slayer.
14. Sing to your hero, in the exhilarations of the soma-plant, with a great song, to the very wise one, Indra by name, renowned and able — as the words demand.
15. Giver of inheritance for the body, giver of goods, giver of the winning steed in the contests, much-invoked one — even now.
16. Ruling over all goods, having overcome even this form of his, passing beyond the one who yearns — even now, beyond that.
17. Well do we praise you, the great one, fittingly, for nourishment, the bounteous rain-giver, the one ready to come, the goer; with sacrifices and songs I seek to honor you among all the Maruts' kin — I sing to you with homage, with song.
18. They who fly along the courses, along the ridges of these mountains, bring to the sacrifice the favor of the loud-thundering, mighty-sounding ones, at the rite.
19. Bring us, Indra most powerful, the breaker of ill will; bring us wealth fit for our alliance, impeller of thought — the highest, impeller of thought.
20. Winner, excellent winner, mighty one, wondrous one, most perceptive, truthful one — with your power, sovereign, give us the overpowering, conquering Bhujyu, foremost in the contests for strength.
21. Let him come who, being godless, took so much of the given gift — just as the desirous one, wanting a horse, took it at this dawning from Pṛthuśravas Kānīta.
22. Sixty thousand in horse-wealth, ten thousand in hand; of camels, twenty hundred; ten hundred of the dark mares, ten of the three-red-marked ones, ten thousand of cattle.
23. Ten dark horses, thriving in wealth, fine-tailed and swift, whose wheel-rim the chariot-pole has turned.
24. The gifts of Pṛthuśravas Kānīta, the one of good bounty: he gave a golden chariot; most generous patron was he; he made for himself the highest fame.
25. Come to us, Vāyu, for great increase, for the sacrifice, for your radiant form; for we have made offerings for you, for abundant giving — even at once, for great giving.
26. You who drive with horses, who clothe the dawns, thrice seven of the seventies — with these somas, with the soma-pressers, soma-drinker, drinking the bright-purified draught, for the giving.
27. You who yourself gladdened even this wondrous gift of mine, for the giving — for the well-acting one, the still-better-acting one, of good purpose, on the ungirded axle.
28. You who, in a form worthy of praise, are self-ruling, and, Vāyu, bathed in ghee — this gift sent by horse, sent by the racing dust, sent by the hound, onward on its course — this indeed is that, now that.
29. And then, dear to the vigorous one, sixty thousand were held — of horses indeed, of the stallions.
30. Like cows to the herd, the geldings come near; the geldings come near to me.
31. And when, in the moving troop, a hundred camels bellowed, and then among the white ones, twenty hundred.
32. A hundred from the servant Balbūtha and from Tarukṣa the inspired poet received. These, these people of yours, Vāyu, rejoice, guarded by Indra; they rejoice, guarded by the gods.
33. And then this great woman, facing forward, leads the desired horse-team; adorned with gold, she is led away.
Translator's note: verses 16–20 and 25–29 are among the most lexically and syntactically compressed in the Rigveda, and the closing dānastuti (21–33) is a gift-catalogue whose numerals, proper names, and technical terms for animals and harness are frequently disputed among Vedicists. Renderings of "araṭve akṣe" (27, an "ungirded/strapless axle"), "triḥ sapta saptatīnām" (26, "thrice seven of the seventies" — an obscure count), and "vadhrayaḥ" (30, geldings or castrated draft-oxen) are conservative and literal rather than confident. Bhujyu (20) may be a proper name elsewhere in the Rigveda or, here, a common adjective ("one to be enjoyed"); both readings are attested in scholarship, and the conservative literal rendering is kept.
Colophon
Rigveda VIII.46 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 VIII.46
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.
tvāvataḥ purūvaso vayam indra praṇetaḥ |
smasi sthātar harīṇām || 1 ||
tvāṁ hi satyam adrivo vidma dātāram iṣām |
vidma dātāraṁ rayīṇām || 2 ||
ā yasya te mahimānaṁ śatamūte śatakrato |
gīrbhir gṛṇanti kāravaḥ || 3 ||
sunītho ghā sa martyo yam maruto yam aryamā |
mitraḥ pānty adruhaḥ || 4 ||
dadhāno gomad aśvavat suvīryam ādityajūta edhate |
sadā rāyā puruspṛhā || 5 ||
tam indraṁ dānam īmahe śavasānam abhīrvam |
īśānaṁ rāya īmahe || 6 ||
tasmin hi santy ūtayo viśvā abhīravaḥ sacā |
tam ā vahantu saptayaḥ purūvasum madāya harayaḥ sutam || 7 ||
yas te mado vareṇyo ya indra vṛtrahantamaḥ |
ya ādadiḥ sva1r nṛbhir yaḥ pṛtanāsu duṣṭaraḥ || 8 ||
yo duṣṭaro viśvavāra śravāyyo vājeṣv asti tarutā |
sa naḥ śaviṣṭha savanā vaso gahi gamema gomati vraje || 9 ||
gavyo ṣu ṇo yathā purāśvayota rathayā |
varivasya mahāmaha || 10 ||
nahi te śūra rādhaso 'ntaṁ vindāmi satrā |
daśasyā no maghavan nū cid adrivo dhiyo vājebhir āvitha || 11 ||
ya ṛṣvaḥ śrāvayatsakhā viśvet sa veda janimā puruṣṭutaḥ |
taṁ viśve mānuṣā yugendraṁ havante taviṣaṁ yatasrucaḥ || 12 ||
sa no vājeṣv avitā purūvasuḥ puraḥsthātā maghavā vṛtrahā bhuvat || 13 ||
abhi vo vīram andhaso madeṣu gāya girā mahā vicetasam |
indraṁ nāma śrutyaṁ śākinaṁ vaco yathā || 14 ||
dadī rekṇas tanve dadir vasu dadir vājeṣu puruhūta vājinam |
nūnam atha || 15 ||
viśveṣām irajyantaṁ vasūnāṁ sāsahvāṁsaṁ cid asya varpasaḥ |
kṛpayato nūnam aty atha || 16 ||
mahaḥ su vo aram iṣe stavāmahe mīḻhuṣe araṁgamāya jagmaye |
yajñebhir gīrbhir viśvamanuṣām marutām iyakṣasi gāye tvā namasā girā || 17 ||
ye pātayante ajmabhir girīṇāṁ snubhir eṣām |
yajñam mahiṣvaṇīnāṁ sumnaṁ tuviṣvaṇīnām prādhvare || 18 ||
prabhaṅgaṁ durmatīnām indra śaviṣṭhā bhara |
rayim asmabhyaṁ yujyaṁ codayanmate jyeṣṭhaṁ codayanmate || 19 ||
sanitaḥ susanitar ugra citra cetiṣṭha sūnṛta |
prāsahā samrāṭ sahuriṁ sahantam bhujyuṁ vājeṣu pūrvyam || 20 ||
ā sa etu ya īvad ām̐ adevaḥ pūrtam ādade |
yathā cid vaśo aśvyaḥ pṛthuśravasi kānīte3 'syā vyuṣy ādade || 21 ||
ṣaṣṭiṁ sahasrāśvyasyāyutāsanam uṣṭrānāṁ viṁśatiṁ śatā |
daśa śyāvīnāṁ śatā daśa tryaruṣīṇāṁ daśa gavāṁ sahasrā || 22 ||
daśa śyāvā ṛdhadrayo vītavārāsa āśavaḥ |
mathrā nemiṁ ni vāvṛtuḥ || 23 ||
dānāsaḥ pṛthuśravasaḥ kānītasya surādhasaḥ |
rathaṁ hiraṇyayaṁ dadan maṁhiṣṭhaḥ sūrir abhūd varṣiṣṭham akṛta śravaḥ || 24 ||
ā no vāyo mahe tane yāhi makhāya pājase |
vayaṁ hi te cakṛmā bhūri dāvane sadyaś cin mahi dāvane || 25 ||
yo aśvebhir vahate vasta usrās triḥ sapta saptatīnām |
ebhiḥ somebhiḥ somasudbhiḥ somapā dānāya śukrapūtapāḥ || 26 ||
yo ma imaṁ cid u tmanāmandac citraṁ dāvane |
araṭve akṣe nahuṣe sukṛtvani sukṛttarāya sukratuḥ || 27 ||
ucathye3 vapuṣi yaḥ svarāḻ uta vāyo ghṛtasnāḥ |
aśveṣitaṁ rajeṣitaṁ śuneṣitam prājma tad idaṁ nu tat || 28 ||
adha priyam iṣirāya ṣaṣṭiṁ sahasrāsanam |
aśvānām in na vṛṣṇām || 29 ||
gāvo na yūtham upa yanti vadhraya upa mā yanti vadhrayaḥ || 30 ||
adha yac cārathe gaṇe śatam uṣṭrām̐ acikradat |
adha śvitneṣu viṁśatiṁ śatā || 31 ||
śataṁ dāse balbūthe vipras tarukṣa ā dade |
te te vāyav ime janā madantīndragopā madanti devagopāḥ || 32 ||
adha syā yoṣaṇā mahī pratīcī vaśam aśvyam |
adhirukmā vi nīyate || 33 ||
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).