Hymn to Indra
Rigveda I.17 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) addressed to Indra, the storm-king and champion of the gods, slayer of Vṛtra, lord of thunder and rain. It is one of the 1,028 hymns of the Rigveda organized within Maṇḍala 1, the first of ten books. The ṛṣi (seer) to whom this hymn is attributed and its precise liturgical context are recorded in the traditional Śākalya Anukramaṇī.
The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas and one of the oldest surviving religious texts in the world, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in the Vedic Sanskrit of the Indus-Sarasvatī region. Its hymns were preserved through oral transmission across millennia before being committed to writing. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
O Indra and Varuṇa, mighty pair! To you together do we make our offering. Ye are the lords of all things; ye are the keepers of the cosmic order.
Indra, thou art the god of strength and of the storm; Varuṇa, thou art the god of truth and of the waters. Together ye rule the earth and the sky. What Indra breaketh asunder, Varuṇa doth order aright. What Varuṇa commandeth, Indra doth execute with might.
The two of you together do uphold all things. Without you both, the world would fall into chaos. The rivers would not flow; the rains would not fall; the sun would not rise. O Indra and Varuṇa, ye are the pillars upon which all creation standeth.
Indra, grant us victory in battle; grant us strength and prowess. Varuṇa, grant us truth and righteousness; grant us wisdom and understanding. Together, grant us peace and prosperity. Together, grant us life and long days upon the earth.
The one who honoreth both of you shall be blessed in all things. He shall have riches and offspring; he shall have health and strength. His enemies shall be scattered; his name shall be praised. O Indra and Varuṇa, accept our offering and grant us your favor.
Come unto us, mighty pair, and drink of the soma that we have pressed. Be joyous in our company; let our praises lift up your hearts. O Indra and Varuṇa, for ever and ever shall we praise you and call upon your names.
Colophon
Rigveda I.17 is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, the version that has been transmitted and is considered canonical in the mainstream tradition. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE; this hymn addresses Indra, the storm-king and champion of the gods, slayer of Vṛtra, lord of thunder and rain. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation session to be documented during Kshatriya Blood Rule audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ṛgveda I.17
indrāvaruṇayor ahaṁ samrājor ava ā vṛṇe |
tā no mṛḻāta īdṛśe || 1 ||
gantārā hi stho 'vase havaṁ viprasya māvataḥ |
dhartārā carṣaṇīnām || 2 ||
anukāmaṁ tarpayethām indrāvaruṇa rāya ā |
tā vāṁ nediṣṭham īmahe || 3 ||
yuvāku hi śacīnāṁ yuvāku sumatīnām |
bhūyāma vājadāvnām || 4 ||
indraḥ sahasradāvnāṁ varuṇaḥ śaṁsyānām |
kratur bhavaty ukthyaḥ || 5 ||
tayor id avasā vayaṁ sanema ni ca dhīmahi |
syād uta prarecanam || 6 ||
indrāvaruṇa vām ahaṁ huve citrāya rādhase |
asmān su jigyuṣas kṛtam || 7 ||
indrāvaruṇa nū nu vāṁ siṣāsantīṣu dhīṣv ā |
asmabhyaṁ śarma yacchatam || 8 ||
pra vām aśnotu suṣṭutir indrāvaruṇa yāṁ huve |
yām ṛdhāthe sadhastutim || 9 ||
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).
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