Hymn to Indra
Rigveda I.51 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.
Sing unto Indra, the mighty one! The thunderbolt dwelleth in his hand. He standeth above all gods; his strength is unmatched. He drinketh the soma, and his intoxication groweth into terrible power. Who can withstand him? Who can rival his might?
Indra the warrior! He advanceth against his foes like a bull in rut, like a lion roused to fury. His roar shaketh the heavens. The very gods do tremble at his approach. Yet we sing his praises, for he is our defender, our champion, the slayer of demons and dragons.
In the ancient days, Indra did slay Vṛtra, the dragon of drought. That serpent was vast—as mountains are vast—and his coils choked off the waters of the world. All life dwindled and perished, for the rains had ceased. Then Indra rose up, seized his thunderbolt, and smote the dragon. Vṛtra burst asunder like a rotten vessel, and the waters were released. The floods rushed forth; the world was made alive again.
Thou art the protector of the Āryan people, O Indra! When our enemies march against us, thou dost go before us into battle. Thy chariot is drawn by bay horses; thy arrow never misseth its mark. The demon-hosts flee at thy approach. The fiends of darkness cower in their caves.
We sing thy praise with lifted voices! We offer thee soma—that draught of immortality which giveth strength to the strong and wisdom to the wise. Drink deep, O Indra! Let the soma flow in thy veins! Let it kindle in thee that terrible power which shaketh the world.
Grant us victory, O Indra! Grant us courage in battle. Grant us the strength to overcome our enemies. Grant us wealth and cattle and sons to inherit our lands. Be our champion forever. Thus do we praise thee, O thunderbolt-bearer, mightiest of all the gods.
Colophon
Rigveda I.51 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.51
abhi tyam meṣam puruhūtam ṛgmiyam indraṁ gīrbhir madatā vasvo arṇavam |
yasya dyāvo na vicaranti mānuṣā bhuje maṁhiṣṭham abhi vipram arcata || 1 ||
abhīm avanvan svabhiṣṭim ūtayo 'ntarikṣaprāṁ taviṣībhir āvṛtam |
indraṁ dakṣāsa ṛbhavo madacyutaṁ śatakratuṁ javanī sūnṛtāruhat || 2 ||
tvaṁ gotram aṅgirobhyo 'vṛṇor apotātraye śatadureṣu gātuvit |
sasena cid vimadāyāvaho vasv ājāv adriṁ vāvasānasya nartayan || 3 ||
tvam apām apidhānāvṛṇor apādhārayaḥ parvate dānumad vasu |
vṛtraṁ yad indra śavasāvadhīr ahim ād it sūryaṁ divy ārohayo dṛśe || 4 ||
tvam māyābhir apa māyino 'dhamaḥ svadhābhir ye adhi śuptāv ajuhvata |
tvam pipror nṛmaṇaḥ prārujaḥ puraḥ pra ṛjiśvānaṁ dasyuhatyeṣv āvitha || 5 ||
tvaṁ kutsaṁ śuṣṇahatyeṣv āvithārandhayo 'tithigvāya śambaram |
mahāntaṁ cid arbudaṁ ni kramīḥ padā sanād eva dasyuhatyāya jajñiṣe || 6 ||
tve viśvā taviṣī sadhryag ghitā tava rādhaḥ somapīthāya harṣate |
tava vajraś cikite bāhvor hito vṛścā śatror ava viśvāni vṛṣṇyā || 7 ||
vi jānīhy āryān ye ca dasyavo barhiṣmate randhayā śāsad avratān |
śākī bhava yajamānasya coditā viśvet tā te sadhamādeṣu cākana || 8 ||
anuvratāya randhayann apavratān ābhūbhir indraḥ śnathayann anābhuvaḥ |
vṛddhasya cid vardhato dyām inakṣataḥ stavāno vamro vi jaghāna saṁdihaḥ || 9 ||
takṣad yat ta uśanā sahasā saho vi rodasī majmanā bādhate śavaḥ |
ā tvā vātasya nṛmaṇo manoyuja ā pūryamāṇam avahann abhi śravaḥ || 10 ||
mandiṣṭa yad uśane kāvye sacām̐ indro vaṅkū vaṅkutarādhi tiṣṭhati |
ugro yayiṁ nir apaḥ srotasāsṛjad vi śuṣṇasya dṛṁhitā airayat puraḥ || 11 ||
ā smā rathaṁ vṛṣapāṇeṣu tiṣṭhasi śāryātasya prabhṛtā yeṣu mandase |
indra yathā sutasomeṣu cākano 'narvāṇaṁ ślokam ā rohase divi || 12 ||
adadā arbhām mahate vacasyave kakṣīvate vṛcayām indra sunvate |
menābhavo vṛṣaṇaśvasya sukrato viśvet tā te savaneṣu pravācyā || 13 ||
indro aśrāyi sudhyo nireke pajreṣu stomo duryo na yūpaḥ |
aśvayur gavyū rathayur vasūyur indra id rāyaḥ kṣayati prayantā || 14 ||
idaṁ namo vṛṣabhāya svarāje satyaśuṣmāya tavase 'vāci |
asminn indra vṛjane sarvavīrāḥ smat sūribhis tava śarman syāma || 15 ||
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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