Hymn to Indra
Rigveda X.111 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 10 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 by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
Inspired ones, bring forth an inspired thought, in what wise soever the thoughts of men arise.
Let us awaken Indra here with deeds made true in song—for he is a champion who longeth after praise.
For from the seat of truth sprang the vision in song; the bull, begotten of a heifer, joined with the kine.
He rose with a mighty cry; he wrapped about him the dusky realms, though they be vast.
Indra well knoweth this, by hearing it—
For he was the victorious way-maker for the sun; And afterward, having made a bride from a cow, he became her husband, The husband of the cow, and lord of heaven—unshaken, eldest-born, none may stand against him.
By his greatness Indra overturned the laws of the great Flood, while the Aṅgirases sang him their hymns.
He struck down the darksome holds, though they were many— He who with their song-sharp seeing held fast their fortress.
Indra is the match of heaven and of earth. He knoweth all the pressings; he striketh down Śuṣṇa.
With the sun he spanned the heavens in their wideness, and with a stay he held them firm—he, a better stay than the stay itself.
For with thy mace, O smiter of Vṛtra, thou didst cast him down, and the guiles of the godless who swelled with strength.
Thou, bold of hand, hewed him in twain; so didst thou become strong of arm and rich in gifts.
When the Dawns went forth with the Sun, their lights did find his shining boon, That heavenly form which shone down from the heights. Yet no man knoweth its passing hence again.
The first of these fair ones fled afar—the waters stirred at Indra’s bidding.
Where is their crown? Where their deep? Waters, where is thy midst, and where thine ending?
Thou didst unbind the rivers the serpent had swallowed; forthwith they surged in haste— Those seeking escape and those unshackled. Once loosed, they tarried not but fell swiftly down.
They gathered as maids to a river’s embrace. Of old was the stronghold-breaker known as their beloved.
To thy house, O Indra, hath come earth’s store; to us thy many bounties are poured.
Colophon
This hymn is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation are to be documented during audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ṛgveda X.111
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.
manīṣiṇaḥ pra bharadhvam manīṣāṁ yathā-yathā matayaḥ santi nṛṇām |
indraṁ satyair erayāmā kṛtebhiḥ sa hi vīro girvaṇasyur vidānaḥ || 1 ||
ṛtasya hi sadaso dhītir adyaut saṁ gārṣṭeyo vṛṣabho gobhir ānaṭ |
ud atiṣṭhat taviṣeṇā raveṇa mahānti cit saṁ vivyācā rajāṁsi || 2 ||
indraḥ kila śrutyā asya veda sa hi jiṣṇuḥ pathikṛt sūryāya |
ān menāṁ kṛṇvann acyuto bhuvad goḥ patir divaḥ sanajā apratītaḥ || 3 ||
indro mahnā mahato arṇavasya vratāminād aṅgirobhir gṛṇānaḥ |
purūṇi cin ni tatānā rajāṁsi dādhāra yo dharuṇaṁ satyatātā || 4 ||
indro divaḥ pratimānam pṛthivyā viśvā veda savanā hanti śuṣṇam |
mahīṁ cid dyām ātanot sūryeṇa cāskambha cit kambhanena skabhīyān || 5 ||
vajreṇa hi vṛtrahā vṛtram astar adevasya śūśuvānasya māyāḥ |
vi dhṛṣṇo atra dhṛṣatā jaghanthāthābhavo maghavan bāhvojāḥ || 6 ||
sacanta yad uṣasaḥ sūryeṇa citrām asya ketavo rām avindan |
ā yan nakṣatraṁ dadṛśe divo na punar yato nakir addhā nu veda || 7 ||
dūraṁ kila prathamā jagmur āsām indrasya yāḥ prasave sasrur āpaḥ |
kva svid agraṁ kva budhna āsām āpo madhyaṁ kva vo nūnam antaḥ || 8 ||
sṛjaḥ sindhūm̐r ahinā jagrasānām̐ ād id etāḥ pra vivijre javena |
mumukṣamāṇā uta yā mumucre 'dhed etā na ramante nitiktāḥ || 9 ||
sadhrīcīḥ sindhum uśatīr ivāyan sanāj jāra āritaḥ pūrbhid āsām |
astam ā te pārthivā vasūny asme jagmuḥ sūnṛtā indra pūrvīḥ || 10 ||
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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