Hymn to Indra
Rigveda X.133 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.
Chant ye aloud a foremost song, a chariot of praise, a stronghold of hymn to Indra.
As one who maketh room where none is found, a smiter of the serpent in battle and strife—be thou our goad, our stirrer to might.
— Let the small bowstrings of the lesser bands snap on their bows.
Thou sentest the rivers downward in rush, thou didst crush the snake.
Born without peer, O Indra, thou art the nurse of all that hath worth.
We draw thee near and hold thee fast.
— Let the small bowstrings of the lesser bands snap on their bows.
All the wraths of the foreign shall fade, and our songs shall rise beyond theirs.
Thou art wont to loose the deadly shaft upon the foe who seeketh our fall— and thy open hand is true giving.
— Let the small bowstrings of the lesser bands snap on their bows.
Indra, the folk round about, who like wolves would set their gaze on us— place them low, beneath our tread.
Thou art the mighty subduer, the breaker of pride.
— Let the small bowstrings of the lesser bands snap on their bows.
Indra, whoso among our own blood riseth against us, and whoso beyond our bounds—lay his greatness low.
Thou art as Heaven itself in thine own being.
— Let the small bowstrings of the lesser bands snap on their bows.
We come seeking thee, Indra, and clasp thy fellowship.
Guide us through truth’s way, through every narrow strait.
— Let the small bowstrings of the lesser bands snap on their bows.
O Indra, put forth thy strength for her who shall draw forth some rare sweetness for the singer’s tongue— that the great cow, whose udder is whole, shall brim with milk for us in a thousand streams.
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.133
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.
pro ṣv asmai puroratham indrāya śūṣam arcata |
abhīke cid u lokakṛt saṁge samatsu vṛtrahāsmākam bodhi coditā nabhantām anyakeṣāṁ jyākā adhi dhanvasu || 1 ||
tvaṁ sindhūm̐r avāsṛjo 'dharāco ahann ahim |
aśatrur indra jajñiṣe viśvam puṣyasi vāryaṁ taṁ tvā pari ṣvajāmahe nabhantām anyakeṣāṁ jyākā adhi dhanvasu || 2 ||
vi ṣu viśvā arātayo 'ryo naśanta no dhiyaḥ |
astāsi śatrave vadhaṁ yo na indra jighāṁsati yā te rātir dadir vasu nabhantām anyakeṣāṁ jyākā adhi dhanvasu || 3 ||
yo na indrābhito jano vṛkāyur ādideśati |
adhaspadaṁ tam īṁ kṛdhi vibādho asi sāsahir nabhantām anyakeṣāṁ jyākā adhi dhanvasu || 4 ||
yo na indrābhidāsati sanābhir yaś ca niṣṭyaḥ |
ava tasya balaṁ tira mahīva dyaur adha tmanā nabhantām anyakeṣāṁ jyākā adhi dhanvasu || 5 ||
vayam indra tvāyavaḥ sakhitvam ā rabhāmahe |
ṛtasya naḥ pathā nayāti viśvāni duritā nabhantām anyakeṣāṁ jyākā adhi dhanvasu || 6 ||
asmabhyaṁ su tvam indra tāṁ śikṣa yā dohate prati varaṁ jaritre |
acchidrodhnī pīpayad yathā naḥ sahasradhārā payasā mahī gauḥ || 7 ||
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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