Hymn to Indra
Rigveda X.138 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.
With thee, Indra, these bearers of song, in the knowing of truth, did cleave the cave of Vala in twain.
When thou didst show favour unto the Dawns and loosed the waters’ flow, thy might went forth in marvel— for Kutsa’s sake, and at his bidding, thou didst stir thy strength on kine full-fleshed.
Thou madest the fruitful dams go free, and thou bowedst the mountains low.
The ruddy kine were driven upward, and the sweet mead thou didst drink with joy.
Thy might upheld the wooden cups for the draught.
The Sun did blaze forth in song, begotten of truth.
The Sun loosed his yoke in the midst of the sky.
The noble found a match for the darksome foe.
The firm holds of the cunning lord Pipru didst thou burst asunder, working in one will with R̥jiśvan.
Boldly didst thou break what none could break; the wild one smote the hoards of the godless.
As the Sun taketh the Moon, so didst thou seize the spoil within the stronghold.
When sung, thy stroke went forth and scattered thy foes.
Armed with might none may withstand, thou, wide-roaming Vr̥tra-slayer, in thy holy work, didst split with sharpened edge.
She, fearing thy mace, fled in dread; the fair Dawn forsook her chariot and fled.
Thine alone be these great and famed deeds— for thou alone madest him to be without the rite.
Thou settest the measurer of moons in his place above; and Heaven, the father, beareth the broken shard of the wheel thou didst rend.
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.138
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.
tava tya indra sakhyeṣu vahnaya ṛtam manvānā vy adardirur valam |
yatrā daśasyann uṣaso riṇann apaḥ kutsāya manmann ahyaś ca daṁsayaḥ || 1 ||
avāsṛjaḥ prasvaḥ śvañcayo girīn ud āja usrā apibo madhu priyam |
avardhayo vanino asya daṁsasā śuśoca sūrya ṛtajātayā girā || 2 ||
vi sūryo madhye amucad rathaṁ divo vidad dāsāya pratimānam āryaḥ |
dṛḻhāni pipror asurasya māyina indro vy āsyac cakṛvām̐ ṛjiśvanā || 3 ||
anādhṛṣṭāni dhṛṣito vy āsyan nidhīm̐r adevām̐ amṛṇad ayāsyaḥ |
māseva sūryo vasu puryam ā dade gṛṇānaḥ śatrūm̐r aśṛṇād virukmatā || 4 ||
ayuddhaseno vibhvā vibhindatā dāśad vṛtrahā tujyāni tejate |
indrasya vajrād abibhed abhiśnathaḥ prākrāmac chundhyūr ajahād uṣā anaḥ || 5 ||
etā tyā te śrutyāni kevalā yad eka ekam akṛṇor ayajñam |
māsāṁ vidhānam adadhā adhi dyavi tvayā vibhinnam bharati pradhim pitā || 6 ||
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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