Hymn to Indra
Rigveda X.23 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.
We lift our song and sacrifice to Indra, who holdeth the mace in his right hand, the driver of the pale steeds, each obeying its own command.
He standeth tall, forever shaking his beard, dealing out gifts by the might of his weapons, and by the grace of his giving.
His are the pale pair of bays, and the draught of riches held in the wooden cup.
Let Indra, slayer of Vṛtra, show forth his wealth in wealth.
Like R̥bhu, Vāja, and R̥bhukṣa, he hath mastery over his might, crying aloud: “Even the name of the Dāsa I grind away!” When his hand taketh the golden mace, he mounteth the chariot, drawn by the twin bays, riding forth with the givers of gifts—
Indra of old renown, winner of long-lasting glory, rich in rewards.
Even now he raineth down bounty upon his herds, and deweth his tawny beard with wealth.
He followeth the path that leadeth unto the honeyed draught, sweetly housed within the pressed soma.
He flingeth his beard upward, as the wind lifteth a tree.
He it was who with his word struck down
those full of wrangling speech and those of bitter tongue, yea, even a thousand foes.
Every manly deed of his we chant—
he who, like a father with his son, hath made his own strength firm.
The men of Vimada have raised this praise to thee, Indra— a song unheard before, finest among many, for thee who art giver of sweet draughts.
We know the feeding of thy strength, the hunger of the mighty— and we draw thee near as herdsmen gather their kine.
Let no soul sunder us from the bond that bindeth thee and Vimada the seer.
For we know, O god, the care thou bearest, such as kin doth bear for kin.
Grant us, we pray, thy friendship and thy fellowship.
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.
🌲
Source Text: ṛgveda X.23
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.
yajāmaha indraṁ vajradakṣiṇaṁ harīṇāṁ rathya1ṁ vivratānām |
pra śmaśru dodhuvad ūrdhvathā bhūd vi senābhir dayamāno vi rādhasā || 1 ||
harī nv asya yā vane vide vasv indro maghair maghavā vṛtrahā bhuvat |
ṛbhur vāja ṛbhukṣāḥ patyate śavo 'va kṣṇaumi dāsasya nāma cit || 2 ||
yadā vajraṁ hiraṇyam id athā rathaṁ harī yam asya vahato vi sūribhiḥ |
ā tiṣṭhati maghavā sanaśruta indro vājasya dīrghaśravasas patiḥ || 3 ||
so cin nu vṛṣṭir yūthyā3 svā sacām̐ indraḥ śmaśrūṇi haritābhi pruṣṇute |
ava veti sukṣayaṁ sute madhūd id dhūnoti vāto yathā vanam || 4 ||
yo vācā vivāco mṛdhravācaḥ purū sahasrāśivā jaghāna |
tat-tad id asya pauṁsyaṁ gṛṇīmasi piteva yas taviṣīṁ vāvṛdhe śavaḥ || 5 ||
stomaṁ ta indra vimadā ajījanann apūrvyam purutamaṁ sudānave |
vidmā hy asya bhojanam inasya yad ā paśuṁ na gopāḥ karāmahe || 6 ||
mākir na enā sakhyā vi yauṣus tava cendra vimadasya ca ṛṣeḥ |
vidmā hi te pramatiṁ deva jāmivad asme te santu sakhyā śivāni || 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).
🌲