Hymn to Indra
Rigveda X.27 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.
I shall indeed boil over, said Indra, when I bring my might to bear for him who presses and pours, the one who sacrifices with truth.
Yet I smite the dry-handed—the one who brings no milk and no blend, he who harms the just and follows crooked paths—he is nothing.
Then the singer raised his voice:
I shall drive the godless to the field of strife, those puffed up in their flesh, who heed not the gods.
At my hearth shall I roast a swelling bull for thee, O god, and pour the soma, sharp and strong, fifteenfold.
Indra answered:
I know none who speak as thou, not after felling the godless in battle.
Only once the clash is joined and the mettle tested do they name to me their bulls and press the draught.
Once I dwelt in lands unknown, yet even there, folk gave freely to me, for I was present.
Still, even here, if the vain man rests in peace, I shall strip him bare, as I did the one who dwelt upon the hill—caught him by the foot and cast him down.
They shall not fence me in with one folk or one hill, for when I will it, I go where I please.
Even he with an ear shrunken from fear shall tremble at my cry.
Yea, the dust shall rise day by day at my passing.
He shall behold them—those who drink the cooked milk, yet offer not to Indra the fore-shank; those who play the master’s part, bearing bows as kings, and those who scorn their burning-hearted kin.
Let the wheels roll o’er them all.
Thou art risen, thou art grown, thou hast run thy course.
Now shall the foe before thee be broken— and the one behind shall likewise fall.
Not even heaven and earth together can hold the one who hath toiled to the far shore of this airy span.
The cows scattered, eating the stranger’s grain; I beheld them wander under foreign hand.
The stranger’s cries rose up on all sides.
How long, I ask, shall their own lord delight in them still?
When I gather those who graze upon the fields and grains of men, I shall round them all in one broad pasture.
The yoked beast shall seek unyoking, and he who seeks to bind shall seize the unbound.
Then, and only then, shall ye know my word is true— that I shall bring together the two-footed and the four.
Let any who dares fight the bull with women come forth; I, whom none withstand, shall deal out his goods.
A father with a daughter born blind—
Who, knowing her blindness, would raise hand against him?
Yet if he knows not her plight, which man shall bear the burden?
The one who wooed her, or he who wedded her in ignorance?
How far unlike is the maiden adorned with worthy gift, chosen and bright on every side, from the eager youth who seeks a bride in haste?
She is favored and found, when decked in fair array; she winneth a friend in open sight.
He swalloweth from the foot, devoureth what lieth before him.
He flareth up, a helm of flame, and sitting, burneth the upright kindling in his lap.
Bending low, he runs along the earth that stretches upward.
Lofty is the steed, but without leaf or shade.
The mother stands still; the unborn one feeds freely.
She loweth, licking the calf not her own.
Tell me, in what form was the milk-cow's udder laid bare?
From the south rose seven mighty men, from the north came eight, and they were joined.
From the west, nine with grain upon their backs; from the east, ten crossed the rock’s crown.
One dusky flame, shared by the ten fingers, they spurred on to firm resolve.
The mother bore the babe content within her, though he sought no thing, and she asked for naught.
The strong men roasted a fat ram;
dice lay scattered where they played their game.
Two roamed the upper plain with filters set, cleansing the draught in the waters.
Shrieking they fled, each to his own way— one half shall boil, the other not.
And Savitar speaketh unto me:
“Only he whose food is wood and ghee shall prevail.”
I saw the year’s host marching far off,
wheeling without a wheel, turning by its own will.
It leadeth on the seed of strangers’ kind, shearing their tails, even as it reneweth itself.
Two oxen yoked for the Pounder draw near.
Hold them back a while—wait but a breath.
Even the waters find their end in this one’s path, for he is born anew as the Striker beneath the sun.
This mace is cast in many wise beneath the high sun’s shining.
Yet there is another fame beyond this one, and thither, without faltering, old age shall cross.
Bound in each tree the cow shall bellow; from her shall fly the flame-winged birds.
Then shall all this world stand afeared, though soma is pressed for Indra, and the seer is served in full.
The first god halted at the setting of the bounds; the others rose where the place was cleft.
Three moist lands warm the earth beneath, and two steeds bear the stammering one to fullness.
This is thy breath and thy way of life—
see it, and hide it not in the clash.
When the sun showeth itself, it driveth back the mist.
Its foot is freed, as if loosed from a cloak.
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.27
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.
asat su me jaritaḥ sābhivego yat sunvate yajamānāya śikṣam |
anāśīrdām aham asmi prahantā satyadhvṛtaṁ vṛjināyantam ābhum || 1 ||
yadīd ahaṁ yudhaye saṁnayāny adevayūn tanvā3 śūśujānān |
amā te tumraṁ vṛṣabham pacāni tīvraṁ sutam pañcadaśaṁ ni ṣiñcam || 2 ||
nāhaṁ taṁ veda ya iti bravīty adevayūn samaraṇe jaghanvān |
yadāvākhyat samaraṇam ṛghāvad ād id dha me vṛṣabhā pra bruvanti || 3 ||
yad ajñāteṣu vṛjaneṣv āsaṁ viśve sato maghavāno ma āsan |
jināmi vet kṣema ā santam ābhum pra taṁ kṣiṇām parvate pādagṛhya || 4 ||
na vā u māṁ vṛjane vārayante na parvatāso yad aham manasye |
mama svanāt kṛdhukarṇo bhayāta eved anu dyūn kiraṇaḥ sam ejāt || 5 ||
darśan nv atra śṛtapām̐ anindrān bāhukṣadaḥ śarave patyamānān |
ghṛṣuṁ vā ye niniduḥ sakhāyam adhy ū nv eṣu pavayo vavṛtyuḥ || 6 ||
abhūr v aukṣīr vy u1 āyur ānaḍ darṣan nu pūrvo aparo nu darṣat |
dve pavaste pari taṁ na bhūto yo asya pāre rajaso viveṣa || 7 ||
gāvo yavam prayutā aryo akṣan tā apaśyaṁ sahagopāś carantīḥ |
havā id aryo abhitaḥ sam āyan kiyad āsu svapatiś chandayāte || 8 ||
saṁ yad vayaṁ yavasādo janānām ahaṁ yavāda urvajre antaḥ |
atrā yukto 'vasātāram icchād atho ayuktaṁ yunajad vavanvān || 9 ||
atred u me maṁsase satyam uktaṁ dvipāc ca yac catuṣpāt saṁsṛjāni |
strībhir yo atra vṛṣaṇam pṛtanyād ayuddho asya vi bhajāni vedaḥ || 10 ||
yasyānakṣā duhitā jātv āsa kas tāṁ vidvām̐ abhi manyāte andhām |
kataro menim prati tam mucāte ya īṁ vahāte ya īṁ vā vareyāt || 11 ||
kiyatī yoṣā maryato vadhūyoḥ pariprītā panyasā vāryeṇa |
bhadrā vadhūr bhavati yat supeśāḥ svayaṁ sā mitraṁ vanute jane cit || 12 ||
patto jagāra pratyañcam atti śīrṣṇā śiraḥ prati dadhau varūtham |
āsīna ūrdhvām upasi kṣiṇāti nyaṅṅ uttānām anv eti bhūmim || 13 ||
bṛhann acchāyo apalāśo arvā tasthau mātā viṣito atti garbhaḥ |
anyasyā vatsaṁ rihatī mimāya kayā bhuvā ni dadhe dhenur ūdhaḥ || 14 ||
sapta vīrāso adharād ud āyann aṣṭottarāttāt sam ajagmiran te |
nava paścātāt sthivimanta āyan daśa prāk sānu vi tiranty aśnaḥ || 15 ||
daśānām ekaṁ kapilaṁ samānaṁ taṁ hinvanti kratave pāryāya |
garbham mātā sudhitaṁ vakṣaṇāsv avenantaṁ tuṣayantī bibharti || 16 ||
pīvānam meṣam apacanta vīrā nyuptā akṣā anu dīva āsan |
dvā dhanum bṛhatīm apsv a1ntaḥ pavitravantā carataḥ punantā || 17 ||
vi krośanāso viṣvañca āyan pacāti nemo nahi pakṣad ardhaḥ |
ayam me devaḥ savitā tad āha drvanna id vanavat sarpirannaḥ || 18 ||
apaśyaṁ grāmaṁ vahamānam ārād acakrayā svadhayā vartamānam |
siṣakty aryaḥ pra yugā janānāṁ sadyaḥ śiśnā pramināno navīyān || 19 ||
etau me gāvau pramarasya yuktau mo ṣu pra sedhīr muhur in mamandhi |
āpaś cid asya vi naśanty arthaṁ sūraś ca marka uparo babhūvān || 20 ||
ayaṁ yo vajraḥ purudhā vivṛtto 'vaḥ sūryasya bṛhataḥ purīṣāt |
śrava id enā paro anyad asti tad avyathī jarimāṇas taranti || 21 ||
vṛkṣe-vṛkṣe niyatā mīmayad gaus tato vayaḥ pra patān pūruṣādaḥ |
athedaṁ viśvam bhuvanam bhayāta indrāya sunvad ṛṣaye ca śikṣat || 22 ||
devānām māne prathamā atiṣṭhan kṛntatrād eṣām uparā ud āyan |
trayas tapanti pṛthivīm anūpā dvā bṛbūkaṁ vahataḥ purīṣam || 23 ||
sā te jīvātur uta tasya viddhi mā smaitādṛg apa gūhaḥ samarye |
āviḥ svaḥ kṛṇute gūhate busaṁ sa pādur asya nirṇijo na mucyate || 24 ||
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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