Hymn to Indra
Rigveda X.29 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.
Though he taketh not delight in the wood, yet is he set therein— Agni, placed as priest upon the hearth or hidden in the timber.
The shining song hath roused you both, ye ever-busy ones— the very praise wherein Indra oft hath found delight, as hath the Hotar, that manful soul, best among men, shield and stay of the earth.
At the breaking of this dawn and of the one that followeth, may we be found where thy stout striding is made known, O Indra, who art the best of men.
Triśoka, the flame thrice-born, brought hither a hundred men in Kutsa’s chariot—the same that shall not fail in war.
What draught shall be thine, O Indra, to make thy heart rejoice?
Being strong, come running to my hymns—enter thou by the doors.
When shall the car of god-breathed thought draw nigh to me?
With gifts of meat and grain, I would call thee to thy highest bounty.
When shall thy brightness, O peerless one, be shown among our men?
With what sung-seeing wilt thou array thyself?
When wilt thou come to us in truth, as a friend, O far-wandering one, to take our gift— though songs may rise from any table where food is laid?
As the sun sendeth each man to his work, so send thou forth the goers, each to his longing— as if unto givers of brides they went in joy— even those who seek to stir thy might with many a hymn,
O Indra, strong at birth, with food in hand.
The two great vessels—heaven and earth—stand firm by thy strength and thy song-born craft.
May the soma, pressed and rich in ghee, be sweet to thy tongue, and may the honeyed cup delight thy drink.
Lo, they have poured a brimming draught of honey for him— a full cup for Indra, for true is his giving.
He hath waxed in power upon the broad earth, the manful one, first in will and in manly might.
Mighty is Indra who breaketh through the war-bound ranks.
Many are they who muster for his side, to share his bond.
Rise thou upon them as on a chariot, driven forth with goodly grace and will to bless.
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.29
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.
vane na vā yo ny adhāyi cākañ chucir vāṁ stomo bhuraṇāv ajīgaḥ |
yasyed indraḥ purudineṣu hotā nṛṇāṁ naryo nṛtamaḥ kṣapāvān || 1 ||
pra te asyā uṣasaḥ prāparasyā nṛtau syāma nṛtamasya nṛṇām |
anu triśokaḥ śatam āvahan nṝn kutsena ratho yo asat sasavān || 2 ||
kas te mada indra rantyo bhūd duro giro abhy u1gro vi dhāva |
kad vāho arvāg upa mā manīṣā ā tvā śakyām upamaṁ rādho annaiḥ || 3 ||
kad u dyumnam indra tvāvato nṝn kayā dhiyā karase kan na āgan |
mitro na satya urugāya bhṛtyā anne samasya yad asan manīṣāḥ || 4 ||
preraya sūro arthaṁ na pāraṁ ye asya kāmaṁ janidhā iva gman |
giraś ca ye te tuvijāta pūrvīr nara indra pratiśikṣanty annaiḥ || 5 ||
mātre nu te sumite indra pūrvī dyaur majmanā pṛthivī kāvyena |
varāya te ghṛtavantaḥ sutāsaḥ svādman bhavantu pītaye madhūni || 6 ||
ā madhvo asmā asicann amatram indrāya pūrṇaṁ sa hi satyarādhāḥ |
sa vāvṛdhe varimann ā pṛthivyā abhi kratvā naryaḥ pauṁsyaiś ca || 7 ||
vy ānaḻ indraḥ pṛtanāḥ svojā āsmai yatante sakhyāya pūrvīḥ |
ā smā rathaṁ na pṛtanāsu tiṣṭha yam bhadrayā sumatyā codayāse || 8 ||
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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