Hymn to Indra
Rigveda X.42 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.
Like an archer hidden in wait, who sendeth his shaft far off, like a servant full of care and swiftness, bring thou the song of praise for him.
With thy voice, O poet whose soul is stirred, outdo the tongue of the stranger.
Draw Indra nigh to our soma—let him rest here at thy singing.
Woo thy friend as one draweth a cow for the milk—entice him with sweetness.
Stir Indra awake, even as a lover is stirred from slumber.
Rouse the champion to loose his gifts, like a brimming bucket spilling over with good things.
Is it not said of thee, O bounteous one, that thou art the giver?
Sharpen me, for I have heard thy name is Sharpening itself.
Let my insight strike true, strong one. Bring hither Bhaga, the finder of gain, O Indra.
In the press of peoples who strive each for their own, each calleth upon thee when the cry riseth for “mine.”
He that bringeth offering hath thee as yokemate; the hero keepeth no bond with him who presseth not the soma.
Whoso bringeth a pleasing gift, and presseth the sharp drops full and free— rich as herds that stream upon the land— to him dost thou yoke thy foes as steeds, well spurred and ready at dawn.
Thou breakest down the bar that hinders.
Indra, whom we praise, who hath set his longing upon us, the freely giving one— may his rival, though he be far off, be struck with fear; may the fair things of all peoples bend low before him.
With that mighty staff of thine, O oft-called one, cast the foe afar, even beyond the far bounds.
Heap us high with barley and kine, O Indra.
For the singer, make his insight bright with prizes as with jewels.
Indra, within whom the strong pressings dwell, the fierce soma-drops, running full unto the end— he shall not hold back his hand.
He beareth down treasure and blessing for the one who presseth.
And lo, though he play past his share, yet shall he win the whole, when he who holdeth the lucky cast draweth forth the perfect throw.
Whoso hath longing for the gods keepeth not back his stake; to him doth the self-ruling one grant wealth in full.
With kine let us drive out the scorn of neglect, and with barley be rid of all hunger, O thou who art called on in many tongues.
With our kings and our kindred, may we be the first to win the prize.
Let Indra, lord of shaping word, shield us on every side— behind and above, beneath and before, and in the midst— from him who seeketh us harm.
As a friend, may he stretch wide the field for his friends.
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.42
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.
asteva su prataraṁ lāyam asyan bhūṣann iva pra bharā stomam asmai |
vācā viprās tarata vācam aryo ni rāmaya jaritaḥ soma indram || 1 ||
dohena gām upa śikṣā sakhāyam pra bodhaya jaritar jāram indram |
kośaṁ na pūrṇaṁ vasunā nyṛṣṭam ā cyāvaya maghadeyāya śūram || 2 ||
kim aṅga tvā maghavan bhojam āhuḥ śiśīhi mā śiśayaṁ tvā śṛṇomi |
apnasvatī mama dhīr astu śakra vasuvidam bhagam indrā bharā naḥ || 3 ||
tvāṁ janā mamasatyeṣv indra saṁtasthānā vi hvayante samīke |
atrā yujaṁ kṛṇute yo haviṣmān nāsunvatā sakhyaṁ vaṣṭi śūraḥ || 4 ||
dhanaṁ na syandram bahulaṁ yo asmai tīvrān somām̐ āsunoti prayasvān |
tasmai śatrūn sutukān prātar ahno ni svaṣṭrān yuvati hanti vṛtram || 5 ||
yasmin vayaṁ dadhimā śaṁsam indre yaḥ śiśrāya maghavā kāmam asme |
ārāc cit san bhayatām asya śatrur ny asmai dyumnā janyā namantām || 6 ||
ārāc chatrum apa bādhasva dūram ugro yaḥ śambaḥ puruhūta tena |
asme dhehi yavamad gomad indra kṛdhī dhiyaṁ jaritre vājaratnām || 7 ||
pra yam antar vṛṣasavāso agman tīvrāḥ somā bahulāntāsa indram |
nāha dāmānam maghavā ni yaṁsan ni sunvate vahati bhūri vāmam || 8 ||
uta prahām atidīvyā jayāti kṛtaṁ yac chvaghnī vicinoti kāle |
yo devakāmo na dhanā ruṇaddhi sam it taṁ rāyā sṛjati svadhāvān || 9 ||
gobhiṣ ṭaremāmatiṁ durevāṁ yavena kṣudham puruhūta viśvām |
vayaṁ rājabhiḥ prathamā dhanāny asmākena vṛjanenā jayema || 10 ||
bṛhaspatir naḥ pari pātu paścād utottarasmād adharād aghāyoḥ |
indraḥ purastād uta madhyato naḥ sakhā sakhibhyo varivaḥ kṛṇotu || 11 ||
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).
🌲