Hymn to Indra
Rigveda X.43 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.
My thoughts, keen and sun-seeking, all drawn to one end, have roared out unto Indra in yearning.
They cleave to him as wives cleave to a worthy lord, they hold fast the giver of wealth, the fair and strong one, for aid.
My mind strays not from thee, but followeth thy path alone— on thee alone hath my longing been set, thou oft-invoked.
As a king taketh his seat, O wondrous one, rest thou upon the sacred grass.
For here is soma—let the draught be poured for thee.
Indra, who driveth back hunger and neglect from every side, he alone, the bounteous one, becometh lord of riches and store.
To his strength, these seven rivers in their rushing add their force— to the strength of the wild bull who stormeth the sky.
As birds rest upon a leafy tree, so settle the soma-drops upon Indra— bright and gladdening, resting in the cup.
Their gleam, flashing forth again and yet again, hath found the sun—the light of the noble— and brought it unto Manu.
As a gambler casteth the best of throws and draweth the perfect hand, so doth the bounteous one seize the sun as his prize.
None shall match this deed of thine—not one of olden time, nor any in this present day.
Clan after clan doth the giver surround, as a great bull guardeth the life-streams of the folk.
In whose pressings the mighty one is gladdened, that house shall prevail— for his sharpened soma smiteth all foes in the fray.
When soma’s streams pour into Indra as waters into a river, as brooks into a still pool, the seers at the altar lift up his greatness, as rain uplifteth the barley with its sky-sent drop.
As a wrathful bull he stormeth through the airs— he who hath wed these waters to an Ārya’s hand.
He found the light for him who pressed the giftful draught, for Manu, who gave with full heart.
Let the axe rise up with its shining edge; let the cow of truth, who giveth good milk, be born again as aforetime.
Let the red flame blaze with bright strength; and let the lord of homes flare as the sun in his rising.
With kine may we drive away the ill of neglect, with barley may we banish hunger, thou oft-invoked.
With our kings and with our kindred, may we be foremost to win the prize.
Let Indra, lord of good shaping, guard us round about— from behind, from above, from beneath, from the foe that lurketh in the forepart or midmost path.
Let him, as friend, make wide room 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.
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Source Text: ṛgveda X.43
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.
acchā ma indram matayaḥ svarvidaḥ sadhrīcīr viśvā uśatīr anūṣata |
pari ṣvajante janayo yathā patim maryaṁ na śundhyum maghavānam ūtaye || 1 ||
na ghā tvadrig apa veti me manas tve it kāmam puruhūta śiśraya |
rājeva dasma ni ṣado 'dhi barhiṣy asmin su some 'vapānam astu te || 2 ||
viṣūvṛd indro amater uta kṣudhaḥ sa id rāyo maghavā vasva īśate |
tasyed ime pravaṇe sapta sindhavo vayo vardhanti vṛṣabhasya śuṣmiṇaḥ || 3 ||
vayo na vṛkṣaṁ supalāśam āsadan somāsa indram mandinaś camūṣadaḥ |
praiṣām anīkaṁ śavasā davidyutad vidat sva1r manave jyotir āryam || 4 ||
kṛtaṁ na śvaghnī vi cinoti devane saṁvargaṁ yan maghavā sūryaṁ jayat |
na tat te anyo anu vīryaṁ śakan na purāṇo maghavan nota nūtanaḥ || 5 ||
viśaṁ-viśam maghavā pary aśāyata janānāṁ dhenā avacākaśad vṛṣā |
yasyāha śakraḥ savaneṣu raṇyati sa tīvraiḥ somaiḥ sahate pṛtanyataḥ || 6 ||
āpo na sindhum abhi yat samakṣaran somāsa indraṁ kulyā iva hradam |
vardhanti viprā maho asya sādane yavaṁ na vṛṣṭir divyena dānunā || 7 ||
vṛṣā na kruddhaḥ patayad rajaḥsv ā yo aryapatnīr akṛṇod imā apaḥ |
sa sunvate maghavā jīradānave 'vindaj jyotir manave haviṣmate || 8 ||
uj jāyatām paraśur jyotiṣā saha bhūyā ṛtasya sudughā purāṇavat |
vi rocatām aruṣo bhānunā śuciḥ sva1r ṇa śukraṁ śuśucīta satpatiḥ || 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).
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