Hymn to Indra
Rigveda X.74 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.
Seeking their favour, I bring gifts to the Vasus, or to the two world-halves, with breath of thought or fire-fed rite; or to the steeds made wealthy in the hour of striving; or to the gods of sharpest hearing, who stir the eager soul to seek the sound of grace.
At their calling shall the noble flame ascend to heav’n; his mind aflame with fame, he shall kiss the bosom of the earth, when the gods, seeking easy wayfaring, don their choicest raiment, as the firmament doth clothe itself in stars.
This song is set forth for the deathless ones, who long as one for their treasured praise.
Let them bring to fullness both the thought that burns and the fire that feeds it— and set no half-measure ‘twixt us and the wealth they grant.
The Āyus marvel at thy greatness, Indra, they who seek to pierce the fence that girds the kine, who long to draw the milk of the mighty one, she who bears but once and yet hath sons a many, she who is high-flowing with a thousand streams.
Call Indra to thy side, the mighty help, he who yieldeth not, but bringeth low the foes; lord of the R̥bhus, giver of gifts, hearer of songs well-spun, he who hath the kine in plenty and the club that befits high men.
When the victor of old did win the latest prize, Indra, smiter of Vr̥tra, made good his many names.
He showed himself as the strong lord of triumph; what we seek of him, he shall do.
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.74
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.
vasūnāṁ vā carkṛṣa iyakṣan dhiyā vā yajñair vā rodasyoḥ |
arvanto vā ye rayimantaḥ sātau vanuṁ vā ye suśruṇaṁ suśruto dhuḥ || 1 ||
hava eṣām asuro nakṣata dyāṁ śravasyatā manasā niṁsata kṣām |
cakṣāṇā yatra suvitāya devā dyaur na vārebhiḥ kṛṇavanta svaiḥ || 2 ||
iyam eṣām amṛtānāṁ gīḥ sarvatātā ye kṛpaṇanta ratnam |
dhiyaṁ ca yajñaṁ ca sādhantas te no dhāntu vasavya1m asāmi || 3 ||
ā tat ta indrāyavaḥ panantābhi ya ūrvaṁ gomantaṁ titṛtsān |
sakṛtsva1ṁ ye puruputrām mahīṁ sahasradhārām bṛhatīṁ dudukṣan || 4 ||
śacīva indram avase kṛṇudhvam anānataṁ damayantam pṛtanyūn |
ṛbhukṣaṇam maghavānaṁ suvṛktim bhartā yo vajraṁ naryam purukṣuḥ || 5 ||
yad vāvāna purutamam purāṣāḻ ā vṛtrahendro nāmāny aprāḥ |
aceti prāsahas patis tuviṣmān yad īm uśmasi kartave karat tat || 6 ||
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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