Hymn to Indra
Rigveda X.96 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 proclaim thy twain golden steeds at the high rite of giving.
I master the heart-cheering draught for thee who thirsteth for it, the draught that, like fresh-churned fat, droppeth with golden sweetness.
Let the songs flow into thee, whose shape is as gold.
They who have cried as one unto the womb of gold are they that urge the golden pair forth as to a seat in heaven.
To him whom they fill with the gold of the soma, as kine with golden milk, to Indra raise a strengthening song, steeped in golden joy.
Behold his mace of gold-hue, fashioned of bright metal.
Golden is the weapon, golden in both his hands.
Bright is he, and fair of lip, whose wrathful arm lifteth the golden blow.
Golden forms are set fast within Indra.
Like a beacon aloft in the sky, the joy-giving mace is raised.
It shall sweep wide, as a golden horse in full gallop.
The golden-lipped rod of metal smote the worm.
The bearer of gold-flame became thousandfold fire.
Thou alone wert made glad when the elders of old gave thee praise, O Indra of the golden hair.
Thou rejoicest still—thine is all bounty, full and fair, fit for the song, O thou born of gold.
These twin golden steeds bear in his wain the wielder of the golden mace, Indra the gladdened, praiseworthy.
For him, joying in the many pressings, the golden juice hath flowed.
Enough to fill his longing, the golden streams have run.
The golden ones urge on the unmatched pair of golden steeds.
He that rideth at will with golden reins hath reached his heart’s desire and the draught of gold.
Golden of beard and golden of hair, clad in metal, he drinketh the golden soma and waxeth in might.
With prize-rich mares and golden team, he shall bear his shining pair through all hard paths.
His golden lips, like spoons of offering, open wide, twitching with hunger for the prize.
When the cup is drained, he shall groom his golden steeds, his lips sweet with the gladdening stalk.
The seat of the joy-draught is set in both dwellings.
The gold-lord hath cried out for the prize as a racehorse doth neigh.
Even the Great Earth, the Hallowed One, was gladdened by thy might— and thou didst swell with high strength, gladdening thyself as well.
Glad art thou, and thou didst fill the world-halves with thy greatness.
Each dear new thought bringeth thee cheer.
O lord, reveal unto the golden sun the joy-filled stead of the cow.
Let the forerunners of the folk bring thee hither in thy car— thou golden-lipped in gladness, O Indra— that thou mayest drink the honeyed offering, and find thy joy in the ten-handed feast at the merry gathering.
Thou hast drunk the pressings of old, O holder of gold, and this pressing now is thine alone.
Drink deep the honeyed soma, Indra.
Rain it full into thy belly, O bull.
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.96
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.
pra te mahe vidathe śaṁsiṣaṁ harī pra te vanve vanuṣo haryatam madam |
ghṛtaṁ na yo haribhiś cāru secata ā tvā viśantu harivarpasaṁ giraḥ || 1 ||
hariṁ hi yonim abhi ye samasvaran hinvanto harī divyaṁ yathā sadaḥ |
ā yam pṛṇanti haribhir na dhenava indrāya śūṣaṁ harivantam arcata || 2 ||
so asya vajro harito ya āyaso harir nikāmo harir ā gabhastyoḥ |
dyumnī suśipro harimanyusāyaka indre ni rūpā haritā mimikṣire || 3 ||
divi na ketur adhi dhāyi haryato vivyacad vajro harito na raṁhyā |
tudad ahiṁ hariśipro ya āyasaḥ sahasraśokā abhavad dharimbharaḥ || 4 ||
tvaṁ-tvam aharyathā upastutaḥ pūrvebhir indra harikeśa yajvabhiḥ |
tvaṁ haryasi tava viśvam ukthya1m asāmi rādho harijāta haryatam || 5 ||
tā vajriṇam mandinaṁ stomyam mada indraṁ rathe vahato haryatā harī |
purūṇy asmai savanāni haryata indrāya somā harayo dadhanvire || 6 ||
araṁ kāmāya harayo dadhanvire sthirāya hinvan harayo harī turā |
arvadbhir yo haribhir joṣam īyate so asya kāmaṁ harivantam ānaśe || 7 ||
hariśmaśārur harikeśa āyasas turaspeye yo haripā avardhata |
arvadbhir yo haribhir vājinīvasur ati viśvā duritā pāriṣad dharī || 8 ||
sruveva yasya hariṇī vipetatuḥ śipre vājāya hariṇī davidhvataḥ |
pra yat kṛte camase marmṛjad dharī pītvā madasya haryatasyāndhasaḥ || 9 ||
uta sma sadma haryatasya pastyo3r atyo na vājaṁ harivām̐ acikradat |
mahī cid dhi dhiṣaṇāharyad ojasā bṛhad vayo dadhiṣe haryataś cid ā || 10 ||
ā rodasī haryamāṇo mahitvā navyaṁ-navyaṁ haryasi manma nu priyam |
pra pastyam asura haryataṁ gor āviṣ kṛdhi haraye sūryāya || 11 ||
ā tvā haryantam prayujo janānāṁ rathe vahantu hariśipram indra |
pibā yathā pratibhṛtasya madhvo haryan yajñaṁ sadhamāde daśoṇim || 12 ||
apāḥ pūrveṣāṁ harivaḥ sutānām atho idaṁ savanaṁ kevalaṁ te |
mamaddhi somam madhumantam indra satrā vṛṣañ jaṭhara ā vṛṣasva || 13 ||
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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