Hymn to Indra
Rigveda III.40 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 3 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.
O Indra, lord of heroes! It is to thee that all the warriors of the earth do look for inspiration and strength. When a man taketh up his arms to defend his people, it is thy spirit that entereth into him. When he calleth upon thee in the hour of battle, his courage groweth tenfold. His arm becometh steady; his eye groweth keen; his heart groweth bold as the lion's.
The heroes of old who didst achieve great renown upon the battlefield — they were thy chosen ones, O mighty lord. They drank the soma and called upon thy name. They offered sacrifice unto thee, and thou didst grant them victory. Their names are remembered still by the bards who sing of ancient glories. Their deeds are the measure by which later warriors gauge their own accomplishments.
We see in thee, O Indra, the ideal of the warrior — strength without mercy toward the foe, yet generosity toward thy followers. Courage that knoweth no fear; determination that breaketh no obstacle; honor that resteth upon truthfulness and deed fulfilled. These are the qualities that make a man worthy to be called a hero, and these are thy qualities reflected in mortal form.
Grant unto our warriors, O lord of heroes, a portion of thy might! Let them stand firm in the battle-line; let them strike blows that shall echo in the halls of fame. Let them return home with honor and spoils. And if any must fall in combat, let them fall as heroes do — facing the foe, with spear in hand, their names to be remembered forever.
O Indra, accept the soma we pour for thee! Accept the hymns we chant in thy honor! Be thou the champion of our people, and lead us to glory in battle and prosperity in peace!
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 III.40
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.
indra tvā vṛṣabhaṁ vayaṁ sute some havāmahe |
sa pāhi madhvo andhasaḥ || 1 ||
indra kratuvidaṁ sutaṁ somaṁ harya puruṣṭuta |
pibā vṛṣasva tātṛpim || 2 ||
indra pra ṇo dhitāvānaṁ yajñaṁ viśvebhir devebhiḥ |
tira stavāna viśpate || 3 ||
indra somāḥ sutā ime tava pra yanti satpate |
kṣayaṁ candrāsa indavaḥ || 4 ||
dadhiṣvā jaṭhare sutaṁ somam indra vareṇyam |
tava dyukṣāsa indavaḥ || 5 ||
girvaṇaḥ pāhi naḥ sutam madhor dhārābhir ajyase |
indra tvādātam id yaśaḥ || 6 ||
abhi dyumnāni vanina indraṁ sacante akṣitā |
pītvī somasya vāvṛdhe || 7 ||
arvāvato na ā gahi parāvataś ca vṛtrahan |
imā juṣasva no giraḥ || 8 ||
yad antarā parāvatam arvāvataṁ ca hūyase |
indreha tata ā gahi || 9 ||
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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