Hymn to Indra
Rigveda IV.18 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 4 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.
And lo, Indra cried out from within the womb, even before his birth was accomplished: "I shall be mightier than my father who begat me! I shall surpass the gods in power and in glory! None shall rival me in strength!"
His mother heard these words from deep within her own body, and she trembled. "What god doth speak from within my flesh?" she cried. "What force striveth to break free from the confines of my womb?"
And Indra answered from the darkness: "I am he who shall be born this day. I am he who shall grasp the thunderbolt. I am he who shall drink of the soma and become invincible. Make way for me, O Mother! I cannot remain imprisoned in this place!"
Then came the moment of his bursting forth. The womb could not contain him. His strength was too great, his power too vast. He split open the sides of his mother and emerged, fully formed, mighty and golden, already bearing the lightning in his hand.
The gods beheld his birth and trembled. They had not known that such a force would come among them. Here was no gentle god, born weak and requiring nurture. Nay — from the instant of his emergence, Indra was terrible and mighty, ready for battle.
And he spoke to the assembled gods: "I am Indra! I have shattered the womb that bore me! I have broken forth by the power of my own limbs! Now shall I take up the thunderbolt, and now shall I slay all enemies of the gods!"
Thus was Indra born — not as other gods are born, but bursting forth in violence and power, announcing his supremacy even as he drew his first breath of the living air.
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 IV.18
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.
ayam panthā anuvittaḥ purāṇo yato devā udajāyanta viśve |
ataś cid ā janiṣīṣṭa pravṛddho mā mātaram amuyā pattave kaḥ || 1 ||
nāham ato nir ayā durgahaitat tiraścatā pārśvān nir gamāṇi |
bahūni me akṛtā kartvāni yudhyai tvena saṁ tvena pṛcchai || 2 ||
parāyatīm mātaram anv acaṣṭa na nānu gāny anu nū gamāni |
tvaṣṭur gṛhe apibat somam indraḥ śatadhanyaṁ camvoḥ sutasya || 3 ||
kiṁ sa ṛdhak kṛṇavad yaṁ sahasram māso jabhāra śaradaś ca pūrvīḥ |
nahī nv asya pratimānam asty antar jāteṣūta ye janitvāḥ || 4 ||
avadyam iva manyamānā guhākar indram mātā vīryeṇā nyṛṣṭam |
athod asthāt svayam atkaṁ vasāna ā rodasī apṛṇāj jāyamānaḥ || 5 ||
etā arṣanty alalābhavantīr ṛtāvarīr iva saṁkrośamānāḥ |
etā vi pṛccha kim idam bhananti kam āpo adrim paridhiṁ rujanti || 6 ||
kim u ṣvid asmai nivido bhanantendrasyāvadyaṁ didhiṣanta āpaḥ |
mamaitān putro mahatā vadhena vṛtraṁ jaghanvām̐ asṛjad vi sindhūn || 7 ||
mamac cana tvā yuvatiḥ parāsa mamac cana tvā kuṣavā jagāra |
mamac cid āpaḥ śiśave mamṛḍyur mamac cid indraḥ sahasod atiṣṭhat || 8 ||
mamac cana te maghavan vyaṁso nivividhvām̐ apa hanū jaghāna |
adhā nividdha uttaro babhūvāñ chiro dāsasya sam piṇag vadhena || 9 ||
gṛṣṭiḥ sasūva sthaviraṁ tavāgām anādhṛṣyaṁ vṛṣabhaṁ tumram indram |
arīḻhaṁ vatsaṁ carathāya mātā svayaṁ gātuṁ tanva icchamānam || 10 ||
uta mātā mahiṣam anv avenad amī tvā jahati putra devāḥ |
athābravīd vṛtram indro haniṣyan sakhe viṣṇo vitaraṁ vi kramasva || 11 ||
kas te mātaraṁ vidhavām acakrac chayuṁ kas tvām ajighāṁsac carantam |
kas te devo adhi mārḍīka āsīd yat prākṣiṇāḥ pitaram pādagṛhya || 12 ||
avartyā śuna āntrāṇi pece na deveṣu vivide marḍitāram |
apaśyaṁ jāyām amahīyamānām adhā me śyeno madhv ā jabhāra || 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).
🌲