Hymn to Soma
Rigveda V.34 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 5 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, giver of riches! Thou art the friend of the generous man who poureth out the soma in thy honor. To him that giveth thee the finest libation, thou givest cattle beyond number. His barns are filled with grain; his herds grow fat and multiplies. His enemies are brought low; his children are born healthy and strong.
The man who calleth upon thee with sincere heart shall not go hungry. Thou hearest the poor man's cry and raisest him from destitution. Thou givest to him new fields, new herds, new wealth. Through thy bounty, he becometh as a king among his people. His name is spoken with honor; his family thrives.
But those who turn their faces from thee, who refuse the soma, who mock the sacred rite—these shall languish in want. Their fields shall wither; their cattle shall sicken and die. They shall know only loss and emptiness. Thus doth thy justice work upon the earth, O mighty one.
We pour the soma in gratitude for thy generosity! The butter floweth upon the stone. The prayers ascend like smoke toward the heavens. Hear us, O Indra, and measure out to us the gifts we seek. Grant us abundance that we may share it with those in need. Make us wealthy not merely in possessions but in virtue, in wisdom, in the knowledge that all bounty cometh from thee.
We sing thy praises, O giver of good things! Thou art the source of all prosperity. Without thee, naught groweth; without thy blessing, naught flourisheth. Accept our offerings and our hymn, and let thy favor rest upon us and our descendants forever.
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 V.34
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.
ajātaśatrum ajarā svarvaty anu svadhāmitā dasmam īyate |
sunotana pacata brahmavāhase puruṣṭutāya prataraṁ dadhātana || 1 ||
ā yaḥ somena jaṭharam apipratāmandata maghavā madhvo andhasaḥ |
yad īm mṛgāya hantave mahāvadhaḥ sahasrabhṛṣṭim uśanā vadhaṁ yamat || 2 ||
yo asmai ghraṁsa uta vā ya ūdhani somaṁ sunoti bhavati dyumām̐ aha |
apāpa śakras tatanuṣṭim ūhati tanūśubhram maghavā yaḥ kavāsakhaḥ || 3 ||
yasyāvadhīt pitaraṁ yasya mātaraṁ yasya śakro bhrātaraṁ nāta īṣate |
vetīd v asya prayatā yataṁkaro na kilbiṣād īṣate vasva ākaraḥ || 4 ||
na pañcabhir daśabhir vaṣṭy ārabhaṁ nāsunvatā sacate puṣyatā cana |
jināti ved amuyā hanti vā dhunir ā devayum bhajati gomati vraje || 5 ||
vitvakṣaṇaḥ samṛtau cakramāsajo 'sunvato viṣuṇaḥ sunvato vṛdhaḥ |
indro viśvasya damitā vibhīṣaṇo yathāvaśaṁ nayati dāsam āryaḥ || 6 ||
sam īm paṇer ajati bhojanam muṣe vi dāśuṣe bhajati sūnaraṁ vasu |
durge cana dhriyate viśva ā puru jano yo asya taviṣīm acukrudhat || 7 ||
saṁ yaj janau sudhanau viśvaśardhasāv aved indro maghavā goṣu śubhriṣu |
yujaṁ hy a1nyam akṛta pravepany ud īṁ gavyaṁ sṛjate satvabhir dhuniḥ || 8 ||
sahasrasām āgniveśiṁ gṛṇīṣe śatrim agna upamāṁ ketum aryaḥ |
tasmā āpaḥ saṁyataḥ pīpayanta tasmin kṣatram amavat tveṣam astu || 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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