Hymn to Indra
Rigveda V.37 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.
We go forth to battle, O Indra! Our chariots are prepared; our spears are sharpened. Our warriors stand ready with hearts of stone. But without thee, all our strength is naught. Grant us thy blessing, O thunderer, that we may return victorious.
Thou art the warrior's god, the champion of heroes! In ancient days, thou didst stand beside the warriors of the Aryan people. When they were few and their enemies many, thou didst turn the tide of battle. The victory hymns of old still sing of thy deeds.
O Indra, guide our hands that they strike true! Make our arms powerful as the arms of mountains. Let our eyes see clear as the hawk's eye in flight. Grant us courage that shall not falter, even when the enemy host presseth close. Let our feet be swift, our movements quick as lightning.
We call upon thee, O lord of the thunderbolt! Be thou our foremost warrior, marcheth at the head of our array. Let thy Vajra strike down those who would harm us. Let thy roar terrify the hearts of our foes. Scatter them as the wind scattereth autumn leaves!
When the battle is won and we stand victorious upon the field, we shall raise the victory hymn to thee! We shall pour the libation and make the sacrifice. We shall remember thy strength, thy justice, thy unfailing aid. O Indra, accept this prayer from thy servants who go forth to fight for ṛta, for honor, for the defense of all we hold sacred. Victory to thee! Victory to us through thee!
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.37
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.
sam bhānunā yatate sūryasyājuhvāno ghṛtapṛṣṭhaḥ svañcāḥ |
tasmā amṛdhrā uṣaso vy ucchān ya indrāya sunavāmety āha || 1 ||
samiddhāgnir vanavat stīrṇabarhir yuktagrāvā sutasomo jarāte |
grāvāṇo yasyeṣiraṁ vadanty ayad adhvaryur haviṣāva sindhum || 2 ||
vadhūr iyam patim icchanty eti ya īṁ vahāte mahiṣīm iṣirām |
āsya śravasyād ratha ā ca ghoṣāt purū sahasrā pari vartayāte || 3 ||
na sa rājā vyathate yasminn indras tīvraṁ somam pibati gosakhāyam |
ā satvanair ajati hanti vṛtraṁ kṣeti kṣitīḥ subhago nāma puṣyan || 4 ||
puṣyāt kṣeme abhi yoge bhavāty ubhe vṛtau saṁyatī saṁ jayāti |
priyaḥ sūrye priyo agnā bhavāti ya indrāya sutasomo dadāśat || 5 ||
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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