Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VII.21 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 7 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, come unto the pressing of the soma! The stones are ringing out; the priests are ready. The sacred draught floweth in golden streams.
When thou dost come to the place of sacrifice, all the gods do gather round. The Maruts, thy companions, cry out with joy at thy approaching. The sky itself doth brighten with thy glory.
O mighty one, grant unto us strength! Grant unto us courage in the time of battle. When we do stand against our enemies, let us not falter; let us not turn away in fear.
With thy bolt thou dost pierce the hearts of those who oppose thee. None can withstand thy might; none can stand before thy face. All the kingdoms of the earth do bow before thy power.
O friend of the singer! Hear thou the hymn that we do raise. Accept the offering of soma that we bring with gladness in our hearts.
Let thy favor rest upon us, O Indra! Grant unto us all that we desire. Bless us with cattle and with riches; bless us with sons and with daughters. Guard us through all the days of our lives, and lead us unto the realm of eternal light.
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 VII.21
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.
asāvi devaṁ goṛjīkam andho ny asminn indro januṣem uvoca |
bodhāmasi tvā haryaśva yajñair bodhā naḥ stomam andhaso madeṣu || 1 ||
pra yanti yajñaṁ vipayanti barhiḥ somamādo vidathe dudhravācaḥ |
ny u bhriyante yaśaso gṛbhād ā dūraüpabdo vṛṣaṇo nṛṣācaḥ || 2 ||
tvam indra sravitavā apas kaḥ pariṣṭhitā ahinā śūra pūrvīḥ |
tvad vāvakre rathyo3 na dhenā rejante viśvā kṛtrimāṇi bhīṣā || 3 ||
bhīmo viveṣāyudhebhir eṣām apāṁsi viśvā naryāṇi vidvān |
indraḥ puro jarhṛṣāṇo vi dūdhod vi vajrahasto mahinā jaghāna || 4 ||
na yātava indra jūjuvur no na vandanā śaviṣṭha vedyābhiḥ |
sa śardhad aryo viṣuṇasya jantor mā śiśnadevā api gur ṛtaṁ naḥ || 5 ||
abhi kratvendra bhūr adha jman na te vivyaṅ mahimānaṁ rajāṁsi |
svenā hi vṛtraṁ śavasā jaghantha na śatrur antaṁ vividad yudhā te || 6 ||
devāś cit te asuryāya pūrve 'nu kṣatrāya mamire sahāṁsi |
indro maghāni dayate viṣahyendraṁ vājasya johuvanta sātau || 7 ||
kīriś cid dhi tvām avase juhāveśānam indra saubhagasya bhūreḥ |
avo babhūtha śatamūte asme abhikṣattus tvāvato varūtā || 8 ||
sakhāyas ta indra viśvaha syāma namovṛdhāso mahinā tarutra |
vanvantu smā te 'vasā samīke3 'bhītim aryo vanuṣāṁ śavāṁsi || 9 ||
sa na indra tvayatāyā iṣe dhās tmanā ca ye maghavāno junanti |
vasvī ṣu te jaritre astu śaktir yūyam pāta svastibhiḥ sadā naḥ || 10 ||
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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