Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VII.32 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.
Praise unto Indra, the greatest of gods! Sing his glory from every mountaintop! His mighty deeds do fill the heavens and the earth. The very stars do pale before his brightness.
Indra, thou holder of the thunderbolt! Indra, thou slayer of dragons! Indra, thou lord of storm and rain! Who among all the powers in heaven and earth can match thy strength?
In the beginning times, thou didst slay the serpent Vṛtra that held back the waters. The dragon's body grew to great size, blocking the course of the rivers. But thou, O mighty Indra, didst strike him down with thy thunderbolt, and the waters rushed forth in great torrents.
Seven rivers do flow at thy command. The Sutlej, the Chenab, the Ravi—all do obey thy will. The earth itself is nourished by these waters. All creatures do drink and are made strong.
Thou hast conquered the demon Śuṣṇa and all his fortresses. Ninety-nine cities hast thou laid waste. The proud and the wicked do flee before thee. Thy enemies do grovel in the dust.
Come, O Indra! The Soma hath been pressed! The altar hath been made ready! The butter burneth bright as liquid gold! Drink deeply of this draught, O mighty one!
Let thy belly be filled with the sweet juice of the sacred plant. Let thy strength grow even greater. Let thy courage shine forth like the sun at midday. There is no foe that can stand before thee!
Thou art the friend of the singer. Thou dost hear the cry of those who call upon thy name. The weakest among us doth find strength through thee. The poorest among us doth find hope in thy generosity.
Thou givest horses to thy worshippers. Thou givest cattle and golden treasures. No gift is too great for thee to bestow. Thy hand is always open; thy bounty is without measure.
The Vasishṭhas do praise thee with all their hearts. Vasiṣṭha himself doth sing thy songs. He knoweth thy nature; he understandeth thy power. Through him, we do receive thy blessings.
O Bull of Heaven, thou art our father and our protector. We are as children in thy care. Guard us from all harm! Keep us safe from those who would do us evil! Let thy might shield us forever!
The rain falleth at thy command. The thunder cracketh across the sky. Lightning doth leap from cloud to cloud. All of nature doth tremble at thy voice.
Yet thou art not only mighty in war. Thou art also generous in peace. The harvest doth flourish when thou art pleased. The cattle do grow fat and strong. All creatures do prosper under thy care.
We offer unto thee the finest of sacrifices. The butter is pure and sweet. The Soma is pressed with care. The hymns are sung with devotion. Accept these offerings, O mighty one!
Let the fame of Indra spread to every corner of the earth! Let all peoples know his greatness! Let the very mountains echo his name! Let the rivers sing his praise!
No foe doth dare to rise against him. No demon doth dare to show his face. The wicked do hide themselves in darkness, for the very mention of Indra's name doth fill them with terror.
O Thunderer, O wielder of the bolt, O king of gods and men! Accept our worship! Accept our hymns! Grant unto us thy protection and thy love forever and ever!
We shall praise thee without ceasing. Each day we shall sing thy name. Each night we shall dream of thy glory. And when we come before thee at the last, may we find mercy and honor in thy sight.
Let thy reign be eternal! Let thy kingdom never fall! Let thy justice prevail in all things! And may all creatures under heaven know thy goodness and thy might!
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 VII.32
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.
mo ṣu tvā vāghataś canāre asman ni rīraman |
ārāttāc cit sadhamādaṁ na ā gahīha vā sann upa śrudhi || 1 ||
ime hi te brahmakṛtaḥ sute sacā madhau na makṣa āsate |
indre kāmaṁ jaritāro vasūyavo rathe na pādam ā dadhuḥ || 2 ||
rāyaskāmo vajrahastaṁ sudakṣiṇam putro na pitaraṁ huve || 3 ||
ima indrāya sunvire somāso dadhyāśiraḥ |
tām̐ ā madāya vajrahasta pītaye haribhyāṁ yāhy oka ā || 4 ||
śravac chrutkarṇa īyate vasūnāṁ nū cin no mardhiṣad giraḥ |
sadyaś cid yaḥ sahasrāṇi śatā dadan nakir ditsantam ā minat || 5 ||
sa vīro apratiṣkuta indreṇa śūśuve nṛbhiḥ |
yas te gabhīrā savanāni vṛtrahan sunoty ā ca dhāvati || 6 ||
bhavā varūtham maghavan maghonāṁ yat samajāsi śardhataḥ |
vi tvāhatasya vedanam bhajemahy ā dūṇāśo bharā gayam || 7 ||
sunotā somapāvne somam indrāya vajriṇe |
pacatā paktīr avase kṛṇudhvam it pṛṇann it pṛṇate mayaḥ || 8 ||
mā sredhata somino dakṣatā mahe kṛṇudhvaṁ rāya ātuje |
taraṇir ij jayati kṣeti puṣyati na devāsaḥ kavatnave || 9 ||
nakiḥ sudāso ratham pary āsa na rīramat |
indro yasyāvitā yasya maruto gamat sa gomati vraje || 10 ||
gamad vājaṁ vājayann indra martyo yasya tvam avitā bhuvaḥ |
asmākam bodhy avitā rathānām asmākaṁ śūra nṛṇām || 11 ||
ud in nv asya ricyate 'ṁśo dhanaṁ na jigyuṣaḥ |
ya indro harivān na dabhanti taṁ ripo dakṣaṁ dadhāti somini || 12 ||
mantram akharvaṁ sudhitaṁ supeśasaṁ dadhāta yajñiyeṣv ā |
pūrvīś cana prasitayas taranti taṁ ya indre karmaṇā bhuvat || 13 ||
kas tam indra tvāvasum ā martyo dadharṣati |
śraddhā it te maghavan pārye divi vājī vājaṁ siṣāsati || 14 ||
maghonaḥ sma vṛtrahatyeṣu codaya ye dadati priyā vasu |
tava praṇītī haryaśva sūribhir viśvā tarema duritā || 15 ||
taved indrāvamaṁ vasu tvam puṣyasi madhyamam |
satrā viśvasya paramasya rājasi nakiṣ ṭvā goṣu vṛṇvate || 16 ||
tvaṁ viśvasya dhanadā asi śruto ya īm bhavanty ājayaḥ |
tavāyaṁ viśvaḥ puruhūta pārthivo 'vasyur nāma bhikṣate || 17 ||
yad indra yāvatas tvam etāvad aham īśīya |
stotāram id didhiṣeya radāvaso na pāpatvāya rāsīya || 18 ||
śikṣeyam in mahayate dive-dive rāya ā kuhacidvide |
nahi tvad anyan maghavan na āpyaṁ vasyo asti pitā cana || 19 ||
taraṇir it siṣāsati vājam puraṁdhyā yujā |
ā va indram puruhūtaṁ name girā nemiṁ taṣṭeva sudrvam || 20 ||
na duṣṭutī martyo vindate vasu na sredhantaṁ rayir naśat |
suśaktir in maghavan tubhyam māvate deṣṇaṁ yat pārye divi || 21 ||
abhi tvā śūra nonumo 'dugdhā iva dhenavaḥ |
īśānam asya jagataḥ svardṛśam īśānam indra tasthuṣaḥ || 22 ||
na tvāvām̐ anyo divyo na pārthivo na jāto na janiṣyate |
aśvāyanto maghavann indra vājino gavyantas tvā havāmahe || 23 ||
abhī ṣatas tad ā bharendra jyāyaḥ kanīyasaḥ |
purūvasur hi maghavan sanād asi bhare-bhare ca havyaḥ || 24 ||
parā ṇudasva maghavann amitrān suvedā no vasū kṛdhi |
asmākam bodhy avitā mahādhane bhavā vṛdhaḥ sakhīnām || 25 ||
indra kratuṁ na ā bhara pitā putrebhyo yathā |
śikṣā ṇo asmin puruhūta yāmani jīvā jyotir aśīmahi || 26 ||
mā no ajñātā vṛjanā durādhyo3 māśivāso ava kramuḥ |
tvayā vayam pravataḥ śaśvatīr apo 'ti śūra tarāmasi || 27 ||
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).
🌲