Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VII.33 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.
Hear now the birth-song of Vasiṣṭha, the sage and the seer, the ancestor of our line. Not born of woman's womb, yet born he was—born of the gods themselves, born of immortal power.
Mitra and Varuṇa, the mighty oath-keepers, did gaze upon Urvaśī, the most beautiful of the apsaras, the celestial dancing maidens. Her form was as gold; her grace was beyond measure. The very sight of her kindled desire in the hearts of the immortals.
From their union came forth Vasiṣṭha—child not of earth but of heaven itself. The gods did nurture him with amrita, the drink of immortality. He grew in wisdom and in power, surpassing all the mortal sages.
In the great battle of the Ten Kings, Vasiṣṭha stood beside Sumantu and the king Sudās. The enemy did array themselves against him—ten thousand strong, they said, though the truth was far otherwise. But Vasiṣṭha did sing hymns of such power that Indra himself did come forth to aid his chosen one.
The battle raged like a terrible storm. The warriors did fall like leaves before the wind. The earth did drink deeply of blood. But Sudās and his allies did prevail, for Vasiṣṭha's hymns had called down the wrath of Indra upon their enemies.
When the battle was done, Vasiṣṭha stood among the victors. His hair was white as snow, for he had seen much and understood many things. The kings did bow before him, asking his counsel. The priests did seek his wisdom.
For he was not merely a warrior-sage; he was also a keeper of the sacred traditions. He knew the proper forms of sacrifice. He understood the secret names of the gods. When he spoke, the very heavens did listen.
Seven daughters did Vasiṣṭha have—each one born of his own meditation and power, without the need of a mortal wife. These were his Mātṛkas, his mother-goddesses. Through them, the wisdom of Vasiṣṭha did spread throughout the world.
Vasiṣṭha dwelt in the hermitage by the river Sutlej. There he did sit, day after day, contemplating the mysteries of existence. Men and gods alike did come to seek his counsel. Kings bowed before his wisdom; priests sought his blessing.
Yet he was not proud. Though he was born of the gods and had defeated great demons, he remained humble. He honored the sacrifices made by ordinary men. He blessed the children of the poor. He showed that wisdom and power could walk hand in hand with compassion.
When Vasiṣṭha spoke, his words carried the weight of truth. He could not lie, for he was incapable of falsehood. When he cursed an enemy, that enemy was surely destroyed. When he blessed a friend, blessings fell upon him like rain from the sky.
We, the descendants of Vasiṣṭha, are heirs to his power and his wisdom. The knowledge that he gained through meditation and sacrifice hath been passed down to us. In us flows the blood of the gods. In us lives the spirit of the great sage.
O Vasiṣṭha, ancestor of our line! Hear the praise of thy children! Look down from the high heavens where thou dost dwell! Grant unto us a portion of thy wisdom! Share with us the power that made thee mighty!
We shall honor thy memory. We shall follow thy teachings. We shall practice the sacred rites that thou didst teach. And when our time comes to pass from this world to the next, may we find favor in thy sight, may we be recognized as true children of thy line.
The world doth change, and kingdoms do rise and fall. But the wisdom of Vasiṣṭha endureth forever. Let all people know of his greatness! Let his story be sung throughout the ages! And let those who follow the teachings of Vasiṣṭha be blessed and protected 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 VII.33
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.
śvityañco mā dakṣiṇataskapardā dhiyaṁjinvāso abhi hi pramanduḥ |
uttiṣṭhan voce pari barhiṣo nṝn na me dūrād avitave vasiṣṭhāḥ || 1 ||
dūrād indram anayann ā sutena tiro vaiśantam ati pāntam ugram |
pāśadyumnasya vāyatasya somāt sutād indro 'vṛṇītā vasiṣṭhān || 2 ||
even nu kaṁ sindhum ebhis tatāreven nu kam bhedam ebhir jaghāna |
even nu kaṁ dāśarājñe sudāsam prāvad indro brahmaṇā vo vasiṣṭhāḥ || 3 ||
juṣṭī naro brahmaṇā vaḥ pitṝṇām akṣam avyayaṁ na kilā riṣātha |
yac chakvarīṣu bṛhatā raveṇendre śuṣmam adadhātā vasiṣṭhāḥ || 4 ||
ud dyām ivet tṛṣṇajo nāthitāso 'dīdhayur dāśarājñe vṛtāsaḥ |
vasiṣṭhasya stuvata indro aśrod uruṁ tṛtsubhyo akṛṇod u lokam || 5 ||
daṇḍā ived goajanāsa āsan paricchinnā bharatā arbhakāsaḥ |
abhavac ca puraetā vasiṣṭha ād it tṛtsūnāṁ viśo aprathanta || 6 ||
trayaḥ kṛṇvanti bhuvaneṣu retas tisraḥ prajā āryā jyotiragrāḥ |
trayo gharmāsa uṣasaṁ sacante sarvām̐ it tām̐ anu vidur vasiṣṭhāḥ || 7 ||
sūryasyeva vakṣatho jyotir eṣāṁ samudrasyeva mahimā gabhīraḥ |
vātasyeva prajavo nānyena stomo vasiṣṭhā anvetave vaḥ || 8 ||
ta in niṇyaṁ hṛdayasya praketaiḥ sahasravalśam abhi saṁ caranti |
yamena tatam paridhiṁ vayanto 'psarasa upa sedur vasiṣṭhāḥ || 9 ||
vidyuto jyotiḥ pari saṁjihānam mitrāvaruṇā yad apaśyatāṁ tvā |
tat te janmotaikaṁ vasiṣṭhāgastyo yat tvā viśa ājabhāra || 10 ||
utāsi maitrāvaruṇo vasiṣṭhorvaśyā brahman manaso 'dhi jātaḥ |
drapsaṁ skannam brahmaṇā daivyena viśve devāḥ puṣkare tvādadanta || 11 ||
sa praketa ubhayasya pravidvān sahasradāna uta vā sadānaḥ |
yamena tatam paridhiṁ vayiṣyann apsarasaḥ pari jajñe vasiṣṭhaḥ || 12 ||
satre ha jātāv iṣitā namobhiḥ kumbhe retaḥ siṣicatuḥ samānam |
tato ha māna ud iyāya madhyāt tato jātam ṛṣim āhur vasiṣṭham || 13 ||
ukthabhṛtaṁ sāmabhṛtam bibharti grāvāṇam bibhrat pra vadāty agre |
upainam ādhvaṁ sumanasyamānā ā vo gacchāti pratṛdo vasiṣṭhaḥ || 14 ||
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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