Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VII.83 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.
In ages long past, when the great Battle of the Ten Kings did rage, it was Indra and Varuṇa who came to the aid of Sudās and his people. They saw the rightness of his cause; they heard the truth of his prayers. And with their mighty power, they turned the tide of battle.
Indra, the warrior most fierce, didst ride forth at the head of the divine armies. The thunderbolt was in thy hand; the bay horses were harnessed to thy chariot. The demons fled before thee, shrieking in terror. Their strongholds were leveled; their warriors were slain. The sun shone bright upon thy victory.
But Varuṇa too was present, though not as one who dealeth in violence. Thy power was the power of righteousness, the power that floweth from justice and truth. When Sudās called upon thee, thou didst answer, saying: "Thy cause is just; thy prayers are true. Therefore shall I aid thee, according to the law that I have decreed."
It was the combination of Indra's strength and Varuṇa's wisdom that made the victory complete. The demons were defeated not merely by force of arms, but by force of right. What Indra destroyed with his thunderbolt, Varuṇa sanctified with his authority.
And all the warriors who fought that day were blessed. They fought with courage, knowing that the gods themselves supported their cause. When they looked upon the sky, they saw Indra's lightning; when they felt the wind, they felt Varuṇa's breath. The very earth beneath their feet seemed to rise up and support their steps.
Even now, when we speak of that battle, we do so with awe and reverence. It was a moment when the gods and mortals were united in a single purpose. It was a moment when might and right were joined together in perfect harmony.
O Indra and Varuṇa! Grant us too the same blessing! Send us warriors who are both strong and just! Give us the courage of the storm and the wisdom of the eternal law! May we ever be victorious against our enemies, knowing that the gods themselves do fight at our side!
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.83
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.
yuvāṁ narā paśyamānāsa āpyam prācā gavyantaḥ pṛthuparśavo yayuḥ |
dāsā ca vṛtrā hatam āryāṇi ca sudāsam indrāvaruṇāvasāvatam || 1 ||
yatrā naraḥ samayante kṛtadhvajo yasminn ājā bhavati kiṁ cana priyam |
yatrā bhayante bhuvanā svardṛśas tatrā na indrāvaruṇādhi vocatam || 2 ||
sam bhūmyā antā dhvasirā adṛkṣatendrāvaruṇā divi ghoṣa āruhat |
asthur janānām upa mām arātayo 'rvāg avasā havanaśrutā gatam || 3 ||
indrāvaruṇā vadhanābhir aprati bhedaṁ vanvantā pra sudāsam āvatam |
brahmāṇy eṣāṁ śṛṇutaṁ havīmani satyā tṛtsūnām abhavat purohitiḥ || 4 ||
indrāvaruṇāv abhy ā tapanti māghāny aryo vanuṣām arātayaḥ |
yuvaṁ hi vasva ubhayasya rājatho 'dha smā no 'vatam pārye divi || 5 ||
yuvāṁ havanta ubhayāsa ājiṣv indraṁ ca vasvo varuṇaṁ ca sātaye |
yatra rājabhir daśabhir nibādhitam pra sudāsam āvataṁ tṛtsubhiḥ saha || 6 ||
daśa rājānaḥ samitā ayajyavaḥ sudāsam indrāvaruṇā na yuyudhuḥ |
satyā nṛṇām admasadām upastutir devā eṣām abhavan devahūtiṣu || 7 ||
dāśarājñe pariyattāya viśvataḥ sudāsa indrāvaruṇāv aśikṣatam |
śvityañco yatra namasā kapardino dhiyā dhīvanto asapanta tṛtsavaḥ || 8 ||
vṛtrāṇy anyaḥ samitheṣu jighnate vratāny anyo abhi rakṣate sadā |
havāmahe vāṁ vṛṣaṇā suvṛktibhir asme indrāvaruṇā śarma yacchatam || 9 ||
asme indro varuṇo mitro aryamā dyumnaṁ yacchantu mahi śarma saprathaḥ |
avadhraṁ jyotir aditer ṛtāvṛdho devasya ślokaṁ savitur manāmahe || 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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