Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VIII.12 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 8 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 ye Indra, lord of might! He whom none may match in strength.
The Bull among all things that live, the king who ruleth heaven and earth.
Sing his praises, O ye seers, ye who dwell in sacred places.
In the beginning time Indra strode forth, full-grown and strong from birth.
He gazed upon the world and saw what needed doing, what must be done.
There came unto him the demon host, the dragon Vṛtra, dark of form.
Then did Indra, the mighty one, grasp his thunderbolt of gold.
The Vṛtra roared and coiled about like serpent thick with venom'd bite.
But Indra's arm grew strong and sure; his courage kindled bright as flame.
He smote the firstborn of the dragons; the waters leapt up with a cry.
The pent-up torrents broke their bonds, and rivers rushed forth to the sea.
The sun rose up; the sky grew wide; all creatures drew their breath again.
Still doth Indra slay the demon host—Śambara's kin and Ahi's brood.
The Dāsas flee before his might; the dark-skinned foes are cast behind.
He planteth towns for Aryan folk and setteth up the sacred flame.
Come, O Indra, drink the soma juice that we have pressed for thee this day!
The milk hath been made sweet and bright; the butter gleameth as with gold.
Drink deep and let thy courage grow; grow strong for battle, brave and bold.
When thou hast drunk thy fill, O bull, no enemy can stand 'gainst thee.
The mountains tremble at thy tread; the earth is shaken by thy roar.
Thy thunderbolt descendeth swift and splinters all that dares oppose.
The Kāṇva men have gathered here to honour thee with praise and song.
We are thy people; thou our friend; we call upon thee in the fight.
Grant us dominion o'er our foes; grant us the victory this day.
Thou hast given to us our homes, our cattle and our wealth untold.
The generous one, the friend of men, thou hearest every mortal prayer.
When we cry out unto thee, Indra, thou dost answer swift and sure.
Thy chariot rolleth through the sky drawn by bay steeds of mighty strength.
The cosmos trembles at thy voice; the very heavens bend to thee.
No god beneath the arch of sky may equal thee in glory bright.
The waters flow at thy command; the rains descend at thy behest.
The grain springs up where thou dost will; the cattle multiply and thrive.
All good things flow from thy right hand—the giver of a thousand gifts.
Those who have sung thy praises here, who've poured the soma for thy joy,
Shall find their enemy cast down, their herds shall multiply like sand.
Their children shall be strong and wise; their line shall never fail or fall.
O Indra, may we ever stand beneath thy shadow, kept from harm.
Be thou our champion in the field, our counsel in the time of need.
From thee doth all our courage flow; in thee doth all our hope abide.
So do we sing thy mighty deeds, O thunderer, O mightiest one.
Accept our hymns of praise and joy; be pleased with us and with our kin.
Grant us thy blessings manifold; preserve us all our days and nights.
The singers end their song to thee; the priests have finished up their rite.
The butter hath been offered up; the sacrifice doth rise on high.
Now, Indra, thou who lovest song, come down and share our joy this day.
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 VIII.12
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.
ya indra somapātamo madaḥ śaviṣṭha cetati |
yenā haṁsi ny a1triṇaṁ tam īmahe || 1 ||
yenā daśagvam adhriguṁ vepayantaṁ svarṇaram |
yenā samudram āvithā tam īmahe || 2 ||
yena sindhum mahīr apo rathām̐ iva pracodayaḥ |
panthām ṛtasya yātave tam īmahe || 3 ||
imaṁ stomam abhiṣṭaye ghṛtaṁ na pūtam adrivaḥ |
yenā nu sadya ojasā vavakṣitha || 4 ||
imaṁ juṣasva girvaṇaḥ samudra iva pinvate |
indra viśvābhir ūtibhir vavakṣitha || 5 ||
yo no devaḥ parāvataḥ sakhitvanāya māmahe |
divo na vṛṣṭim prathayan vavakṣitha || 6 ||
vavakṣur asya ketava uta vajro gabhastyoḥ |
yat sūryo na rodasī avardhayat || 7 ||
yadi pravṛddha satpate sahasram mahiṣām̐ aghaḥ |
ād it ta indriyam mahi pra vāvṛdhe || 8 ||
indraḥ sūryasya raśmibhir ny arśasānam oṣati |
agnir vaneva sāsahiḥ pra vāvṛdhe || 9 ||
iyaṁ ta ṛtviyāvatī dhītir eti navīyasī |
saparyantī purupriyā mimīta it || 10 ||
garbho yajñasya devayuḥ kratum punīta ānuṣak |
stomair indrasya vāvṛdhe mimīta it || 11 ||
sanir mitrasya papratha indraḥ somasya pītaye |
prācī vāśīva sunvate mimīta it || 12 ||
yaṁ viprā ukthavāhaso 'bhipramandur āyavaḥ |
ghṛtaṁ na pipya āsany ṛtasya yat || 13 ||
uta svarāje aditiḥ stomam indrāya jījanat |
purupraśastam ūtaya ṛtasya yat || 14 ||
abhi vahnaya ūtaye 'nūṣata praśastaye |
na deva vivratā harī ṛtasya yat || 15 ||
yat somam indra viṣṇavi yad vā gha trita āptye |
yad vā marutsu mandase sam indubhiḥ || 16 ||
yad vā śakra parāvati samudre adhi mandase |
asmākam it sute raṇā sam indubhiḥ || 17 ||
yad vāsi sunvato vṛdho yajamānasya satpate |
ukthe vā yasya raṇyasi sam indubhiḥ || 18 ||
devaṁ-devaṁ vo 'vasa indram-indraṁ gṛṇīṣaṇi |
adhā yajñāya turvaṇe vy ānaśuḥ || 19 ||
yajñebhir yajñavāhasaṁ somebhiḥ somapātamam |
hotrābhir indraṁ vāvṛdhur vy ānaśuḥ || 20 ||
mahīr asya praṇītayaḥ pūrvīr uta praśastayaḥ |
viśvā vasūni dāśuṣe vy ānaśuḥ || 21 ||
indraṁ vṛtrāya hantave devāso dadhire puraḥ |
indraṁ vāṇīr anūṣatā sam ojase || 22 ||
mahāntam mahinā vayaṁ stomebhir havanaśrutam |
arkair abhi pra ṇonumaḥ sam ojase || 23 ||
na yaṁ vivikto rodasī nāntarikṣāṇi vajriṇam |
amād id asya titviṣe sam ojasaḥ || 24 ||
yad indra pṛtanājye devās tvā dadhire puraḥ |
ād it te haryatā harī vavakṣatuḥ || 25 ||
yadā vṛtraṁ nadīvṛtaṁ śavasā vajrinn avadhīḥ |
ād it te haryatā harī vavakṣatuḥ || 26 ||
yadā te viṣṇur ojasā trīṇi padā vicakrame |
ād it te haryatā harī vavakṣatuḥ || 27 ||
yadā te haryatā harī vāvṛdhāte dive-dive |
ād it te viśvā bhuvanāni yemire || 28 ||
yadā te mārutīr viśas tubhyam indra niyemire |
ād it te viśvā bhuvanāni yemire || 29 ||
yadā sūryam amuṁ divi śukraṁ jyotir adhārayaḥ |
ād it te viśvā bhuvanāni yemire || 30 ||
imāṁ ta indra suṣṭutiṁ vipra iyarti dhītibhiḥ |
jāmim padeva pipratīm prādhvare || 31 ||
yad asya dhāmani priye samīcīnāso asvaran |
nābhā yajñasya dohanā prādhvare || 32 ||
suvīryaṁ svaśvyaṁ sugavyam indra daddhi naḥ |
hoteva pūrvacittaye prādhvare || 33 ||
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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