Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VIII.14 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.
Come hither, O Indra, come unto thy faithful servants! We call upon thee now with lifted voices. The Soma floweth forth; the pressing-stones ring out thy name. Come down from thy seat on high and drink deeply of this offering.
I speak to thee as friend to friend, O mighty Bull. Thou knowest the hearts of those who honour thee; thou hearest the whispered prayers of the faithful. The singer prayeth unto thee with his whole heart. The priest maketh the Soma flow for thee alone. Hear us, O gracious one!
Thou art mighty beyond all measure, O Indra. The mountains are but pebbles beneath thy feet; the oceans but drops of water in thy palm. Yet thou dost care for those who sing thy hymns, who kindle the sacred fires, who make the Soma flow. Thou dost listen to the cry of the poor man; thou dost lift up the lowly.
We have heard of thy deeds of old, O Bull. Thou didst slay the demons that threatened the world. Thou didst shatter their strongholds and set the waters free. But now we ask not only for victory in battle—we ask also for thy friendship, thy guidance, thy protection in our daily lives.
Take pity on us, O Indra! We are but weak mortals, struggling against the forces of darkness and chaos. We need thy strength to sustain us; we need thy wisdom to guide us. When the drought cometh, send forth the rains. When sickness cometh, grant us healing. When enemies assail us, fight upon our side.
The gifts thou givest to those who honour thee are manifold. The singer receiveth his portion of cattle and gold. The priest findeth abundance in his home. The warrior winneth victory in the field. The ploughman gathereth a bountiful harvest. No one who prayeth to thee is left empty-handed.
O Indra, I beseech thee! Let thy bounty flow upon me like the rivers that thou didst release from the demon's grip. Let thy friendship rest upon me; let thy care embrace me. Grant me the strength to face my enemies. Grant me wisdom to live aright. Grant me sons of courage and daughters of virtue.
I offer unto thee this draught, this hymn, this prayer. Accept my offering, O mighty one! Not because I am worthy, but because thou art gracious and kind. Thou art the lord of all gifts; thou art the giver of good things. Without thee, we are nothing. With thee, we are invincible.
Come then, O Indra, and sit with us at the altar. Drink of the Soma we have pressed for thee. Feast with us upon the sacred offerings. Let thy joy be kindled by our praise. Let thy heart be gladdened by our songs. When thou hast drunk and eaten, rise up and bless us.
Go forth from here with strength renewed. Smash the demons that would harm us. Drive away the wicked; scatter those who mean us ill. Be thou our wall of iron, our fortress sure. Bring us safe through every peril, through every darkness, unto the light of a new day.
We are thy servants, O Indra. We sing thy praise, not because we must, but because our hearts overflow with gratitude for thy favour. Thou hast been gracious unto us; thou hast answered our prayers. We shall honour thee all the days of our lives. We shall speak thy name forever, and teach thy deeds to our children and our children's children.
Thus do we call upon thee, O mighty Bull. Hear our prayer! Come unto us and be our friend.
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.14
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.
yad indrāhaṁ yathā tvam īśīya vasva eka it |
stotā me goṣakhā syāt || 1 ||
śikṣeyam asmai ditseyaṁ śacīpate manīṣiṇe |
yad ahaṁ gopatiḥ syām || 2 ||
dhenuṣ ṭa indra sūnṛtā yajamānāya sunvate |
gām aśvam pipyuṣī duhe || 3 ||
na te vartāsti rādhasa indra devo na martyaḥ |
yad ditsasi stuto magham || 4 ||
yajña indram avardhayad yad bhūmiṁ vy avartayat |
cakrāṇa opaśaṁ divi || 5 ||
vāvṛdhānasya te vayaṁ viśvā dhanāni jigyuṣaḥ |
ūtim indrā vṛṇīmahe || 6 ||
vy a1ntarikṣam atiran made somasya rocanā |
indro yad abhinad valam || 7 ||
ud gā ājad aṅgirobhya āviṣ kṛṇvan guhā satīḥ |
arvāñcaṁ nunude valam || 8 ||
indreṇa rocanā divo dṛḻhāni dṛṁhitāni ca |
sthirāṇi na parāṇude || 9 ||
apām ūrmir madann iva stoma indrājirāyate |
vi te madā arājiṣuḥ || 10 ||
tvaṁ hi stomavardhana indrāsy ukthavardhanaḥ |
stotṝṇām uta bhadrakṛt || 11 ||
indram it keśinā harī somapeyāya vakṣataḥ |
upa yajñaṁ surādhasam || 12 ||
apām phenena namuceḥ śira indrod avartayaḥ |
viśvā yad ajayaḥ spṛdhaḥ || 13 ||
māyābhir utsisṛpsata indra dyām ārurukṣataḥ |
ava dasyūm̐r adhūnuthāḥ || 14 ||
asunvām indra saṁsadaṁ viṣūcīṁ vy anāśayaḥ |
somapā uttaro bhavan || 15 ||
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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