Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VIII.62 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.
Indra alone surpasseth all the gods in might and majesty. None among them dare contend with thee. Thou art supreme in strength, supreme in wisdom, supreme in the dispensing of wealth and victory.
Who shall match thee, O Indra, in thy cosmic battles? Thou hast overthrown the dark hosts that did stand against the light of dawn. The very sky trembleth at thy voice, and the earth shaketh beneath thy feet.
Thou givest unto the warrior the courage of a lion, and the swiftness of the eagle. Thou strengthenest the weak man's arm, that he may strike down his foe. Thou art the friend of those who invoke thee with a pure heart.
Be merciful unto us in the days of battle, O lord of lords! Grant us victory over the foes who rise against us. Let not their arrows find their mark upon our warriors. Let not their chariots rattle through our lands.
Give unto us abundance in peace, that our fields may produce grain in plenty, and our herds may multiply beyond number. Let our children grow strong and wise. Let our enemies tremble at the very mention of our name.
Thou alone art worthy of the greatest praise. The soma that we pour is a gift most precious, offered unto thee with reverent hands. Accept it, O mighty one, and grant unto us the blessings that we seek.
No other god hath thy power to give such gifts. No other doth guard the righteous man as thou dost guard him. The man who calleth upon thee shall never walk in darkness or in fear.
Indra, thou art the storm that watereth the earth. Thou art the fire that burneth away corruption. Thou art the wind that driveth away the pestilence. Accept our prayers, O mighty god, and bless us with thy favor this day and all the days of our lives.
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.62
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.
pro asmā upastutim bharatā yaj jujoṣati |
ukthair indrasya māhinaṁ vayo vardhanti somino bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 1 ||
ayujo asamo nṛbhir ekaḥ kṛṣṭīr ayāsyaḥ |
pūrvīr ati pra vāvṛdhe viśvā jātāny ojasā bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 2 ||
ahitena cid arvatā jīradānuḥ siṣāsati |
pravācyam indra tat tava vīryāṇi kariṣyato bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 3 ||
ā yāhi kṛṇavāma ta indra brahmāṇi vardhanā |
yebhiḥ śaviṣṭha cākano bhadram iha śravasyate bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 4 ||
dhṛṣataś cid dhṛṣan manaḥ kṛṇoṣīndra yat tvam |
tīvraiḥ somaiḥ saparyato namobhiḥ pratibhūṣato bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 5 ||
ava caṣṭa ṛcīṣamo 'vatām̐ iva mānuṣaḥ |
juṣṭvī dakṣasya sominaḥ sakhāyaṁ kṛṇute yujam bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 6 ||
viśve ta indra vīryaṁ devā anu kratuṁ daduḥ |
bhuvo viśvasya gopatiḥ puruṣṭuta bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 7 ||
gṛṇe tad indra te śava upamaṁ devatātaye |
yad dhaṁsi vṛtram ojasā śacīpate bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 8 ||
samaneva vapuṣyataḥ kṛṇavan mānuṣā yugā |
vide tad indraś cetanam adha śruto bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 9 ||
uj jātam indra te śava ut tvām ut tava kratum |
bhūrigo bhūri vāvṛdhur maghavan tava śarmaṇi bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 10 ||
ahaṁ ca tvaṁ ca vṛtrahan saṁ yujyāva sanibhya ā |
arātīvā cid adrivo 'nu nau śūra maṁsate bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 11 ||
satyam id vā u taṁ vayam indraṁ stavāma nānṛtam |
mahām̐ asunvato vadho bhūri jyotīṁṣi sunvato bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ || 12 ||
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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