Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VIII.64 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.
Behold the triumph of mighty Indra! The foe is overthrown, and the cosmos hath been restored to order. The waters that were imprisoned now flow forth with rejoicing. The sun riseth in the eastern sky, and light doth cover the earth as a garment of gold.
The cattle are released from the dark enclosure. They run forth into the pastures, their udders full and heavy with milk. The people go forth to their labors with joy in their hearts, for they know that Indra watcheth over them.
The mountains stand firm and steadfast in their places. The earth hath been made secure by Indra's mighty hand. Chaos hath been vanquished, and the eternal order hath prevailed.
All creation singeth the praises of mighty Indra! The celestial beings look down with favor upon the earth, knowing that their champion hath once again proven his power. The good man rejoiceth, and the wicked man trembleth with fear.
The waters speak of Indra's victory as they rush down the valleys. The wind carryeth tidings of his triumph across all the lands. Even the stones, it seemeth, cry out in exultation at his deeds.
Let us make offerings unto him who hath wrought all these wonders! Let us sing hymns of thanksgiving! For through his violence and his strength hath come order, peace, and the renewal of all things.
Thou art not a god of gentle ways, O Indra, but of terrible and mighty deeds. Thou breakest what must be broken. Thou destroyest what must be destroyed. And through thy destruction cometh forth the new world, clean and pure and full of promise.
The seeds that fell upon the parched earth do now sprout and grow, for the waters have been released. The animals that fled in terror do now return, for safety hath been restored. All things that were disordered have been set right by thy hand, O mighty lord.
Accept our praise and our offerings! We are the children of thy victory, and we do flourish in the world that thou hast made!
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.64
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.
ut tvā mandantu stomāḥ kṛṇuṣva rādho adrivaḥ |
ava brahmadviṣo jahi || 1 ||
padā paṇīm̐r arādhaso ni bādhasva mahām̐ asi |
nahi tvā kaś cana prati || 2 ||
tvam īśiṣe sutānām indra tvam asutānām |
tvaṁ rājā janānām || 3 ||
ehi prehi kṣayo divy ā3ghoṣañ carṣaṇīnām |
obhe pṛṇāsi rodasī || 4 ||
tyaṁ cit parvataṁ giriṁ śatavantaṁ sahasriṇam |
vi stotṛbhyo rurojitha || 5 ||
vayam u tvā divā sute vayaṁ naktaṁ havāmahe |
asmākaṁ kāmam ā pṛṇa || 6 ||
kva1 sya vṛṣabho yuvā tuvigrīvo anānataḥ |
brahmā kas taṁ saparyati || 7 ||
kasya svit savanaṁ vṛṣā jujuṣvām̐ ava gacchati |
indraṁ ka u svid ā cake || 8 ||
kaṁ te dānā asakṣata vṛtrahan kaṁ suvīryā |
ukthe ka u svid antamaḥ || 9 ||
ayaṁ te mānuṣe jane somaḥ pūruṣu sūyate |
tasyehi pra dravā piba || 10 ||
ayaṁ te śaryaṇāvati suṣomāyām adhi priyaḥ |
ārjīkīye madintamaḥ || 11 ||
tam adya rādhase mahe cārum madāya ghṛṣvaye |
ehīm indra dravā piba || 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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