Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VIII.65 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, lord of hundred fortresses! Thy strongholds are as numerous as the stars in heaven, and they shall never be breached. Thou sittest upon thy throne of gold, and from thence thou dost command all things that are in heaven and upon the earth.
Thy thunderbolt is raised high, and it shineth with terrible light. No defense can withstand it. The walls of the strongest citadel crumble before thy wrath. The most cunning stratagem of the enemy availeth nothing against thy might.
Come, O Indra, to the pressing of the soma! The priests have gathered here in great numbers, and they have prepared for thee a most worthy offering. The sweetness of the juice doth rise up unto heaven, calling unto thee to come and partake of it.
We pour the soma with reverent hands, O mighty god! Each drop is a prayer, each libation a song of praise. Come thou down from the heavens above, and sit thou in the place of honor that we have prepared for thee.
Drink deeply, O Indra, and let thy strength be renewed! Let thy courage burn as a bright flame within thy heart! Make thyself ready for battle, that thou mayest go forth and smite down all thine enemies with thy irresistible thunderbolt.
The priests and the warriors stand before thee, awaiting thy command. We are thy faithful servants, and we shall do all that thou dost require of us. We have faith in thy mighty power, and we believe that no foe can stand against thee.
Come with thy golden chariot and thy bay-hued steeds! Come with thy hosts of divine beings, thy allies and companions! Come and accept the offerings that we have made, and grant unto us the blessings that we do so earnestly seek.
Give unto us victory in battle, O lord of a hundred fortresses! Let our enemies be scattered before us like leaves in the wind. Let their fortresses fall, and let their treasures become our spoil. And when the battle is done, grant us peace and plenty, that we may dwell in security and in prosperity 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.65
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 indra prāg apāg udaṅ nyag vā hūyase nṛbhiḥ |
ā yāhi tūyam āśubhiḥ || 1 ||
yad vā prasravaṇe divo mādayāse svarṇare |
yad vā samudre andhasaḥ || 2 ||
ā tvā gīrbhir mahām uruṁ huve gām iva bhojase |
indra somasya pītaye || 3 ||
ā ta indra mahimānaṁ harayo deva te mahaḥ |
rathe vahantu bibhrataḥ || 4 ||
indra gṛṇīṣa u stuṣe mahām̐ ugra īśānakṛt |
ehi naḥ sutam piba || 5 ||
sutāvantas tvā vayam prayasvanto havāmahe |
idaṁ no barhir āsade || 6 ||
yac cid dhi śaśvatām asīndra sādhāraṇas tvam |
taṁ tvā vayaṁ havāmahe || 7 ||
idaṁ te somyam madhv adhukṣann adribhir naraḥ |
juṣāṇa indra tat piba || 8 ||
viśvām̐ aryo vipaścito 'ti khyas tūyam ā gahi |
asme dhehi śravo bṛhat || 9 ||
dātā me pṛṣatīnāṁ rājā hiraṇyavīnām |
mā devā maghavā riṣat || 10 ||
sahasre pṛṣatīnām adhi ścandram bṛhat pṛthu |
śukraṁ hiraṇyam ā dade || 11 ||
napāto durgahasya me sahasreṇa surādhasaḥ |
śravo deveṣv akrata || 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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