Hymn to Indra
Rigveda VIII.77 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.
O Indra, none among the gods doth rival thy generous heart. Thou givest more than any other deity; thy bounty floweth like the rivers in spring. When the worshipper crieth out to thee, thou hearest and thou answerest.
Gold and silver flow from thy hands like water from a fountain. Thou art the lord of treasure, the keeper of wealth untold. The riches of the earth are thine to distribute; thou givest to whomsoever thou pleasest.
Cattle—fine and fat—thou givest unto those who praise thee. Horses—swift and strong—are thy gift to the faithful. Grain in abundance thou sendest to fill the granaries of the pious. No god giveth so freely as thou.
The poor man thou makest rich; the weak thou makest mighty. The singer who calleth upon thy name receiveth gifts beyond measure. Thy generosity knoweth no bounds; thy munificence is without limit.
When the soma is pressed and offered unto thee, thou art gladded in thy heart. Thou acceptest the offering of the worshipper with favor, and in return thou bestowest blessings that transform life.
O Indra, hear now our supplication. We too desire a share of thy abundance. Cast upon us the riches that thou hast gathered. Let our herds multiply; let our fields bear abundant harvest.
Grant us sons and daughters who shall live to maturity. Give us long life and health; give us friends and allies. Let our enemies be turned away; let peace dwell in our households.
Thou art the master of all gifts, the dispenser of all good things. To thee do we turn when our need is greatest. Hear us, O mighty Indra, and be not slow to answer our prayer.
In return for thy generosity, we offer thee the first-fruits of our labor. The soma we press with joy; the hymns we chant with gladness. Accept our worship, and let thy bounty continue to flow.
O thunderer, O bull, most mighty among gods—receive our thanks for all the gifts thou hast bestowed. May thy generosity never fail; may thy hand always be open to those who love thee. We honor thee above all others.
Unto Indra, the giver of all good things, we bow our heads in reverence. By thy gift do we live; by thy strength do we flourish. Guard us, bless us, and continue forever to pour out thy bounty upon the faithful.
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.77
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.
jajñāno nu śatakratur vi pṛcchad iti mātaram |
ka ugrāḥ ke ha śṛṇvire || 1 ||
ād īṁ śavasy abravīd aurṇavābham ahīśuvam |
te putra santu niṣṭuraḥ || 2 ||
sam it tān vṛtrahākhidat khe arām̐ iva khedayā |
pravṛddho dasyuhābhavat || 3 ||
ekayā pratidhāpibat sākaṁ sarāṁsi triṁśatam |
indraḥ somasya kāṇukā || 4 ||
abhi gandharvam atṛṇad abudhneṣu rajaḥsv ā |
indro brahmabhya id vṛdhe || 5 ||
nir āvidhyad giribhya ā dhārayat pakvam odanam |
indro bundaṁ svātatam || 6 ||
śatabradhna iṣus tava sahasraparṇa eka it |
yam indra cakṛṣe yujam || 7 ||
tena stotṛbhya ā bhara nṛbhyo nāribhyo attave |
sadyo jāta ṛbhuṣṭhira || 8 ||
etā cyautnāni te kṛtā varṣiṣṭhāni parīṇasā |
hṛdā vīḍv adhārayaḥ || 9 ||
viśvet tā viṣṇur ābharad urukramas tveṣitaḥ |
śatam mahiṣān kṣīrapākam odanaṁ varāham indra emuṣam || 10 ||
tuvikṣaṁ te sukṛtaṁ sūmayaṁ dhanuḥ sādhur bundo hiraṇyayaḥ |
ubhā te bāhū raṇyā susaṁskṛta ṛdūpe cid ṛdūvṛdhā || 11 ||
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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