Hymn to Indra
Rigveda IX.108 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 9 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.
Purify thyself, O Soma most honey-sweet, for Indra’s quaffing; be the draught that steels resolve and sways the heights of heaven.
For when the Bull hath tasted thee he beareth himself as Bull indeed, winning the sun as his prize. Bright of omen, thou farest to the banquet even as fleet Etaśa speeds toward the goal.
Self-cleansing and all-resplendent, it was thou who madest the heavenly tribes give heed, that they might taste immortality.
By thee Navagva and by thee Dadhyañc unbarred the pen of cows; by thee the seer-kin won their treasured share of the deathless draught and with it undying fame.
Now, in shining stream thou art strained through the soft sheep’s fleece, leaping and playing like a wave of living water.
With thy puissance thou didst hew the ruddy, watery kine from the prisoning rock; widen yet again thy mastery over stalls of cow and steed, and, mailed like a warrior, burst their barriers, bold one.
Press him, splash him wide, as men dapple a racing horse—this chant-born Soma that crosses flood and airy vault, howling in the wood, swimming in the wave.
A Bull of thousand runnels, waxen strong with milk, dear to the gods, born of Truth and by Truth enthroned, he standeth king, divine and lofty Truth itself.
Flash forth high glory and splendor, O lord of refreshment; as thou seekest the gods, O god, let loose the mid-sky bucket of rain.
Wind thyself into the twin beakers, deft Master of clans, as a trace-horse bends to the yoke; cleanse into the pouring rain of heaven, the rush of waters, and quicken our wits in the quest for cattle.
From the vault of heaven they have milked this thousand-streaming Bull, awakener of rapture, bringer of all good.
The deathless Sire is born, a Bull that begets; with his radiance he scorcheth the dark. Lauded of poets, he arrays himself in triple vesture by his marvellous art.
Pressed is the Leader of wealth and of offerings, Soma, lord of fair homesteads and giver of goodly towns.
Of him shall Indra drink, and the Maruts, Bhaga with Aryaman beside; by him we shall draw Mitra and Varuṇa hither—and Indra as mighty ally.
So, sweetest Soma, kept by mortal hands, strong-weaponed and most exhilarating, refine thyself for Indra’s draught.
Flow into Indra’s heart—the sea of Soma— as rivers pour into the ocean, pleasing Mitra, pleasing Varuṇa, pleasing swift Vāyu, thou highest pillar of the heavens.
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.
🌲
Source Text: ṛgveda IX.108
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.
pavasva madhumattama indrāya soma kratuvittamo madaḥ |
mahi dyukṣatamo madaḥ || 1 ||
yasya te pītvā vṛṣabho vṛṣāyate 'sya pītā svarvidaḥ |
sa supraketo abhy akramīd iṣo 'cchā vājaṁ naitaśaḥ || 2 ||
tvaṁ hy a1ṅga daivyā pavamāna janimāni dyumattamaḥ |
amṛtatvāya ghoṣayaḥ || 3 ||
yenā navagvo dadhyaṅṅ aporṇute yena viprāsa āpire |
devānāṁ sumne amṛtasya cāruṇo yena śravāṁsy ānaśuḥ || 4 ||
eṣa sya dhārayā suto 'vyo vārebhiḥ pavate madintamaḥ |
krīḻann ūrmir apām iva || 5 ||
ya usriyā apyā antar aśmano nir gā akṛntad ojasā |
abhi vrajaṁ tatniṣe gavyam aśvyaṁ varmīva dhṛṣṇav ā ruja || 6 ||
ā sotā pari ṣiñcatāśvaṁ na stomam apturaṁ rajasturam |
vanakrakṣam udaprutam || 7 ||
sahasradhāraṁ vṛṣabham payovṛdham priyaṁ devāya janmane |
ṛtena ya ṛtajāto vivāvṛdhe rājā deva ṛtam bṛhat || 8 ||
abhi dyumnam bṛhad yaśa iṣas pate didīhi deva devayuḥ |
vi kośam madhyamaṁ yuva || 9 ||
ā vacyasva sudakṣa camvoḥ suto viśāṁ vahnir na viśpatiḥ |
vṛṣṭiṁ divaḥ pavasva rītim apāṁ jinvā gaviṣṭaye dhiyaḥ || 10 ||
etam u tyam madacyutaṁ sahasradhāraṁ vṛṣabhaṁ divo duhuḥ |
viśvā vasūni bibhratam || 11 ||
vṛṣā vi jajñe janayann amartyaḥ pratapañ jyotiṣā tamaḥ |
sa suṣṭutaḥ kavibhir nirṇijaṁ dadhe tridhātv asya daṁsasā || 12 ||
sa sunve yo vasūnāṁ yo rāyām ānetā ya iḻānām |
somo yaḥ sukṣitīnām || 13 ||
yasya na indraḥ pibād yasya maruto yasya vāryamaṇā bhagaḥ |
ā yena mitrāvaruṇā karāmaha endram avase mahe || 14 ||
indrāya soma pātave nṛbhir yataḥ svāyudho madintamaḥ |
pavasva madhumattamaḥ || 15 ||
indrasya hārdi somadhānam ā viśa samudram iva sindhavaḥ |
juṣṭo mitrāya varuṇāya vāyave divo viṣṭambha uttamaḥ || 16 ||
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).
🌲