Hymn to Indra
Rigveda IX.15 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.
This one driveth with foresight along the fine-spun fleece, a champion borne on swift-footed wains, riding forth to meet great Indra in his course.
This one turneth his wisdom upon many matters for the high assembly of the gods, where the deathless hold their thrones.
This one, urged onward, is drawn through and within the fair-bound path, when the zealous press him on with might.
This one, the bull among the herd, whetteth his horns, ever tossing them— his manly strength he maketh known in power.
This one, like a prize-run steed, doth race with shining golden streams, becoming the lord and master of the waters.
This one, having fared the way of the fleece’s weave toward the slow-treading wealth, descendeth into the grasses.
This one the folk of Āyu groom in wooden flagons, when he hath brought forth mighty draughts of joy.
This one is groomed by ten fingers and seven thoughts, the most gladdening, who beareth goodly arms.
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 IX.15
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.
eṣa dhiyā yāty aṇvyā śūro rathebhir āśubhiḥ |
gacchann indrasya niṣkṛtam || 1 ||
eṣa purū dhiyāyate bṛhate devatātaye |
yatrāmṛtāsa āsate || 2 ||
eṣa hito vi nīyate 'ntaḥ śubhrāvatā pathā |
yadī tuñjanti bhūrṇayaḥ || 3 ||
eṣa śṛṅgāṇi dodhuvac chiśīte yūthyo3 vṛṣā |
nṛmṇā dadhāna ojasā || 4 ||
eṣa rukmibhir īyate vājī śubhrebhir aṁśubhiḥ |
patiḥ sindhūnām bhavan || 5 ||
eṣa vasūni pibdanā paruṣā yayivām̐ ati |
ava śādeṣu gacchati || 6 ||
etam mṛjanti marjyam upa droṇeṣv āyavaḥ |
pracakrāṇam mahīr iṣaḥ || 7 ||
etam u tyaṁ daśa kṣipo mṛjanti sapta dhītayaḥ |
svāyudham madintamam || 8 ||
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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