Hymn to Indra
Rigveda IX.70 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.
Thrice seven milk-kine have poured for him the true draught, drawn from the farthest, foremost heaven.
He clad himself in the four fair worlds as raiment, waxing in might by the strength of truths and songs.
To gain his share of the dear undying one, by craft of verse he sundered Heaven from Earth.
He robes himself in sharp-shining waters, when, by his fame, the streams discern his seat.
Let his deathless, unwavering beacons overspread both tribes— godkind and mankind— those flames whereby both divine and mortal powers are made clean.
For this, the zealous have hailed him their king.
Groomed by the ten deft hands, he goeth forth to bellow mid the mothers of the middle realm.
Upholding the charge of the holy undying one, his gaze upon mortals, he beholdeth both kin: gods and men.
Ever tended, thrust between the twin world-halves, he awakens to feed mighty Indra.
With storming breath the bull driveth off ill thoughts, his aim ever fixed, like a marksman, upon rich spoil.
The ruddy one, made plain to sight, runneth to his two mothers with roar on roar, like the cry of the Maruts.
He hath known the first truth—realm of the sun's bright blaze— and chooseth it for his high praise.
The dread bull shouteth aloud, whetting his golden horns, broad of eye.
Soma sitteth upon his well-shaped womb.
His hide is wrought of cattle, his cloak of sheep’s fleece.
Glistering, he washeth clean his spotless frame.
The tawny one descendeth upon the sheep’s back, well-pleasing to Mitra, to Varuṇa, and to Vāyu.
The honey they brew is made threefold by the skilled.
Purify thyself as bull, O Soma, to seek the gods.
Enter into the heart of Indra, the hold of Soma.
Before affliction riseth, bear us o’er our straits, for he who knoweth the land pointeth the road to the seeker.
Like a yoked team urged on, speed thou to the prize.
O drop, make thyself clean within Indra’s belly.
Bear us across, as in a boat o’er stream, for thou knowest the way. Be as a champion in strife— redeem us from shame.
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.70
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.
trir asmai sapta dhenavo duduhre satyām āśiram pūrvye vyomani |
catvāry anyā bhuvanāni nirṇije cārūṇi cakre yad ṛtair avardhata || 1 ||
sa bhikṣamāṇo amṛtasya cāruṇa ubhe dyāvā kāvyenā vi śaśrathe |
tejiṣṭhā apo maṁhanā pari vyata yadī devasya śravasā sado viduḥ || 2 ||
te asya santu ketavo 'mṛtyavo 'dābhyāso januṣī ubhe anu |
yebhir nṛmṇā ca devyā ca punata ād id rājānam mananā agṛbhṇata || 3 ||
sa mṛjyamāno daśabhiḥ sukarmabhiḥ pra madhyamāsu mātṛṣu prame sacā |
vratāni pāno amṛtasya cāruṇa ubhe nṛcakṣā anu paśyate viśau || 4 ||
sa marmṛjāna indriyāya dhāyasa obhe antā rodasī harṣate hitaḥ |
vṛṣā śuṣmeṇa bādhate vi durmatīr ādediśānaḥ śaryaheva śurudhaḥ || 5 ||
sa mātarā na dadṛśāna usriyo nānadad eti marutām iva svanaḥ |
jānann ṛtam prathamaṁ yat svarṇaram praśastaye kam avṛṇīta sukratuḥ || 6 ||
ruvati bhīmo vṛṣabhas taviṣyayā śṛṅge śiśāno hariṇī vicakṣaṇaḥ |
ā yoniṁ somaḥ sukṛtaṁ ni ṣīdati gavyayī tvag bhavati nirṇig avyayī || 7 ||
śuciḥ punānas tanvam arepasam avye harir ny adhāviṣṭa sānavi |
juṣṭo mitrāya varuṇāya vāyave tridhātu madhu kriyate sukarmabhiḥ || 8 ||
pavasva soma devavītaye vṛṣendrasya hārdi somadhānam ā viśa |
purā no bādhād duritāti pāraya kṣetravid dhi diśa āhā vipṛcchate || 9 ||
hito na saptir abhi vājam arṣendrasyendo jaṭharam ā pavasva |
nāvā na sindhum ati parṣi vidvāñ chūro na yudhyann ava no nidaḥ spaḥ || 10 ||
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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