Hymn to Indra
Rigveda IX.76 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.
The bearer of the sky doth cleanse himself— the sap that bringeth forth deeds, the craft of the gods, lauded by men.
The tawny one is loosed in flood, as a steed by warriors set free; he stretcheth out in full might, coursing the rivers as he willeth.
As a champion he taketh up arms, a rider striving for the sun in the stealing of kine. He stirreth Indra’s stormsome strength— the drop, sped by the deft hands of toil, is led forth by those afire with vision.
O Soma, washing thyself in wave, show forth thy might and enter into Indra’s belly. Stretch wide the twin realms for our sake, as lightning swelleth the rain-swollen sky. By the sight we have seen, deal out thy gifts again and again.
He purifieth himself—the king of all beneath the sun.
He hath overcome the seers and made truth’s voice cry aloud.
He whom the sun’s lance hath groomed is sire of all thoughts, his poet’s craft beyond the reach of any.
As a bull among kine, thou rushest round the barrel, roaring oft in the arms of the waters.
Thou cleansest thyself to bring strength to Indra, that we who call thee ally may prevail in the fray.
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.76
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.
dhartā divaḥ pavate kṛtvyo raso dakṣo devānām anumādyo nṛbhiḥ |
hariḥ sṛjāno atyo na satvabhir vṛthā pājāṁsi kṛṇute nadīṣv ā || 1 ||
śūro na dhatta āyudhā gabhastyoḥ sva1ḥ siṣāsan rathiro gaviṣṭiṣu |
indrasya śuṣmam īrayann apasyubhir indur hinvāno ajyate manīṣibhiḥ || 2 ||
indrasya soma pavamāna ūrmiṇā taviṣyamāṇo jaṭhareṣv ā viśa |
pra ṇaḥ pinva vidyud abhreva rodasī dhiyā na vājām̐ upa māsi śaśvataḥ || 3 ||
viśvasya rājā pavate svardṛśa ṛtasya dhītim ṛṣiṣāḻ avīvaśat |
yaḥ sūryasyāsireṇa mṛjyate pitā matīnām asamaṣṭakāvyaḥ || 4 ||
vṛṣeva yūthā pari kośam arṣasy apām upasthe vṛṣabhaḥ kanikradat |
sa indrāya pavase matsarintamo yathā jeṣāma samithe tvotayaḥ || 5 ||
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).
🌲