Hymn to Indra
Rigveda IX.99 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.
For the bold and joyous One the bow is drawn, a token of his manly might; and those who seek the Great weave for their Sovereign a radiant mantle, set before the van of inspired speech.
Made ready through the night, he hurls himself toward the spoils; the keen imaginings of Vivasvān urge the tawny Charger to his coursing.
We deck this Radiant One—sweet rapture itself, Indra’s choicest draught—whom erst the kine with eager mouths did sip, and now the lords of the rite taste afresh.
They lift their ancient hymn to greet him while he is cleansed, and the clear-visioned thoughts, each bearing a god’s fair name, long for his presence.
Upon the sheep’s soft fleece they strain him, and the steadfast Spirit waxeth strong; those quickened with vision yearn for him as herald and foremost in mind.
Thus refined, the most enrapturing Soma rests within the beakers, sowing his seed therein as in goodly herds; the Lord of insight maketh his eloquence shine.
The deft-fingered workers tend him—the god pressed for the gods; knowing his whole affinity with the Waters, he plunges through the wide streams.
O glittering Drop, pressed and upheld by mortal hands, thou art led through the sieve; most gladsome for Indra, thou now reposest here within the cups.
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.99
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.
ā haryatāya dhṛṣṇave dhanus tanvanti pauṁsyam |
śukrāṁ vayanty asurāya nirṇijaṁ vipām agre mahīyuvaḥ || 1 ||
adha kṣapā pariṣkṛto vājām̐ abhi pra gāhate |
yadī vivasvato dhiyo hariṁ hinvanti yātave || 2 ||
tam asya marjayāmasi mado ya indrapātamaḥ |
yaṁ gāva āsabhir dadhuḥ purā nūnaṁ ca sūrayaḥ || 3 ||
taṁ gāthayā purāṇyā punānam abhy anūṣata |
uto kṛpanta dhītayo devānāṁ nāma bibhratīḥ || 4 ||
tam ukṣamāṇam avyaye vāre punanti dharṇasim |
dūtaṁ na pūrvacittaya ā śāsate manīṣiṇaḥ || 5 ||
sa punāno madintamaḥ somaś camūṣu sīdati |
paśau na reta ādadhat patir vacasyate dhiyaḥ || 6 ||
sa mṛjyate sukarmabhir devo devebhyaḥ sutaḥ |
vide yad āsu saṁdadir mahīr apo vi gāhate || 7 ||
suta indo pavitra ā nṛbhir yato vi nīyase |
indrāya matsarintamaś camūṣv ā ni ṣīdasi || 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).
🌲