HYMN LXXXIX Indra. Vāk. – Rig Veda – Book 8

बर्हदिन्द्राय गायत मरुतो वर्त्रहन्तमम |
येन जयोतिरजनयन्न्र्ताव्र्धो देवं देवाय जाग्र्वि ||

अपाधमदभिशस्तीरशस्तिहाथेन्द्रो दयुम्न्याभवत |
देवास्त इन्द्र सख्याय येमिरे बर्हद्भानो मरुद्गण ||

पर व इन्द्राय बर्हते मरुतो बरह्मार्चत |
वर्त्रं हनति वर्त्रहा शतक्रतुर्वज्रेण शतपर्वणा ||

अभि पर भर धर्षता धर्षन्मनः शरवश्चित ते असद बर्हत |
अर्षन्त्वापो जवसा वि मातरो हनो वर्त्रं जया सवः ||

यज्जायथा अपूर्व्य मघवन वर्त्रहत्याय |
तत पर्थिवीमप्रथयस्तदस्तभ्ना उत दयाम ||

तत ते यज्ञो अजायत तदर्क उत हस्क्र्तिः |
तद विश्वमभिभूरसि यज्जातं यच्च जन्त्वम ||

आमासु पक्वमैरय आ सूर्यं रोहयो दिवि |
घर्मं न सामन तपता सुव्र्क्तिभिर्जुष्टं गिर्वणसे बर्हत ||

bṛhadindrāya ghāyata maruto vṛtrahantamam |
yena jyotirajanayannṛtāvṛdho devaṃ devāya jāghṛvi ||

apādhamadabhiśastīraśastihāthendro dyumnyābhavat |
devāsta indra sakhyāya yemire bṛhadbhāno marudghaṇa ||

pra va indrāya bṛhate maruto brahmārcata |
vṛtraṃ hanati vṛtrahā śatakraturvajreṇa śataparvaṇā ||

abhi pra bhara dhṛṣatā dhṛṣanmanaḥ śravaścit te asad bṛhat |
arṣantvāpo javasā vi mātaro hano vṛtraṃ jayā svaḥ ||

yajjāyathā apūrvya maghavan vṛtrahatyāya |
tat pṛthivīmaprathayastadastabhnā uta dyām ||

tat te yajño ajāyata tadarka uta haskṛtiḥ |
tad viśvamabhibhūrasi yajjātaṃ yacca jantvam ||

āmāsu pakvamairaya ā sūryaṃ rohayo divi |
gharmaṃ na sāman tapatā suvṛktibhirjuṣṭaṃ ghirvaṇase bṛhat ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. I MOVE before thee here present in person, and all the Deities follow behind me.
When, Indra, thou securest me my portion, with me thou shalt perform heroic actions.

2 The food of meath in foremost place I give thee, thy Soma shall be pressed, thy share appointed.
Thou on my right shalt be my friend and comrade: then shall we two smite dead full many a foeman.

3 Striving for strength bring forth a laud to Indra, a truthful hymn if he in truth existeth.
One and another say, There is no Indra. Who hath beheld him? Whom then shall we honour?

4 Here am I, look upon me here, O singer. All that existeth 1 surpass in greatness.
The Holy Law’s commandments make me mighty. Rending with strength I rend the worlds asunder.

5 When the Law’s lovers mounted and ap. proached me as 1 sate lone upon the dear sky’s summit.
Then spake my spirit to the heart within me, My friends have cried unto me with their children.

6 All these thy deeds must be declared at Soma-feasts, wrought, Indra, Bounteous Lord, for him who sheds the juice,
When thou didst open wealth heaped up by many, brought from far away to Sarablia, the Ṛṣi’s kin.

7 Now run ye forth your several ways: he is not here who kept you back.
For hath not Indra sunk his bolt deep down in Vṛtra’s vital part?

8 On-rushing with the speed of thought within the iron fort he pressed:
The Falcon went to heaven and brought the Soma to the Thunderer.

9 Deep in the ocean lies the bolt with waters compassed round about,
And in continuous onward flow the floods their tribute bring to it.

10 When, uttering words which no one comprehended, Vāk, Queen of Gods, the Gladdener, was seated,
The heaven’s four regions drew forth drink and vigour: now whither hath her noblest portion vanished?

11 The Deities generated Vāk the Goddess, and animals of every figure speak her.
May she, the Gladdener, yielding food and vigour, the Milch-cow Vāk, approach us meetly lauded.

12 Step forth with wider stride, my comrade Viṣṇu; make room, Dyaus, for the leaping of the lightning.
Let us slay Vṛtra, let us free the rivers let them flow loosed at the command of Indra.