HYMN XVI. Indra: Rig Veda – Book 4 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

आ सत्यो यातु मघवां रजीषी दरवन्त्व अस्य हरय उप नः |
तस्मा इद अन्धः सुषुमा सुदक्षम इहाभिपित्वं करते गर्णानः ||

अव सय शूराध्वनो नान्ते ऽसमिन नो अद्य सवने मन्दध्यै |
शंसात्य उक्थम उशनेव वेधाश चिकितुषे असुर्याय मन्म ||

कविर न निण्यं विदथानि साधन वर्षा यत सेकं विपिपानो अर्चात |
दिव इत्था जीजनत सप्त कारून अह्ना चिच चक्रुर वयुना गर्णन्तः ||

सवर यद वेदि सुद्र्शीकम अर्कैर महि जयोती रुरुचुर यद ध वस्तोः |
अन्धा तमांसि दुधिता विचक्षे नर्भ्यश चकार नर्तमो अभिष्टौ ||

ववक्ष इन्द्रो अमितम रजीष्य उभे आ पप्रौ रोदसी महित्वा |
अतश चिद अस्य महिमा वि रेच्य अभि यो विश्वा भुवना बभूव ||

विश्वानि शक्रो नर्याणि विद्वान अपो रिरेच सखिभिर निकामैः |
अश्मानं चिद ये बिभिदुर वचोभिर वरजं गोमन्तम उशिजो वि वव्रुः ||

अपो वर्त्रं वव्रिवांसम पराहन परावत ते वज्रम पर्थिवी सचेताः |
परार्णांसि समुद्रियाण्य ऐनोः पतिर भवञ छवसा शूर धर्ष्णो ||

अपो यद अद्रिम पुरुहूत दर्दर आविर भुवत सरमा पूर्व्यं ते |
स नो नेता वाजम आ दर्षि भूरिं गोत्रा रुजन्न अङगिरोभिर गर्णानः ||

अछा कविं नर्मणो गा अभिष्टौ सवर्षाता मघवन नाधमानम |
ऊतिभिस तम इषणो दयुम्नहूतौ नि मायावान अब्रह्मा दस्युर अर्त ||

आ दस्युघ्ना मनसा याह्य अस्तम भुवत ते कुत्सः सख्ये निकामः |
सवे योनौ नि षदतं सरूपा वि वां चिकित्सद रतचिद ध नारी ||

यासि कुत्सेन सरथम अवस्युस तोदो वातस्य हर्योर ईशानः |
रज्रा वाजं न गध्यं युयूषन कविर यद अहन पार्याय भूषात ||

कुत्साय शुष्णम अशुषं नि बर्हीः परपित्वे अह्नः कुयवं सहस्रा |
सद्यो दस्यून पर मर्ण कुत्स्येन पर सूरश चक्रं वर्हताद अभीके ||

तवम पिप्रुम मर्गयं शूशुवांसम रजिश्वने वैदथिनाय रन्धीः |
पञ्चाशत कर्ष्णा नि वपः सहस्रात्कं न पुरो जरिमा वि दर्दः ||

सूर उपाके तन्वं दधानो वि यत ते चेत्य अम्र्तस्य वर्पः |
मर्गो न हस्ती तविषीम उषाणः सिंहो न भीम आयुधानि बिभ्रत ||

इन्द्रं कामा वसूयन्तो अग्मन सवर्मीळ्हे न सवने चकानाः |
शरवस्यवः शशमानास उक्थैर ओको न रण्वा सुद्र्शीव पुष्टिः ||

तम इद व इन्द्रं सुहवं हुवेम यस ता चकार नर्या पुरूणि |
यो मावते जरित्रे गध्यं चिन मक्षू वाजम भरति सपार्हराधाः ||

तिग्मा यद अन्तर अशनिः पताति कस्मिञ चिच छूर मुहुके जनानाम |
घोरा यद अर्य सम्र्तिर भवात्य अध समा नस तन्वो बोधि गोपाः ||

भुवो ऽविता वामदेवस्य धीनाम भुवः सखाव्र्को वाजसातौ |
तवाम अनु परमतिम आ जगन्मोरुशंसो जरित्रे विश्वध सयाः ||

एभिर नर्भिर इन्द्र तवायुभिष टवा मघवद्भिर मघवन विश्व आजौ |
दयावो न दयुम्नैर अभि सन्तो अर्यः कषपो मदेम शरदश च पूर्वीः ||

एवेद इन्द्राय वर्षभाय वर्ष्णे बरह्माकर्म भर्गवो न रथम |
नू चिद यथा नः सख्या वियोषद असन न उग्रो ऽविता तनूपाः ||

नू षटुत इन्द्र नू गर्णान इषं जरित्रे नद्यो न पीपेः |
अकारि ते हरिवो बरह्म नव्यं धिया सयाम रथ्यः सदासाः ||

 

ā satyo yātu maghavāṃ ṛjīṣī dravantv asya haraya upa naḥ |
tasmā id andhaḥ suṣumā sudakṣam ihābhipitvaṃ karate ghṛṇānaḥ ||

ava sya śūrādhvano nānte ‘smin no adya savane mandadhyai |
śaṃsāty uktham uśaneva vedhāś cikituṣe asuryāya manma ||

kavir na niṇyaṃ vidathāni sādhan vṛṣā yat sekaṃ vipipāno arcāt |
diva itthā jījanat sapta kārūn ahnā cic cakrur vayunā ghṛṇantaḥ ||

svar yad vedi sudṛśīkam arkair mahi jyotī rurucur yad dha vastoḥ |
andhā tamāṃsi dudhitā vicakṣe nṛbhyaś cakāra nṛtamo abhiṣṭau ||

vavakṣa indro amitam ṛjīṣy ubhe ā paprau rodasī mahitvā |
ataś cid asya mahimā vi recy abhi yo viśvā bhuvanā babhūva ||

viśvāni śakro naryāṇi vidvān apo rireca sakhibhir nikāmaiḥ |
aśmānaṃ cid ye bibhidur vacobhir vrajaṃ ghomantam uśijo vi vavruḥ ||

apo vṛtraṃ vavrivāṃsam parāhan prāvat te vajram pṛthivī sacetāḥ |
prārṇāṃsi samudriyāṇy ainoḥ patir bhavañ chavasā śūra dhṛṣṇo ||

apo yad adrim puruhūta dardar āvir bhuvat saramā pūrvyaṃ te |
sa no netā vājam ā darṣi bhūriṃ ghotrā rujann aṅghirobhir ghṛṇānaḥ ||

achā kaviṃ nṛmaṇo ghā abhiṣṭau svarṣātā maghavan nādhamānam |
ūtibhis tam iṣaṇo dyumnahūtau ni māyāvān abrahmā dasyur arta ||

ā dasyughnā manasā yāhy astam bhuvat te kutsaḥ sakhye nikāmaḥ |
sve yonau ni ṣadataṃ sarūpā vi vāṃ cikitsad ṛtacid dha nārī ||

yāsi kutsena saratham avasyus todo vātasya haryor īśānaḥ |
ṛjrā vājaṃ na ghadhyaṃ yuyūṣan kavir yad ahan pāryāya bhūṣāt ||

kutsāya śuṣṇam aśuṣaṃ ni barhīḥ prapitve ahnaḥ kuyavaṃ sahasrā |
sadyo dasyūn pra mṛṇa kutsyena pra sūraś cakraṃ vṛhatād abhīke ||

tvam piprum mṛghayaṃ śūśuvāṃsam ṛjiśvane vaidathināya randhīḥ |
pañcāśat kṛṣṇā ni vapaḥ sahasrātkaṃ na puro jarimā vi dardaḥ ||

sūra upāke tanvaṃ dadhāno vi yat te cety amṛtasya varpaḥ |
mṛgho na hastī taviṣīm uṣāṇaḥ siṃho na bhīma āyudhāni bibhrat ||

indraṃ kāmā vasūyanto aghman svarmīḷhe na savane cakānāḥ |
śravasyavaḥ śaśamānāsa ukthair oko na raṇvā sudṛśīva puṣṭiḥ ||

tam id va indraṃ suhavaṃ huvema yas tā cakāra naryā purūṇi |
yo māvate jaritre ghadhyaṃ cin makṣū vājam bharati spārharādhāḥ ||

tighmā yad antar aśaniḥ patāti kasmiñ cic chūra muhuke janānām |
ghorā yad arya samṛtir bhavāty adha smā nas tanvo bodhi ghopāḥ ||

bhuvo ‘vitā vāmadevasya dhīnām bhuvaḥ sakhāvṛko vājasātau |
tvām anu pramatim ā jaghanmoruśaṃso jaritre viśvadha syāḥ ||

ebhir nṛbhir indra tvāyubhiṣ ṭvā maghavadbhir maghavan viśva ājau |
dyāvo na dyumnair abhi santo aryaḥ kṣapo madema śaradaś ca pūrvīḥ ||

eved indrāya vṛṣabhāya vṛṣṇe brahmākarma bhṛghavo na ratham |
nū cid yathā naḥ sakhyā viyoṣad asan na ughro ‘vitā tanūpāḥ ||

nū ṣṭuta indra nū ghṛṇāna iṣaṃ jaritre nadyo na pīpeḥ |
akāri te harivo brahma navyaṃ dhiyā syāma rathyaḥ sadāsāḥ ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. IMPETUOUS, true, let Maghavan come hither, and let his Tawny Coursers speed to reach us.
For him have we pressed juice exceeding potent: here, praised with song, let him effect his visit.

2 Unyoke, as at thy journey’s end, O Hero, to gladden thee today at this libation.
Like Uśanā, the priest a laud shall utter, a hymn to thee, the Lord Divine, who markest.

3 When the Bull, quaffing, praises our libation, as a sage paying holy rites in secret,
Seven singers here from heaven hath he begotten, who e’en by day have wrought their works while singing.

4 When heaven’s fair light by hymns was made apparent (they made great splendour shine at break of morning),
He with his succour, best of Heroes, scattered the blinding darkness so that men saw clearly.

5 Indra, Impetuous One, hath waxed immensely: he with his vastness hath filled earth and heaven.
E’en beyond this his majesty extendeth who hath exceeded all the worlds in greatness.

6 Śakra who knoweth well all human actions hath with his eager Friends let loose the waters.
They with their songs cleft e’en the mountain open and willingly disclosed the stall of cattle.

7 He smote away the floods’ obstructer, Vṛtra; Earth, conscious, lent her aid to speed thy thunder.
Thou sentest forth the waters of the ocean, as Lord through power and might, O daring Hero.

8 When, Much-invoked! the water’s rock thou cleftest, Saramā showed herself and went before thee.
Hymned by Aṅgirases, bursting the cow-stalls, much strength thou foundest for us as our leader.

9 Come, Maghavan, Friend of Man, to aid the singer imploring thee in battle for the sunlight.
Speed him with help in his inspired invokings: down sink the sorcerer, the prayerless Dasyu.

10 Come to our home resolved to slay the Dasyu: Kutsa longed eagerly to win thy friendship.
Alike in form ye both sate in his dwelling the faithful Lady was in doubt between you.

11 Thou comest, fain to succour him, with Kutsa,—a goad that masters both the Wind-God’s horses,
That, holding the brown steeds like spoil for capture, the sage may on the final day be present.

12 For Kutsa, with thy thousand, thou at day-break didst hurl down greedy Śuṣṇa, foe of harvest.
Quickly with Kutsa’s friend destroy the Dasyus, and roll the chariot-wheel of Sūrya near us.

13 Thou to the son of Vidathin, Ṛjiśvan, gavest up mighty Mṛgaya and Pipru.
Thou smotest down the swarthy fifty thousand, and rentest forts as age consumes a garment.

14 What time thou settest near the Sun thy body, thy form, Immortal One, is seen expanding:
Thou a wild elephant with might invested. like a dread lion as thou wieldest weapons.

15 Wishes for wealth have gone to Indra, longing for him in war for light and at libation,
Eager for glory, labouring with praisesongs: he is like home, like sweet and fair nutrition.

16 Call we for you that Indra, prompt to listen, him who hath done so much for men’s advantage;
Who, Lord of envied bounty, to a singer like me brings quickly booty worth the capture.

17 When the sharp-pointed arrow, O thou Hero, flieth mid any conflict of the people,
When, Faithful One, the dread encounter cometh, then be thou the Protector of our body.

18 Further the holy thoughts of Vamadeva be thou a guileless Friend in fight for booty.
We come to thee whose providence protects us: wide be thy sway for ever for thy singer.

19 O Indra, with these men who love thee truly, free givers, Maghavan, in every battle,
May we rejoice through many autumns, quelling our foes, as days subdue the nights with splendour.

20 Now, as the Bhṛgus wrought a car, for Indra the Strong, the Mighty, we our prayer have fashioned,
That he may, ne’er withdraw from us his friendship, but be our bodies’ guard and strong defender.

21 Now, Indra! lauded, glorified with praises, let power swell. high like rivers for the singer.
For thee a new hymn, Lord of Bays, is fashioned. May we, car-borne, through song be victors ever.