HYMN XVIII. Indra: Rig Veda – Book 2 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

पराता रथो नवो योजि सस्निश्चतुर्युगस्त्रिकशः सप्तरश्मिः |
दशारित्रो मनुष्यः सवर्षाः स इष्टिभिर्मतिभीरंह्यो भूत ||

सास्मा अरं परथमं स दवितीयमुतो तर्तीयं मनुषः स होता |
अन्यस्या गर्भमन्य ऊ जनन्त सो अन्येभिः सचते जेन्यो वर्षा ||

हरी नु कं रथ इन्द्रस्य योजमायै सूक्तेन वचसा नवेन |
मो षु तवामत्र बहवो हि विप्रा नि रीरमन यजमानासो अन्ये ||

आ दवाभ्यां हरिभ्यामिन्द्र याह्या चतुर्भिरा षड्भिर्हूयमानः |
आष्टाभिर्दशभिः सोमपेयमयं सुतःसुमख मा मर्धस कः ||

आ विंशत्या तरिंशता याह्यर्वां आ चत्वारिंशता हरिभिर्यजानः |
आ पञ्चाशता सुरथेभिरिन्द्रा षष्ट्या सप्तत्या सोमपेयम ||

आशीत्या नवत्या याह्यर्वां आ शतेन हरिभिरुह्यमानः |
अयं हि ते शुनहोत्रेषु सोम इन्द्र तवाया परिषिक्तो मदाय ||

मम बरह्मेन्द्र याह्यछा विश्वा हरी धुरि धिष्वा रथस्य |
पुरुत्रा हि विहव्यो बभूथास्मिञ्छूर सवने मादयस्व ||

न म इन्द्रेण सख्यं वि योषदस्मभ्यमस्य दक्षिणा दुहीत |
उप जयेष्ठे वरूथे गभस्तौ पराये-पराये जिगीवांसः सयाम ||
नूनं सा … ||

prātā ratho navo yoji sasniścaturyughastrikaśaḥ saptaraśmiḥ |
daśāritro manuṣyaḥ svarṣāḥ sa iṣṭibhirmatibhīraṃhyo bhūt ||

sāsmā araṃ prathamaṃ sa dvitīyamuto tṛtīyaṃ manuṣaḥ sa hotā |
anyasyā gharbhamanya ū jananta so anyebhiḥ sacate jenyo vṛṣā ||

harī nu kaṃ ratha indrasya yojamāyai sūktena vacasā navena |
mo ṣu tvāmatra bahavo hi viprā ni rīraman yajamānāso anye ||

ā dvābhyāṃ haribhyāmindra yāhyā caturbhirā ṣaḍbhirhūyamānaḥ |
āṣṭābhirdaśabhiḥ somapeyamayaṃ sutaḥsumakha mā mṛdhas kaḥ ||

ā viṃśatyā triṃśatā yāhyarvāṃ ā catvāriṃśatā haribhiryajānaḥ |
ā pañcāśatā surathebhirindrā ṣaṣṭyā saptatyā somapeyam ||

āśītyā navatyā yāhyarvāṃ ā śatena haribhiruhyamānaḥ |
ayaṃ hi te śunahotreṣu soma indra tvāyā pariṣikto madāya ||

mama brahmendra yāhyachā viśvā harī dhuri dhiṣvā rathasya |
purutrā hi vihavyo babhūthāsmiñchūra savane mādayasva ||

na ma indreṇa sakhyaṃ vi yoṣadasmabhyamasya dakṣiṇā duhīta |
upa jyeṣṭhe varūthe ghabhastau prāye-prāye jighīvāṃsaḥ syāma ||
nūnaṃ sā … ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. THE rich new car hath been equipped at morning; four yokes it hath, three whips, seven reins to guide it:
Ten-sided, friendly to mankind, light-winner, that must be urged to speed with prayers and wishes.

2 This is prepared for him the first, the second, and the third time: he is man’s Priest and Herald.
Others get offspring of another parent he goeth, as a noble Bull, with others.

3 To Indra’s car the Bay Steeds have I harnessed, that new well-spoken words may bring him hither.
Here let not other worshippers detain thee, for among us are many holy singers.

4 Indra, come hitherward with two Bay Coursers, come thou with four, with six when invocated.
Come thou with eight, with ten, to drink the Soma. Here is the juice, brave Warrior: do not scorn it.

5 O Indra, come thou hither having harnessed thy car with twenty, thirty, forty horses.
Come thou with fifty well trained coursers, Indra, sixty or seventy, to drink the Soma.

6 Come to us hitherward, O Indra, carried by eighty, ninety, or an hundred horses.
This Soma juice among the Śunahotras hath been poured out, in love, to glad thee, Indra.

7 To this my prayer, O Indra, come thou hither: bind to thy car’s pole all thy two Bay Coursers.
Thou art to be invoked in many places Hero, rejoice thyself in this libation.

8 Ne’er be my love from Indra disunited still may his liberal Milch-cow yield us treasure.
So may we under his supreme protection, safe in his arms, succeed in each forth-going.

9 Now may that wealthy Cow Of thine, O Indra, give in return a boon to him who lauds thee.
Give to thy praisers: let not fortune fail us. Loud may we speak, with heroes, in assembly.