HYMN XVIII. Indra: Rig Veda – Book 6 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

तमु षटुहि यो अभिभूत्योजा वन्वन्नवातः पुरुहूत इन्द्रः |
अषाळ्हमुग्रं सहमानमाभिर्गीर्भिर्वर्ध वर्षभं चर्षणीनाम ||

स युध्मः सत्वा खजक्र्त समद्वा तुविम्रक्षो नदनुमान रजीषी |
बर्हद्रेणुश्च्यवनो मानुषीणामेकः कर्ष्टीनामभवत सहावा ||

तवं ह नु तयददमायो दस्यून्रेकः कर्ष्टीरवनोरार्याय |
अस्ति सविन नु वीर्यं तत त इन्द्र न सविदस्ति तद रतुथा वि वोचः ||

सदिद धि ते तुविजातस्य मन्ये सहः सहिष्ठ तुरतस्तुरस्य |
उग्रमुग्रस्य तवसस्तवीयो.अरध्रस्य रध्रतुरो बभूव ||

तन नः परत्नं सख्यमस्तु युष्मे इत्था वदद्भिर्वलमङगिरोभिः |
हन्नच्युतच्युद दस्मेषयन्तं रणोः पुरो वि दुरोस्य विश्वाः ||

स हि धीभिर्हव्यो अस्त्युग्र ईशानक्र्न महति वर्त्रतूर्ये |
स तोकसाता तनये स वज्री वितन्तसाय्यो अभवत समत्सु ||

स मज्मना जनिम मानुषाणाममर्त्येन नाम्नाति पर सर्स्रे |
स दयुम्नेन स शवसोत राया स वीर्येण नर्तमः समोकाः ||

स यो न मुहे न मिथू जनो भूत सुमन्तुनामा चुमुरिं धुनिं च |
वर्णक पिप्रुं शम्बरं शुष्णमिन्द्रः पुरांच्यौत्नाय शयथाय नू चित ||

उदावता तवक्षसा पन्यसा च वर्त्रहत्याय रथमिन्द्र तिष्ठ |
धिष्व वज्रं हस्त आ दक्षिणत्राभि पर मन्द पुरुदत्र मायाः ||

अग्निर्न शुष्कं वनमिन्द्र हेती रक्षो नि धक्ष्यशनिर्न भीमा |
गम्भीरय रष्वया यो रुरोजाध्वानयद दुरिता दम्भयच्च ||

आ सहस्रं पथिभिरिन्द्र राया तुविद्युम्न तुविवाजेभिरर्वाक |
याहि सूनो सहसो यस्य नू चिददेव ईशे पुरुहूत योतोः ||

पर तुविद्युम्नस्य सथविरस्य घर्ष्वेर्दिवो ररप्शे महिमा पर्थिव्याः |
नास्य शत्रुर्न परतिमानमस्ति न परतिष्ठिःपुरुमायस्य सह्योः ||

पर तत ते अद्या करणं कर्तं भूत कुत्सं यदायुमतिथिग्वमस्मै |
पुरू सहस्रा नि शिशा अभि कषामुत तूर्वयाणं धर्षता निनेथ ||

अनु तवाहिघ्ने अध देव देवा मदन विश्वे कवितमं कवीनाम |
करो यत्र वरिवो बाधिताय दिवे जनाय तन्वे गर्णानः ||

अनु दयावाप्र्थिवी तत त ओजो.अमर्त्या जिहत इन्द्र देवाः |
कर्ष्वा कर्त्नो अक्र्तं यत ते अस्त्युक्थं नवीयो जनयस्व यज्ञैः ||

tamu ṣṭuhi yo abhibhūtyojā vanvannavātaḥ puruhūta indraḥ |
aṣāḷhamughraṃ sahamānamābhirghīrbhirvardha vṛṣabhaṃ carṣaṇīnām ||

sa yudhmaḥ satvā khajakṛt samadvā tuvimrakṣo nadanumān ṛjīṣī |
bṛhadreṇuścyavano mānuṣīṇāmekaḥ kṛṣṭīnāmabhavat sahāvā ||

tvaṃ ha nu tyadadamāyo dasyūnrekaḥ kṛṣṭīravanorāryāya |
asti svin nu vīryaṃ tat ta indra na svidasti tad ṛtuthā vi vocaḥ ||

sadid dhi te tuvijātasya manye sahaḥ sahiṣṭha turatasturasya |
ughramughrasya tavasastavīyo.aradhrasya radhraturo babhūva ||

tan naḥ pratnaṃ sakhyamastu yuṣme itthā vadadbhirvalamaṅghirobhiḥ |
hannacyutacyud dasmeṣayantaṃ ṛṇoḥ puro vi duroasya viśvāḥ ||

sa hi dhībhirhavyo astyughra īśānakṛn mahati vṛtratūrye |
sa tokasātā tanaye sa vajrī vitantasāyyo abhavat samatsu ||

sa majmanā janima mānuṣāṇāmamartyena nāmnāti pra sarsre |
sa dyumnena sa śavasota rāyā sa vīryeṇa nṛtamaḥ samokāḥ ||

sa yo na muhe na mithū jano bhūt sumantunāmā cumuriṃ dhuniṃ ca |
vṛṇak pipruṃ śambaraṃ śuṣṇamindraḥ purāṃcyautnāya śayathāya nū cit ||

udāvatā tvakṣasā panyasā ca vṛtrahatyāya rathamindra tiṣṭha |
dhiṣva vajraṃ hasta ā dakṣiṇatrābhi pra manda purudatra māyāḥ ||

aghnirna śuṣkaṃ vanamindra hetī rakṣo ni dhakṣyaśanirna bhīmā |
ghambhīraya ṛṣvayā yo rurojādhvānayad duritā dambhayacca ||

ā sahasraṃ pathibhirindra rāyā tuvidyumna tuvivājebhirarvāk |
yāhi sūno sahaso yasya nū cidadeva īśe puruhūta yotoḥ ||

pra tuvidyumnasya sthavirasya ghṛṣverdivo rarapśe mahimā pṛthivyāḥ |
nāsya śatrurna pratimānamasti na pratiṣṭhiḥpurumāyasya sahyoḥ ||

pra tat te adyā karaṇaṃ kṛtaṃ bhūt kutsaṃ yadāyumatithighvamasmai |
purū sahasrā ni śiśā abhi kṣāmut tūrvayāṇaṃ dhṛṣatā ninetha ||

anu tvāhighne adha deva devā madan viśve kavitamaṃ kavīnām |
karo yatra varivo bādhitāya dive janāya tanve ghṛṇānaḥ ||

anu dyāvāpṛthivī tat ta ojo.amartyā jihata indra devāḥ |
kṛṣvā kṛtno akṛtaṃ yat te astyukthaṃ navīyo janayasva yajñaiḥ ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. GLORIFY him whose might is all-surpassing, Indra the much-invoked who fights uninjured.
Magnify with these songs the never-vanquished, the Strong, the Bull of men, the Mighty Victor.

2 He, Champion, Hero, Warrior, Lord of battles, impetuous, loudly roaring, great destroyer,
Who whirls the dust on high, alone, oerthrower, hath made all races of mankind his subjects.

3 Thou, thou alone, hast tamed the Dasyus; singly thou hast subdued the people for the Ārya.
In this, or is it not, thine hero exploit, Indra? Declare it at the proper season.

4 For true, I deem, thy strength is, thine the Mighty, thine, O Most Potent, thine the Conquering Victor;
Strong, of the strong, Most Mighty, of the mighty, thine, driver of the churl to acts of bounty.

5 Be this our ancient bond of friendship with you and with Aṅgirases here who speak of Vala.
Thou, Wondrous, Shaker of things firm, didst smite him in his fresh strength, and force his doors and castles.

6 With holy thoughts must he be called, the Mighty, showing his power in the great fight with Vṛtra.
He must be called to give us seed and offspring, the Thunderer must he moved and sped to battle.

7 He in his might, with name that lives for ever, hath far surpassed all human generations.
He, most heroic, hath his home with splendour, with glory and with riches and with valour.

8 Stranger to guile, who ne’er was false or faithless, bearing a name that may be well remembered,
Indra crushed Cumuri, Dhuni, Śambara, Pipru, and Śuṣṇa, that their castles fell in ruin.

9 With saving might that must be praised and lauded, Indra, ascend thy car to smite down Vṛtra.
In thy right hand hold fast thy bolt of thunder, and weaken, Bounteous Lord, his art and magic.

10 As Agni, as the dart burns the dry forest, like the dread shaft burn down the fiends, O Indra;
Thou who with high deep-reaching spear hast broken, hast covered over mischief and destroyed it.

11 With wealth, by thousand paths come hither, Agni, paths that bring ample strength, O thou Most Splendid.
Come, Son of Strength, o’er whom, Invoked of many! the godless hath no power to keep thee distant.

12 From heaven, from earth is bruited forth the greatness of him the firm, the fiery, the resplendent.
No foe hath he, no counterpart, no refuge is there from him the Conqueror full of wisdom

13 This day the deed that thou hast done is famous, when thou, for him, with many thousand others
Laidest low Kutsa, Āyu, Atithigva, and boldly didst deliver Tūrvayāṇa.

14 In thee, O God, the wisest of the Sages, all Gods were joyful when thou slewest Ahi.
When lauded for thyself, thou gavest freedom to sore-afflicted Heaven and to the people.

15 This power of thine both heaven and earth acknowledge, the deathless Gods acknowledge it, O Indra.
Do what thou ne’er hast done, O Mighty Worker: beget a new hymn at thy sacrifices.