HYMN XXI. Indra – Rig Veda – Book 8
वयमु तवामपूर्व्य सथूरं न कच्चिद भरन्तो.अवस्यवः |
वाजे चित्रं हवामहे ||
उप तवा कर्मन्नूतये स नो युवोग्रश्चक्राम यो धर्षत |
तवामिद धयवितारं वव्र्महे सखाय इन्द्र सानसिम ||
आ याहीम इन्दवो.अश्वपते गोपत उर्वरापते |
सोमं सोमपते पिब ||
वयं हि तवा बन्धुमन्तमबन्धवो विप्रास इन्द्र येमिम |
या ते धामानि वर्षभ तेभिरा गहि विश्वेभिः सोमपीतये ||
सीदन्तस्ते वयो यथा गोश्रीते मधौ मदिरे विवक्षणे |
अभि तवामिन्द्र नोनुमः ||
अछा च तवैना नमसा वदामसि किं मुहुश्चिद वि दीधयः |
सन्ति कामासो हरिवो ददिष टवं समो वयं सन्ति नो धियः ||
नूत्ना इदिन्द्र ते वयमूती अभूम नहि नू ते अद्रिवः |
विद्मा पुरा परीणसः ||
विद्मा सखित्वमुत शूर भोज्यमा ते ता वज्रिन्नीमहे |
उतो समस्मिन्ना शिशीहि नो वसो वाजे सुशिप्र गोमति ||
यो न इदम-इदं पुरा पर वस्य आनिनाय तमु व सतुषे |
सखाय इन्द्रमूतये ||
हर्यश्वं सत्पतिं चर्षणीसहं स हि षमा यो अमन्दत |
आ तु नः स वयति गव्यमश्व्यं सतोत्र्भ्यो मघवा शतम ||
तवया ह सविद युजा वयं परति शवसन्तं वर्षभ बरुवीमहि |
संस्थे जनस्य गोमतः ||
जयेम कारे पुरुहूत कारिणो.अभि तिष्ठेम दूढ्यः |
नर्भिर्व्र्त्रं हन्याम शूशुयाम चावेरिन्द्र पर णो धियः ||
अभ्रात्र्व्यो अना तवमनापिरिन्द्र जनुषा सनादसि |
युधेदापित्वमिछसे ||
नकी रेवन्तं सख्याय विन्दसे पीयन्ति ते सुराश्वः |
यदा कर्णोषि नदनुं समूहस्यादित पितेव हूयसे ||
मा ते अमाजुरो यथा मूरास इन्द्र सख्ये तवावतः |
नि षदाम सचा सुते ||
मा ते गोदत्र निरराम राधस इन्द्र मा ते गर्हामहि |
दर्ळ्हा चिदर्यः पर मर्शाभ्या भर न ते दामान आदभे ||
इन्द्रो वा घेदियन मघं सरस्वती वा सुभगा ददिर्वसु |
तवं वा चित्र दाशुषे ||
चित्र इद राजा राजका इदन्यके यके सरस्वतीमनु |
पर्जन्य इव ततनद धि वर्ष्ट्या सहस्रमयुता ददत ||
vayamu tvāmapūrvya sthūraṃ na kaccid bharanto.avasyavaḥ |
vāje citraṃ havāmahe ||
upa tvā karmannūtaye sa no yuvoghraścakrāma yo dhṛṣat |
tvāmid dhyavitāraṃ vavṛmahe sakhāya indra sānasim ||
ā yāhīma indavo.aśvapate ghopata urvarāpate |
somaṃ somapate piba ||
vayaṃ hi tvā bandhumantamabandhavo viprāsa indra yemima |
yā te dhāmāni vṛṣabha tebhirā ghahi viśvebhiḥ somapītaye ||
sīdantaste vayo yathā ghośrīte madhau madire vivakṣaṇe |
abhi tvāmindra nonumaḥ ||
achā ca tvainā namasā vadāmasi kiṃ muhuścid vi dīdhayaḥ |
santi kāmāso harivo dadiṣ ṭvaṃ smo vayaṃ santi no dhiyaḥ ||
nūtnā idindra te vayamūtī abhūma nahi nū te adrivaḥ |
vidmā purā parīṇasaḥ ||
vidmā sakhitvamuta śūra bhojyamā te tā vajrinnīmahe |
uto samasminnā śiśīhi no vaso vāje suśipra ghomati ||
yo na idam-idaṃ purā pra vasya ānināya tamu va stuṣe |
sakhāya indramūtaye ||
haryaśvaṃ satpatiṃ carṣaṇīsahaṃ sa hi ṣmā yo amandata |
ā tu naḥ sa vayati ghavyamaśvyaṃ stotṛbhyo maghavā śatam ||
tvayā ha svid yujā vayaṃ prati śvasantaṃ vṛṣabha bruvīmahi |
saṃsthe janasya ghomataḥ ||
jayema kāre puruhūta kāriṇo.abhi tiṣṭhema dūḍhyaḥ |
nṛbhirvṛtraṃ hanyāma śūśuyāma cāverindra pra ṇo dhiyaḥ ||
abhrātṛvyo anā tvamanāpirindra januṣā sanādasi |
yudhedāpitvamichase ||
nakī revantaṃ sakhyāya vindase pīyanti te surāśvaḥ |
yadā kṛṇoṣi nadanuṃ samūhasyādit piteva hūyase ||
mā te amājuro yathā mūrāsa indra sakhye tvāvataḥ |
ni ṣadāma sacā sute ||
mā te ghodatra nirarāma rādhasa indra mā te ghṛhāmahi |
dṛḷhā cidaryaḥ pra mṛśābhyā bhara na te dāmāna ādabhe ||
indro vā ghediyan maghaṃ sarasvatī vā subhaghā dadirvasu |
tvaṃ vā citra dāśuṣe ||
citra id rājā rājakā idanyake yake sarasvatīmanu |
parjanya iva tatanad dhi vṛṣṭyā sahasramayutā dadat ||
English Translation
Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith
1. WE call on thee, O Matchless One! We seeking help, possessing nothing firm ourselves,
Call on thee wonderful in fight
2 On thee for aid in sacrifice. This youth of ours, the bold, the mighty, hath gonse forth.
We therefore, we thy friends, Indra, havie chosen thee, free-giver, as our Guardian God.
3 Come hither, for the drops are here, O Lord of corn-lands. Lord of horses, Lord of kine:
Drink thou the Soma, Soma’s Lord!
4 For we the kinless singers have drawn hither thee, O Indra, who hast numerous kin.
With all the forms thou hast, comic thou of bull-like strength, come near to drink the Soma juice.
5 Sitting like birds beside thy meath., mingled with milk, that gladdeneth and exalteth thee,
Indra, to thee we sing aloud.
6 We speak to thee with this our reverential prayer. Why art thou pondering yet awhile?
Here are our wishes; thou art liberal, Lord of Bays: we and our hymns are present here.
7 For not in recent times alone, O Indra, Thunder-armed, have we obtained thine aid.
Of old we knew thy plenteous wealth.
8 Hero, we knew thy friendship and thy rich rewards: these, Thunderer, now we crave of thee.
O Vasu, for all wealth that cometh of the kine, sharpen our powers, fair-visored God.
9 Him who of old hath brought to us this and that blessing, him I magnify for you,
Even Indra, O my friends, for help
10 Borne by Bay Steeds, the Lord of heroes, ruling men, for it is he who takes; delight.
May Maghavan bestow on us his worshippers hundreds of cattle and of steeds.
11 Hero, may we, with thee for Friend, withstand the man who pants against us in his wrath,
In fight with people rich in kine.
12 May we be victors in the singer’s battlesong, and meet the wicked, Much invoked!
With heroes smite the foeman and show forth our strength. O Indra, further thou our thoughts.
13 O Indra, from all ancient time rivalless ever and companionless art thou:
Thou seekest comradeship in war.
14 Thou findest not the wealthy man to be thy friend: those scorn thee who are flown with wine.
What time thou thunderest and gatherest, then thou, even as a Father, art invoked.
15 O Indra, let us not, like fools who waste their lives at home, with friendship such as thine
Sit idly by the poured-out juice.
16 Giver of kine, may we not miss thy gracious gifts: let us not rob thee of thine own.
Strip even the strong places of the foe, and bring: thy gifts can never be made vain.
17 Indra or blest Sarasvatī alone bestows such wealth, treasure so great, or thou,
O Citra, on the worshipper.
18 Citra is King, and only kinglings are the rest who dwell beside Sarasvatī.
He, like Parjanya with his rain, hath spread himself with thousand, yea, with myriad gifts.