HYMN XXXI. Indra: Rig Veda – Book 3 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

शासद वह्निर्दुहितुर्नप्त्यं गाद विद्वान रतस्य दीधितिंसपर्यन |
पिता यत्र दुहितुः सेकं रञ्जन सं शग्म्येन मनसा दधन्वे ||

न जामये तान्वो रिक्थमारैक चकार गर्भं सनितुर्निधानम |
यदी मातरो जनयन्त वह्निमन्यः कर्ता सुक्र्तोरन्य रन्धन ||

अग्निर्जज्ञे जुह्वा रेजमानो महस पुत्रानरुषस्य परयक्षे |
महान गर्भो मह्या जातमेषां मही परव्र्द धर्यश्वस्य यज्ञैः ||

अभि जैत्रीरसचन्त सप्र्धानं महि जयोतिस्तमसो निरजानन |
तं जानतीः परत्युदायन्नुषासः पतिर्गवामभवदेक इन्द्रः ||

वीळौ सतीरभि धीरा अत्र्न्दन पराचाहिन्वन मनसा सप्तविप्राः |
विश्वामविन्दन पथ्यां रतस्य परजानन्नित तानमसा विवेश ||

विदद यदी सरमा रुग्णमद्रेर्महि पाथः पूर्व्यं सध्र्यक कः |
अग्रं नयत सुपद्यक्षराणामछा रवं परथमा जानती गात ||

अगछदु विप्रतमः सखीयन्नसूदयत सुक्र्ते गर्भमद्रिः |
ससान मर्यो युवभिर्मखस्यन्नथाभवदङगिराः सद्यो अर्चन ||

सतः-सतः परतिमानं पुरोभूर्विश्वा वेद जनिमा हन्ति शुष्णम |
पर णो दिवः पदवीर्गव्युरर्चन सखा सखीन्रमुञ्चन निरवद्यात ||

नि गव्यता मनसा सेदुरर्कैः कर्ण्वानासो अम्र्तत्वाय गातुम |
इदं चिन नु सदनं भूर्येषां येन मासानसिषासन्न्र्तेन ||

सम्पश्यमाना अमदन्नभि सवं पयः परत्नस्य रेतसो दुघानाः |
वि रोदसी अतपद घोष एषां जाते निष्ठामदधुर्गोषु वीरान ||

स जातेभिर्व्र्त्रहा सेदु हव्यैरुदुस्रिया अस्र्जदिन्द्रो अर्कैः |
उरूच्यस्मै घर्तवद भरन्ती मधु सवाद्म दुदुहे जेन्या गौः ||

पित्रे चिच्चक्रुः सदनं समस्मै महि तविषीमत सुक्र्तो विहि खयन |
विष्कभ्नन्त सकम्भनेना जनित्री आसीना ऊर्ध्वं रभसं वि मिन्वन ||

मही यदि धिषणा शिश्नथे धात सद्योव्र्धं विभ्वं रोदस्योः |
गिरो यस्मिन्ननवद्याः समीचीर्विश्वा इन्द्राय तविषीरनुत्ताः ||

मह्या ते सख्यं वश्मि शक्तीरा वर्त्रघ्ने नियुतो यन्ति पूर्वीः |
महि सतोत्रमव आगन्म सूरेरस्माकं सु मघवन बोधि गोपाः ||

महि कषेत्रं पुरु शचन्द्रं विविद्वानादित सखिभ्यश्चरथं समैरत |
इन्द्रो नर्भिरजनद दीद्यानः साकं सूर्यमुषसं गातुमग्निम ||

अपश्चिदेष विभ्वो दमूनाः पर सध्रीचीरस्र्जद विश्वश्चन्द्राः |
मध्वः पुनानाः कविभिः पवित्रैर्द्युभिर्हिन्वन्त्यक्तुभिर्धनुत्रीः ||

अनु कर्ष्णे वसुधिती जिहाते उभे सूर्यस्य मंहना यजत्रे |
परि यत ते महिमानं वर्जध्यै सखाय इन्द्र काम्या रजिप्याः ||

पतिर्भव वर्त्रहन सून्र्तानां गिरां विश्वायुर्व्र्षभो वयोधाः |
आ नो गहि सख्येभिः शिवेभिर्महान महीभिरूतिभिः सरण्यन ||

तमङगिरस्वन नमसा सपर्यन नव्यं कर्णोमि सन्यसे पुराजाम |
दरुहो वि याहि बहुला अदेवीः सवश्च नो मघवन सातये धाः ||

मिहः पावकाः परतता अभूवन सवस्ति नः पिप्र्हि पारमासाम |
इन्द्र तवं रथिरः पाहि नो रिषो मक्षू-मक्षू कर्णुहि गोजितो नः ||

अदेदिष्ट वर्त्रहा गोपतिर्गा अन्तः कर्ष्णानरुषैर्धामभिर्गात |
पर सून्र्ता दिशमान रतेन दुरश्च विश्वा अव्र्णोदप सवाः ||
शुनं हुवेम … ||

śāsad vahnirduhiturnaptyaṃ ghād vidvān ṛtasya dīdhitiṃsaparyan |
pitā yatra duhituḥ sekaṃ ṛñjan saṃ śaghmyena manasā dadhanve ||

na jāmaye tānvo rikthamāraik cakāra gharbhaṃ saniturnidhānam |
yadī mātaro janayanta vahnimanyaḥ kartā sukṛtoranya ṛndhan ||

aghnirjajñe juhvā rejamāno mahas putrānaruṣasya prayakṣe |
mahān gharbho mahyā jātameṣāṃ mahī pravṛd dharyaśvasya yajñaiḥ ||

abhi jaitrīrasacanta spṛdhānaṃ mahi jyotistamaso nirajānan |
taṃ jānatīḥ pratyudāyannuṣāsaḥ patirghavāmabhavadeka indraḥ ||

vīḷau satīrabhi dhīrā atṛndan prācāhinvan manasā saptaviprāḥ |
viśvāmavindan pathyāṃ ṛtasya prajānannit tānamasā viveśa ||

vidad yadī saramā rughṇamadrermahi pāthaḥ pūrvyaṃ sadhryak kaḥ |
aghraṃ nayat supadyakṣarāṇāmachā ravaṃ prathamā jānatī ghāt ||

aghachadu vipratamaḥ sakhīyannasūdayat sukṛte gharbhamadriḥ |
sasāna maryo yuvabhirmakhasyannathābhavadaṅghirāḥ sadyo arcan ||

sataḥ-sataḥ pratimānaṃ purobhūrviśvā veda janimā hanti śuṣṇam |
pra ṇo divaḥ padavīrghavyurarcan sakhā sakhīnramuñcan niravadyāt ||

ni ghavyatā manasā sedurarkaiḥ kṛṇvānāso amṛtatvāya ghātum |
idaṃ cin nu sadanaṃ bhūryeṣāṃ yena māsānasiṣāsannṛtena ||

sampaśyamānā amadannabhi svaṃ payaḥ pratnasya retaso dughānāḥ |
vi rodasī atapad ghoṣa eṣāṃ jāte niṣṭhāmadadhurghoṣu vīrān ||

sa jātebhirvṛtrahā sedu havyairudusriyā asṛjadindro arkaiḥ |
urūcyasmai ghṛtavad bharantī madhu svādma duduhe jenyā ghauḥ ||

pitre ciccakruḥ sadanaṃ samasmai mahi tviṣīmat sukṛto vihi khyan |
viṣkabhnanta skambhanenā janitrī āsīnā ūrdhvaṃ rabhasaṃ vi minvan ||

mahī yadi dhiṣaṇā śiśnathe dhāt sadyovṛdhaṃ vibhvaṃ rodasyoḥ |
ghiro yasminnanavadyāḥ samīcīrviśvā indrāya taviṣīranuttāḥ ||

mahyā te sakhyaṃ vaśmi śaktīrā vṛtraghne niyuto yanti pūrvīḥ |
mahi stotramava āghanma sūrerasmākaṃ su maghavan bodhi ghopāḥ ||

mahi kṣetraṃ puru ścandraṃ vividvānādit sakhibhyaścarathaṃ samairat |
indro nṛbhirajanad dīdyānaḥ sākaṃ sūryamuṣasaṃ ghātumaghnim ||

apaścideṣa vibhvo damūnāḥ pra sadhrīcīrasṛjad viśvaścandrāḥ |
madhvaḥ punānāḥ kavibhiḥ pavitrairdyubhirhinvantyaktubhirdhanutrīḥ ||

anu kṛṣṇe vasudhitī jihāte ubhe sūryasya maṃhanā yajatre |
pari yat te mahimānaṃ vṛjadhyai sakhāya indra kāmyā ṛjipyāḥ ||

patirbhava vṛtrahan sūnṛtānāṃ ghirāṃ viśvāyurvṛṣabho vayodhāḥ |
ā no ghahi sakhyebhiḥ śivebhirmahān mahībhirūtibhiḥ saraṇyan ||

tamaṅghirasvan namasā saparyan navyaṃ kṛṇomi sanyase purājām |
druho vi yāhi bahulā adevīḥ svaśca no maghavan sātaye dhāḥ ||

mihaḥ pāvakāḥ pratatā abhūvan svasti naḥ pipṛhi pāramāsām |
indra tvaṃ rathiraḥ pāhi no riṣo makṣū-makṣū kṛṇuhi ghojito naḥ ||

adediṣṭa vṛtrahā ghopatirghā antaḥ kṛṣṇānaruṣairdhāmabhirghāt |
pra sūnṛtā diśamāna ṛtena duraśca viśvā avṛṇodapa svāḥ ||
śunaṃ huvema … ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. WISE, teaching, following the thought of Order, the sonless gained a grandson from his daughter.
Fain, as a sire, to see his child prolific, he sped to meet her with an eager spirit.

2 The Son left not his portion to the brother, he made a home to hold him who should gain, it.
What time his Parents gave the Priest his being, of the good pair one acted, one promoted.

3 Agni was born trembling with tongue that flickered, so that the Red’s great children should be honoured.
Great is their germ, that born of them is mighty, great the Bays’ Lord’s approach through sacrifices.

4 Conquering bands upon the Warrior waited: they recognized great light from out the darkness.
The conscious Dawns went forth to meet his coming, and the sole Master of the kine was Indra.

5 The sages freed them from their firmbuilt prison: the seven priests drove them forward with their spirit.
All holy Order’s pathway they discovered he, full of knowledge, shared these deeds through worship.

6 When Saramā had found the mountain’s fissure, that vast and ancient place she plundered thoroughly.
In the floods’ van she led them forth, light-footed: she who well knew came first unto their lowing.

7 Longing for friendship came the noblest singer: the hill poured forth its treasure for the pious.
The Hero with young followers fought and conquered, and straightway Aṅgiras was singing praises,

8 Peer of each noble thing, yea, all excelling, all creatures doth he know, he slayeth Śuṣṇa.
Our leader, fain for war, singing from heaven, as Friend he saved his lovers from dishonour.

9 They sate them down with spirit fain for booty, making with hymns a way to life eternal.
And this is still their place of frequent session, whereby they sought to gain the months through Order.

10 Drawing the milk of ancient seed prolific, they joyed as they beheld their own possession.
Their shout of triumph heated earth and heaven. When the kine showed, they bade the heroes rouse them.

11 Indra drove forth the kine, that Vṛtra-slayer, while hymns of praise rose up and gifts were offered.
For him the Cow, noble and far-extending, poured pleasant juices, bringing oil and sweetness.

12 They made a mansion for their Father, deftly provided him a great and glorious dwelling;
With firm support parted and stayed the Parents, and, sitting, fixed him there erected, mighty.

13 What time the ample chalice had impelled him, swift waxing, vast, to pierce the earth and heaven,—
Him in whom blameless songs are all united: all powers invincible belong to Indra.

14 I crave thy powers, I crave thy mighty friendship: full many a team goes to the Vṛtra-slayer.
Great is the laud, we seek the Princes’ favour. Be thou, O Maghavan, our guard and keeper.

15 He, having found great, splendid, rich dominion, sent life and motion to his friends and lovers.
Indra who shone together with the Heroes begot the song, the fire, and Sun and Morning.

16 Vast, the House-Friend, he set the waters flowing, all-lucid, widely spread, that move together.
By the wise cleansings of the meath made holy, through days, and nights they speed the swift streams onward.

17 To thee proceed the dark, the treasure-holders, both of them sanctified by Sūrya’s bounty.
The while thy ovely storming Friends, O Indra, fail to attain the measure of thy greatness.

18 Be Lord of joyous songs, O Vṛtra-slayer, Bull dear to all, who gives the power of living.
Come unto us with thine auspicious friendship, hastening, Mighty One, with mighty succours.

19 Like Aṅgiras I honour him with worship, and renovate old song for him the Ancient.
Chase thou the many godless evil creatures, and give us, Maghavan, heaven’s light to help m.

20 Far forth are spread the purifying waters convey thou us across them unto safety.
Save us, our Charioteer, from harm, O Indra, soon, very soon, make us win spoil of cattle.

21 His kine their Lord hath shown, e’en Vṛtra’s slayer, through the black hosts he passed with red attendants.
Teaching us pleasant things by holy Order, to, us hath he thrown open all his portals.

22 Call we on Maghavan, auspicious Indra, best Hero in this fight where spoil is gathered.
The Strong who listens, who gives aid in battles, who slays the Vṛtras, wins and gathers riches.