Verses 1, 2
इ॒मां ते॒ धियं॒ प्र भ॑रे म॒हो म॒हीम॒स्य स्तो॒त्रे धि॒षणा॒ यत्त॑ आन॒जे । तमु॑त्स॒वे च॑ प्रस॒वे च॑ सास॒हिमिंद्रं॑ दे॒वासः॒ शव॑सामद॒न्ननु॑ ॥
imā́m te dhíyam prá bhare mahó mahī́masyá stotré dhiṣáṇā yátta ānajé ǀ támutsavé ca prasavé ca sāsahímíndram devā́saḥ śávasāmadannánu ǁ
अ॒स्य श्रवो॑ न॒द्यः॑ स॒प्त बि॑भ्रति॒ द्यावा॒क्षामा॑ पृथि॒वी द॑र्श॒तं वपुः॑ । अ॒स्मे सू॑र्याचंद्र॒मसा॑भि॒चक्षे॑ श्र॒द्धे कमिं॑द्र चरतो वितर्तु॒रं ॥
asyá śrávo nadyáḥ saptá bibhrati dyā́vākṣā́mā pṛthivī́ darśatám vápuḥ ǀ asmé sūryācandramásābhicákṣe śraddhé kámindra carato vitarturám ǁ
The Ṛṣi begins by bringing forward his profound prayer, fashioned as an offering of devotion, while Indra shines as the supreme conqueror in every movement of life—both in the static quietude and the active surge of creation. The poet envisions this glorious radiance sustained universally: the seven sacred rivers bear his vast renown, while heaven and earth stand as his visible, awe-inspiring forms. Sun and moon move in their eternal rounds so that we may perceive and awaken in wonder. In these opening verses, we witness the intimate relationship between the human aspirant and the cosmic deity. The prayer is not merely spoken; it is kindled and offered like sacred fuel into the fire of consciousness, aligning the inner state with the cosmic vastness represented by Indra's boundless energy.
Verse 1: I bring forward this vast hymn of devotion for thee, O Indra, which my poetic insight has fashioned; the gods rejoice in thee, the ever-victorious in all our awakenings and creative surges.
Verse 2: The seven rivers bear his mighty renown, and heaven and earth display his visible form; sun and moon revolve for our beholding with steadfast faith.
Sāyaṇa interprets the 'seven rivers' literally as earthly water systems or cosmic streams, whereas Sri Aurobindo and esoteric commentators view them as the seven streams of consciousness or energy flowing from the Divine.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| इमाम् | imām | this |
| धियम् | dhiyam | thought, vision, hymn |
| प्र भरे | pra bhare | I bring forward, offer |
| इन्द्रम् | indram | Indra, the supreme leader |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| श्रवः | śravaḥ | glory, renown, hearing |
| नद्यः सप्त | nadyaḥ sapta | the seven rivers |
| सूर्याचन्द्रमसा | sūryācandramasā | sun and moon |
Imagine a brilliant lighthouse casting its beam across seven great rivers, while sun and moon spin like golden wheels in the sky to honor the sovereign of light.
Verses 3, 4, 5
तं स्मा॒ रथं॑ मघव॒न्प्राव॑ सा॒तये॒ जैत्रं॒ यं ते॑ अनु॒मदा॑म संग॒मे । आ॒जा न॑ इंद्र॒ मन॑सा पुरुष्टुत त्वा॒यद्भ्यो॑ मघवं॒छर्म॑ यच्छ नः ॥
tám smā rátham maghavanprā́va sātáye jáitram yám te anumádāma saṃgamé ǀ ājā́ na indra mánasā puruṣṭuta tvāyádbhyo maghavañchárma yaccha naḥ ǁ
व॒यं ज॑येम॒ त्वया॑ यु॒जा वृत॑म॒स्माक॒मंश॒मुद॑वा॒ भरे॑भरे । अ॒स्मभ्य॑मिंद्र॒ वरि॑वः सु॒गं कृ॑धि॒ प्र शत्रू॑णां मघव॒न्वृष्ण्या॑ रुज ॥
vayám jayema tváyā yujā́ vṛ́tamasmā́kamáṃśamúdavā bhárebhare ǀ asmábhyamindra várivaḥ sugám kṛdhi prá śátrūṇām maghavanvṛ́ṣṇyā ruja ǁ
नाना॒ हि त्वा॒ हव॑माना॒ जना॑ इ॒मे धना॑नां धर्त॒रव॑सा विप॒न्यवः॑ । अ॒स्माकं॑ स्मा॒ रथ॒मा ति॑ष्ठ सा॒तये॒ जैत्रं॒ हीं॑द्र॒ निभृ॑तं॒ मन॒स्तव॑ ॥
nā́nā hí tvā hávamānā jánā imé dhánānām dhartarávasā vipanyávaḥ ǀ asmā́kam smā ráthamā́ tiṣṭha sātáye jáitram hī́ndra níbhṛtam mánastáva ǁ
The focus shifts from cosmic wonder to the practical spiritual warfare of the seeker. The Ṛṣi calls upon Maghavan (Indra) to protect and advance his victorious chariot in the clash of spiritual forces. We ask to conquer with Indra as our companion, breaking through the dense coverings of ignorance and winning our rightful share of divine riches. Every human seeker faces inner resistances and hostile forces. By mounting the chariot of aspiration alongside Indra, the seeker transforms daily life into a field of continuous victory, where the divine mind destroys all darkness and opens wide paths for spiritual progress.
Verse 3: Do thou, O Maghavan, protect that victorious chariot of ours in the decisive clash, where we invoke thee in the gathering of forces; grant us shelter, O much-praised one.
Verse 4: May we conquer with thee as our helper, overcoming the encumbering darkness in every battle; grant us wide and easy paths, O Indra, and break down the power of our foes.
Verse 5: Many are the peoples who call upon thee from all sides for wealth and grace; mount our chariot for the winning of victory, for steady and focused is thy mind, O Indra.
Commentators generally agree that 'battles' in the Rigveda frequently symbolize the inner struggles of the soul against spiritual inertia and psychological darkness, rather than mere tribal warfare.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| रथम् | ratham | chariot |
| मघवन् | maghavan | possessor of bounty, generous one |
| शर्म | śarma | shelter, refuge, peace |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| जयেম | jayema | may we conquer |
| वरिवः सुगम् | varivaḥ sugam | wide and accessible path |
| वृष्ण्या रुज | vṛṣṇyā ruja | break with thy mighty force |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| हवमानाः | havamānāḥ | calling upon, invoking |
| आ तिष्ठ | ā tiṣṭha | mount upon, take your seat |
| निभृतम् मनः | nibhṛtam manaḥ | steady, focused mind |
Picture a golden war chariot standing at the starting line, with the Divine Driver stepping aboard, holding the reins of a perfectly focused and unwavering mind.
Verses 6, 7, 8
गो॒जिता॑ बा॒हू अमि॑तक्रतुः सि॒मः कर्म॑न्कर्मंछ॒तमू॑तिः खजंक॒रः । अ॒क॒ल्प इंद्रः॑ प्रति॒मान॒मोज॒साथा॒ जना॒ वि ह्व॑यंते सिषा॒सवः॑ ॥
gojítā bāhū́ ámitakratuḥ simáḥ kármankarmañchatámūtiḥ khajaṃkaráḥ ǀ akalpá índraḥ pratimā́namójasā́thā jánā ví hvayante siṣāsávaḥ ǁ
उत्ते॑ श॒तान्म॑घव॒न्नुच्च॒ भूय॑स॒ उत्स॒हस्रा॑द्रिरिचे कृ॒ष्टिषु॒ श्रवः॑ । अ॒मा॒त्रं त्वा॑ धि॒षणा॑ तित्विषे म॒ह्यधा॑ वृ॒त्राणि॑ जिघ्नसे पुरंदर ॥
útte śatā́nmaghavannúcca bhū́yasa útsahásrādririce kṛṣṭíṣu śrávaḥ ǀ amātrám tvā dhiṣáṇā titviṣe mahyádhā vṛtrā́ṇi jighnase puraṃdara ǁ
त्रि॒वि॒ष्टि॒धातु॑ प्रति॒मान॒मोज॑सस्ति॒स्रो भूमी॑र्नृपते॒ त्रीणि॑ रोच॒ना । अती॒दं विश्वं॒ भुव॑नं ववक्षिथाश॒त्रुरिं॑द्र ज॒नुषा॑ स॒नाद॑सि ॥
triviṣṭidhā́tu pratimā́namójasastisró bhū́mīrnṛpate trī́ṇi rocanā́ ǀ átīdám víśvam bhúvanam vavakṣithāśatrúrindra janúṣā sanā́dasi ǁ
Here, the hymn breaks into a towering celebration of Indra's incomparable power. He is the conqueror of cows (the rays of light), possessing infinite capability in every single work, wielding a hundredfold helps. His renown rises far beyond hundreds and thousands of human estimations, soaring into the cosmic realms. Indra embodies structural supremacy: his might spans the three earths and the triple luminous realms of the cosmos. He is inherently birthless in his supremacy—none can equal him, and from the very beginning of time, he stands completely without a rival.
Verse 6: With arms that conquer the light, possessing boundless will, performing task after task with a hundredfold help, Indra is peerless in his native majesty.
Verse 7: Thy renown, O Maghavan, rises far beyond a hundred, yes, far beyond a thousand among the peoples; heaven's vast expanse cannot measure thee, and thou smitest the Vṛtras, O Purandara.
Verse 8: Thou upholdest the triple foundation, the measure of vigor, the three earths, and the three luminous realms; thou hast pervaded all this universe, O Indra, and from birth thou art eternally without a foe.
Traditional commentary (Sāyaṇa) explains 'three earths and three heavens' through cosmological layers, while mystical traditions see them as the physical, mental, and causal planes of existence mastered by divine consciousness.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| गोजिता | gojitā | conqueror of cows/rays of light |
| शतम्ऊतिः | śatamūtiḥ | having a hundredfold protections |
| ओजसा | ojasā | by strength, dynamic energy |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| रिरिचे | ririce | surpasses, excels |
| अमात्रम् | amātram | measureless, infinite |
| पुरंदर | puraṃdara | destroyer of cities/fortresses |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| त्रिविष्टधातु | triviṣṭidhātu | composed of three levels/parts |
| रोचना | rocanā | luminous regions, heavens |
| अशत्रुः | aśatruḥ | without an enemy, peerless |
Envision a mountain peak so immense that it bursts through the clouds, piercing the triple heavens and dwarfing every earthly standard of measurement.
Verses 9, 10, 11
त्वां दे॒वेषु॑ प्रथ॒मं ह॑वामहे॒ त्वं ब॑भूथ॒ पृत॑नासु सास॒हिः । सेमं नः॑ का॒रुमु॑पम॒न्युमु॒द्भिद॒मिंद्रः॑ कृणोतु प्रस॒वे रथं॑ पु॒रः ॥
tvā́m devéṣu prathamám havāmahe tvám babhūtha pṛ́tanāsu sāsahíḥ ǀ sémám naḥ kārúmupamanyúmudbhídamíndraḥ kṛṇotu prasavé rátham puráḥ ǁ
त्वं जि॑गेथ॒ न धना॑ रुरोधि॒थार्भे॑ष्वा॒जा म॑घवन्म॒हत्सु॑ च । त्वामु॒ग्रमव॑से॒ सं शि॑शीम॒स्यथा॑ न इंद्र॒ हव॑नेषु चोदय ॥
tvám jigetha ná dhánā rurodhithā́rbheṣvājā́ maghavanmahátsu ca ǀ tvā́mugrámávase sám śiśīmasyáthā na indra hávaneṣu codaya ǁ
वि॒श्वाहेंद्रो॑ अधिव॒क्ता नो॑ अ॒स्त्वप॑रिह्वृताः सनुयाम॒ वाजं॑ । तन्नो॑ मि॒त्रो वरु॑णो मामहंता॒मदि॑तिः॒ सिंधुः॑ पृथि॒वी उ॒त द्यौः ॥
viśvā́héndro adhivaktā́ no astváparihvṛtāḥ sanuyāma vā́jam ǀ tánno mitró váruṇo māmahantāmáditiḥ síndhuḥ pṛthivī́ utá dyáuḥ ǁ
The Sūkta culminates in a deeply personal and collective pledge of trust. The Ṛṣi declares that among all the shining gods, Indra is the first they invoke because he has ever proven to be the conqueror in battle. They ask him to make their inspired singer—the passionate chanter of truth—foremost in the surge of life. In the final verses, the poet affirms that Indra has never blocked or withheld riches in small or great contests. Therefore, all the great universal powers—Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Pṛthivī, and Dyaus—unite to magnify and protect the seeker alongside Indra, ensuring an unswerving path toward ultimate illumination.
Verse 9: Thee first among the gods we invoke; thou hast ever proved to be the victor in battles. May Indra make this singer of ours, ardent and breaking through barriers, lead the van in the surge of life.
Verse 10: Thou hast won all treasures and never withheld them in small contests or great, O Maghavan; we sharpen thee, the fierce one, for our protection, and do thou spur us onward in our invocations.
Verse 11: May Indra be our ever-present advocate; unswerving, may we attain the prize of illumination. May Mitra, Varuṇa, Aditi, Sindhu, Earth, and Heaven magnify this prayer for us.
The invocation of multiple cosmic deities at the close of an Indra hymn exemplifies the holistic vision of the Ṛgveda, where individual deities represent special facets of one supreme divine reality.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| प्रथमकम् | prathamam | first, foremost |
| कारुम् | kārum | bard, singer, poet |
| उद्भिदम् | udbhidam | breaker through, splitter of obstacles |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| जिगेथ | jigetha | thou hast conquered/won |
| रुरोधिथ | rurodhitha | thou hast obstructed/withheld |
| शिशीमसि | śiśīmasi | we sharpen, whet (our devotion) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अधिवक्ता | adhivaktā | advocate, intercessor, speaker for |
| अपरिह्वृताः | aparihvṛtāḥ | unswerving, straight-walking |
| वाजम् | vājam | prize, vigor, spiritual wealth |
Picture a grand council of cosmic guardians—Heaven, Earth, Mitra, and Varuṇa—standing together hand in hand around the seeker, with Indra speaking as their chief advocate.