Verses 1, 2
इंद्रा॑य॒ हि द्यौरसु॑रो॒ अन॑म्न॒तेंद्रा॑य म॒ही पृ॑थि॒वी वरी॑मभिर्द्यु॒म्नसा॑ता॒ वरी॑मभिः । इंद्रं॒ विश्वे॑ स॒जोष॑सो दे॒वासो॑ दधिरे पु॒रः । इंद्रा॑य॒ विश्वा॒ सव॑नानि॒ मानु॑षा रा॒तानि॑ संतु॒ मानु॑षा ॥
índrāya hí dyáurásuro ánamnaténdrāya mahī́ pṛthivī́ várīmabhirdyumnásātā várīmabhiḥ ǀ índram víśve sajóṣaso devā́so dadhire puráḥ ǀ índrāya víśvā sávanāni mā́nuṣā rātā́ni santu mā́nuṣā ǁ
विश्वे॑षु॒ हि त्वा॒ सव॑नेषु तुं॒जते॑ समा॒नमेकं॒ वृष॑मण्यवः॒ पृथ॒क् स्वः॑ सनि॒ष्यवः॒ पृथ॑क् । तं त्वा॒ नावं॒ न प॒र्षणिं॑ शू॒षस्य॑ धु॒रि धी॑महि । इंद्रं॒ न य॒ज्ञैश्चि॒तयं॑त आ॒यवः॒ स्तोमे॑भि॒रिंद्र॑मा॒यवः॑ ॥
víśveṣu hí tvā sávaneṣu tuñjáte samānámékam vṛ́ṣamaṇyavaḥ pṛ́thak sváḥ saniṣyávaḥ pṛ́thak ǀ tám tvā nā́vam ná parṣáṇim śūṣásya dhurí dhīmahi ǀ índram ná yajñáiścitáyanta āyávaḥ stómebhiríndramāyávaḥ ǁ
Welcome to the opening movement of Sūkta 131, where the Ṛṣi opens our eyes to the breathtaking cosmic scale of Indra's dominion. Before Indra even moves, the very fabric of existence bends; heaven, the great asura or divine spirit, bows in reverence, and the vast earth expands to its utmost limits in the acquisition of divine splendor. All the gathered deities, united in single-minded harmony, place Indra firmly at the vanguard of existence, ensuring that every human offering finds its rightful destination in him. Moving into the second verse, the vision intensifies. Across all realms and sacrificial seasons, passionate seekers of light—each with a heart vibrating like a fierce bull—propel themselves toward the one common, supreme goal. They take hold of Indra as men take hold of a sea-faring vessel that safely carries them across turbulent waters. With sacred chants and holy rites, these living mortal seekers, the Āyavas, anchor their highest aspirations in the indomitable power of Indra.
Verse 1: Unto Indra indeed heaven, the mighty spirit, bowed; unto Indra the vast earth expanded with its measureless breadths for the winning of light. All the gods, of one accord, placed Indra at the head; let all human offerings be dedicated to Indra.
Verse 2: In every sacrificial session men urge you onward, seeking the one single bull, each striving separately for the light. We hold you fast like a ship that bears us across the waters; wise mortals honor Indra with sacrifices and hymns.
Sāyaṇa interprets 'asura' here in its positive Vedic sense of 'mighty and life-giving' (referring to the sky), while modern spiritual commentators like Sri Aurobindo view heaven and earth as psychological states—the higher mental and physical consciousness expanding under the touch of superconscious force.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| इन्द्राय | indrāya | unto Indra, the supreme lord of force and divine mind |
| असुरः | asuraḥ | possessing great spiritual might or life-force |
| अनम्नत | anamnata | bowed, bent in reverence |
| द्युम्नसाता | dyumnasātā | in the acquisition or winning of divine light/splendor |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सवनेषु | savaneṣu | in the pressings or sacrificial sessions |
| वृषमण्यवः | vṛṣaṇyavaḥ | desiring the vigorous/bounteous lord, like eager bulls |
| नावं न | nāvam na | like a boat or ship |
| पर्षणिम् | parṣaṇim | capable of ferrying across |
Picture the vast dome of the sky bowing in deep humility before a towering king, while a fleet of small boats surges across choppy waters toward a single, magnificent lighthouse—that is humanity reaching out to Indra.
Verses 3, 4, 5
वि त्वा॑ ततस्रे मिथु॒ना अ॑व॒स्यवो॑ व्र॒जस्य॑ सा॒ता गव्य॑स्य निः॒सृजः॒ सक्षं॑त इंद्र निः॒सृजः॑ । यद्ग॒व्यंता॒ द्वा जना॒ स्व१॒॑र्यंता॑ स॒मूह॑सि । आ॒विष्करि॑क्र॒द्वृष॑णं सचा॒भुवं॒ वज्र॑मिंद्र सचा॒भुवं॑ ॥
ví tvā tatasre mithunā́ avasyávo vrajásya sātā́ gávyasya niḥsṛ́jaḥ sákṣanta indra niḥsṛ́jaḥ ǀ yádgavyántā dvā́ jánā sváryántā samū́hasi ǀ āvíṣkárikradvṛ́ṣaṇam sacābhúvam vájramindra sacābhúvam ǁ
वि॒दुष्टे॑ अ॒स्य वी॒र्य॑स्य पू॒रवः॒ पुरो॒ यदिं॑द्र॒ शार॑दीर॒वाति॑रः सासहा॒नो अ॒वाति॑रः । शास॒स्तमिं॑द्र॒ मर्त्य॒मय॑ज्युं शवसस्पते । म॒हीम॑मुष्णाः पृथि॒वीमि॒मा अ॒पो मं॑दसा॒न इ॒मा अ॒पः ॥
vidúṣṭe asyá vīryásya pūrávaḥ púro yádindra śā́radīravā́tiraḥ sāsahānó avā́tiraḥ ǀ śā́sastámindra mártyamáyajyum śavasaspate ǀ mahī́mamuṣṇāḥ pṛthivī́mimā́ apó mandasāná imā́ apáḥ ǁ
आदित्ते॑ अ॒स्य वी॒र्य॑स्य चर्किर॒न्मदे॑षु वृषन्नु॒शिजो॒ यदावि॑थ सखीय॒तो यदावि॑थ । च॒कर्थ॑ का॒रमे॑भ्यः॒ पृत॑नासु॒ प्रवं॑तवे । ते अ॒न्याम॑न्यां न॒द्यं॑ सनिष्णत श्रव॒स्यंतः॑ सनिष्णत ॥
ā́dítte asyá vīryásya carkiranmádeṣu vṛṣannuśíjo yádā́vitha sakhīyató yádā́vitha ǀ cakártha kārámebhyaḥ pṛ́tanāsu právantave ǀ té anyā́manyām nadyám saniṣṇata śravasyántaḥ saniṣṇata ǁ
Here the hymn shifts into high symbolic gear, invoking the great mythic motif of liberating the imprisoned cows—the rays of spiritual dawn locked away in dark enclosures. Dressed in the armor of eagerness, twin paths or dual gatherings of seekers strain toward the prize of cows, breaking open the dark stable. Indra stands amidst them, making his vajra flash visibly as the permanent companion of those who strive for illumination. The thunderbolt is no mere weapon of destruction; it is the concentrated flash of divine truth splitting the rock of ignorance. In the fourth verse, the Ṛṣi reminds Indra of his ancient exploits known to the Purus—the ancient human ancestry. You shattered the autumnal, fortified cities of the enemy with relentless force, O master of dynamic energy! You chastised the mortal who refused the divine sacrifice, and in your exultation, you seized the vast earth and the streaming waters. This is the inner victory where the lower, resistant layers of egoistic existence are conquered and subordinated to the divine flow. Continuing this ecstatic sweep, verse five tells how these heroic deeds shine forth in the ecstatic raptures of the soma. When you favored the eager seekers who sought your friendship, you fashioned the human singer into a mighty brawler in the battles of life. Under your shelter, these seekers push forward from river to river, hungry for higher renown and ever greater spiritual conquests.
Verse 3: Pairs of eager seekers stretch out toward you to win the enclosure of cows, breaking open the stalls, O Indra. When two peoples seek the light, you bring them together, making your vajra flash visibly as your constant companion.
Verse 4: The Purus know this heroism of yours, O Indra, when you crushed the autumnal forts. You punished the non-sacrificing mortal, O lord of might, and in your bliss, you seized the vast earth and these waters.
Verse 5: Then, O Bull, your exploits shine forth in the raptures when you favored the eager, friendly singers. You made the singer fit to cross through battles, and they press on from river to river, hungry for glory.
The 'autumnal forts' (śāradīḥ) are traditionally explained by Sāyaṇa as physical cities belonging to demons, but psychological interpreters see them as layered psychological obstacles erected by the lower nature that break down during the spiritual autumn/harvest of realization.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| व्रजस्य | vrajasya | of the enclosure, pen, or stable |
| साता | sātā | in the winning or acquiring |
| निःसृजः | niḥsṛjaḥ | releasers, opening forth |
| वज्रम् | vajram | the diamond-thunderbolt of illumined will |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| पूरवः | pūravaḥ | the ancient peoples/humanity named Pūru |
| शारदीः | śāradīḥ | autumnal forts (symbolizing hidden strongholds of darkness) |
| अयज्युम् | ayajyum | one who does not sacrifice, egoistic |
| शवसस्पते | śavasaspate | O lord of dynamic power or force |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| उशिजः | uśijaḥ | the passionate, eager aspirants |
| पृतनासु | pṛtanāsu | in battles, struggles |
| स्रवस्यन्तः | śravasyantaḥ | desiring glory, fame, and divine hearing |
Imagine a heroic locksmith using a glowing diamond hammer to shatter heavy stone gates, instantly freeing a stampede of golden cows into a sunlit valley—this is Indra smashing the strongholds of darkness.
Verses 6, 7
उ॒तो नो॑ अ॒स्या उ॒षसो॑ जु॒षेत॒ ह्य१॒॑र्कस्य॑ बोधि ह॒विषो॒ हवी॑मभिः॒ स्व॑र्षाता॒ हवी॑मभिः । यदिं॑द्र॒ हंत॑वे॒ मृधो॒ वृषा॑ वज्रि॒ञ्चिके॑तसि । आ मे॑ अ॒स्य वे॒धसो॒ नवी॑यसो॒ मन्म॑ श्रुधि॒ नवी॑यसः ॥
utó no asyā́ uṣáso juṣéta hyárkásya bodhi havíṣo hávīmabhiḥ svárṣātā hávīmabhiḥ ǀ yádindra hántave mṛ́dho vṛ́ṣā vajriñcíketasi ǀ ā́ me asyá vedháso návīyaso mánma śrudhi návīyasaḥ ǁ
त्वं तमिं॑द्र वावृधा॒नो अ॑स्म॒युर॑मित्र॒यंतं॑ तुविजात॒ मर्त्यं॒ वज्रे॑ण शूर॒ मर्त्यं॑ । ज॒हि यो नो॑ अघा॒यति॑ शृणु॒ष्व सु॒श्रव॑स्तमः । रि॒ष्टं न याम॒न्नप॑ भूतु दुर्म॒तिर्विश्वाप॑ भूतु दुर्म॒तिः ॥
tvám támindra vāvṛdhānó asmayúramitrayántam tuvijāta mártyam vájreṇa śūra mártyam ǀ jahí yó no aghāyáti śṛṇuṣvá suśrávastamaḥ ǀ riṣṭám ná yā́mannápa bhūtu durmatírvíśvā́pa bhūtu durmatíḥ ǁ
As the Sūkta draws to a close, the Ṛṣi anchors his plea in the immediate freshness of the dawn. May Indra take delight in this very dawn, waking up to the song of our pressing and the rich stream of our oblations during this winning of light. When you, O Bull, O wielder of the thunderbolt, set your mind on crushing the hostile forces of obstruction, hear this newest hymn and poem forged by me, your devoted seer. The final verse is a fierce, protective shield. O Indra, growing in might through our devotion, you who are born in manifold ways, strike down with your vajra the mortal who bears malice against us and seeks to injure us. Hear us, O most renowned of all, and let every hostile, crooked mindset of opposition be swept far away from our path, leaving our journey unhurt and pure.
Verse 6: May he accept this dawn of ours, and awaken to the hymn and the oblation with our invocations in the winning of light. When you set your mind, O Bull, O wielder of the vajra, to slay the obstructors, hear this newest hymn of mine, your seer.
Verse 7: Growing by our prayers, O Indra, strike down with your vajra the mortal who bears hostility toward us, O hero born in many forms. Slay him who wishes evil upon us, listen, O most glorious one, and let every crooked, malicious thought be driven far away from our path.
The phrase 'navīyaso manma' highlights the Vedic poetic tradition where hymns are not static repetitions, but freshly minted psychological creations born anew from the contemplative heart of each seer.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| उषसः | uṣasaḥ | of the dawn, spiritual awakening |
| अर्कस्य | arkasya | of the chant, hymn, or ray of light |
| वज्रिन् | vajrin | O holder of the diamond thunderbolt |
| नवीयसः | navīyasaḥ | newest, freshest (referring to the newly minted hymn) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ववृधानः | vāvṛdhānaḥ | growing, increasing in strength through worship |
| तुविजात | tuvijāta | born in manifold ways, vastly manifest |
| सुश्रवस्तमः | suśravastamaḥ | most rich in glory, most attentive to prayers |
| दुर्मतिः | durmatiḥ | evil mindset, ignorance, malice |
Picture a traveler standing safely behind a massive shield of golden light at sunrise, watching all hostile shadows and thorns dissolve into nothingness at the sound of a sweet morning bell.