Verses 1, 2, 3
इंद्र॑स्य॒ नु वी॒र्या॑णि॒ प्र वो॑चं॒ यानि॑ च॒कार॑ प्रथ॒मानि॑ व॒ज्री । अह॒न्नहि॒मन्व॒पस्त॑तर्द॒ प्र व॒क्षणा॑ अभिन॒त्पर्व॑तानां ॥
índrasya nú vīryā́ṇi prá vocam yā́ni cakā́ra prathamā́ni vajrī́ ǀ áhannáhimánvapástatarda prá vakṣáṇā abhinatpárvatānām ǁ
अह॒न्नहिं॒ पर्व॑ते शिश्रिया॒णं त्वष्टा॑स्मै॒ वज्रं॑ स्व॒र्यं॑ ततक्ष । वा॒श्रा इ॑व धे॒नवः॒ स्यंद॑माना॒ अंजः॑ समु॒द्रमव॑ जग्मु॒रापः॑ ॥
áhannáhim párvate śiśriyāṇám tváṣṭāsmai vájram svaryám tatakṣa ǀ vāśrā́ iva dhenávaḥ syándamānā áñjaḥ samudrámáva jagmurā́paḥ ǁ
वृ॒षा॒यमा॑णोऽवृणीत॒ सोमं॒ त्रिक॑द्रुकेष्वपिबत्सु॒तस्य॑ । आ साय॑कं म॒घवा॑दत्त॒ वज्र॒मह॑न्नेनं प्रथम॒जामही॑नां ॥
vṛṣāyámāṇo’vṛṇīta sómam tríkadrukeṣvapibatsutásya ǀ ā́ sā́yakam maghávādatta vájramáhannenam prathamajā́máhīnām ǁ
In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi forcefully announces the supreme heroic deeds of Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt. He recounts how Indra struck down Vṛtra, the serpent who enclosed the waters, causing the pent-up streams of divine inspiration and physical sustenance to gush forth toward the great ocean like eager, lowing cows. Fashioned by Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine artisan, the dazzling vajra becomes the ultimate instrument of liberation. We enter the dynamic atmosphere of the ritual space where Indra, exhilarated by the pressed soma in the Trikadruka rituals, seizes his weapon with sovereign confidence. This is not merely a physical battle between a storm god and a drought monster; it is the primordial emergence of light and life over the forces of constriction.
Verse 1: I proclaim now the glorious deeds of Indra, the first ones which the thunderbolt-bearer performed: he struck the serpent, pierced the waters, and cleft the channels of the mountains.
Verse 2: He struck the serpent lurking upon the mountain, for whom Tvaṣṭṛ fashioned the flashing thunderbolt; and like lowing cows, the streaming waters swiftly went down to the ocean.
Verse 3: Swelling with power, he chose the Soma, and drank of the pressed draught in the Trikadruka days. The Maghavān took up his missile weapon, the thunderbolt, and struck down the first-born of serpents.
Sāyaṇa interprets these verses through the lens of atmospheric conflict (rain withheld by clouds), while Sri Aurobindo views Vṛtra as the psychological principle of mental and vital obstruction (vṛti) that blocks the flow of higher spiritual consciousness.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| इन्द्रस्य | indrasya | of Indra, the supreme lord of force and light |
| वीर्याणि | vīryāṇi | heroic deeds, manly powers |
| वज्री | vajrī | the wielder of the thunderbolt |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अहिम् | ahim | the serpent, Vṛtra, the obstructer |
| त्वष्टा | tvaṣṭā | Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine carpenter or fashioner |
| समुद्रम् | samudram | to the ocean, the gathering place of waters |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सोमम् | somam | the ecstatic ritual juice |
| मघवा | maghavā | the bounteous lord, Indra |
| प्रथमजाम् | prathama-jām | the first-born among the obstructive powers |
Imagine a cosmic blacksmith shaping a blinding bolt of lightning, while wild rivers break free from giant stone dams like stampeding cattle.
Verses 4, 5, 6
यदिं॒द्राह॑न्प्रथम॒जामही॑ना॒मान्मा॒यिना॒ममि॑नाः॒ प्रोत मा॒याः । आत्सूर्यं॑ ज॒नय॒न्द्यामु॒षासं॑ ता॒दीत्ना॒ शत्रुं॒ न किला॑ विवित्से ॥
yádindrā́hanprathamajā́máhīnāmā́nmāyínāmámināḥ prótá māyā́ḥ ǀ ā́tsū́ryam janáyandyā́muṣā́sam tādī́tnā śátrum ná kílā vivitse ǁ
अह॑न्वृ॒त्रं वृ॑त्र॒तरं॒ व्यं॑स॒मिंद्रो॒ वज्रे॑ण मह॒ता व॒धेन॑ । स्कंधां॑सीव॒ कुलि॑शेना॒ विवृ॒क्णाहिः॑ शयत उप॒पृक्पृ॑थि॒व्याः ॥
áhanvṛtrám vṛtratáram vyáṃsamíndro vájreṇa mahatā́ vadhéna ǀ skándhāṃsīva kúliśenā vívṛkṇā́hiḥ śayata upapṛ́kpṛthivyā́ḥ ǁ
अ॒यो॒द्धेव॑ दु॒र्मद॒ आ हि जु॒ह्वे म॑हावी॒रं तु॑विबा॒धमृ॑जी॒षं । नाता॑रीदस्य॒ समृ॑तिं व॒धानां॒ सं रु॒जानाः॑ पिपिष॒ इंद्र॑शत्रुः ॥
ayoddhéva durmáda ā́ hí juhvé mahāvīrám tuvibādhámṛjīṣám ǀ nā́tārīdasya sámṛtim vadhā́nām sám rujā́nāḥ pipiṣa índraśatruḥ ǁ
Indra's confrontation with Vṛtra strips away the illusions of the dark adversary. When Indra slays this first-born of serpents, he simultaneously shatters all the deceptive magic (māyā) of the sorcerers. Immediately following this victory, the cosmic order is restored as the sun, the dawn, and the vast spaces of heaven are generated anew. Verse five paints an unforgettable picture of Vṛtra's utter ruin: his shoulders are cloven like tree trunks hewn by an axe, and he lies sprawled across the earth. The poet then mocks Vṛtra's arrogant challenge, noting how this self-proclaimed 'Indra-enemy' dared to challenge the invincible hero and was utterly crushed in the collision.
Verse 4: When, O Indra, you slew the first-born of serpents, you shattered the wiles of the crafty sorcerers, and bringing forth the sun, the heaven, and the dawn, you found no rival enemy left.
Verse 5: Indra slew Vṛtra, the arch-vṛtra, shoulderless, with his great and mighty weapon. Like the branches of a tree felled by an axe, the serpent lies prostrate, clinging to the earth.
Verse 6: Like a reckless warrior intoxicated, he challenged the great hero, the vehement and turbulent one. He could not withstand the crash of Indra's weapons; the so-called 'Indra-foe' was broken to pieces.
The compound 'indra-śatruḥ' is famously cited in Vedic accentuation studies; depending on the accent, it can mean 'whose enemy is Indra' or 'one who has Indra as an enemy', leading to a dramatic ritual irony in the historical traditions of the Brāhmaṇas.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मायिनाम् | māyinām | of the crafty, of those wielding magic illusions |
| सूर्यम् | sūryam | the sun, symbol of supreme light |
| शत्रुम् | śatrum | enemy, rival |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| वृत्रतरम् | vṛtra-taram | the greatest obstructer, the ultimate Vṛtra |
| कुलिशेन | kuliśena | with an axe or cleaver |
| पृथिव्याः | pṛthivyāḥ | upon or clinging to the earth |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| दुर्मदः | durmadaḥ | badly intoxicated, recklessly arrogant |
| महावीरम् | mahā-vīram | the great hero, Indra |
| इन्द्रशत्रुः | indra-śatruḥ | he who claimed to be Indra's enemy |
Picture a massive forest tree crashing down under a woodsman's sharp axe, its branches scattered wide across the forest floor.
Verses 7, 8, 9, 10
अ॒पाद॑ह॒स्तो अ॑पृतन्य॒दिंद्र॒मास्य॒ वज्र॒मधि॒ सानौ॑ जघान । वृष्णो॒ वध्रिः॑ प्रति॒मानं॒ बुभू॑षन्पुरु॒त्रा वृ॒त्रो अ॑शय॒द्व्य॑स्तः ॥
apā́dahastó apṛtanyadíndramā́sya vájramádhi sā́nau jaghāna ǀ vṛ́ṣṇo vádhriḥ pratimā́nam búbhūṣanpurutrā́ vṛtró aśayadvyástaḥ ǁ
न॒दं न भि॒न्नम॑मु॒या शया॑नं॒ मनो॒ रुहा॑णा॒ अति॑ यं॒त्यापः॑ । याश्चि॑द्वृ॒त्रो म॑हि॒ना प॒र्यति॑ष्ठ॒त्तासा॒महिः॑ पत्सुतः॒शीर्ब॑भूव ॥
nadám ná bhinnámamuyā́ śáyānam máno rúhāṇā áti yantyā́paḥ ǀ yā́ścidvṛtró mahinā́ paryátiṣṭhattā́sāmáhiḥ patsutaḥśī́rbabhūva ǁ
नी॒चाव॑या अभवद्वृ॒त्रपु॒त्रेंद्रो॑ अस्या॒ अव॒ वध॑र्जभार । उत्त॑रा॒ सूरध॑रः पु॒त्र आ॑सी॒द्दानुः॑ शये स॒हव॑त्सा॒ न धे॒नुः ॥
nīcā́vayā abhavadvṛtráputréndro asyā áva vádharjabhāra ǀ úttarā sū́rádharaḥ putrá āsīddā́nuḥ śaye sahávatsā ná dhenúḥ ǁ
अति॑ष्ठंतीनामनिवेश॒नानां॒ काष्ठा॑नां॒ मध्ये॒ निहि॑तं॒ शरी॑रं । वृ॒त्रस्य॑ नि॒ण्यं वि च॑रं॒त्यापो॑ दी॒र्घं तम॒ आश॑य॒दिंद्र॑शत्रुः ॥
átiṣṭhantīnāmaniveśanā́nām kā́ṣṭhānām mádhye níhitam śárīram ǀ vṛtrásya niṇyám ví carantyā́po dīrghám táma ā́śayadíndraśatruḥ ǁ
Vṛtra is depicted as footless and handless, yet he dared to fight Indra, only to be shattered into multiple pieces. The waters that he once enclosed now rush past his carcass like broken river-banks, unceasingly flowing over the spot where the serpent lies in deep darkness. The mother of Vṛtra, Dānu, is hurled downward by Indra's blow, lying crushed like a cow alongside her fallen calf. Beneath this immense darkness, the waters continue their eternal journey through channels that never rest, marking the permanent triumph of dynamic order over static inertia.
Verse 7: Footless and handless, he fought against Indra; upon his back he struck him with the vajra. Wishing to be the equal of the vigorous bull, Vṛtra lay shattered in many places.
Verse 8: Like a broken river-bed, the waters flow over him who lies prostrate. The waters which Vṛtra had encompassed with his greatness—over them the serpent now lies crushed at the bottom.
Verse 9: Low sank the mother of Vṛtra; Indra directed his weapon down upon her. The mother was above, the son below; Dānu lay like a cow with her calf.
Verse 10: Amidst the unhalting, restless streams, Vṛtra's body lies hidden. The waters wander over his secret resting place, and the foe of Indra is engulfed in deep darkness.
Commentators note how the imagery shifts from a grand mythological battle to elemental geography, symbolizing how cosmic stagnation is permanently replaced by dynamic hydrological cycles.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अपाद् | apāt | footless |
| अहस्तः | ahastaḥ | handless |
| सानौ | sānau | on the ridge or back |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| नदम् | nadam | a river-bed or stream channel |
| भिन्नम् | bhinnam | broken, split open |
| आपः | āpaḥ | the waters |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| नीचावयः | nīcā-vayāḥ | low-failing, lowered in strength |
| दानुः | dānuḥ | Dānu, the mother of Vṛtra |
| धेनुः | dhenuḥ | a milch cow |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अनिबेशनानाम् | ani-veśanānām | unresting, without a permanent dwelling |
| निण्यम् | niṇyam | hidden, secret place |
| दीर्घं तमः | dīrgham tamaḥ | prolonged or deep darkness |
Visualize a massive dam bursting open, sending roaring white water cascading over a fallen, motionless giant in the abyss.
Verses 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
दा॒सप॑त्नी॒रहि॑गोपा अतिष्ठ॒न्निरु॑द्धा॒ आपः॑ प॒णिने॑व॒ गावः॑ । अ॒पां बिल॒मपि॑हितं॒ यदासी॑द्वृ॒त्रं ज॑घ॒न्वाँ अप॒ तद्व॑वार ॥
dāsápatnīráhigopā atiṣṭhanníruddhā ā́paḥ paṇíneva gā́vaḥ ǀ apā́m bílamápihitam yádā́sīdvṛtrám jaghanvā́m̐ ápa tádvavāra ǁ
अश्व्यो॒ वारो॑ अभव॒स्तदिं॑द्र सृ॒के यत्त्वा॑ प्र॒त्यह॑न्दे॒व एकः॑ । अज॑यो॒ गा अज॑यः शूर॒ सोम॒मवा॑सृजः॒ सर्त॑वे स॒प्त सिंधू॑न् ॥
áśvyo vā́ro abhavastádindra sṛké yáttvā pratyáhandevá ékaḥ ǀ ájayo gā́ ájayaḥ śūra sómamávāsṛjaḥ sártave saptá síndhūn ǁ
नास्मै॑ वि॒द्युन्न त॑न्य॒तुः सि॑षेध॒ न यां मिह॒मकि॑रद्ध्रा॒दुनिं॑ च । इंद्र॑श्च॒ यद्यु॑यु॒धाते॒ अहि॑श्चो॒ताप॒रीभ्यो॑ म॒घवा॒ वि जि॑ग्ये ॥
nā́smai vidyúnná tanyatúḥ siṣedha ná yā́m míhamákiraddhrādúnim ca ǀ índraśca yádyuyudhā́te áhiścotā́parī́bhyo maghávā ví jigye ǁ
अहे॑र्या॒तारं॒ कम॑पश्य इंद्र हृ॒दि यत्ते॑ ज॒घ्नुषो॒ भीरग॑च्छत् । नव॑ च॒ यन्न॑व॒तिं च॒ स्रवं॑तीः श्ये॒नो न भी॒तो अत॑रो॒ रजां॑सि ॥
áheryātā́ram kámapaśya indra hṛdí yátte jaghnúṣo bhī́rágacchat ǀ náva ca yánnavatím ca srávantīḥ śyenó ná bhītó átaro rájāṃsi ǁ
इंद्रो॑ या॒तोऽव॑सितस्य॒ राजा॒ शम॑स्य च शृं॒गिणो॒ वज्र॑बाहुः । सेदु॒ राजा॑ क्षयति चर्षणी॒नाम॒रान्न ने॒मिः परि॒ ता ब॑भूव ॥
índro yātó’vasitasya rā́jā śámasya ca śṛṅgíṇo vájrabāhuḥ ǀ sédu rā́jā kṣayati carṣaṇīnā́marā́nná nemíḥ pári tā́ babhūva ǁ
The final movement of the Sūkta reveals the true magnitude of the liberation. The waters had been held captive, owned by the Dāsas and guarded by the serpent just as cows are hoarded by the miserly Paṇis. When Indra smote Vṛtra, he broke open the obstructed aperture of the waters, releasing the seven rivers to flow freely. In the climactic verses, the Ṛṣi marvels at Indra's solitary courage. Even amidst lightning, thunder, and blinding mist, Indra stood firm. Fearing nothing, he crossed ninety-nine flowing streams like a soaring falcon, establishing himself as the undisputed king of all beings, moving and stationary, wrapping around the universe like the felly of a chariot wheel around its spokes.
Verse 11: The waters, having Dāsas for their lords and the serpent for their guardian, remained imprisoned like cows hidden by the Paṇi. But when he slew Vṛtra, Indra opened the sealed aperture of the waters.
Verse 12: You became the horse's tail, O Indra, in the clash when the single god opposed you. You won the cows, O hero, you won the Soma, and you released the seven rivers to flow.
Verse 13: Neither lightning nor thunder could check him, nor the mist and hail he scattered. When Indra and the serpent fought, the bounteous lord conquered victoriously for all future time.
Verse 14: Whom did you see as the avenger of the serpent, O Indra, when fear entered your heart after slaying him? You crossed ninety and nine flowing rivers like a frightened falcon soaring through the regions.
Verse 15: Indra is king of the moving and of the stable, of the horned and the arm-bearing. Truly he is king of mortals, and like the felly around the spokes, he encompasses all these things.
Verse 14 introduces a psychological human touch (Indra's momentary fear or caution after the strike), which Yāska and later commentators explain as the trembling awe inherent in confronting vast cosmic forces, before soaring triumphantly like a falcon across space.
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| दासपत्नीः | dāsa-patnīḥ | having Dāsas as masters |
| अहिगोपाः | ahi-gopāḥ | guarded by the serpent |
| पणिना इव | paṇinā iva | like by a Paṇi (miserly hoarder) |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| सृके | sṛke | in the weapon-clash, spear-fight |
| सप्त सिन्धून् | sapta sindhūn | the seven rivers |
| अजयः | ajayaḥ | you conquered, won |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| तन्यतुः | tanyatuḥ | thunder |
| ह्रादुनिम् | hrādunim | hailstorm |
| वि जिग्ये | vi jigye | conquered completely, emerged victorious |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| यातारम् | yātāram | avenger, pursuer |
| श्येनः | śyenaḥ | a falcon, hawk |
| रजांसि | rajāṃsi | spaces, realms of the air |
| Devanāgarī | IAST | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अवसितस्य | ava-sitasya | of the resting, stationary |
| वज्रबाहुः | vajra-bāhuḥ | holding the thunderbolt in his arm |
| नेमिः | nemiḥ | the rim or felly of a wheel |
Picture a majestic golden wheel rolling effortlessly across the cosmos, its outer rim touching and supporting every single star and stream.