RIG VEDA

Translator Ralph T.H. Griffith

RIG VEDA – THE EIGHTH BOOK

HYMN I. Indra.

1. GLORIFY naught besides, O friends; so shall no sorrow trouble you.
Praise only mighty Indra when the juice is shed, and say your lauds repeatedly:

2. Even him, eternal, like a bull who rushes down, men’s Conqueror, bounteous like a cow;
Him who is cause of both, of enmity and peace, to both sides most munificent.

3. Although these men in sundry ways invoke thee to obtain thine aid,
Be this our prayer, addressed, O Indra, unto thee, thine exaltation every day.

4. Those skilled in song, O Maghavan among these men o’ercome with might the foeman’s songs.
Come hither, bring us strength in many a varied form most near that it may succour us.

5. O Caster of the Stone, I would not sell thee for a mighty price,
Not for a thousand, Thunderer! nor ten thousand, nor a hundred, Lord of countless wealth!

6. O Indra, thou art more to me than sire or niggard brother is.
Thou and my mother, O Good Lord, appear alike, to give me wealth abundantly.

7. Where art thou? Whither art thou gone? For many a place attracts thy mind.
Haste, Warrior, Fort-destroyer, Lord of battle’s din, haste, holy songs have sounded forth.

8. Sing out the psalm to him who breaks down castles for his faithful friend,
Verses to bring the Thunderer to destroy the forts and sit on Kanva’s sacred grass.

9. The Horses which are thine in tens, in hundreds, yea, in thousands thine,
Even those vigorous Steeds, fleet-footed in the course, with those come quickly near to us.

10. This day I call Sabardugiha who animates the holy song,
Indra the richly-yielding Milch-cow who provides unfailing food in ample stream.
11. When Sura wounded Etasa, with Vata’s rolling winged car.
Indra bore Kutsa Arjuneya off, and mocked Gandharva. the unconquered One.

12. He without ligature, before making incision in the neck,
Closed up the wound again, most wealthy Maghavan, who maketh whole the injured part.

13. May we be never cast aside, and strangers, as it were, to thee.
We, Thunder-wielding Indra, count ourselves as trees rejected and unfit to bum.

14. O Vrtra-slayer, we were thought slow and unready for the fray.
Yet once in thy great bounty may we have delight, O Hero, after praising thee.

15. If he will listen to my laud, then may out Soma-drops that flow
Rapidly through the strainer gladden Indra, drops due to the Tugryas’ Strengthener.

16. Come now unto the common laud of thee and of thy faithful friend.
So may our wealthy nobles’ praise give joy to thee. Fain would I sing thine eulogy.

17. Press out the Soma with the stones, and in the waters wash it clean.
The men investing it with raiment made of milk shall milk it forth from out the stems.

18. Whether thou come from earth or from the lustre of the lofty heaven,
Wax stronger in thy body through my song of praise: fill full all creatures, O most Wise.

19. For India press the Soma out, most gladdening and most excellent.
May Sakra make it swell sent forth with every prayer and asking, as it were, for strength.

20. Let me not, still beseeching thee with earnest song at Soma rites,
Anger thee like soma wild beast. Who would not beseech him who hath power to grant his prayer?

21. The draught made swift with rapturous joy, effectual with its mighty strength,
All-conquering, distilling transport, let him drink: for he in ecstasy gives us gifts.

22. Where bliss is not, may he, All-praised, God whom the pious glorify,
Bestow great wealth upon the mortal worshipper who sheds the juice and praises him.

23. Come, Indra, and rejoice thyself, O God, in manifold affluence.
Thou fillest like a lake thy vast capacious bulk with Soma and with draughts besides.

24. A thousand and a hundred Steeds are harnessed to thy golden car.
So may the long-mancd Bays, yoked by devotion, bring Indra to drink the Soma juice.

25. Yoked to thy chariot wrought of gold, may thy two Bays with peacock tails,
Convey thee hither, Steeds with their white backs, to quaff sweet juice that makes us eloquent.

26. So drink, thou Lover of the Song, as the first drinker, of this juice.
This the outpouring of the savoury sap prepared is good and meet to gladden thee.

27. He who alone by wondrous deed is Mighty, Strong by holy works,
May he come, fair of cheek; may he not stay afar, but come and turn not from our call.

28. Susna’s quick moving castle thou hast crushed to pieces with thy bolts.
Thou, Indra, from of old, hast followed after light, since we have had thee to invoke.

29. My praises when the Sun hath risen, my praises at the time of noon,
My praises at the coming of the gloom of night, O Vasu, have gone forth to thee.

30. Praise yea, praise him. Of princes these are the most liberal of their gifts,
These, Paramajya, Ninditasva, Prapathi, most bounteous, O Medhyatithi.

31. When to the car, by faith, I yoked the horses longing for the way-
For skilled is Yadu’s son in dealing precious wealth, he who is rich in herds of kine.

32. May he who gave me two brown steeds together with their cloths of gold,
May he, Asanga’s son Svanadratha, obtain all joy and high felicities.

33. Playoga’s son Asanga, by ten thousand, O Agni, hath surpassed the rest in giving.
For me ten bright-hued oxen have come forward like lotus-stalks from out a lake upstanding.

34. What time her husband’s perfect restoration to his lost strength and manhood was apparent,
His consort Sasvati with joy addressed him, Now art thou well, my lord, and shalt be happy.


HYMN II. Indra.

1. HERE is the Soma juice expressed; O Vasu, drink till thou art full:
Undaunted God, we give it thee.

2. Washed by the men, pressed out with stones, strained through the filter made of wool,
‘Tis like a courser bathed in stream.

3. This juice have we made sweet for thee like barley, blending it with milk.
Indra, I call thee to our feast.

4. Beloved of all, Indra alone drinks up the flowing Soma juice
Among the Gods andmortal men.

5. The Friend, whom not the brilliant-hued, the badly-mixt or bitter draught,
Repels, the far-extending God;

6. While other men than we with milk chase him as hunters chase a deer,
And with their kine inveigle him.

7. For him, for Indra, for the God, be pressed three draughts of Soma juice
In the juice-drinker’s own abode.

8. Three reservoirs exude their drops, filled are three beakers to the brim,
All for one offering to the God.

9. Pure art thou, set in many a place, and blended in the midst with milk
And curd, to cheer the Hero best.

10. Here, Indra, are thy Soma-draughts pressed out by us, the strong, the pure:
They crave admixture of the milk.

11. O Indra, pour in milk, prepare the cake, and mix the Soma-draught.
I hear them say that thou art rich.

12. Quaffed juices fight within the breast. The drunken praise not by their wine,
The naked praise not when it rains.

13. Rich be the praiser of one rich, munificent and famed like thee:
High rank be his, O Lord of Bays.

14. Foe of the man who adds no milk, he heeds not any chanted hymn
Or holy psalm that may he sung.

15. Give us not, Indra, as a prey unto the scornful or the proud:
Help, Mighty One, with power and might.

16. This, even this, O Indra, we implore. as thy devoted friends,
The Kanvas praise thee with their hymns.

17. Naught else, O Thunderer, have I praised in the skilled singer’s eulogy:
On thy land only have I thought.

18. The Gods seek him who presses out the Soma; they desire not sleep
They punish sloth unweariedly.

19. Come hither swift with gifts of wealth – be not thou angry with us-like
A great man with a youthful bride.

20. Let him not, wrathful with us, spend the evening far from us to-day,
Like some unpleasant son-in-law.

21. For well we know this Hero’s love, most liberal of the boons he gives,
His plans whom the three worlds display.

22. Pour forth the gift which Kanvas bring, for none more glorious do we know
Than the Strong Lord with countless aids.

23. O presser, offer Soma first to Indra, Hero, Sakra, him
The Friend of man, that he may drink;

24. Who, in untroubled ways, is best provider, for his worshippers.
Of strength in horses and in kine.

25. Pressers, for him blend Soma juice, each draught most excellent, for him
The Brave, the Hero, for his joy.

26. The Vrtra-slayer drinks the juice. May he who gives a hundred aids
Approach, nor stay afar from us.

27. May the strong Bay Steeds, yoked by prayer, bring hither unto us our Friend,
Lover of Song, renowned by songs.

28. Sweet are the Soma juices, come! Blent are the Soma juices, come!
Rsi-like, mighty, fair of cheek, come hither quickly to the feast.

29. And lauds which strengthen thee for great bounty and valour, and exalt
Indra who doeth glorious deeds,

30. And songs to thee who lovest song, and all those hymns addressed to thee-
These evermore confirm thy might.

31. Thus he, sole doer of great deeds whose hand holds thunder, gives us strength,
He who hath never been subdued.

32. Vrtra he slays with his right hand, even Indra, great with mighty power,
And much-invoked in many a place.

33. He upon whom all men depend, all regions, all achievements, he
Takes pleasure in our wealthy chiefs.

34. All this hath he accomplished, yea, Indra, most gloriously renowned,
Who gives our wealthy princes strength.

35. Who drives his chariot seeking spoil, from afar, to him he loves:
For swift is he to bring men wealth.

36. The Sage who, winning spoil with steeds, slays Vrtra, Hero with the men,
His servant’s faithful succourer.

37. O Priyamedhas, worship with collected mind this Indra whom
The Soma hath full well inspired.

38. Ye Kanvas, sing the Mighty One, Lord of the Brave, who loves renown,
All-present, glorified by song.

39. Strong Friend, who, with no trace of feet, restores the cattle to the men,
Who rest their wish and hope on him.

40. Shaped as a Ram, Stone-hurler I once thou camest hither to the son
Of Kanva, wise Medhyatithi.

41. Vibhindu, thou hast helped this man, giving him thousands four times ten,
And afterward eight thousand more.

42. And these twain pouring streams of milk, creative, daughters of delight,
For wedlock sake I glorify.


HYMN III. Indra.

1. DRINK, Indra, of the savoury juice, and cheer thee with our milky draught.
Be, for our weal, our Friend and sharer of the feast, and let thy wisdom guard us well.

2. In thy kind grace and favour may we still be strong: expose us not to foe’s attack.
With manifold assistance guard and succour us, and bring us to felicity.

3. May these my songs of praise exalt thee, Lord, who hast abundant wealth.
Men skilled in holy hymns, pure, with the hues of fire, have sung them with their lauds to thee.

4. He, with his might enhanced by Rsis thousandfold, hath like an ocean spread himself.
His majesty is praised as true at solemn rites, his power where holy singers rule.

5. Indra for worship of the Gods, Indra while sacrifice proceeds,
Indra, as worshippers in battle-shock, we call, Indra that we may win the spoil.

6. With might hath Indra spread out heaven and earth, with power hath Indra lighted up the Sun.
In Indra are all creatures closely held; in him meet the distilling Soma-drops.

7. Men with their lauds are urging thee, Indra, to drink the Soma first.
The Rbhus in accord have lifted up their voice, and Rudras sung thee as the first.

8. Indra increased his manly strength at sacrifice, in the wild rapture of this juice.
And living men to-day, even as of old, sing forth their praises to his majesty.

9. I crave of thee that hero strength, that thou mayst first regard this prayer,
Wherewith thou holpest Bhrgu and the Yatis and Praskanva when the prize was staked.

10. Wherewith thou sentest mighty waters to the sea, that, Indra, is thy manly strength.
For ever unattainable is this power of him to whom the worlds have cried aloud.

11. Help us, O Indra, when we pray to thee for wealth and hero might.
First help thou on to strength the man who strives to win, and aid our laud, O Ancient One.

12. Help for us, Indra, as thou holpest Paura once, this man’s devotions bent on gain.
Help, as thou gavest Rugama and Syavaka and Svarnara and Krpa aid.

13. What newest of imploring prayers shall, then, the zealous mortal sing?
For have not they who laud his might, and Indra-power won for themselves the light of heaven?

14. When shall they keep the Law and praise thee mid the Gods? Who counts as Rsi and as sage?
When ever wilt thou, Indra Maghavan, come nigh to presser’s or to praiser’s call?

15. These songs of ours exceeding sweet, these hymns of praise ascend to thee,
Like ever-conquering chariots that display their strength, gain wealth, and give unfailing aid.

16. The Bhrgus are like Suns, like Kanvas, and have gained all that their thoughts were bent upon.
The living men of Priyamedha’s race have sung exalting Indra with their lauds.

17. Best slayer of the Vrtras, yoke thy Bay Steeds, Indra, from afar.
Come with the High Ones hither, Maghavan, to us, Mighty, to drink the Soma juice.

18. For these, the bards and singers, have cried out to thee with prayer, to gain the sacrifice.
As such, O Maghavan, Indra, who lovest song, even as a lover bear my call.

19. Thou from the lofty plains above, O Indra, hurledst Vrtra down.
Thou dravest forth the kine of guileful Mrgaya and Arbuda from the mountain’s hold.

20. Bright were the flaming fires, the Sun gave forth his shine, and Soma, Indra’s juice, shone clear.
Indra, thou blewest the great Dragon from the air -. men must regard that valorous deed.

21. The fairest courser of them all, who runneth on as ’twere to heaven.
Which Indra and the Maruts gave, and Pakasthaman Kaurayan.

22. To me hath Pakasthaman given, a ruddy horse,good at the pole,
Filling is girth and rousing wealth;

23. Compared with whom no other ten strong coursers, harnessed to the pole,
Bear Tugrya to his dwelling place.

24. Raiment is body, food is life, and healing ointment giveth strength.
As the free-handed giver of the ruddy steed, I have named Pakasthaman fourth.