HYMN XXVI. Indra.
1. I WAS aforetime Manu, I was Surya: I am the sage Kaksivan, holy singer.
Kutsa the son of Arjuni I master. I am the sapient Usana behold me.
2. I have bestowed the earth upon the Arya, and rain upon the man who brings oblation.
I guided forth the loudly-roaring waters, and the Gods moved according to my pleasure.
3. In the wild joy of Soma I demolished Sambara’s forts, ninety-and-nine, together;
And, utterly, the hundredth habitation, when helping Divodasa Atithigva.
4. Before all birds be ranked this Bird, O Maruts; supreme of falcons be this fleet-winged Falcon,
Because, strong- pinioned, with no car to bear him, he brought to Manu the Godloved oblation.
5. When the Bird brought it, hence in rapid motion sent on the wide path fleet as thought he hurried.
Swift he returned with sweetness of the Soma, and hence the Falcon hath acquired his glory.
6. Bearing the stalk, the Falcon speeding onward, Bird bringing from afar the draught that gladdens,
Friend of the Gods, brought, grasping fast, the Soma which be bad taken from yon loftiest heaven.
7. The Falcon took and brought the Soma, bearing thousand libations with him, yea, ten thousand.
The Bold One left Malignities behind him, wise, in wild joy of Soma, left the foolish.
HYMN XXVII. The Falcon.
1. I, As I lay within the womb, considered all generations of these Gods in order.
A hundred iron fortresses confined me but forth I flew with rapid speed a Falcon.
2. Not at his own free pleasure did he bear me: he conquered with his strength and manly courage.
Straightway the Bold One left the fiends behind him and passed the winds as he grew yet more mighty.
3. When with loud cry from heaven down sped the Falcon, thence hasting like the wind he bore the Bold One.
Then, wildly raging in his mind, the archer Krsanu aimed and loosed the string to strike him.
4. The Falcon bore him from heaven’s lofty summit as the swift car of Indra’s Friend bore Bhujyu.
Then downward bither fell a flying feather of the Bird hasting forward in his journey.
5. And now let Maghavan accept the beaker, white, filled with milk, filled with the shining liquid;
The best of sweet meath which the priests have offered: that Indra to his joy may drink, the Hero, that he may take and drink it to his rapture.
HYMN XXVIII. Indra-Soma.
1. ALLIED with thee, in this thy friendship, Soma, Indra for man made waters flow together,
Slew Ahi, and sent forth the Seven Rivers, and opened as it were obstructed fountains.
2. Indu, with thee for his confederate, Indra swiftly with might pressed down the wheel of Surya.
What rolled, all life’s support, on heaven’s high summit was separated from the great oppressor.
3. Indra smote down, Agni consumed, O Indu, the Dasyus ere the noontide in the conflict.
Of those who gladly sought a hard-won dwelling he cast down many a thousand with his arrow.
4. Lower than all besides hast thou, O Indra, cast down the Dasyus, abject tribes of Dasas.
Ye drave away, ye put to death the foemen, and took great vengeance with your murdering weapons.
5. So, of a truth, Indra and Soma, Heroes, ye burst the stable of the kine and horses,
The stable which the bar or stone obstructed; and piercing through set free the habitations.
HYMN XXIX. Indra.
1. COME, lauded, unto us with powers and succours, O Indra, with thy Tawny Steeds; exulting,
Past even the foeman’s manifold libations, glorified with our hymns, true Wealth-bestower.
2. Man’s Friend, to this our sacrifice he cometh marking how he is called by Soma-pressers.
Fearless, and conscious that his Steeds are noble, he joyeth with the Soma-pouring heroes.
3. Make his cars hear, that he may show his vigour and may be joyful in the way he loveth.
May mighty Indra pouring forth in bounty bestow on us good roads and perfect safety;
4. He who with succour comes to his implorer, the singer here who with his song invites him;
He who himself sets to the pole swift Coursers, he who hath hundreds, thousands, Thunder-wielder.
5. O Indra Maghavan, by thee protected may we be thine, princes and priests and singers,
Sharing the riches sent from lofty heaven which yields much food, and all desire its bounty.
HYMN XXX. Indra.
1. O INDRA, Vrtra-slayer, none is better, mightier than thou:
Verily there is none like thee.
2. Like chariot-wheels these people all together follow after thee:
Thou ever art renowned as Great.
3. Not even all the gathered Gods conquered thee, Indra, in the war,
When thou didst lengthen days by night.
4. When for the sake of those oppressed, and Kutsa as he battled,
Thou stolest away the Sun’s car-wheel.
5. When, fighting singly, Indra. thou o’ercamest all the furious Gods, thou slewest those who strove with thee.
6. When also for a mortal man, Indra, thou speddest forth the Sun,
And holpest Etasa with might.
7. What? Vrtra-slayer, art not thou, Maghavan, fiercest in thy wrath?
So hast thou quelled the demon too.
8. And this heroic deed of might thou, Indra, also hast achieved,
That thou didst smite to death the Dame, Heaven’s Daughter, meditating ill.
9. Thou, Indra, Mighty One, didst crush Usas, though Daughter of the Sky.
When lifting up herself in pride.
10. Then from her chariot Usas fled, affrighted, from her ruined car.
When the strong God had shattered it.
11. So there this car of Usas lay, broken to pieces, in Vipas,
And she herself fled far away.
12. Thou, Indra, didst. with magic power resist the overflowing stream
Who spread her waters o’er the land.
13. Valiantly didst thou seize and take the store which Susna had amassed,
When thou didst crush his fortresses.
14. Thou, Indra, also smotest down Kulitara’s son Sambara,
The Dasa, from the lofty hill.
15. Of Dasa Varcin’s thou didst slay the hundred thousand and the five,
Crushed like the fellies, of a car.
16. So Indra, Lord of Heroes, Powers, caused the unwedded damsel’s son,
The castaway, to share the lauds.
17. So sapient Indra, Lord of Might, brought Turvaga and Yadu, those
Who feared the flood, in safel o’er.
18. Arpa and Citraratha, both Aryas, thou, Indra, slewest swift,
On yonder side of Sarayu,
19. Thou, Vrtra-slayer, didst conduct those two forlorn, the blind, the lame.
None may attain this bliss of thine.
20. For Divodasa, him who brought oblationt, 1ndra overthrew
A hundred fortresses of stone.
21. The thirty thousand Disas he with magic power and weapons sent
To slumber, for Dabhiti’s sake.
22. As such, O Vrtra-slayer, thou art general Lord of kine for all,
Thou Shaker of all things that be.
23. Indra, whatever deed of might thou hast this day to execute,
None be there now to hinder it.
24. O Watchful One, may Aryaman the God give thee all goodly things.
May Risan, Bhaga, and the God Karulati give all things fair.
HYMN XXXI. Indra.
1. WITH what help will he come to us, wonderful, ever-waxing Friend;
With what most mighty company?
2. What genuine and most liberal draught will spirit thee with juice to burst
Open e’en strongly-guarded wealth?
3. Do thou who art Protector of us thy friends who praise thee
With hundred aids approach us.
4. Like as a courser’s circling wheel, so turn thee hitherward to us,
Attracted by the hymns of men.
5. Thou seekest as it were thine own stations with swift descent of powers:
I share thee even with the Sun.
6. What time thy courage and his wheels together, Indra, run their course
With thee and with the Sun alike,
7. So even, Lord of Power and Might, the people call thee Maghavan,
Giver, who pauses not to think.
8. And verily to him who toils and presses Soma juice for thee
Thou quickly givest ample wealth.
9. No, not a hundred hinderers can check thy gracious bounty’s flow,
Nor thy great deeds when thou wilt act.
10. May thine assistance keep us safe, thy hundred and thy thousand aids:
May all thy favours strengthen us.
11. Do thou elect us this place for friendship and prosperity,
And great celestial opulence.
12. Favour us, Indra, evermore with overflowing store of wealth:
With all thy succours aid thou us.
13. With new protections, Indra, like an archer, open thou forus
The stables that are filled with kine.
14. Our chariot, Indra, boldly moves endued with splendour, ne’er repulsed,
Winning for us both kine andsteeds.
15. O Surya, make our fame to be most excellent among the Gods,
Most lofty as the heaven on high.