HYMN XXIII. Indra.
1. THOU art attached to pressed-out Soma, Indra, at laud, at prayer, and when the hymn is chanted;
Or when with yoked Bays, Maghavan, thou comest, O Indra, bearing in thine arms the thunder.
2. Or when on that decisive day thou holpest the presser of the juice at Vrtra’s slaughter;
Or when thou, while the strong one feared, undaunted, gavest to death, Indra, the daring Dasyus.
3. Let Indra drink the pressed-out Soma, Helper and mighty Guide of him who sings his praises.
He gives the hero room who pours oblations, and treasure even to the lowly singer.
4. E’en humble rites with his Bay steeds he visits: he wields the bolt, drinks Soma, gives us cattle.
He makes the valiant rich in store of heroes, accepts our praise and hears the singer’s calling.
5. What he hath longed for we have brought to Indra, who from the days of old hath done us service.
While Soma flows we will sing hymn, and laud him, so that our prayer may streng. then Indra’s vigour.
6. Thou hast made prayer the means of thine exalting, therefore we wait on thee with hymns, O Indra.
May we, by the pressed Soma, Somadrinker! bring thee, with sacrifice, blissful sweet refreshment.
7. Mark well our sacrificial cake, delighted Indra, drink Soma and the milk commingled.
Here on the sacrificer’s grass be seated: give ample room to thy devoted servant.
8. O Mighty One, be joyful as thou willest. Let these our sacrifices reach and find thee;
And may this hymn and these our invocations turn thee, whom many men invoke, to help us.
9. Friends, when thejuices flow, replenish duly your own, your bounteous Indra with the Soma.
Will it not aid him to support us? Indra. spares him who sheds the juice to win his favour.
10. While Soma flowed, thus Indra hath been lauded, Ruler of nobles, mid the Bharadvajas,
That Indra may become the singer’s patron and give him wealth in every kind of treasure.
HYMN XXIV. Indra.
1. STRONG rapturous joy, praise, glory are with Indra: impetuous God, he quaffs the juice of Soma:
That Maghavan whom men must laud with singing, Heaven-dweller, King of songs, whose help is lasting.
2. He, Friend of man, most wise, victorious Hero, hears, with far-reaching aid, the singer call him.
Excellent, Praise of Men, the bard’s Supporter, Strong, he gives strength, extolled in holy synod.
3. The lofty axle of thy wheels, O Hero, is not surpassed by heaven and earth in greatness.
Like branches of a tree, Invoked of many manifold aids spring forth from thee, O Indra.
4. Strong Lord, thine energies, endowed with vigour, are like the paths of kine converging homeward.
Like bonds of cord, Indra, that bind the younglings, no bonds are they, O thou of boundless bounty.
5. One act to-day, another act tomorrow oft Indra makes what is not yet existeni.
Here have we Mitra, Varuna, and Pusan to overcome the foeman’s domination.
6. By song and sacrifice men brought the waters from thee, as from a mountain’s ridge, O Indra.
Urging thy might, with these fair lauds they seek thee, O theme of song, as horses rush tobattle.
7. That Indra whom nor months nor autumn seasons wither with age, nor fleeting days enfeeble,-
Still may his body Wax, e’en now so mighty, glorified by the lauds and hymns that praise him.
8. Extolled, he bends not to the strong, the steadfast, nor to the bold incited by the Dasyu.
High mountains are as level plains to Indra: even in the deep he finds firm ground to rest on.
9. Impetuous Speeder through all depth and distance, give strengthening food, thou drinker of the juices.
Stand up erect to help us, unreluctant, what time the gloom of night brightens to morning.
10. Hasting to help, come hither and protect him, keep him from harm when he is here, O Indra.
At home, abroad, from injury preserve him. May brave sons gladden us through a hundred winters.
HYMN XXV. Indra.
1. WITH thine assistance, O thou Mighty Indra, be it the least, the midmost, or the highest,-
Great with those aids and by these powers support us, Strong God! in battle that subdues our foemen.
2. With these discomfit hosts that fight against us, and check the opponent’s wrath, thyself uninjured.
With these chase all our foes to every quarter: subdue the tribes of Dasas to the Arya.
3. Those who array themselves as foes to smite us, O Indra, be they kin or be they strangers,-
Strike thou their manly strength that it be feeble, and drive in headlong flight our foemen backward.
4. With strength of limb the hero slays the hero, when bright in arms they range them for the combat.
When two opposing hosts contend in battle for seed and offspring, waters, kine, or corn-lands.
5. Yet no strong man hath conquered thee, no hero, no brave, no warrior trusting in his valour.
Not one of these is match for thee, O Indra. Thou far surpassest all these living creatures.
6. He is the Lord of both these armies’ valour when the commanders call them to the conflict:
When with their ranks expanded they are fighting with a great foe or for a home with heroes.
7. And when the people stir themselves for battle, be thou their saviour, Indra, and protector,
And theirs, thy manliest of our friends, the pious, the chiefs who have installed us priests, O Indra.
8. To thee for high dominion hath been for evermore, for slaughtering the Vrtras,
All lordly power and might, O Holy Indra, given by Gods for victory in battle.
9. So urge our hosts together in the combats: yield up the godless bands that fight against us.
Singing, at morn may we find thee with favour, yea, Indra, and e’en now, we Bharadvajas.
HYMN XXVI. Indra.
1. O INDRA, hear us. Raining down the Soma, we call on thee to win us mighty valour.
Give us strong succour on the day of trial, when the tribes gather on the field of battle.
2. The warrior, son of warrior sire, invokes thee, to gain great strength that may be won as booty:
To thee, the brave man’s Lord, the fiends’ subduer, he looks when fighting hand to hand for cattle.
3. Thou didst impel the sage to win the daylight, didst ruin Susna for the pious Kutsa.
The invulnerable demon’s head thou clavest when thou wouldst win the praise of Atithigva.
4. The lofty battle-car thou broughtest forward; thou holpest Dasadyu the strong when fighting.
Along with Vetasu thou slewest Tugra, and madest Tuji strong, who praised thee, Indra.
5. Thou madest good the laud, what time thou rentest a hundred thousand fighting foes, O Hero,
Slewest the Dasa Sambara of the mountain, and with strange aids didst succour Divodasa.
6. Made glad with Soma-draughts and faith, thou sentest Cumuri to his sleep, to please Dabhiti.
Thou, kindly giving Raji to Pithinas, slewest with might, at once, the sixty thousand.
7. May I too, with the liberal chiefs, O Indra, acquire thy blin supreme and domination,
When, Mightiest! Hero-girt! Nahusa heroes boast them in thee, the triply-strong Defender.
8. So may we he thy friends, thy best beloved, O Indra, at this holy invocation.
Best be Pratardani, illustrious ruler, in slaying foemen and in gaining riches.
HYMN XXVII. Indra.
1 WHAT deed hath Indra done in the wild transport, in quaffing or in friendship with, the Soma?
What joys have men of ancient times or recent obtained within the chamber of libation?
2. In its wild joy Indra hath proved him faithful, faithful in quaffing, faithful in its friendship.
His truth is the delight that in this chamber the men of old and recent times have tasted.
3. All thy vast power, O Maghavan, we know not, know not the riches of thy full abundance.
No one hath seen that might of thine, productive of bounty every day renewed, O Indra.
4. This one great power of thine our eyes have witnessed, wherewith thou slewest Varasikha’s children,
When by the force of thy descending thunder, at the mere solund, their boldest was demolished.
5. In aid of Abhyavartin Cayamana, Indra destroyed the seed of Varasikha.
At Hariyupiya he smote the vanguard of the Vrcivans, and the rear fled frighted.
6. Three thousand, mailed, in quest of fame, together, on the Yavyavati, O much-sought Indra,
Vrcivan’s sons, falling before the arrow, like bursting vessels went to their destruction.
7. He, whose two red Steers, seeking goodly pasture, plying their tongues move on ‘twixt earth and heaven,
Gave Turvasa to Srnjaya, and, to aid him, gave the Vrcivans up to Daivavata.
8. Two wagon-teams, with damsels, twenty oxen, O Agni, Abhydvartin Cayamdna,
The liberal Sovran, giveth me. This guerdon of Prthu’s seed is hard to win from others.
HYMN XXVIII. Cows.
I. THE Kine have come and brought good fortune: let them rest in the cow-pen and be happy near us.
Here let them stay prolific, many-coloured, and yield through many morns their milk for Indra.
2. Indra aids him who offers sacrifice and gifts: he takes not what is his, and gives him more thereto.
Increasing ever more and ever more his wealth, he makes the pious dwell within unbroken bounds.
3. These are ne’er lost, no robber ever injures them: no evil-minded foe attempts to harass them.
The master of the Kine lives many a year with these, the Cows whereby he pours his gifts and serves the Gods.
4. The charger with his dusty brow o’ertakes them not, and never to the shambles do they take their way.
These Cows, the cattle of the pious worshipper, roam over widespread pasture where no danger is.
5. To me the Cows seem Bhaga, they seem Indra, they seem a portion of the first-poured Soma.
These present Cows, they, O ye Indra. I long for Indra with my heart and spirit.
6. O Cows, ye fatten e’en the worn and wasted, and make the unlovely beautiful tolook on.
Prosper my house, ye with auspicious voices. Your power is glorified in our assemblies.
7. Crop goodly pasturage and be prolific drink pure sweet water at good drinking places.
Never be thief or sinful man your matter, and may the dart of Rudra still avoid you.
8. Now let this close admixture be close intermigled with these Cows,
Mixt with the Steer’s prolific flow, and, Indra, with thy hero might.
HYMN XXIX Indra.
1. YOUR men have followed Indra for his friendship, and for his loving-kindness glorified him.
For he bestows great wealth, the Thunder-wielder: worship him, Great and Kind, to win his favour.
2. Him to whose hand, men closely cling, and drivers stand on his golden chariot firmly stationed.
With his firm arms he holds the reins; his Horses, the Stallions, are yoked ready for the journey.
3. Thy devotees embrace thy feet for glory. Bold, thunder-armed, rich, through thy strength, in guerdon,
Robed in a garment fair as heaven to look on, thou hast displayed thee like an active dancer.
4. That Soma when effused hath best consistence, for which the food is dressed and grain is mingled;
By which the men who pray, extolling Indra chief favourites of Gods, recite their praises.
5. No limit of thy might hath been appointed, which by its greatness sundered earth and heaven.
These the Prince filleth full with strong endeavour, driving, as ’twere, with help his flocks to waters.
6. So be the lofty Indra prompt to listen, Helper unaided, golden-visored Hero.
Yea, so may he, shown forth in might unequalled, smite down the many Vrtras and the Dasyus.
HYMN XXX. Indra.
1. INDRA hath waxed yet more for hero prowess, alone, Eternal, he bestoweth treasures.
Indra transcendeth both the worlds in greatness: one half of him equalleth earth and heaven.
2. Yea, mighty I esteem his Godlike nature: none hindereth what he hath once determined.
Near and afar he spread and set the regions, and every day the Sun became apparent.
3. E’en now endures thine exploit of the Rivers, when, Indra, for their floods thou clavest passage.
Like men who sit at meat the mountains settled: by thee, Most Wise! the regions were made steadfast.
4. This is the truth, none else is like thee, Indra, no God superior to thee, no mortal.
Thou slewest Ahi who besieged the waters, and lettest loose the streams to hurry seaward.
5. Indra, thou breakest up the floods and portals on all sides, and the firmness of the mountain.
Thou art the King of men, of all that liveth, engendering at once Sun, Heaven, and Morning.
