Book 8 >> HYMN 1 - Indra



मा चिदन्यद वि शंसत सखायो मा रिषण्यत |
इन्द्रमित्स्तोता वर्षणं सचा सुते मुहुरुक्था च शंसत
English:- . 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:

अवक्रक्षिणं वर्षभं यथाजुरं गां न चर्षणीसहम |
विद्वेषणं संवननोभयंकरं मंहिष्ठमुभयाविनम
English:- 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.

यच्चिद धि तवा जना इमे नाना हवन्त ऊतये |
अस्माकं बरह्मेदमिन्द्र भूतु ते.अह विश्वा च वर्धनम
English:- 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.

वि तर्तूर्यन्ते मघवन विपश्चितो.अर्यो विपो जनानाम |
उप करमस्व पुरुरूपमा भर वाजं नेदिष्ठमूतये
English:- 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.

महे चन तवामद्रिवः परा शुल्काय देयाम |
न सहस्रायनायुताय वज्रिवो न शताय शतामघ
English:- 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!

वस्यानिन्द्रासि मे पितुरुत भरातुरभुञ्जतः |
माता चमे छदयथः समा वसो वसुत्वनाय राधसे
English:- 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.

कवेयथ कवेदसि पुरुत्रा चिद धि ते मनः |
अलर्षि युध्म खजक्र्त पुरन्दर पर गायत्रा अगासिषुः
English:- 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.

परास्मै गायत्रमर्चत वावातुर्यः पुरन्दरः |
याभिःकाण्वस्योप बर्हिरासदं यासद वज्री भिनत पुरः
English:- 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 Kaṇva's sacred grass.

ये ते सन्ति दशग्विनः शतिनो ये सहस्रिणः |
अश्वासो येते वर्षणो रघुद्रुवस्तेभिर्नस्तूयमा गहि
English:- 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.

आ तवद्य सबर्दुघां हुवे गायत्रवेपसम |
इन्द्रं धेनुंसुदुघामन्यामिषमुरुधारामरंक्र्तम
English:- This day I call Sabardughā who animates the holy song,
Indra the richly-yielding Milch-cow who provides unfailing food in ample stream.

यत तुदत सूर एतशं वङकू वातस्य पर्णिना |
वहत कुत्समार्जुनेयं शतक्रतुः तसरद गन्धर्वमस्त्र्तम
English:- When Sūra wounded Etaśa, with Vāta's rolling winged car.
Indra bore Kutsa Ārjuneya off, and mocked Gandharva. the unconquered One.

य रते चिदभिश्रिषः पुरा जत्रुभ्य आत्र्दः |
सन्धातासन्धिं मघवा पुरूवसुरिष्कर्ता विह्रुतं पुनः
English:- He without ligature, before making incision in the neck,
Closed up the wound again, most wealthy Maghavan, who maketh whole the injured part.

मा भूम निष्ट्या इवेन्द्र तवदरणा इव |
वनानि न परजहितान्यद्रिवो दुरोषासो अमन्महि
English:- 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 burn.

अमन्महीदनाशवो.अनुग्रासश्च वर्त्रहन |
सक्र्त सु ते महता शूर राधसानु सतोमं मुदीमहि
English:- O Vṛtra-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.

यदि सतोमं मम शरवदस्माकमिन्द्रमिन्दवः |
तिरः पवित्रं सस्र्वांस आशवो मन्दन्तु तुग्र्याव्र्धः
English:- 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.

आ तवद्य सधस्तुतिं वावातुः सख्युरा गहि |
उपस्तुतिर्मघोनां पर तवावत्वधा ते वश्मि सुष्टुतिम
English:- 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.

सोता हि सोममद्रिभिरेमेनमप्सु धावत |
गव्या वस्त्रेव वासयन्त इन नरो निर्धुक्षन वक्षणाभ्यः
English:- 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.

अध जमो अध वा दिवो बर्हतो रोचनादधि |
अया वर्धस्व तन्वा गिरा ममा जाता सुक्रतो पर्ण
English:- 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.

इन्द्राय सु मदिन्तमं सोमं सोता वरेण्यम |
शक्र एणं पीपयद विश्वया धिया हिन्वानं न वाजयुम
English:- For India press the Soma out, most gladdening and most excellent.
May Śakra make it swell sent forth with every prayer and asking, as it were, for strength.

मा तवा सोमस्य गल्दया सदा याचन्नहं गिरा |
भूर्णिं मर्गं न सवनेषु चुक्रुधं क ईशानं न याचिषत
English:- Let me not, still beseeching thee with earnest song at Soma rites,
Anger thee like some wild beast. Who would not beseech him who hath power to grant his prayer?

मदेनेषितं मदमुग्रमुग्रेण शवसा |
विश्वेषां तरुतारं मदच्युतं मदे हि षमा ददाति नः
English:- 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.

शेवारे वार्या पुरु देवो मर्ताय दाशुषे |
स सुन्वते चस्तुवते च रासते विश्वगूर्तो अरिष्टुतः
English:- 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.

एन्द्र याहि मत्स्व चित्रेण देव राधसा |
सरो न परास्युदरं सपीतिभिरा सोमेभिरुरु सफिरम
English:- 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.

आ तवा सहस्रमा शतं युक्ता रथे हिरण्यये |
बरह्मयुजो हरय इन्द्र केशिनो वहन्तु सोमपीतये
English:- A thousand and a hundred Steeds are harnessed to thy golden car.
So may the long-maned Bays, yoked by devotion, bring Indra to drink the Soma juice.

आ तवा रथे हिरण्यये हरी मयूरशेप्या |
शितिप्र्ष्ठा वहतां मध्वो अन्धसो विवक्षणस्य पीतये
English:- 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.

पिबा तवस्य गिर्वणः सुतस्य पूर्वपा इव |
परिष्क्र्तस्य रसिन इयमासुतिश्चारुर्मदाय पत्यते
English:- 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.

य एको अस्ति दंसना महानुग्रो अभि वरतैः |
गमत स शिप्री न स योषदा गमद धवं न परि वर्जति
English:- 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.

तवं पुरं चरिष्ण्वं वधैः शुष्णस्य सं पिणक |
तवम्भा अनु चरो अध दविता यदिन्द्र हव्यो भुवः
English:- Śuṣṇa'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.

मम तवा सूर उदिते मम मध्यन्दिने दिवः |
मम परपित्वेपिशर्वरे वसवा सतोमासो अव्र्त्सत
English:- 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.

सतुहि सतुहीदेते घा ते मंहिष्ठासो मघोनाम |
निन्दिताश्वः परपथी परमज्या मघस्य मेध्यातिथे
English:- Praise yea, praise him. Of princes these are the most liberal of their gifts,
These, Paramajyā, Ninditāśva, Prapathī, most bounteous, O Medhyātithi.

आ यदश्वान वनन्वतः शरद्धयाहं रथे रुहम |
उतवामस्य वसुनश्चिकेतति यो अस्ति याद्वः पशुः
English:- 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.

य रज्रा मह्यं मामहे सह तवचा हिरण्यया |
एष विश्वान्यभ्यस्तु सौभगासङगस्य सवनद्रथः
English:- May he who gave me two brown steeds together with their cloths of gold,
May he, Āsaṅga's son Svanadratha, obtain all joy and high felicities.

अध पलायोगिरति दासदन्यानासङगो अग्ने दशभिः सहस्रैः |
अधोक्षणो दश मह्यं रुशन्तो नळा इव सरसो निरतिष्ठन
English:- Playoga's son Āsaṅga, 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.

अन्वस्य सथूरं दद्र्शे पुरस्तादनस्थ ऊरुरवरम्बमाणः |
शश्वती नार्यभिचक्ष्याह सुभद्रमर्य भोजनं बिभर्षि
English:- What time her husband's perfect restoration to his lost strength and manhood was apparent,
His consort Śaśvatī with joy addressed him, Now art thou well, my lord, and shalt be happy.