Rig Veda

Book 4, Hymn XXXII. Indra

1. O THOU who slewest Vṛtra, come, O Indra, hither to our side,
Mighty One with thy mighty aids.

2 Swift and impetuous art thou, wondrous amid the well-dressed folk:
Thou doest marvels for our help.

3 Even with the weak thou smitest down him
who is stronger, with thy strength
The mighty, with the Friends thou hast.

4 O Indra, we are close to thee; to thee we sing aloud our songs:
Help and defend us, even us.

5 As such, O Caster of the Stone, come with thy succours wonderful,
Blameless, and irresistible.

6 May we be friends of one like thee, O Indra, with the wealth of kine,
Comrades for lively energy.

7 For thou, O Indra, art alone the Lord of strength that comes from kine
So grant thou us abundant food.

8 They turn thee not another way, when, lauded, Lover of the Song,
Thou wilt give wealth to those who praise.

9 The Gotamas have sung their song of praise to thee that thou mayst give,
Indra, for lively energy.

10 We will declare thy hero deeds, what Dāsa forts thou brakest down,
Attacking them in rapturous joy.

11 The sages sing those manly deeds which, Indra, Lover of the Song,
Thou wroughtest when the Soma flowed.

12 Indra, the Gotamas who bring thee praises have grown strong by thee.
Give them renown with hero sons.

13 For, Indra, verily thou art the general treasure even of all .
Thee, therefore, do we invocate.

14 Excellent Indra, turn to us: glad thee among us with the juice
Of Somas, Soma-drinker thou.

15 May praise from us who think Qn thee, O Indra, bring thee near to us.
Turn thy two Bay Steeds hitherward.

16 Eat of our sacrificial cake: rejoice thee in the songs we sing.
Even as a lover in his bride.

17 To India for a thousand steeds well-trained and fleet of foot we pray,
And hundred jars of Soma juice.

18 We make a hundred of thy kine, yea, and a thousand, hasten nigh:
So let thy bounty come to us.

19 We have obtained, a gift from thee, ten water-ewers wrought of gold:
Thou, Vṛtra-slayer, givest much.

20 A bounteous Giver, give us much, bring much and not a trifling gift:
Much, Indra, wilt thou fain bestow.

21 O Vṛtra-slayer, thou art famed in many a place as bountiful
Hero, thy bounty let us share.

22 I praise thy pair of Tawny Steeds, wise Son of him who giveth kine
Terrify not the cows with these.

23 Like two slight images of girls, unrobed, upon a new-wrought post,
So shine the Bay Steeds in their course.

24 For me the Bays are ready when I start, or start not, with the dawn, Innocuous in the ways they take.