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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 1015 of 1027

Mandala 10: HYMN CLXXVIII. Tārkṣya.

1.THIS very mighty one whom Gods commission, the Conqueror of cars, ever triumphant, Swift, fleet to battle, with uninjured fellies, even Tārkṣya for our weal will we call hither.

2.As though we offered up our gifts to Indra, may we ascend. him as a ship. for safety. Like the two wide worlds, broad, deep far-extended, may we be safe both when he comes and leaves you.

3.He who with might the Five Lands hath pervaded, like Sūrya with his lustre, and the waters— His strength wins hundreds, thousands none avert it, as the young maid repelleth not her lover.

Asked of Guide

Who is Tārkṣya and why do the rishis call him to protect them?

Tārkṣya is presented as a mighty divine conqueror of chariots—“ever triumphant, Swift, fleet to battle”—invoked as a protector whose arrival and departure secure the worshippers like a safe ship. The hymn stresses his pervasive power: he has “with might the Five Lands hath pervaded,” radiates like Sūrya, and his strength wins multitudinous victories, so the rishis summon him for communal safety and success in conflict.

This pattern of invoking a martial deity for protection echoes other Rigveda hymns to Indra and to Sūrya, where a god’s cosmic radiance and dominance over realms justify ritual appeals for deliverance and prosperity. The language treats Tārkṣya both as a warlike champion and a cosmic presence whose movement ensures the worshippers’ well-being.

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