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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 102 of 1027

Mandala 1: HYMN CII. Indra.

1.To thee the Mighty One I bring this mighty hymn, for thy desire hath been gratified by my laud. In Indra, yea in him victorious through his strength, the Gods have joyed at feast and when the Soma flowed.

2.The Seven Rivers bear his glory far and wide, and heaven and sky and earth display his comely form. The Sun and Moon in change alternate run their course, that we, O Indra, may behold and may have faith.

3.Maghavan, grant us that same car to bring us spoil, thy conquering car in which we joy in shock of fight. Thou, Indra, whom our hearts praise highly in the war, grant shelter, Maghavan, to us who love thee well.

4.Encourage thou our side in every fight: may we, with thee for our ally, conquer the foeman’s host. Indra, bestow on us joy and felicity break down, O Maghavan, the vigour of our foes.

5.For here in divers ways these men invoking thee, holder of treasures, sing hymns to win thine aid. Ascend the car that thou mayest bring spoil to us, for, Indra, thy fixt winneth the victory.

6.His arms win kine, his power is boundless in each act best, with a hundred helps, waker of battle’s din Is Indra: none may rival him in mighty strength. Hence, eager for the spoil the people call on him.

7.Thy glory, Maghavan, exceeds a hundred yea, more than a hundred, than a thousand mid the folk, The great bowl hath inspirited thee boundlessly: so mayst thou slay the Vṛtras, breaker-down of forts!

8.Of thy great might there is a three counterpart, the three earths, Lord men and the three realms of light. Above this whole world, Indra, thou hast waxen great: without a foe art thou, nature, from of old.

9.We invocate thee first among the Deities: thou hast become a mighty Conquer in fight. May Indra fill with spirit this our singer’s heart, and make our car impetuous, foremost in attack.

10.Thou hast prevailed, and hast not kept the booty back, in trifling battles in those of great account. We make thee keen, the Mighty One, succour us: inspire us, Maghavan, when we defy the foe.

11.May Indra evermore be our Protector, and unimperilled may we win the booty. This prayer of ours may Varuṇa grant and Mitra, and Aditi and Sindhu, Earth and Heaven.

Asked of Guide

Why do the singers keep asking Indra for a car to bring spoil and victory?

The hymn frames Indra as Maghavan, a treasurer of riches whose car is the instrument of cosmic and martial success; lines like “Ascend the car that thou mayest bring spoil to us” link his mobility to victory and the distribution of booty. The car symbolizes both physical force in battle and the divine means by which prosperity and social esteem are conferred on his devotees.

The repeated petitions—“grant shelter…encourage thou our side in every fight”—treat Indra’s favor as a practical resource for the community’s safety and wealth, so invoking the car requests his active participation in their fortunes. This fits the Rig Veda’s broader pattern, similar to other hymns in Mandala 1, where gods’ vehicles and gifts mark their role in sustaining tribe and ritual order.

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