Rig Veda · 280 of 1027
Mandala 3: HYMN XLVI. Indra.
1.OF thee, the Bull, the Warrior, Sovran Ruler, joyous and fierce, ancient and ever youthful, The undecaying One who wields the thunder, renowned and great, great are the exploits, Indra.
2.Great art thou, Mighty Lord, through manly vigour, O fierce One, gathering spoil, subduing others, Thyself alone the universe’s Sovran: so send forth men to combat and to rest them.
3.He hath surpassed all measure in his brightness, yea, and the Gods, for none may be his equal. Impetuous Indra in his might cxccedcth wide vast mid-air and heaven and earth together.
4.To Indra, even as rivers to the ocean, flow forth from days of old the Soma juices; To him wide deep and mighty from his birth-time, the well of holy thoughts, aIl-comprehending.
5.The Soma, Indra, which the earth and heaven bear for thee as a mother bears her infant, This they send forth to thee, this, vigorous Hero! Adhvaryus purify for thee to drink of.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn call Indra both 'ancient' and 'ever youthful'?
The hymn calls Indra “ancient and ever youthful” to hold together his timeless authority and immediate force: he is the “Undecaying One” whose greatness spans birth-time and ongoing exploits. The image insists his power is rooted in origin—“from his birth-time, the well of holy thoughts”—while it also pours fresh vigor into battles and Soma rites.
That pairing echoes other Vedic portrayals where a deity is eternal yet dynamically present, as in Rig Veda Mandala 1 where Agni links ancestral continuity with sacrificial immediacy. The line frames worship: you honor an origin that still acts, so rites and offerings meet a god who is both source and active sovereign.
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