Rig Veda · 325 of 1027
Mandala 4: HYMN XXIX. Indra.
1.COME, lauded, unto us with powers and succours, O Indra, with thy Tawny Steeds; exulting, Past even the foeman’s manifold libations, glorified with our hymns, true Wealth-bestower.
2.Man’s Friend, to this our sacrifice he cometh marking how he is called by Soma-pressers. Fearless, and conscious that his Steeds are noble, he joyeth with the Soma-pouring heroes.
3.Make his cars hear, that he may show his vigour and may be joyful in the way he loveth. May mighty Indra pouring forth in bounty bestow on us good roads and perfect safety;
4.He who with succour comes to his implorer, the singer here who with his song invites him; He who himself sets to the pole swift Coursers, he who hath hundreds, thousands, Thunder-wielder.
5.O Indra Maghavan, by thee protected may we be thine, princes and priests and singers, Sharing the riches sent from lofty heaven which yields much food, and all desire its bounty.
Asked of Guide
Why do the hymns call Indra both 'Man's Friend' and 'Thunder-wielder' here?
The chapter presents Indra as an approachable protector and a mighty warrior at once: he is “Man’s Friend” who comes to the sacrifice, joyful with the Soma-pouring heroes, and also the cosmic force who sets “swift Coursers” and is called “Thunder-wielder.” These epithets describe complementary roles—intimate patron of worshipers and a powerful deity who grants roads, safety, and riches.
This pairing appears elsewhere in the Vedas where a god’s beneficence is matched to his capacity to act, as in other hymns to Indra and in the Rig Veda’s general pattern of praise that links divine favor to martial prowess and gift-giving. The chapter ties closeness in ritual (protector of princes and priests) to public power (bestower of wealth and victory).
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