A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.
Rig Veda · 331 of 1027
Mandala 4: HYMN XXXV. Ṛbhus.
1.Come hither, O ye Sons of Strength, ye Ṛbhus; stay not afar, ye Children of Sudhanvan. At this libation is your gift of treasure. Let gladdening draughts approach you after Indra’s.
2.Hither is come the Ṛbhus’ gift of riches; here was the drinking of the well-pressed Soma, Since by dexterity and skill as craftsmen ye made the single chalice to be fourfold
3.Ye made fourfold the chalice that wag single: ye spake these words and said, O Friend, assist us; Then, Vājas! gained the path of life eternal, deft-handed Ṛbhus, to the Gods’ assembly.
4.Out of what substance was that chalice fashioned which ye made fourfold by your art and wisdom? Now for the gladdening draught press out the liquor, and drink, O Ṛbhus, of die meath of Soma.
5.Ye with your cunning made your Parents youthful; the cup, for Gods to drink, ye formed with cunning; With cunning, Ṛbhus, rich in treasure, fashioned the two swift Tawny Steeds who carry Indra.
6.Whoso pours out for you, when days are closing, the sharp libation for your joy, O Vājas, For him, O mighty Ṛbhus, ye, rejoicing, have fashioned wealth with plenteous store of heroes.
7.Lord of Bay Steeds, at dawn the juice thou drankest: thine, only thine, is the noonday libation. Now drink thou with the wealth-bestowing Ṛbhus, whom for their skill thou madest friends, O Indra.
8.Ye, whom your artist skill hath raised to Godhead have set you down above in heaven like falcons. So give us riches, Children of Sudhanvan, O Sons of Strength; ye have become immortal.
9.The third libation, that bestoweth treasure, which ye have won by skill, ye dexterous-handed,— This drink hath been effused for you, O Ṛbhus . drink it with high delight, with joy like Indra’s.
Asked of Guide
Why do the Ṛbhus keep making things—chalices, steeds, youth—for the gods in this hymn?
The Ṛbhus are praised here as master craftsmen whose skill (‘‘dexterity and skill as craftsmen’’) literally produces divine benefit: they fashion the fourfold chalice, the tawny steeds, and even restore their parents’ youth, and those works secure them a place ‘‘to the Gods’ assembly.’’ The hymn treats creative labor as sacrificial and cosmically productive: making objects for Soma and Indra ties craft to ritual reward, immortality, and wealth.
By celebrating making as a sacred act, the poem locates power in technique and gift-exchange; when the Ṛbhus give their art, the gods grant libations and riches in return. This theme echoes other Vedic hymns where skill and sacrifice create order and favor, comparable to how the Purusha sacrifice in the Rig Veda explains social and cosmic production.
Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.