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Rig Veda · 481 of 1027
Mandala 6: HYMN XL. Indra
1.DRINK, Indra; juice is shed to make thee joyful: loose thy Bay Steeds and give thy friends their freedom. Begin the song, seated in our assembly. Give strength for sacrifice to him who singeth.
2.Drink thou of this whereof at birth, O Indra, thou drankest, Mighty One for power and rapture. The men, the pressing-stones, the cows, the waters have made this Soma ready for thy drinking.
3.The fire is kindled, Soma pressed, O Indra: let thy Bays, best to draw, convey thee hither. With mind devoted, Indra, I invoke thee. Come, for our great prosperity approach us.
4.Indra, come hither: evermore thou camest through our great strong desire to drink the Soma. Listen and hear the prayers which now we offer, and let this sacrifice increase thy vigour.
5.Mayst thou, O Indra, on the day of trial, present or absent, wheresoe’er thou dwellest, Thence, with thy team, accordant with the Maruts, Song-lover! guard our sacrifice, to help us.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn urge Indra to drink Soma so insistently?
The hymn treats Soma as the source of Indra’s “power and rapture,” saying he drank it “at birth” and that men, cows, waters and pressing-stones have prepared it for him. Drinking Soma here connects Indra’s strength to the sacrificial ritual: the god’s renewed vigor makes him able to protect and prosper the worshippers and their sacrifice.
That connection appears throughout the Rig Veda where ritual offering enlivens deities; compare the Purusha hymn’s account of sacrifice creating cosmic order. The plea “Give strength for sacrifice to him who singeth” makes the practical aim explicit: Soma empowers Indra to guard the ritual and reward the singers.
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