Listen

Dhammapada · narration sample

A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.

Rig Veda · 547 of 1027

Mandala 7: HYMN XXXI. Indra.

1.SING ye a song, to make him glad, to Indra, Lord of Tawny Steeds, The Soma-drinker, O my friends.

2.To him the Bounteous say the laud, and let us glorify, as men May do, the Giver of true gifts.

3.O Indra, Lord of boundless might, for us thou winnest strength and kine, Thou winnest gold for us, Good Lord.

4.Faithful to thee we loudly sing, heroic Indra, songs to thee: Mark, O Good Lord, this act of ours.

5.Give us not up to man’s reproach, to foeman’s hateful calumny: In thee alone is all my strength.

6.Thou art mine ample coat of mail, my Champion, Vṛtra-Slayer, thou: With thee for Friend I brave the foe.

7.Yea, great art thou whose conquering might two independent Powers confess. The Heaven, O India, and the Earth.

8.So let the voice surround thee, which attends the Maruts on their way, Reaching thee with the rays of light.

9.Let the ascending drops attain to thee, the Wondrous God, in heaven: Let all the folk bow down to thee.

10.Bring to the Wise, the Great, who waxeth mighty, your offerings, and make ready your devotion; To many clans he goeth, man’s controller.

11.For Indra, the sublime, the far-pervading, have singers generated prayer and praises: The sages never violate his statutes.

12.The choirs have stablished Indra King for ever, for victory, him whose anger is resistless: And, for the Bays’ Lord, strengthened those he loveth.

Asked of Guide

Why do the singers call Indra both 'Vṛtra-Slayer' and 'Lord of Tawny Steeds'?

The hymn names multiple titles to capture different aspects of Indra’s power: Vṛtra-Slayer emphasizes his role as conqueror of obstruction and chaos, while Lord of Tawny Steeds points to his mobility, vigor, and leadership in battle. Those epithets function together as praise that explains why worshippers appeal to him for strength, protection, and the securing of cattle and wealth.

This blending of martial and generous images appears across the Rigveda; compare Mandala 1 where Indra’s slaying of Vṛtra brings both cosmic order and tangible gifts to humanity. The poem treats praise as a practical act: by singing these names—“Champion,” “Soma-drinker,” “Far-pervading”—devotees invoke the full range of benefits he bestows.

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.