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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 670 of 1027

Mandala 8: HYMN L. Indra.

1.BOTH boons,—may Indra, hitherward turned, listen to this prayer of ours, And mightiest Maghavan with thought inclined to us come near to drink the Soma juice.

2.For him, strong, independent Ruler, Heaven and Earth have fashioned forth for power and might. Thou seatest thee as first among thy peers in place, for thy soul longs for Soma juice.

3.Fill thyself full, O Lord of wealth, O Indra, with the juice we shed. We know thee, Lord of Bay Steeds victor in the fight, vanquishing e’en the invincible.

4.Changeless in truth, O Maghavan Indra, let it be as thou in wisdom willest it. May we, O fair of check, win booty with thine aid, O Thunderer, swiftly seeking it.

5.Indra, with all thy saving helps give us assistance, Lord of power. For after thee we follow even as glorious bliss, thee, Hero, finder-out of wealth.

6.Increaser of our steeds and multiplying kine, a golden well, O God, art thou, For no one may impair the gifts laid up in thee. Bring me whatever thing I ask.

7.For thou,—come to the worshipper!—wilt find great wealth to make us rich. Fill thyself full, O Maghavan, for gain of kine, full, Indra, for the gain of steeds.

8.Thou as thy gift bestowest many hundred herds, yea, many thousands dost thou give. With singers’ hymns have we brought the Fort-render near, singing to Indra for his grace.

9.Whether the simple or the sage, Indra, have offered praise to thee, He Śatakratu! by his love hath gladdened thee, ambitious! ever pressing on!

10.If he the Strong of arm, the breaker-down of forts, the great Destroyer, hear my call, We, seeking riches cry to Indra, Lord of wealth, to Śatakratu with our lauds.

11.We count not then as sinners, nor as niggardly or foolish men, When with the Soma juice which we have shed we make Indra, the Mighty One, our Friend.

12.Him have we yoked in fight, the powerful Conqueror, debt-claimer, not to be deceived. Best charioteer, the Victor marks each fault, he knows the strong to whom he will come near.

13.Indra, give us security from that whereof we are afraid. Help us, O Maghavan, let thy succour give us this: drive away foes and enemies.

14.For thou, O liberal Lord of bounty, strengthenest his ample home who worships thee. So Indra, Maghavan, thou Lover of the Song, we with pressed Soma call on thee,

15.Indra is Vṛtra-slayer, guard, our best defender from the foe. May he preserve our last and middlemost, and keep watch from behind us and before.

16.Defend us from behind, below, above, in front, on all sides, Indra, shield us well. Keep far away from us the terror sent from heaven: keep impious weapons far away.

17.Protect us, Indra, each to-day, each morrow, and each following day. Our singers, through all days, shalt thou, Lord of the brave, keep safely both by day and night.

18.A crushing Warrior, passing rich is Maghavan, endowed with all heroic might. Thine arms, O Śatakratu, are exceeding strong, arms which have grasped the thunderbolt.

Asked of Guide

Why do the singers keep urging Indra to 'fill thyself full' with Soma juice?

The hymn asks Indra to “fill thyself full” with Soma because drinking the juice renews his strength and makes him the generous bestower of wealth and victory; lines 2–3 and 6 link Soma with power, kine, and steeds. The singers present Indra as a living source—“a golden well”—whose satiation turns into tangible boons for worshippers.

This chapter treats ritual feeding as transactional and reciprocal: the worshippers pour Soma so Indra will act as protector and conqueror, repeatedly named Śatakratu and Vṛtra-slayer in lines 10 and 15. That dynamic matches what Wendy Doniger and Wendy O’Flaherty note in their translations and comments on Vedic hymns: ritual libation enlivens the deity and secures social prosperity.

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.