Audio-Visuals > Selections form Rig Veda > Indra Sūktā
Introduction ( Mandala 1, Sūktā 32)
This hymn to Indra The Lord of the luminous Mind in the Veda describes in detail the symbolic battle between Indra, the leader of the luminous devās and Vritra, the leader of the forces of ignorance and evil. The Rig Veda refers to this battle in many places. Some persons assert that this battle is fought between two opposing class. Examination of the epithets in all the fifteen mantras of this hymn and the fifteen of the next hymn confirming that the battle is psychological between the forces of good and evil. For instance the eighth verse refers to the waters mounting the mind which cannot make sense if we regard waters as physical. The benefit of this victory is the release of all the divine energies which are blocked by Vritra to the earth and the release of Soma, the Delight for all.

 
Text (Hymn (1.32))

indrasya nu vīryāņi pra vocham  yāni chakāra prathamāni vajrī

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ahan ahim anvapas  tatarda pra vakşhaņā abhinat parvatānām

 || 1 ||

 

ahan ahim parvate shishriyāņam tvaşhţa asmai vajram svaryam tatakşha

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vāshrā iva dhenavaĥ syandamānā aňjaĥ samudram avajagmuĥ āpaĥ  

 || 2 ||

 

vŗshāyamāņo vŗņīta somam trikadrukeşhu apibat sutasya<

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ā sāyakam maghava adatta vajram ahannenam prathamajām ahīnām

 || 3 ||

 

yat indrā han prathamajām ahīnāmān māyinām amināĥ prota māyāĥ

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āt sūryam janayan dyām uşhāsam tādītnā shatrum na kilā vivitse  

 || 4 ||

 

ahan vŗtram vŗtrataram vyamsam indro vajreņa mahatā vadhena

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skandhāmsīva kulishenā vivŗkņa ahiĥ shayata upapŗk pŗthivyāĥ

 || 5 ||

 

ayodhdeva durmada  ā hi juhve mahāvīram tuvibādham ŗjīşham

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nātārīt asya samŗtim vadhānām sam rujānāĥ pipişha indrashatruĥ

 || 6 ||

 

apādahasto apŗtanyat indram āsya vajram adhi sānau jaghāna

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vŗshņo vadhriĥ  pratimānam bubhūşhan purutrā vŗtro ashayat vyastaĥ

 || 7 ||

 

nadam na bhinnam amuyā shayānam mano ruhāņā atiyanti āpaĥ

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< yāsĥchid vŗtro mahinā paryatişhţhat tāsām ahiĥ patsutaĥshīr babhūva

 || 8 ||

 

nīchāvayā abhavat  vŗtra putrendro asyā ava vadhar jabhāra

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uttarā sūr adharaĥ putra āsīt dānuĥ shaye sahavatsā na dhenuĥ

 || 9 ||

 

atişhţhantīnām aniveshanānām kāşhţhānām madhye nihitam sharīram

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vŗtrasya niņyam vicharanti āpo dīrgham tama āshayat indrashatruĥ

 || 10 ||

 

dāsapatnīr ahigopā atişhţhan nirudhdā āpaĥ paņineva gāvaĥ

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apām bilam apihitam yat āsīt vŗtram jaghanvān apa tat vavāra

 || 11 ||

 

ashvyo vāro abhavaĥ tat indra sŗke yat tvā pratyahan deva ekaĥ

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ajayo gā ajayaĥ shūra somam avāsŗjaĥ sartave sapta sindhūn

 || 12 ||

 

nāsmai vidyunna tanyatuĥ sişhedha na yām miham akirad dhrādunim cha

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indrashcha yat yuyudhāte ahiĥ cha uta aparībhyo maghavā vijigye

 || 13 ||

 

aher yātāram kam apashya indra hŗdi yat te jaghnuşho bhīr agachchhat

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nava cha yan navatim cha sravantīĥ shyeno na bhīto ataro rajāmsi

 || 14 ||

 

indro yātaĥ avasitasya rājā shamasya cha shŗngiņo vajrabāhuĥ

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sedu rājā kşhayati charşhaņīnām arānna nemiĥ pari tā babhūva

 || 15 ||
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Translation
I relate the exploits of Indra,
Which the thunderer mainly performed;
He struck the serpent Ahi injuring the waters,
And broke the hill which obstructed the rivers in their flow.		 (1)
He struck Ahi  hidden in the mountain;
For him Tvashtr fashioned the vajra of the luminous world.
Like lowing cows reaching the calves,
The flowing waters straight reached the ocean.		 (2)
Like one showering gifts,
he chose Soma and Drank it in three infusions (on behalf of all);
Opulent, he wielded the killer vajra and
Struck the first-born of the Ahis (demons).		 (3)
O Indra, when you struck the eldest Ahi,
You also destroyed the deceptive knowledge of the fraudulent;
Even though illuminating the sun, the heaven dyu, and the dawn,
The enemy is not yet fully destroyed.		 (4)
Striking the superb coverer Vrtra,
With a mighty blow from his vajra, Indra  cut off its shoulders;
Like tree trunks cut by an axe,
Ahi-force lay inert close to the earth.		 (5)
Like one without a rival, the haughty one, Vrtra,
Challenged the great warrior, the oppressor and remover (of the foes).
He could not avoid the impact of the blows,
The foe of Indra (Vrtra) had ground to a halt the rivers.		 (6)
Bereft of feet and hands, he still desired  to fight Indra,
Who struck him at the crown.
Like an eunuch desiring to act virile,
Vštra fell on the ground with his limbs shattered.		 (7)
Like a river breaking the banks,
The waters flow over  Vrtra and ascend back to the mind (of man);
Vrtra who had besieged with his might these waters,
Came to lie at their very feet.		 (8)
Danu, the mother of the evil force, Vrtra, lowered her arms;
Indra flung the striking weapon below her.
The mother was above, the son below;
Danu lay asleep like a cow with her calf.		 (9)
Amidst the changing current of waters,
Vrtra's  body was deposited.
The waters flow over the concealed Vrtra,
Who, the foe of Indra, lay in perpetual darkness.		 (10)
The waters, subdued and constrained by Vrtra,
Stood fettered like the light confined by Pani.
The closed aperture blocking the waters
Was uncovered by the striker of Vrtra.		 (11)
Like the tail of a horse (warding off a fly),
Indra, the God absolute, with the vajra chased Vrtra who struck you back.
You won the light, won the Soma-delight, O hero;
You released the seven rivers to flow again.		 (12)
Neither the lightning, nor the roar,
Nor the rains nor the thunderclap could reach Indra.
As he battled Ahi, Maghavan surmounted other obstructions as well.    		 (13)
(Where) can be seen, "the (body of) Ahi slain (earlier)";
This fear (doubt) arose in the mind of Indra  who had earlier struck the Ahi.
Ninety-nine rivers and worlds,
He traversed like a bird in fear.		 (14)
Indra is the king of the mobile and the  immobile,
King of the quiescent and the forceful, he with the vajra in his hands;
He as the king rules over all people
And is all around them like the rim encircling the spokes.		 (15)

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