|
1. I WILL extol the most
heroic Indra who with his might forced earth and sky asunder;
Who hath filled all with width as man's
Upholder, surpassing floods and rivers in his greatness.
2 Surya is he: throughout the
wide expanses shall Indra turn him, swift as car-wheels, hither,
Like a stream resting not but ever active he
hath destroyed, with light, the blackhued darkness.
3 To him I sing a holy prayer,
incessant new, matchless, common to the earth and heaven,
Who marks, as they were backs, all living
creatures: ne'er doth he fail a friend, the noble Indra.
4 I will send forth my songs in
flow unceasing, like water from the ocean's depth, to Indra.
Who to his car on both its sides securely hath
fixed the earth and heaven as with an axle.
5 Rousing with draughts, the
Shaker, rushing onward, impetuous, very strong, armed as with arrows
Is Soma; forest trees and all the bushes
deceive not Indra with their offered likeness.
6 Soma hath flowed to him whom
naught can equal, the earth, the heavens, the firmament, the mountains, -
When heightened in his ire his indignation
shatters the firm and breaks the strong in pieces.
7 As an axe fells the tree so
be slew Vrtra, brake down the strongholds and dug out the rivers.
He cleft the mountain like a new-made pitcher.
Indra brought forth the kine with his Companions.
8 Wise art thou, Punisher of
guilt, O Indra. The sword lops limbs, thou smitest down the sinner,
The men who injure, as it were a comrade, the
lofty Law of Varuna and Mitra.
9 Men who lead evil lives, who
break agreements, and injure Varuna, Aryaman and Mitra, -
Against these foes, O Mighty Indra, sharpen, as
furious death, thy Bull of fiery colour.
10 Indra is Sovran Lord of
Earth and Heaven, Indra is Lord of waters and of mountains.
Indra is Lord of prosperers and sages Indra
must be invoked in rest and effort.
11 Vaster than days and
nights, Giver of increase, vaster than firmament and flood of ocean,
Vaster than bounds of earth and wind's
extension, vaster than rivers and our lands is Indra.
12 Forward, as herald of
refulgent Morning, let thine insatiate arrow fly, O Indra.
And pierce, as 'twere a stone launched forth
from heaven, with hottest blaze the men who love deception.
13 Him, verily, the moons, the
mountains followed, the tall trees followed and the plants and herbage.
Yearning with love both Worlds approached, the
Waters waited on Indra when he first had being.
14 Where was the vengeful dart
when thou, O Indra, clavest the demon ever beat on outrage?
When fiends lay there upon the ground extended
like cattle in the place of immolation?
15 Those who are set in enmity
against us, the Oganas, O Indra, waxen mighty, -
Let blinding darkness follow those our fbemen,
while these shall have bright shining nights to light them.
16 May plentiful libations of
the people, and singing Rsis' holy prayers rejoice thee.
Hearing with love this common invocation, come
unto us, pass by all those who praise thee.
17 O Indra, thus may we be
made partakers of thy new favours that shall bring us profit.
Singing with love, may we the Visvamitras win
daylight even now through thee, O Indra.
18 Call we on Maghavan, auspicious
Indra, best hero in the fight where spoil is gathered,
The Strong who listens, who gives aid in
battles, who slays the Vrtras, wins and gathers riches.
|