Indra in the Atharvaveda

When round the tree the cows, close-clasping, gather, and praise the deft Ṛbhu with the quivering arrow— That arrow from us drive thou far away, O Indra, the flashing bolt.

Let the Yātudhānas wail apart—those devourers, whoso are the Kīmīdins. Then do ye, O Agni, and Indra, accept in turn this oblation of ours.

Let Agni, first of all, lay hold upon him; let Indra, strong-armed, thrust him forth. Let every wizard speak: ‘This am I’; so comes he forth (to be known).

Thou, Agni, bring hither the Yātudhānas, bound fast; and then let Indra also, with his thunderbolt, hew off their heads.

On this good (support) let the Vasus set firm; let Indra, Pūṣan, Varuṇa, Mitra, Agni—this (man/thing) let the Ādityas, yea and all the Gods, establish in the higher light.

For this man let there be, in every quarter, the Gods’ own light—Sun, and Fire, yea, or bright Gold. Let rivals be brought low beneath us; and this one do thou raise aloft unto the highest heaven.

With that wherewith, O Jātavedas, thou didst gather for Indra the milky juices by the highest brahman,—with that, O Agni, here increase this man; among his peers set thou upon him pre-eminence.

To these I give the sacrifice, and splendour; I bestow increase of wealth, and powers of mind, O Agni. Let rivals be beneath us; this man would I cause to mount above, unto the highest heaven.

Enemy-crushing. Whoso on the new-moon night have risen up—devourers—against the cattle-fold: Agni, the Fourth, the slayer of sorcery, he hath spoken his decree over us.

With lead, Varuṇa hath spoken it; with lead doth Agni draw near to aid. Lead Indra hath bestowed on me: that, verily, is the yātu-expeller.

This overcomes Viṣkandha; this drives away the Devourers. By means of this I have subdued them all—whatsoever Pisāca-born brood have come to birth.

If thou smite our cow, if our horse, if a man of ours,—thee will we pierce with lead, that thou, O thou, mayest be no slayer of our heroes.

Let not the piercers find us; let not the over-piercers find us. Far away—those arrow-missiles—make them, O Indra, to swerve aside from us, and cast them down.

The Giver of welfare, the Lord of the clans, Vṛtra-slayer, controller of the hostile assailants—bull-like Indra—let him go before us, the Soma-drinker, the maker of fearlessness.

Scatter, O Indra, and smite away from us the hostile powers; hold the battling foe down low. Drive into the nethermost darkness him who assails us with malice.

Scatter the demon; scatter the hostile onsets: smite them. Shatter the jaws of Vṛtra. Scatter, O Indra, Vṛtra-slayer, the wrath of the foe, of him that assaileth and would oppress.

Away, O Indra, the mind of them that hate; away the deadly blow of them that seek to conquer. Spread forth and grant us mighty shelter, better yet; drive thou away the deadly blow.

May that bounty come down to us; as friend be Indra, as friend be Bhaga, and Savitar of manifold riches.

With the Abhīvarta amulet—wherewith Indra waxed mightily—therewith, O Lord of Sacred Speech, do thou increase us unto dominion.

With the orderly months, with the seasons, thee do we—by the year’s milk—replenish and make full. Indra and Agni, and all the Gods—let them, unangered, approve thereafter.