Sukta 89

Mantra 1

इन्द्रं स्तवा नृतमं यस्य मह्ना विबबाधे रोचना वि ज्मो अन्तान् । आ यः पप्रौ चर्षणीधृद्वरोभिः प्र सिन्धुभ्यो रिरिचानो महित्वा ॥

Praise Indra, the most manly and master of the human journey; by his greatness he has opened out the luminous worlds and their farthest limits. He has filled all the ranges by his widenesses, and by his vastness he has poured himself forth beyond the rivers—beyond the habitual currents of our nature.

Mantra 2

स सूर्यः पर्युरू वरांस्येन्द्रो ववृत्याद्रथ्येव चक्रा । अतिष्ठन्तमपस्यं न सर्गं कृष्णा तमांसि त्विष्या जघान ॥

He is the Sun; Indra has set the wide spaces in motion like the wheels of a chariot-road. He beheld the blocked flow that stood fixed, and with his flaming energy he struck down the black darknesses.

Mantra 3

समानमस्मा अनपावृदर्च क्ष्मया दिवो असमं ब्रह्म नव्यम् । वि यः पृष्ठेव जनिमान्यर्य इन्द्रश्चिकाय न सखायमीषे ॥

Offer to him the undiverted, equal hymn—new in its power, unmatched on earth and in heaven. He who has discerned the births as one reads a back laid open, Indra does not seek a companion to rival him.

Mantra 4

इन्द्राय गिरो अनिशितसर्गा अपः प्रेरयं सगरस्य बुध्नात् । यो अक्षेणेव चक्रिया शचीभिर्विष्वक्तस्तम्भ पृथिवीमुत द्याम् ॥

For Indra, let the words be arrows well-released: I set the waters in motion from the ocean’s depth. He who, with his powers of effective will, like a wheel upon its axle, has set firm the earth and also the heaven in their wide poise.

Mantra 5

आपान्तमन्युस्तृपलप्रभर्मा धुनिः शिमीवाञ्छरुमाँ ऋजीषी । सोमो विश्वान्यतसा वनानि नार्वागिन्द्रं प्रतिमानानि देभुः ॥

With anger that reaches the end, with triple armour of force—storming, impetuous, armed with the dart, he of the tawny dust. Soma has not fashioned any measures that can face Indra; all the forests of being are shaken by that driving might.

Mantra 6

न यस्य द्यावापृथिवी न धन्व नान्तरिक्षं नाद्रयः सोमो अक्षाः । यदस्य मन्युरधिनीयमानः शृणाति वीळु रुजति स्थिराणि ॥

Neither heaven-and-earth, nor the wide expanse, nor mid-world, nor the pressing stones, nor Soma, nor the dice can hold him back—when his ardour is being led on. Then it shatters even what is hard to break; it rends the things that seem fixed and stable.

Mantra 7

जघान वृत्रं स्वधितिर्वनेव रुरोज पुरो अरदन्न सिन्धून् । बिभेद गिरिं नवमिन्न कुम्भमा गा इन्द्रो अकृणुत स्वयुग्भिः ॥

Indra has struck down the Coverer; like an axe in the forest he has split open the obstructing fronts and set the streams free. He has cleft the mountain, as one breaks a new jar, and by his own yoked powers he has brought the Rays (cows of Light) into manifestation.

Mantra 8

त्वं ह त्यदृणया इन्द्र धीरोऽसिर्न पर्व वृजिना शृणासि । प्र ये मित्रस्य वरुणस्य धाम युजं न जना मिनन्ति मित्रम् ॥

Thou indeed, O Indra, art steadfast in the right leading; like a joint in the limb thou breakest the crookedness. Those who would violate the seat of Mitra and Varuṇa, like men who would sever a yoke-fellow, do violence to Mitra (the harmony).

Mantra 9

प्र ये मित्रं प्रार्यमणं दुरेवाः प्र संगिरः प्र वरुणं मिनन्ति । न्यमित्रेषु वधमिन्द्र तुम्रं वृषन्वृषाणमरुषं शिशीहि ॥

Those evil-willed who assail Mitra and Aryaman, who assail the compact and assail Varuṇa—against such adversaries, O Indra, set and sharpen thy impetuous weapon, the red and mighty force of the Bull, to strike down hostility.

Mantra 10

इन्द्रो दिव इन्द्र ईशे पृथिव्या इन्द्रो अपामिन्द्र इत्पर्वतानाम् । इन्द्रो वृधामिन्द्र इन्मेधिराणामिन्द्रः क्षेमे योगे हव्य इन्द्रः ॥

Indra is lord of heaven; Indra rules the earth; Indra is master of the waters, Indra indeed of the mountains. Indra is of the growing powers; Indra indeed of the wise discernments. Indra is the one to be invoked in peace and in the joining of works—Indra.

Mantra 11

प्राक्तुभ्य इन्द्रः प्र वृधो अहभ्यः प्रान्तरिक्षात्प्र समुद्रस्य धासेः । प्र वातस्य प्रथसः प्र ज्मो अन्तात्प्र सिन्धुभ्यो रिरिचे प्र क्षितिभ्यः ॥

From the nights Indra pours forth, from the days of increase; from the mid-world, from the ocean’s seat of plenty; from the wide expanse of the Wind, from the farthest end of earth—he has poured out from the rivers, he has poured out from the worlds (habitations): the abundance of his giving.

Mantra 12

प्र शोशुचत्या उषसो न केतुरसिन्वा ते वर्ततामिन्द्र हेतिः । अश्मेव विध्य दिव आ सृजानस्तपिष्ठेन हेषसा द्रोघमित्रान् ॥

Shine forth like the signal of the flaming Dawn; let thy unspent weapon, O Indra, move in its circle. Like a stone, strike them—thou who art casting thy force from heaven—burn with the most searing impetuosity the betrayers of friendship (the perverters of harmony).

Mantra 13

अन्वह मासा अन्विद्वनान्यन्वोषधीरनु पर्वतासः । अन्विन्द्रं रोदसी वावशाने अन्वापो अजिहत जायमानम् ॥

Month after month followed him; the forests followed, the plants followed, the mountains followed. The two worlds, crying out, followed Indra; the waters hastened after him as he was being born—so inevitable is the advent of the victorious power.

Mantra 14

कर्हि स्वित्सा त इन्द्र चेत्यासदघस्य यद्भिनदो रक्ष एषत् । मित्रक्रुवो यच्छसने न गावः पृथिव्या आपृगमुया शयन्ते ॥

When indeed will that thy perceiving power, O Indra, come into being—when thou breakest the evil and the rakṣas that rushes upon us? For the betrayers of harmony, like cattle at the slaughter, lie stretched out on the earth—struck down by that (force).

Mantra 15

शत्रूयन्तो अभि ये नस्ततस्रे महि व्राधन्त ओगणास इन्द्र । अन्धेनामित्रास्तमसा सचन्तां सुज्योतिषो अक्तवस्ताँ अभि ष्युः ॥

Those who, hostile, have spread themselves against us, greatly oppressing with their bands, O Indra—let those adversaries be joined to blind darkness. Let our luminous ones, the bright-shining powers, be against them and prevail.

Mantra 16

पुरूणि हि त्वा सवना जनानां ब्रह्माणि मन्दन्गृणतामृषीणाम् । इमामाघोषन्नवसा सहूतिं तिरो विश्वाँ अर्चतो याह्यर्वाङ् ॥

For many are the pressings of men that gladden thee, and many the inspired utterances of the seers who sing. Hearing this call, come with thy help to this conjoint invocation; passing beyond all other chanters, come hither toward us.

Mantra 17

एवा ते वयमिन्द्र भुञ्जतीनां विद्याम सुमतीनां नवानाम् । विद्याम वस्तोरवसा गृणन्तो विश्वामित्रा उत त इन्द्र नूनम् ॥

So may we, O Indra, come to know and partake of your ever-new right enjoyments—those felicities of a luminous mind. Praising you, may we know by the help of the Dawn’s protection; we, the Visvamitras, and that now, O Indra, by your grace.

Mantra 18

शुनं हुवेम मघवानमिन्द्रमस्मिन्भरे नृतमं वाजसातौ । शृण्वन्तमुग्रमूतये समत्सु घ्नन्तं वृत्राणि संजितं धनानाम् ॥

For a happy issue we call Indra the Bounteous, the most manly in this bearing of the soul, in the winning of plenitudes. May we have him who listens, the strong one, for our help in the battles, striking down the Vṛtras, the conqueror who wins the riches (the inner treasures of being).