Sukta 12

Mantra 1

यो जात एव प्रथमो मनस्वान्देवो देवान्क्रतुना पर्यभूषत् । यस्य शुष्माद्रोदसी अभ्यसेतां नृम्णस्य मह्ना स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

He who, born at once as the first, the luminous-minded god, encompassed the gods by his will and power of action; from whose force Heaven and Earth were set trembling—by the greatness of his heroic might: he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 2

यः पृथिवीं व्यथमानामदृंहद्यः पर्वतान्प्रकुपिताँ अरम्णात् । यो अन्तरिक्षं विममे वरीयो यो द्यामस्तभ्नात्स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

He who made firm the trembling Earth, who steadied the agitated mountains; who measured out the mid-world more widely, who propped up Heaven—he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 3

यो हत्वाहिमरिणात्सप्त सिन्धून्यो गा उदाजदपधा वलस्य । यो अश्मनोरन्तरग्निं जजान संवृक्समत्सु स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

He who, having slain the Serpent, set free the seven rivers; who drove upward the Rays (cows) hidden away by Vala; who generated the Fire within the two stones in the encounters—he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 4

येनेमा विश्वा च्यवना कृतानि यो दासं वर्णमधरं गुहाकः । श्वघ्नीव यो जिगीवाँल्लक्षमाददर्यः पुष्टानि स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

He by whom all these dislodgements were accomplished; who made the Dāsa power the lower, hidden in the cave; who, like a hound-slayer, the conqueror, took the mark/prize—(and) the Arya won the nourishments: he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 5

यं स्मा पृच्छन्ति कुह सेति घोरमुतेमाहुर्नैषो अस्तीत्येनम् । सो अर्यः पुष्टीर्विज इवा मिनाति श्रदस्मै धत्त स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

Him they ask about—‘Where is he?’—the formidable; and they even say of him, ‘He is not.’ Yet he, the Arya, diminishes the nourishments of the adversary as a gambler (strips winnings). Place your faith in him: he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 6

यो रध्रस्य चोदिता यः कृशस्य यो ब्रह्मणो नाधमानस्य कीरेः । युक्तग्राव्णो योऽविता सुशिप्रः सुतसोमस्य स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

He who is the impeller of the broken and the weak; who is the helper of the striving singer-priest; who, with yoked pressing-stones, is the protector—beautiful-lipped—of the Soma that is pressed: he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 7

यस्याश्वासः प्रदिशि यस्य गावो यस्य ग्रामा यस्य विश्वे रथासः । यः सूर्यं य उषसं जजान यो अपां नेता स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

He whose are the horses in every direction, whose the rays (cows), whose the host of powers (villages), whose all the chariots; who brought forth the Sun and who brought forth the Dawn; who is the leader of the Waters—he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 8

यं क्रन्दसी संयती विह्वयेते परेऽवर उभया अमित्राः । समानं चिद्रथमातस्थिवांसा नाना हवेते स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

He whom the two resounding powers (the opposed fields of consciousness) in their clash invoke—both the higher and the lower hostile forces; even when they mount the same chariot (the one human instrument), they call him in different ways: he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 9

यस्मान्न ऋते विजयन्ते जनासो यं युध्यमाना अवसे हवन्ते । यो विश्वस्य प्रतिमानं बभूव यो अच्युतच्युत्स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

Without whom men do not win; whom, when they struggle, they call for help; who has become the measure and standard of the whole; who makes even the ‘unshaken’ fall—he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 10

यः शश्वतो मह्येनो दधानानमन्यमानाञ्छर्वा जघान । यः शर्धते नानुददाति शृध्यां यो दस्योर्हन्ता स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

Who smote down with his missiles those who long persist in great wrong and in self-will; who does not yield to the violent challenger the ground of victory; who is the slayer of the Dasyu—he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 11

यः शम्बरं पर्वतेषु क्षियन्तं चत्वारिंश्यां शरद्यन्वविन्दत् । ओजायमानं यो अहिं जघान दानुं शयानं स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

Who tracked down Śambara dwelling in the mountains through forty autumns; who slew the serpent as it was swelling with force, Dānu lying in concealment—he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 12

यः सप्तरश्मिर्वृषभस्तुविष्मानवासृजत्सर्तवे सप्त सिन्धून् । यो रौहिणमस्फुरद्वज्रबाहुर्द्यामारोहन्तं स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

Who, seven-rayed, the mighty Bull, released the seven rivers to flow; who struck down Rauhiṇa as he climbed to the heaven—he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 13

द्यावा चिदस्मै पृथिवी नमेते शुष्माच्चिदस्य पर्वता भयन्ते । यः सोमपा निचितो वज्रबाहुर्यो वज्रहस्तः स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

To him even Heaven and Earth bow down; from his impetuous force even the mountains fear. He is the Soma-drinker, firmly established, with the thunderbolt-arm, the thunderbolt in hand: he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 14

यः सुन्वन्तमवति यः पचन्तं यः शंसन्तं यः शशमानमूती । यस्य ब्रह्म वर्धनं यस्य सोमो यस्येदं राधः स जनास इन्द्रः ॥

Who guards the presser of Soma, who guards the cooker of the offering, who guards the chanter, who with his help guards the one who strives to master himself; whose increase is the inspired Word, whose is the Soma, whose is this plenitude—he, O peoples, is Indra.

Mantra 15

यः सुन्वते पचते दुध्र आ चिद्वाजं दर्दर्षि स किलासि सत्यः । वयं त इन्द्र विश्वह प्रियासः सुवीरासो विदथमा वदेम ॥

To the presser and the preparer you even then bring the plenitude of force; truly you are the Real. We are always dear to you, O Indra; may we, rich in heroic powers, speak forth in the assembly of seeking.