Sukta 17

Mantra 1

त्वं महाँ इन्द्र तुभ्यं ह क्षा अनु क्षत्रं मंहना मन्यत द्यौः । त्वं वृत्रं शवसा जघन्वान्त्सृजः सिन्धूँरहिना जग्रसानान् ॥

You are the Great One, O Indra; for you the earth and the heaven acknowledge the sovereignty by your overflowing force. You slew Vṛtra by might and released the rivers that the Serpent had swallowed—setting free the currents of truth from the clutch of obstruction.

Mantra 2

तव त्विषो जनिमन्रेजत द्यौ रेजद्भूमिर्भियसा स्वस्य मन्योः । ऋघायन्त सुभ्वः पर्वतास आर्दन्धन्वानि सरयन्त आपः ॥

At the birth of your blazing force, heaven trembled; earth shook in fear of your own wrath. The lofty mountains quivered; the dry lands were drenched; the waters ran forth—when your power arose to set the world in motion toward the Truth.

Mantra 3

भिनद्गिरिं शवसा वज्रमिष्णन्नाविष्कृण्वानः सहसान ओजः । वधीद्वृत्रं वज्रेण मन्दसानः सरन्नापो जवसा हतवृष्णीः ॥

He split the obstructing mountain by the force of his power, hurling the thunderbolt, making the hidden things manifest by victorious might. He slew Vṛtra with the thunderbolt in the rapture of the Soma-force; then the Waters rushed forth with swift impulsion, their withholding strength struck down.

Mantra 4

सुवीरस्ते जनिता मन्यत द्यौरिन्द्रस्य कर्ता स्वपस्तमो भूत् । य ईं जजान स्वर्यं सुवज्रमनपच्युतं सदसो न भूम ॥

The Heaven itself deemed your begetter a maker of a most perfect work for Indra, for he brought forth for him the heaven-winning, good thunderbolt, unshaken, vast as a seat of power.

Mantra 5

य एक इच्च्यावयति प्र भूमा राजा कृष्टीनां पुरुहूत इन्द्रः । सत्यमेनमनु विश्वे मदन्ति रातिं देवस्य गृणतो मघोनः ॥

He alone sets the vast world in motion—Indra, the much-invoked king of the peoples. All follow him in the truth and rejoice; he gives the divine largesse to the singer who praises, to the one rich in aspiration.

Mantra 6

सत्रा सोमा अभवन्नस्य विश्वे सत्रा मदासो बृहतो मदिष्ठाः । सत्राभवो वसुपतिर्वसूनां दत्रे विश्वा अधिथा इन्द्र कृष्टीः ॥

All the Soma draughts became for him an unbroken power; the exalted raptures were constant and most intense. Constantly you became lord of the riches of being; as the giver you set in their place all the peoples, O Indra.

Mantra 7

त्वमध प्रथमं जायमानोऽमे विश्वा अधिथा इन्द्र कृष्टीः । त्वं प्रति प्रवत आशयानमहिं वज्रेण मघवन्वि वृश्चः ॥

You, even at your first birth, established all the peoples here, O Indra. You struck apart with the thunderbolt the serpent lying in the descending slopes, O Maghavan, and made the path free.

Mantra 8

सत्राहणं दाधृषिं तुम्रमिन्द्रं महामपारं वृषभं सुवज्रम् । हन्ता यो वृत्रं सनितोत वाजं दाता मघानि मघवा सुराधाः ॥

Indra the constant slayer, the daring, the impetuous; the great, the boundless, the bull with the good thunderbolt—he is the killer of Vṛtra, the winner of plenitude of force; the giver of many felicities, the bountiful one of perfect accomplishment.

Mantra 9

अयं वृतश्चातयते समीचीर्य आजिषु मघवा शृण्व एकः । अयं वाजं भरति यं सनोत्यस्य प्रियासः सख्ये स्याम ॥

This one drives away the closed obstruction and sets the right-moving currents; he alone, the bountiful, is heard in the battles. This one brings the plenitude of force which he wins—may we be his beloveds in the bond of friendship.

Mantra 10

अयं शृण्वे अध जयन्नुत घ्नन्नयमुत प्र कृणुते युधा गाः । यदा सत्यं कृणुते मन्युमिन्द्रो विश्वं दृळ्हं भयत एजदस्मात् ॥

This one is heard—then he conquers and he strikes; this one wins the Rays by battle. When Indra makes his wrath a truth-force, all that is firm trembles in fear before him.

Mantra 11

समिन्द्रो गा अजयत्सं हिरण्या समश्विया मघवा यो ह पूर्वीः । एभिर्नृभिर्नृतमो अस्य शाकै रायो विभक्ता सम्भरश्च वस्वः ॥

Indra won together the Rays, together the golden fullness, together the horse-powers—he, the bountiful, from of old. With these men, the most manly by his strengths, he is the distributor of the riches and the gatherer of the true wealth of being.

Mantra 12

कियत्स्विदिन्द्रो अध्येति मातुः कियत्पितुर्जनितुर्यो जजान । यो अस्य शुष्मं मुहुकैरियर्ति वातो न जूतः स्तनयद्भिरभ्रैः ॥

How far indeed does Indra overpass his mother, how far his father who begot him? He who drives his impetuous force again and again, like the wind speeding with thunderous clouds.

Mantra 13

क्षियन्तं त्वमक्षियन्तं कृणोतीयर्ति रेणुं मघवा समोहम् । विभञ्जनुरशनिमाँ इव द्यौरुत स्तोतारं मघवा वसौ धात् ॥

That which tends to dwindle, you make it undwindling; you drive away the dust of confusion, O Maghavan. Like heaven that breaks with the thunderbolt, you shatter the obstruction; and, O bountiful one, you set the singer in the wealth (of being).

Mantra 14

अयं चक्रमिषणत्सूर्यस्य न्येतशं रीरमत्ससृमाणम् । आ कृष्ण ईं जुहुराणो जिघर्ति त्वचो बुध्ने रजसो अस्य योनौ ॥

This wheel of the Sun is being driven on; it makes the steed run in its coursing. The black (power) hurrying around seizes the coverings in the depth of the mid-world, in its own womb—so the hidden is gripped and must be uncovered.

Mantra 15

असिक्न्यां यजमानो न होता ॥

Like a sacrificer, not as a mere officiant, he enters the dark stream—bearing the will to offer, he turns the obscurity itself into a field of the rite.

Mantra 16

गव्यन्त इन्द्रं सख्याय विप्रा अश्वायन्तो वृषणं वाजयन्तः । जनीयन्तो जनिदामक्षितोतिमा च्यावयामोऽवते न कोशम् ॥

Seeking the rays (cows) for friendship with Indra, the inspired ones seek the steed-force and urge on the Bull who gives the plenitudes. Desiring the begetter of births, his imperishable help, we would draw it out for our fostering—like opening a treasury.

Mantra 17

त्राता नो बोधि ददृशान आपिरभिख्याता मर्डिता सोम्यानाम् । सखा पिता पितृतमः पितॄणां कर्तेमु लोकमुशते वयोधाः ॥

Become our protector, O seer of all, our near friend well-known, the healer of the Soma-people. Friend and Father, most fatherly of the fathers, maker of the world—do thou set the life-force for the one who aspires.

Mantra 18

सखीयतामविता बोधि सखा गृणान इन्द्र स्तुवते वयो धाः । वयं ह्या ते चकृमा सबाध आभिः शमीभिर्महयन्त इन्द्र ॥

Awaken as the helper for our friendship; be the friend, O Indra, and for the praiser set the life-force. For we have come to thee with close approach, magnifying thee by these powers of peace and right adjustment.

Mantra 19

स्तुत इन्द्रो मघवा यद्ध वृत्रा भूरीण्येको अप्रतीनि हन्ति । अस्य प्रियो जरिता यस्य शर्मन्नकिर्देवा वारयन्ते न मर्ताः ॥

Indra the bountiful is praised, for he alone slays the many Vṛtras, the resistances that have no equal. Dear to him is the singer who rests in his shelter; none—neither gods nor mortals—can bar that protection.

Mantra 20

एवा न इन्द्रो मघवा विरप्शी करत्सत्या चर्षणीधृदनर्वा । त्वं राजा जनुषां धेह्यस्मे अधि श्रवो माहिनं यज्जरित्रे ॥

So may Indra the bountiful make for us the wide effective action—true, upholding the peoples, unerring. Thou art king of births; place in us a fame and greatness that stands above, for the singer.

Mantra 21

नू ष्टुत इन्द्र नू गृणान इषं जरित्रे नद्यो न पीपेः । अकारि ते हरिवो ब्रह्म नव्यं धिया स्याम रथ्यः सदासाः ॥

Now praised, O Indra, now chanted to, do thou swell the impulse for the singer as rivers swell (their stream). A new word of power has been made for thee, O lord of the tawny steeds; by the vision-mind may we be fit for the chariot-work, ever-seated with thee.