Sukta 18

Mantra 1

तमु ष्टुहि यो अभिभूत्योजा वन्वन्नवातः पुरुहूत इन्द्रः । अषाळ्हमुग्रं सहमानमाभिर्गीर्भिर्वर्ध वृषभं चर्षणीनाम् ॥

Praise him—Indra—whose strength overcomes all assaults, who wins without being driven back, the much-invoked. With these hymns increase the unconquered, fierce, enduring Bull of the peoples.

Mantra 2

स युध्मः सत्वा खजकृत्समद्वा तुविम्रक्षो नदनुमाँ ऋजीषी । बृहद्रेणुश्च्यवनो मानुषीणामेकः कृष्टीनामभवत्सहावा ॥

He, the warrior and the strong soul, the breaker of the obstructing mass, the victor in the clash, wide in luminous force and roaring in the surge, the straight-driving one—he becomes the great-powdered mover of human limitations; alone among the peoples he stands as the all-conquering helper.

Mantra 3

त्वं ह नु त्यददमायो दस्यूँरेकः कृष्टीरवनोरार्याय । अस्ति स्विन्नु वीर्यं तत्त इन्द्र न स्विदस्ति तदृतुथा वि वोचः ॥

Thou indeed didst subdue the lawless Dasyus; alone thou didst guard the peoples for the Arya—tell out in the right season: is that hero-power truly thine, O Indra, or is it not there at all?

Mantra 4

सदिद्धि ते तुविजातस्य मन्ये सहः सहिष्ठ तुरतस्तुरस्य । उग्रमुग्रस्य तवसस्तवीयोऽरध्रस्य रध्रतुरो बभूव ॥

Surely, I hold, the strength of thee—widely born—O most able to prevail, swift of the swift, is the more mighty might of the mighty; for the unbroken one becomes the breaker of all that is broken and perverse.

Mantra 5

तन्नः प्रत्नं सख्यमस्तु युष्मे इत्था वदद्भिर्वलमङ्गिरोभिः । हन्नच्युतच्युद्दस्मेषयन्तमृणोः पुरो वि दुरो अस्य विश्वाः ॥

May that ancient comradeship be ours with you—so spoke the Angirases when they struck Vala. Smite, O Wonder-worker, the shaker of what seems unshakable; and open out all his doors, the fronts of his strongholds.

Mantra 6

स हि धीभिर्हव्यो अस्त्युग्र ईशानकृन्महति वृत्रतूर्ये । स तोकसाता तनये स वज्री वितन्तसाय्यो अभवत्समत्सु ॥

For he is to be invoked by the thoughts; he is the formidable one, the maker of mastery in the great battle with Vṛtra. He wins the child and the lineage; he, the wielder of the thunder-force, becomes the far-stretching victor in the clashes.

Mantra 7

स मज्मना जनिम मानुषाणाममर्त्येन नाम्नाति प्र सर्स्रे । स द्युम्नेन स शवसोत राया स वीर्येण नृतमः समोकाः ॥

By his greatness he has outstripped the birth of men; by the immortal Name he has surged beyond. By luminous glory, by force, and by plenitude he is the most manly among those who dwell together; by hero-power he leads the common home.

Mantra 8

स यो न मुहे न मिथू जनो भूत्सुमन्तुनामा चुमुरिं धुनिं च । वृणक्पिप्रुं शम्बरं शुष्णमिन्द्रः पुरां च्यौत्नाय शयथाय नू चित् ॥

He who is no bewildered or crooked mortal—named ‘Good-counsel’—slew Cumuri and Dhuni; Indra struck down Pipru, Śambara, Śuṣṇa, and even for the old strongholds he made the fall for their overthrow.

Mantra 9

उदावता त्वक्षसा पन्यसा च वृत्रहत्याय रथमिन्द्र तिष्ठ । धिष्व वज्रं हस्त आ दक्षिणत्राभि प्र मन्द पुरुदत्र मायाः ॥

With the uplifting surge, with splendid and admirable energy, mount thy chariot for the slaying of Vṛtra, O Indra. Set the thunder-force in thy hand, on the right side; exult and press forward, O giver of much, with thy conscious powers of skill.

Mantra 10

अग्निर्न शुष्कं वनमिन्द्र हेती रक्षो नि धक्ष्यशनिर्न भीमा । गम्भीरय ऋष्वया यो रुरोजाध्वानयद्दुरिता दम्भयच्च ॥

Like Fire burning a dry forest, O Indra, with thy weapon consume the devouring darkness; like a dreadful thunderbolt. With deep and lofty power thou shatterest; thou makest a path and thou crushest the difficult passages.

Mantra 11

आ सहस्रं पथिभिरिन्द्र राया तुविद्युम्न तुविवाजेभिरर्वाक् । याहि सूनो सहसो यस्य नू चिददेव ईशे पुरुहूत योतोः ॥

Come to us by a thousand paths with thy plenitude, O Indra of vast luminous glory, with thy abundant powers of victorious fullness. Come, O son of Force, for even the ungodly claims lordship over the journey—O much-invoked, take command of the course.

Mantra 12

प्र तुविद्युम्नस्य स्थविरस्य घृष्वेर्दिवो ररप्शे महिमा पृथिव्याः । नास्य शत्रुर्न प्रतिमानमस्ति न प्रतिष्ठिः पुरुमायस्य सह्योः ॥

Forward moves the vast glory of the strong and ardent One; the greatness of Heaven is made to resound, and the greatness of Earth. For him there is no enemy, no measure set against him, no foothold that can oppose the many-skilled, the overpowering.

Mantra 13

प्र तत्ते अद्या करणं कृतं भूत्कुत्सं यदायुमतिथिग्वमस्मै । पुरू सहस्रा नि शिशा अभि क्षामुत्तूर्वयाणं धृषता निनेथ ॥

Forth is that deed of yours accomplished today: when for him you set Kutsā, the life-force, the guest-seeker. Many thousands you drove down and pressed back upon the field; and you led up Tūrvayāṇa with daring force.

Mantra 14

अनु त्वाहिघ्ने अध देव देवा मदन्विश्वे कवितमं कवीनाम् । करो यत्र वरिवो बाधिताय दिवे जनाय तन्वे गृणानः ॥

Following you, O slayer of the serpent, the gods too rejoice, O God, in you—the most seer-like of seers. You make the wide room for the one pressed and beset, for heaven, for the peoples, for the embodied being, as we chant you.

Mantra 15

अनु द्यावापृथिवी तत्त ओजोऽमर्त्या जिहत इन्द्र देवाः । कृष्वा कृत्नो अकृतं यत्ते अस्त्युक्थं नवीयो जनयस्व यज्ञैः ॥

Following that, Heaven-and-Earth yield to your might, O Indra; the immortal powers give way. Make complete what is not yet made complete that is in you; bring forth by the sacrifices a newer word of affirmation.