Sukta 22

Mantra 1

य एक इद्धव्यश्चर्षणीनामिन्द्रं तं गीर्भिरभ्यर्च आभिः । यः पत्यते वृषभो वृष्ण्यावान्त्सत्यः सत्वा पुरुमायः सहस्वान् ॥

He alone is truly the one to be called by all the peoples: Indra—him I hymn with these words. He rules as the Bull, full of virile force; true in essence, a real power of being, of many workings, and mighty in energy.

Mantra 2

तमु नः पूर्वे पितरो नवग्वाः सप्त विप्रासो अभि वाजयन्तः । नक्षद्दाभं ततुरिं पर्वतेष्ठामद्रोघवाचं मतिभिः शविष्ठम् ॥

Him our forefathers, the Navagvas, the seven seers, pressing forward for the plenitude, attained—the unassailable, the overcomer, established on the mountain-heights; whose word is without betrayal; the most strong, by their concentrated thoughts.

Mantra 3

तमीमह इन्द्रमस्य रायः पुरुवीरस्य नृवतः पुरुक्षोः । यो अस्कृधोयुरजरः स्वर्वान्तमा भर हरिवो मादयध्यै ॥

Him we seek—Indra—for this wealth of plenitude: rich in heroes, full of men, abundant in increase. He who is unfailing in his giving, ageless, possessing the light of heaven—bring him here, O lord of the tawny steeds, for our ecstasy of force.

Mantra 4

तन्नो वि वोचो यदि ते पुरा चिज्जरितार आनशुः सुम्नमिन्द्र । कस्ते भागः किं वयो दुध्र खिद्वः पुरुहूत पुरूवसोऽसुरघ्नः ॥

Tell it out clearly to us: if even of old the singers attained your grace, O Indra—what is your portion for us now, what strengthening nourishment for our pressed-out effort? O much-invoked, wide-wealthy, slayer of the hostile powers.

Mantra 5

तं पृच्छन्ती वज्रहस्तं रथेष्ठामिन्द्रं वेपी वक्वरी यस्य नू गीः । तुविग्राभं तुविकूर्मिं रभोदां गातुमिषे नक्षते तुम्रमच्छ ॥

Questioning him—the thunderbolt-holder, firm on the chariot—Indra, my trembling, winding song moves toward him. Toward the strong-grasping, the many-advancing, the giver of impetuous force, it reaches, seeking the path, to the vehement one.

Mantra 6

अया ह त्यं मायया वावृधानं मनोजुवा स्वतवः पर्वतेन । अच्युता चिद्वीळिता स्वोजो रुजो वि दृळ्हा धृषता विरप्शिन् ॥

By this (power) indeed—him who grows by formative might, swift as mind, strong in his own energy—(he) with the mountain broke even the unmoving, the fastened; with native force he shattered the firm-held restraints, daringly, O wielder of wide-working power.

Mantra 7

तं वो धिया नव्यस्या शविष्ठं प्रत्नं प्रत्नवत्परितंसयध्यै । स नो वक्षदनिमानः सुवह्मेन्द्रो विश्वान्यति दुर्गहाणि ॥

Him, the most strong, with a newer thought we would encompass as the ancient, in the ancient way. May Indra, without self-conceit, carry us well, beyond all hard-to-cross passages.

Mantra 8

आ जनाय द्रुह्वणे पार्थिवानि दिव्यानि दीपयोऽन्तरिक्षा । तपा वृषन्विश्वतः शोचिषा तान्ब्रह्मद्विषे शोचय क्षामपश्च ॥

Against the hostile people, blaze forth the earthly and the heavenly (fires), and the mid-region. Burn, O Bull, on every side with your flame; scorch those who hate the sacred Word—scorch the earth and the waters (for them).

Mantra 9

भुवो जनस्य दिव्यस्य राजा पार्थिवस्य जगतस्त्वेषसंदृक् । धिष्व वज्रं दक्षिण इन्द्र हस्ते विश्वा अजुर्य दयसे वि मायाः ॥

O Indra, luminous-seeing King of the divine people and of the earthly moving world, set thy thunder-force in thy right hand. Unaging one, pour out and apportion all thy powers of effective formation, that they may become for us a wide working of Light.

Mantra 10

आ संयतमिन्द्र णः स्वस्तिं शत्रुतूर्याय बृहतीममृध्राम् । यया दासान्यार्याणि वृत्रा करो वज्रिन्त्सुतुका नाहुषाणि ॥

Draw near and yoke for us, O Indra, a vast and undeceiving well-being for the overcoming of hostile powers; by it, O wielder of the thunder-force, make the dark resistances and the adverse formations into things easily driven away, so that the Arya-nature may move forward in victory.

Mantra 11

स नो नियुद्भिः पुरुहूत वेधो विश्ववाराभिरा गहि प्रयज्यो । न या अदेवो वरते न देव आभिर्याहि तूयमा मद्र्यद्रिक् ॥

Come to us, O much-invoked Knower, with thy yoked energies and with all desirable boons, O swift to the sacrifice. None undivine can choose these powers, nor even the gods (without thy sanction); with them come quickly to our glad seeing and drink of the delight.