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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 170 of 1027

Mandala 1: HYMN CLXX. Indra. Maruts.

1.NAUGHT is to-day, to-morrow naught. Who comprehends the mystery? We must address ourselves unto another’s thought, and lost is then the hope we formed.

2.The Maruts are thy brothers. Why, O Indra, wouldst thou take our lives? Agree with them in friendly wise, and do not slay us in the fight.

3.Agastya, brother, why dost thou neglect us, thou who art our friend? We know the nature of thy mind. Verity thou wilt give us naught.

4.Let them prepare the altar, let them kindle fire in front: we two Here will spread sacrifice for thee, that the Immortal may observe.

5.Thou, Lord of Wealth, art Master of all treasures, thou, Lord of friends, art thy friends’ best supporter. O Indra, speak thou kindly with the Maruts, and taste oblations in their proper season.

Asked of Guide

Why do the speakers beg Indra to reconcile with the Maruts instead of praising his power?

The hymn records a plea for social harmony: the voices complain that Indra’s hostility threatens life and ritual order, calling him “Lord of Wealth” and “Lord of friends” to remind him of duties. They ask him to “agree with them in friendly wise” so sacrifices and oblations can proceed and the Immortal may observe, linking divine favor to communal ritual harmony.

This appeal treats Indra as a moral agent whose generosity and protective role sustain both treasure and friendship; praise functions as ethical exhortation rather than simple hero-worship. The movement resembles later Vedic ritual instruction in the Gṛhya-sūtras, which also tie proper sacrifice and reconciled relationships to successful worship.

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