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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 389 of 1027

Mandala 5: HYMN XXXV. Indra.

1.INDRA, for our assistance bring that most effectual power of thine, Which conquers men for us, and wins the spoil, invincible in fight.

2.Indra, whatever aids be thine, four be they, or, O Hero, three, Or those of the Five Tribes of men, bring quickly all that help to us.

3.The aid most excellent of thee the Mightiest hitherward we call, For thou wast born with hero might, conquering, Indra, with the Strong.

4.Mighty to prosper us wast thou born, and mighty is the strength thou hast. In native power thy soul is firm: thy valour, Indra, slays a host.

5.O Śatakratu, Lord of Strength, O Indra, Caster of the Stone. With all thy chariot’s force assail the man who shows himself thy foe.

6.For, Mightiest Vṛtra-slayer, thee, fierce, foremost among many, folk Whose sacred grass is trimmed invite to battle where the spoil is won.

7.Indra, do thou protect our car that mingles foremost in the fights, That bears its part in every fray, invincible and seeking spoil.

8.Come to us, Indra, and protect our car with thine intelligence. May we, O Mightiest One, obtain excellent fame at break of day, and meditate our hymn at dawn.

Asked of Guide

Why does the hymn keep calling Indra by many names like Śatakratu and Vṛtra-slayer?

The hymn layers names—Śatakratu, Vṛtra-slayer, Lord of Strength—to summon different powers and memories tied to Indra’s deeds. Each epithet recalls a specific triumph or quality: Śatakratu evokes his thousand sacrifices and potency, Vṛtra-slayer names the mythic victory that frees waters, and Lord of Strength appeals to his martial force.

Using many names concentrates the request: the singers ask every aspect of Indra to act—protect the chariot, bring spoil, grant fame at dawn. This technique appears across the Rigveda and later Purāṇic retellings, where naming is a way to invoke presence and effectiveness directly.

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