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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 390 of 1027

Mandala 5: HYMN XXXVI. Indra.

1.MAY Indra come to us, he who knows rightly to give forth treasures from his store of riches. Even as a thirsty steer who roams the deserts may he drink eagerly the milked-out Soma.

2.Lord of Bay Horses, Hero, may the Soma rise to thy cheeks and jaws like mountain-ridges. May we, O King, as he who driveth coursers, all joy in thee with hymns, invoked of many!

3.Invoked of many, Caster of the Stone my heart quakes like a rolling wheel for fear of penury. Shall not Puruvasu the singer give thee praise, O ever-prospering Maghavan, mounted on thy car?

4.Like the press-stone is this thy praiser, Indra. Loudly he lifts his voice with strong endeavour. With thy left hand, O Maghavan, give us riches: with thy right, Lord of Bays, be not reluctant.

5.May the strong Heaven make thee the Strong wax stronger: Strong, thou art borne by thy two strong Bay Horses. So, fair of cheek, with mighty chariot, mighty, uphold us, strong-willed, thunderarmed, in battle.

6.Maruts, let all the people in obeisance bow down before this youthful Srutaratha, Who, rich in steeds, gave me two dark red horses together with three hundred head of cattle.

Asked of Guide

Why does the hymn ask Indra to give riches with his left hand and not be reluctant with his right?

The hymn pictures Indra as a lord whose actions produce wealth and protection; ‘‘with thy left hand, O Maghavan, give us riches: with thy right, Lord of Bays, be not reluctant’’ asks for both bounty and readiness in battle. The left hand supplies treasures like Soma and cattle, the right hand represents strength and martial favor, tying prosperity to Indra’s dual role as bestower and warrior.

This linkage echoes other Rig Veda hymns that pair Indra’s drinking of Soma with heroic deeds, and it matches the pattern in Mandala 1 where gifts and victory travel together. The poet treats divine generosity and combative power as complementary—both needed for the community’s survival.

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