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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 466 of 1027

Mandala 6: HYMN XXV. Indra.

1.WITH thine assistance, O thou Mighty Indra, be it the least, the midmost, or the highest,— Great with those aids and by these powers support us, Strong God! in battle that subdues our foemen.

2.With these discomfit hosts that fight against us, and check the opponent’s wrath, thyself uninjured. With these chase all our foes to every quarter: subdue the tribes of Dāsas to the Ārya.

3.Those who array themselves as foes to smite us, O Indra, be they kin or be they strangers,— Strike thou their manly strength that it be feeble, and drive in headlong flight our foemen backward.

4.With strength of limb the hero slays the hero, when bright in arms they range them for the combat. When two opposing hosts contend in battle for seed and offspring, waters, kine, or corn-lands.

5.Yet no strong man hath conquered thee, no hero, no brave, no warrior trusting in his valour. Not one of these is match for thee, O Indra. Thou far surpassest all these living creatures.

6.He is the Lord of both these armies’ valour when the commanders call them to the conflict: When with their ranks expanded they are fighting with a great foe or for a home with heroes.

7.And when the people stir themselves for battle, be thou their saviour, Indra, and protector, And theirs, thy manliest of our friends, the pious, the chiefs who have installed us priests, O Indra.

8.To thee for high dominion hath been for evermore, for slaughtering the Vṛtras, All lordly power and might, O Holy Indra, given by Gods for victory in battle.

9.So urge our hosts together in the combats: yield up the godless bands that fight against us. Singing, at morn may we find thee with favour, yea, Indra, and e’en now, we Bharadvājas.

Asked of Guide

Why does the hymn keep asking Indra to overthrow enemies and protect the Bharadvājas?

The hymn repeatedly asks Indra to overthrow enemies and protect the Bharadvājas because it frames Indra as the martial protector whose “lordly power and might” and victory in slaying the Vṛtras establish cosmic and social order. The singers present themselves as the pious chiefs and priests who depend on Indra’s aid in battle for cattle, land, and honor, so they petition him to “urge our hosts together” and drive foes to flight.

This plea ties the clan’s survival and ritual standing directly to divine favor; victory is a sacrament as much as a military outcome, and Indra is the agent who grants it. For a parallel, read the Iliad, where warriors invoke patron deities to secure battlefield success and communal prestige.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.