Listen

Dhammapada · narration sample

A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.

Rig Veda · 81 of 1027

Mandala 1: HYMN LXXXI. Indra.

1.THE men have lifted Indra up, the Vṛtra slayer, to joy and strength: Him, verily, we invocate in battles whether great or small: be he our aid in deeds of might.

2.Thou, Hero, art a warrior, thou art giver of abundant spoil. Strengthening e’en the feeble, thou aidest the sacrificer, thou givest the offerer ample wealth.

3.When war and battles are on foot, booty is laid before the bold. Yoke thou thy wildly-rushing Bays. Whom wilt thou slay and whom enrich? Do thou, O Indra, make us rich.

4.Mighty through wisdom, as he lists, terrible, he hath waxed in strength. Lord of Bay Steeds, strong-jawed, sublime, he in joined hands for glory’s sake hath grasped his iron thunderbolt.

5.He filled the earthly atmosphere and pressed against the lights in heaven. None like thee ever hath been born, none, Indra, will be born like thee. Thou hast waxed mighty over all.

6.May he who to the offerer gives the foeman’s man-sustaining food, May Indra lend his aid to us. Deal forth—abundant is thy wealth—that in thy bounty I may share.

7.He, righteous-hearted, at each time of rapture gives us herds of kine. Gather in both thy hands for us treasures of many hundred sorts. Sharpen thou us, and bring us wealth.

8.Refresh thee, Hero, with the juice outpoured for bounty and for strength. We know thee Lord of ample store, to thee have sent our hearts’ desires: be therefore our Protector thou.

9.These people, Indra, keep for thee all that is worthy of thy choice. Discover thou, as Lord, the wealth of men who offer up no gifts: bring thou to us this wealth of theirs.

Asked of Guide

Why does this hymn ask Indra for both battlefield victory and cattle/wealth?

The hymn treats Indra as the central source of success in public and private life: lines 1–4 call him “Hero” and “Vṛtra slayer” whose thunderbolt wins battles, while lines 6–9 ask him to grant herds, treasure, and “ample store” to the sacrificer. Victory and wealth are two forms of the same cosmic favor from Indra—he secures physical dominance and the social-economic goods that follow.

This linking of war-prize and pastoral abundance matches other Rig Veda hymns where kingship and sacrificial prosperity overlap, especially in Mandala 1 hymns to Indra and in the image of him as both war-chief and grantor of “herds of kine.” Read alongside the Dāsa-killing narratives elsewhere in the collection, the requests make practical sense: success in battle guarantees booty and ritual resources for the community.

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.