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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 971 of 1027

Mandala 10: HYMN CXXXIV. Indra.

1.As, like the Morning, thou hast filled, O Indra, both the earth and heaven. So as the Mighty One, great King of all the mighty world of men, the Goddess Mother brought thee forth, the Blessed Mother gave thee life.

2.Relax that mortal’s stubborn strength whose heart is bent on wickedness. Trample him down beneath thy feet who watches for and aims at us. The Goddess Mother brought thee forth, the Blessed Mother gave thee life.

3.Shake down, O Slayer of the foe, those great all splendid enemies. With all thy powers, O Śakra, all thine helps, O Indra, shake them down:

4.As thou, O Śatakratu, thou, O Indrv, shakest all things down As wealth for him who sheds the juice, with thine assistance thousandfold.

5.Around, on every side like drops of sweat let lightning-flashes fall. Let all malevolence pass away from us like threads of Darva grass.

6.Thou bearest in thine hand a lance like a long hook, great Counsellor! As with his foremost foot a goat, draw down the branch, O Maghavan.

7.Never, O Gods, do we offend, nor are we ever obstinate: we walk as holy texts command. Closely we clasp and cling to you, cling to your sides, beneath your arms.

Asked of Guide

Why does the hymn keep saying “The Goddess Mother brought thee forth, the Blessed Mother gave thee life” about Indra?

The repeated line names Indra’s origin and grounding in maternal power: the hymn ties his kingship and might to a creative, life-giving force — “Goddess Mother” and “Blessed Mother” supply his birth and vitality. That phrase appears after petitions for victory and protection, making Indra’s authority both cosmic and nurtured rather than only martial.

This echo of motherhood frames Indra’s destructive acts as supported by a sustaining principle, so the poet asks him to “shake down” enemies while remembering his source. The move resembles hymns in the Rig Veda and the later Upanishads where divine potency is linked to a primal feminine source; see the dialogue about Prajāpati and Shakti in the Upanishads for a similar pairing of power and origin.

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