Rig Veda · Mandala 4 · Sukta 18
Rig Veda 4.18 — Indra and Others
Deity: Indra and Others. Rishi family (Mandala 4): Vamadeva Gautama and his lineage. This Sukta contains 13 verses presented below in Devanagari Sanskrit, IAST romanisation, and Ralph T. H. Griffith's English translation. Click any verse to read a fuller explanation.
Verses
Rig Veda 4.18.1
अयम पन्था अनुवित्तः पुराणो यतो देवा उदजायन्त विश्वे | अतश चिद आ जनिषीष्ट परव्र्द्धो मा मातरम अमुया पत्तवे कः
ayam panthā anuvittaḥ purāṇo yato devā udajāyanta viśve | ataś cid ā janiṣīṣṭa pravṛddho mā mātaram amuyā pattave kaḥ
Rig Veda 4.18.2
नाहम अतो निर अया दुर्गहैतत तिरश्चता पार्श्वान निर गमाणि | बहूनि मे अक्र्ता कर्त्वानि युध्यै तवेन सं तवेन पर्छै
nāham ato nir ayā durghahaitat tiraścatā pārśvān nir ghamāṇi | bahūni me akṛtā kartvāni yudhyai tvena saṃ tvena pṛchai
Not this way go I forth: hard is the passage. Forth from the side obliquely will I issue. Much that is yet undone must I accomplish; one must I combat and the other question.
Rig Veda 4.18.3
परायतीम मातरम अन्व अचष्ट न नानु गान्य अनु नू गमानि | तवष्टुर गर्हे अपिबत सोमम इन्द्रः शतधन्यं चम्वोः सुतस्य
parāyatīm mātaram anv acaṣṭa na nānu ghāny anu nū ghamāni | tvaṣṭur ghṛhe apibat somam indraḥ śatadhanyaṃ camvoḥ sutasya
He bent his eye upon the dying Mother: My word I now withdraw. That way I follow. In Tvaṣṭar's dwelling India drank the Soma, a hundredworth of juice pressed from the mortar.
Rig Veda 4.18.4
किं स रधक कर्णवद यं सहस्रम मासो जभार शरदश च पूर्वीः | नही नव अस्य परतिमानम अस्त्य अन्तर जातेषूत ये जनित्वाः
kiṃ sa ṛdhak kṛṇavad yaṃ sahasram māso jabhāra śaradaś ca pūrvīḥ | nahī nv asya pratimānam asty antar jāteṣūta ye janitvāḥ
What strange act shall he do, he whom his Mother bore for a thousand months and many autumns? No peer hath he among those born already, nor among those who shall be born hereafter.
Rig Veda 4.18.5
अवद्यम इव मन्यमाना गुहाकर इन्द्रम माता वीर्येणा नयॄष्टम | अथोद अस्थात सवयम अत्कं वसान आ रोदसी अप्र्णाज जायमानः
avadyam iva manyamānā ghuhākar indram mātā vīryeṇā nyṝṣṭam | athod asthāt svayam atkaṃ vasāna ā rodasī apṛṇāj jāyamānaḥ
Deeming him a reproach, his mother hid him, Indra, endowed with all heroic valour. Then up he sprang himself, assumed his vesture, and filled, as soon as born, the earth and heaven.
Rig Veda 4.18.6
एता अर्षन्त्य अललाभवन्तीर रतावरीर इव संक्रोशमानाः | एता वि पर्छ किम इदम भनन्ति कम आपो अद्रिम परिधिं रुजन्ति
etā arṣanty alalābhavantīr ṛtāvarīr iva saṃkrośamānāḥ | etā vi pṛcha kim idam bhananti kam āpo adrim paridhiṃ rujanti
With lively motion onward flow these waters, the Holy Ones, shouting, as ’twere, together. Ask them to. tell thee what the floods are saying, what girdling rock the waters burst asunder.
Rig Veda 4.18.7
किम उ षविद अस्मै निविदो भनन्तेन्द्रस्यावद्यं दिधिषन्त आपः | ममैतान पुत्रो महता वधेन वर्त्रं जघन्वां अस्र्जद वि सिन्धून
kim u ṣvid asmai nivido bhanantendrasyāvadyaṃ didhiṣanta āpaḥ | mamaitān putro mahatā vadhena vṛtraṃ jaghanvāṃ asṛjad vi sindhūn
Are they addressing him with words of welcome? Will the floods take on them the shame of Indra? With his great thunderbolt my Son hath slaughtered Vṛtra, and set these rivers free to wander.
Rig Veda 4.18.8
ममच चन तवा युवतिः परास ममच चन तवा कुषवा जगार | ममच चिद आपः शिशवे मम्र्ड्युर ममच चिद इन्द्रः सहसोद अतिष्ठत
mamac cana tvā yuvatiḥ parāsa mamac cana tvā kuṣavā jaghāra | mamac cid āpaḥ śiśave mamṛḍyur mamac cid indraḥ sahasod atiṣṭhat
I cast thee from me, mine,—thy youthful mother: thee, mine own offspring, Kusava hath swallowed. To him, mine infant, were the waters gracious. Indra, my Son, rose up in conquering vigour.
Rig Veda 4.18.9
ममच चन ते मघवन वयंसो निविविध्वां अप हनू जघान | अधा निविद्ध उत्तरो बभूवाञ छिरो दासस्य सम पिणक वधेन
mamac cana te maghavan vyaṃso nivividhvāṃ apa hanū jaghāna | adhā nividdha uttaro babhūvāñ chiro dāsasya sam piṇak vadhena
Thou art mine own, O Maghavan, whom Vyaṁsa struck to the ground and smote thy jaws in pieces. But, smitten through, the mastery thou wonnest, and with thy bolt the Dāsa's head thou crushedst.
Rig Veda 4.18.10
गर्ष्टिः ससूव सथविरं तवागाम अनाध्र्ष्यं वर्षभं तुम्रम इन्द्रम | अरीळ्हं वत्सं चरथाय माता सवयं गातुं तन्व इछमानम
ghṛṣṭiḥ sasūva sthaviraṃ tavāghām anādhṛṣyaṃ vṛṣabhaṃ tumram indram | arīḷhaṃ vatsaṃ carathāya mātā svayaṃ ghātuṃ tanva ichamānam
The Heifer hath brought forth the Strong, the Mighty, the unconquerable Bull, the furious Indra. The Mother left her unlicked Calf to wander, seeking himself, the path that he would follow.
Rig Veda 4.18.11
उत माता महिषम अन्व अवेनद अमी तवा जहति पुत्र देवाः | अथाब्रवीद वर्त्रम इन्द्रो हनिष्यन सखे विष्णो वितरं वि करमस्व
uta mātā mahiṣam anv avenad amī tvā jahati putra devāḥ | athābravīd vṛtram indro haniṣyan sakhe viṣṇo vitaraṃ vi kramasva
Then to her mighty Child the Mother turned her, saying, My son, these Deities forsake thee. Then Indra said, about to slaughter Vṛtra, O my friend Vṛtra, stride full boldly forward.
Rig Veda 4.18.12
कस ते मातरं विधवाम अचक्रच छयुं कस तवाम अजिघांसच चरन्तम | कस ते देवो अधि मार्डीक आसीद यत पराक्षिणाः पितरम पादग्र्ह्य
kas te mātaraṃ vidhavām acakrac chayuṃ kas tvām ajighāṃsac carantam | kas te devo adhi mārḍīka āsīd yat prākṣiṇāḥ pitaram pādaghṛhya
Who was he then who made thy Mother widow? Who sought to stay thee lying still or moving? What God, when by the foot thy Sire thou tookest and slewest, was at hand to give thee comfort?
Rig Veda 4.18.13
अवर्त्या शुन आन्त्राणि पेचे न देवेषु विविदे मर्डितारम | अपश्यं जायाम अमहीयमानाम अधा मे शयेनो मध्व आ जभार
avartyā śuna āntrāṇi pece na deveṣu vivide marḍitāram | apaśyaṃ jāyām amahīyamānām adhā me śyeno madhv ā jabhāra
In deep distress I cooked a dog's intestines. Among the Gods I found not one to comfort. My consort I beheld in degradation. The Falcon then brought me the pleasant Soma.
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