1.173.1
गाय॒त् साम॑ नभ॒न्यं१ यथा॒ वेरर्चा॑म॒ तद् वा॑वृधा॒नं स्व॑र्वत् |
गावो॑ धे॒नवो॑ ब॒र्हिष्यद॑ब्धा॒ आ यत् स॒द्मानं॑ दि॒व्यं विवा॑सान् ||
THE praise-song let him sing forth bursting bird-like: sing we that hymn which like heaven's light expandeth, That the milk-giving cows may, unimpeded call to the sacred grass the Gods’ assembly.
Let the praise-song burst forth bird-like; sing the hymn that expands like heaven's light, so that milk-cows may call the gods' assembly to the sacred grass.
Stoma as bird-flight and dyu-light expansion: mantra that opens space. Dhenus calling gods to barhis links pastoral abundance with divine sabhā—ṛta made audible.
Creative expression should take flight and illuminate—opening room for community and shared purpose to gather.
1.173.2
अर्च॒द् वृषा॒ वृष॑भि॒: स्वेदु॑हव्यैर्मृ॒गो नाश्नो॒ अति॒ यज्जु॑गु॒र्यात् |
प्र म॑न्द॒युर्म॒नां गू॑र्त॒ होता॒ भर॑ते॒ मर्यो॑ मिथु॒ना यज॑त्रः ||
Let the Bull sing with Bulls whose toil is worship, with a loud roar like some wild beast that hungers. Praised God! the glad priest brings his heart's devotion; the holy youth presents twofold oblation.
Let the Bull sing with bulls of worship-toil, roaring like a hungry wild beast; the glad priest brings heart-devotion and twofold offering.
Indra as vṛṣan among vṛṣans: generative strength among ritual laborers. Double havis and hṛd-bhakti show outer offering matched by inner feeling—karma and bhāva together.
Pair vigorous effort with sincere feeling. High performance without heart-devotion rings hollow; both are needed.
1.173.3
नक्ष॒द्धोता॒ परि॒ सद्म॑ मि॒ता यन् भर॒द् गर्भ॒मा श॒रद॑: पृथि॒व्याः |
क्रन्द॒दश्वो॒ नय॑मानो रु॒वद् गौर॒न्तर्दू॒तो न रोद॑सी चर॒द् वाक् ||
May the Priest come circling the measured stations, and with him bring the earth's autumnal fruitage. Let the Horse neigh led near, let the Steer bellow: let the Voice go between both worlds as herald,
May the priest circle measured stations with earth's autumn fruit; let horse neigh, steer bellow, and Voice go as herald between both worlds.
Parikrama of measured places, autumn fruit, and Vāc as herald: yajña as cosmic communication. Animal voices and human speech join the bridging of dyāvāpṛthivī.
Communication bridges worlds: ceremonies, launches, and meetings need a clear voice that connects ground realities with higher vision.
1.173.4
ता क॒र्माष॑तरास्मै॒ प्र च्यौ॒त्नानि॑ देव॒यन्तो॑ भरन्ते |
जुजो॑ष॒दिन्द्रो॑ द॒स्मव॑र्चा॒ नास॑त्येव॒ सुग्म्यो॑ रथे॒ष्ठाः ||
To him we offer welcomest oblations, the pious bring their strength-inspiring praises. May Indra, wondrous in his might, accept them, car-borne and swift to move like the Nāsatyas.
We offer our most welcome oblations and strength-inspiring praises; may wondrous Indra, swift as the Nāsatyas, accept them.
Priya havis and ūrja-stuti seek Indra's acceptance. Comparing his speed to Aśvins emphasizes responsive grace—śakti that arrives quickly to the sincere.
Offer your best work promptly and ask for timely engagement from leaders or mentors who can move as swiftly as needed.
1.173.5
तमु॑ ष्टु॒हीन्द्रं॒ यो ह॒ सत्वा॒ यः शूरो॑ म॒घवा॒ यो र॑थे॒ष्ठाः |
प्र॒ती॒चश्चि॒द् योधी॑या॒न् वृष॑ण्वान् वव॒व्रुष॑श्चि॒त्तम॑सो विह॒न्ता ||
Praise thou that Indra who is truly mighty, the car-borne Warrior, Maghavan the Hero; Stronger in war than those who fight against him, borne by strong steeds, who kills enclosing darkness;
Praise truly mighty Indra, Maghavan the car-borne hero, stronger in war, who kills enclosing darkness.
Maghavan as satya-śūra who slays enclosing tamas: Indra as liberator from enveloping ignorance and oppression. Ratha-vīra imagery encodes mobile, decisive consciousness.
Celebrate courage that dissolves smothering darkness—depression, confusion, or systemic opacity—through decisive, ethical action.
1.173.6
प्र यदि॒त्था म॑हि॒ना नृभ्यो॒ अस्त्यरं॒ रोद॑सी क॒क्ष्ये॒३ नास्मै॑ |
सं वि॑व्य॒ इन्द्रो॑ वृ॒जनं॒ न भूमा॒ भर्ति॑ स्व॒धावाँ॑ ओप॒शमि॑व॒ द्याम् ||
Him who surpasses heroes in his greatness: the earth and heavens suffice not for his girdles. Indra endues the earth to be his garment, and, God-like, wears the heaven as ’twere a frontlet,
He surpasses heroes; earth and heaven suffice not for his girdles; he wears earth as garment and heaven as a frontlet.
Cosmic vibhūti: Indra's span exceeds dyāvāpṛthivī. Vastra-imagery teaches īśvara as clothed in worlds—macrocosm as divine embodiment, not separate from the deity.
True scale dwarfs our maps. Hold goals large enough that ordinary earth and heaven of habit cannot contain them.
1.173.7
स॒मत्सु॑ त्वा शूर स॒तामु॑रा॒णं प्र॑प॒थिन्त॑मं परितंस॒यध्यै॑ |
स॒जोष॑स॒ इन्द्रं॒ मदे॑ क्षो॒णीः सू॒रिं चि॒द्ये अ॑नु॒मद॑न्ति॒ वाजै॑: ||
Thee, Hero, guardian of the brave in battles, who roamest in the van,—to draw thee hither, Indra, the hosts agree beside the Soma, and joy, for his great actions, in the Chieftain.
Guardian of the brave, roaming in the van—hosts agree by the Soma to draw you hither and rejoice in the Chieftain's great deeds.
Gopā of śūra-jana, agragāmī: Indra as frontline protector. Collective agreement around Soma shows saṅgha aligning to invite leadership worth rejoicing in.
Teams thrive when they consensually invite leadership that actually protects and goes first—then celebrate real achievements.
1.173.8
ए॒वा हि ते॒ शं सव॑ना समु॒द्र आपो॒ यत् त॑ आ॒सु मद॑न्ति दे॒वीः |
विश्वा॑ ते॒ अनु॒ जोष्या॑ भू॒द् गौः सू॒रीँश्चि॒द् यदि॑ धि॒षा वेषि॒ जना॑न् ||
Libations in the sea to thee are pleasant, when thy divine Floods come to cheer these people. To thee the Cow is sum of all things grateful when with the wish thou seekest men and princes.
Libations in the sea please you when divine Floods cheer the people; the Cow is the sum of grateful things when you seek men and princes.
Samudra-havis and divine waters cheering the people: Indra linked to fertilizing floods. Go as totality of gratitude ties prosperity to bovine and earth-nurture.
Value what truly nourishes communities—shared resources and cow-like generative assets—over empty status.
1.173.9
असा॑म॒ यथा॑ सुष॒खाय॑ एन स्वभि॒ष्टयो॑ न॒रां न शंसै॑: |
अस॒द् यथा॑ न॒ इन्द्रो॑ वन्दने॒ष्ठास्तु॒रो न कर्म॒ नय॑मान उ॒क्था ||
So may we in this One be well befriended, well aided as it were through praise of chieftains, That Indra still may linger at our worship, as one led swift to work, to hear our praises.
May we be well befriended in this One, aided as through praise of chieftains, so Indra lingers at our worship to hear our praises.
Friendship centered in the One (Indra). Lingering at yajña is the gift—divine attention that stays, not a drive-by blessing.
Deep partnerships need presence that lingers—attention that stays to listen, not transactional flybys.
1.173.10
विष्प॑र्धसो न॒रां न शंसै॑र॒स्माका॑स॒दिन्द्रो॒ वज्र॑हस्तः |
मि॒त्रा॒युवो॒ न पूर्प॑तिं॒ सुशि॑ष्टौ मध्या॒युव॒ उप॑ शिक्षन्ति य॒ज्ञैः ||
Like men in rivalry extolling princes, our Friend be Indra, wielder of the thunder. Like true friends of some city's lord within them held in good rule with sacrifice they help him.
As rivals extol princes, be our Friend, thunder-wielder; like true friends of a city's lord they help him with sacrifice under good rule.
Mitra-bhāva with Vajrin under good rule: civic order and friendship. Yajña supports rightful authority the way loyal citizens support a just city-lord.
Healthy institutions: friendship with power that is accountable, helped by citizens' constructive contribution rather than flattery alone.
1.173.11
य॒ज्ञो हि ष्मेन्द्रं॒ कश्चि॑दृ॒न्धञ्जु॑हुरा॒णश्चि॒न्मन॑सा परि॒यन् |
ती॒र्थे नाच्छा॑ तातृषा॒णमोको॑ दी॒र्घो न सि॒ध्रमा कृ॑णो॒त्यध्वा॑ ||
For every sacrifice makes Indra stronger, yea, when he goes around angry in spirit; As pleasure at the ford invites the thirsty, as the long way brings him who gains his object.
Every sacrifice strengthens Indra, even when he circles angry; as pleasure at the ford invites the thirsty, as the long way brings the goal-winner.
Yajña increases Indra's bala even amid manyu—sādhana transforms and channels wrath. Ford and long path metaphors: approach and perseverance both draw the divine.
Consistent practice strengthens capacity even through irritable phases. Show up; the path rewards those who keep walking.
1.173.12
मो षू ण॑ इ॒न्द्रात्र॑ पृ॒त्सु दे॒वैरस्ति॒ हि ष्मा॑ ते शुष्मिन्नव॒याः |
म॒हश्चि॒द् यस्य॑ मी॒ळहुषो॑ य॒व्या ह॒विष्म॑तो म॒रुतो॒ वन्द॑ते॒ गीः ||
Let us not here contend with Gods, O Indra, for here, O Mighty One, is thine own portion, The Great, whose Friends the bounteous Maruts honour, as with a stream, his song who pours oblations.
Let us not contend with Gods here, Indra—this is your portion; the Great whom bounteous Maruts honor, as with a stream, the pourer's song.
Humility before divine portion. Maruts honoring Indra like a stream mirrors how stoma should flow—supporting, not competing with, higher order.
Know your lane. Contending with realities larger than you wastes energy; align and contribute your flowing share.
1.173.13
ए॒ष स्तोम॑ इन्द्र॒ तुभ्य॑म॒स्मे ए॒तेन॑ गा॒तुं ह॑रिवो विदो नः |
आ नो॑ ववृत्याः सुवि॒ताय॑ देव वि॒द्यामे॒षं वृ॒जनं॑ जी॒रदा॑नुम् ||
Addressed to thee is this our praise, O Indra: Lord of Bay Steeds, find us hereby advancement. So mayst thou lead us on, O God, to comfort. May we find strengthening food in full abundance.
This praise is addressed to you, Indra, Lord of Bay Steeds—lead us to comfort; may we find strengthening food in abundance.
Stuti as direct address; prayer for śarma and vāja-food. Closing Agastya refrain ties heroic Indra-bhakti to embodied nourishment and well-being.
End petitions with practical wellbeing: guidance toward safety and enough nourishing resources to continue the work.