Rigveda 1.176

1.176.1

मत्सि॑ नो॒ वस्य॑ इष्टय॒ इन्द्र॑मिन्दो॒ वृषा वि॑श | ऋ॒घा॒यमा॑ण इन्वसि॒ शत्रु॒मन्ति॒ न वि॑न्दसि ||

CHEER thee with draughts to win us bliss: Soma, pierce Indra in thy strength. Thou stormest trembling in thy rage, and findest not a foeman nigh.

Cheer yourself with draughts to win us bliss; Soma, pierce Indra in your strength—you storm trembling in rage and find no foe near.

Soma as active ally piercing Indra with strength—ritual psychology of uniting rasa and vajra-will. Rage without nearby foe: power ready, not yet misaimed.

Charge up for constructive aims before conflict appears; prepare strength so it serves bliss, not random aggression.

1.176.2

तस्मि॒न्ना वे॑शया॒ गिरो॒ य एक॑श्चर्षणी॒नाम् | अनु॑ स्व॒धा यमु॒प्यते॒ यवं॒ न चर्कृ॑ष॒द् वृषा॑ ||

Make our songs penetrate to him who is the Only One of men; For whom the sacred food is spread, as the steer ploughs the barley in.

Make our songs reach him who is the Only One of men, for whom sacred food is spread as the steer ploughs barley.

The Only One of men: Indra as unique locus of human aspiration. Barley-ploughing image: cultivation metaphor for how offering prepares the field of divine attention.

Focus communication on the single decision-maker who matters, and prepare the field with real substance before asking.

1.176.3

यस्य॒ विश्वा॑नि॒ हस्त॑यो॒: पञ्च॑ क्षिती॒नां वसु॑ | स्पा॒शय॑स्व॒ यो अ॑स्म॒ध्रुग्दि॒व्येवा॒शनि॑र्जहि ||

Within whose hands deposited all the Five Peoples’ treasures rest. Mark thou the man who injures us and kill him like the heavenly bolt.

In whose hands rest all Five Peoples' treasures—mark the one who injures us and kill him like the heavenly bolt.

Five Peoples' treasures in Indra's hands: civilizational trusteeship. Prayer for vajra against our injurer is defense of ṛta, not mere vendetta—discernment required.

Central stewardship plus clear accountability: protect common goods and address harm with proportionate, principled force.

1.176.4

असु॑न्वन्तं समं जहि दू॒णाशं॒ यो न ते॒ मय॑: | अ॒स्मभ्य॑मस्य॒ वेद॑नं द॒द्धि सू॒रिश्चि॑दोहते ||

Slay everyone who pours no gift, who, hard to reach, delights thee not. Bestow on us what wealth he hath: this even the worshipper awaits.

Slay everyone who pours no gift and delights you not; bestow on us the wealth he has—this the worshipper awaits.

Non-giver versus generous offerer ethics in Vedic polarity: non-reciprocity toward the sacred is condemned. Redistribution prayer asks that withheld wealth serve those who uphold yajña.

Challenge extractive non-contribution; redirect resources toward people and practices that sustain the commons.

1.176.5

आवो॒ यस्य॑ द्वि॒बर्ह॑सो॒ऽर्केषु॑ सानु॒षगस॑त् | आ॒जाविन्द्र॑स्येन्दो॒ प्रावो॒ वाजे॑षु वा॒जिन॑म् ||

Thou helpest him the doubly strong whose hymns were sung unceasingly. When Indra fought, O Soma, thou helpest the mighty in the fray.

You help the doubly strong whose hymns were sung unceasingly; when Indra fought, Soma, you helped the mighty in the fray.

The doubly strong helped by continuous stoma; Soma as Indra's battle-ally. Unceasing hymn equals abhyāsa—practice that doubles strength.

Consistency compounds power. Allies and disciplines that show up in the fight matter as much as peak talent.

1.176.6

यथा॒ पूर्वे॑भ्यो जरि॒तृभ्य॑ इन्द्र॒ मय॑ इ॒वापो॒ न तृष्य॑ते ब॒भूथ॑ | तामनु॑ त्वा नि॒विदं॑ जोहवीमि वि॒द्यामे॒षं वृ॒जनं॑ जी॒रदा॑नुम् ||

As thou, O Indra, to the ancient singers wast ever joy, like water to the thirsty, So unto thee I sing this invocation. May we find strengthening food in full abundance.

As you were joy to ancient singers like water to the thirsty, I sing this invocation; may we find strengthening food in abundance.

Same closing as 1.175.6—liturgical refrain linking Agastya's Indra cycle: continuity of thirst, song, and annam.

Repeat what works: refresh creators and end with material sufficiency.