1.55.1
दि॒वश्चि॑दस्य वरि॒मा वि प॑प्रथ॒ इन्द्रं॒ न म॒ह्ना पृ॑थि॒वी च॒न प्रति॑ |
भी॒मस्तुवि॑ष्माञ्चर्ष॒णिभ्य॑ आत॒पः शिशी॑ते॒ वज्रं॒ तेज॑से॒ न वंस॑गः ||
THOUGH e’en this heaven's wide space and earth have spread them out, nor heaven nor earth may be in greatness Indra's match. Awful and very mighty, causing woe to men, he whets his thunderbolt for sharpness, as a bull.
Though heaven's wide space and earth have spread out, neither matches Indra in greatness; awful, very mighty, he whets his thunderbolt for sharpness as a bull.
Varimā of div and pṛthivī fail 'pratī' Indra's mahiman. 'Bhīma tuviṣmān' sharpens vajra 'tejase na vaṁsagaḥ'—bull-energy of tapas and readiness in Vedic warrior theology.
Prepare edge before impact. Capacity that exceeds the visible field still needs deliberate sharpening.
1.55.2
सो अ॑र्ण॒वो न न॒द्य॑: समु॒द्रिय॒: प्रति॑ गृभ्णाति॒ विश्रि॑ता॒ वरी॑मभिः |
इन्द्र॒: सोम॑स्य पी॒तये॑ वृषायते स॒नात् स यु॒ध्म ओज॑सा पनस्यते ||
Like as the watery ocean, so doth he receive the rivers spread on all sides in their ample width. He bears him like a bull to drink of Soma juice, and will, as Warrior from of old, be praised for might.
Like the watery ocean he receives rivers spread on all sides in their width; he bears himself as a bull to drink Soma, and as warrior from of old is praised for might.
Indra 'arṇavo na' receiving nadyaḥ—receptive vastness plus 'vṛṣāyate' toward somapīti. Sanāt 'yudhma' praised for ojas—timeless martial-sacred identity.
Be large enough to receive many inflows, yet purposeful enough to choose the nourishing cup and earn praise for real strength.
1.55.3
त्वं तमि॑न्द्र॒ पर्व॑तं॒ न भोज॑से म॒हो नृ॒म्णस्य॒ धर्म॑णामिरज्यसि |
प्र वी॒र्ये॑ण दे॒वताति॑ चेकिते॒ विश्व॑स्मा उ॒ग्रः कर्म॑णे पु॒रोहि॑तः ||
Thou swayest, Indra, all kinds of great manly power, so as to bend, as’t were, even that famed mountain down. Foremost among the Gods is he through hero might, set in the van, the Strong One, for each arduous deed.
You sway all kinds of great manly power, Indra, so as to bend even that famed mountain; foremost among Gods through hero-might, set in the van for every hard deed.
Īrajyasi over 'nṛmṇasya dharmāṇām'; mountain bent 'bhojase'. 'Purohita' here as placed foremost for 'viśvasmā karmaṇe'—Indra as lead agent of arduous divine work.
Put your strongest capability at the front of hard problems; lead from the point of difficulty, not the periphery.
1.55.4
स इद् वने॑ नम॒स्युभि॑र्वचस्यते॒ चारु॒ जने॑षु प्रब्रुवा॒ण इ॑न्द्रि॒यम् |
वृषा॒ छन्दु॑र्भवति हर्य॒तो वृषा॒ क्षेमे॑ण॒ धेनां॑ म॒घवा॒ यदिन्व॑ति ||
He only in the wood is praised by worshippers, when he shows forth to men his own fair Indra-power. A friendly Bull is he, a Bull to be desired when Maghavan auspiciously sends forth his voice.
He alone is praised by worshippers in the wood when he declares among people his fair Indra-power; a friendly bull, a bull to be desired, when Maghavan auspiciously sends forth his voice.
Vana as locus of namasyu praise; 'indriyam' beautifully proclaimed. Vṛṣan 'chando/haryata' when Maghavan 'dhenām invati'—voice of bounty as desired, friendly force.
Let power speak clearly and friendly when it arrives; desired strength announces itself without cruelty.
1.55.5
स इन्म॒हानि॑ समि॒थानि॑ म॒ज्मना॑ कृ॒णोति॑ यु॒ध्म ओज॑सा॒ जने॑भ्यः |
अधा॑ च॒न श्रद् द॑धति॒ त्विषी॑मत॒ इन्द्रा॑य॒ वज्रं॑ नि॒घनि॑घ्नते व॒धम् ||
Yet verily the Warrior in his vigorous strength stirreth up with his might great battles for mankind; And men have faith in Indra, the resplendent One, what time he hurleth down his bolt, his dart of death.
Yet the warrior in vigorous strength stirs great battles for humankind; and people place faith in radiant Indra when he hurls his bolt, his dart of death.
'Śraddadhati' of janas toward 'tviṣīmate' when vajra 'nighnighnate'. Vedic śraddhā born of witnessed cosmic action for 'janebhyaḥ'—faith as response to protective force.
Trust grows when protective action is visible and decisive on behalf of people—not when force is theatrical for its own sake.
1.55.6
स हि श्र॑व॒स्युः सद॑नानि कृ॒त्रिमा॑ क्ष्म॒या वृ॑धा॒न ओज॑सा विना॒शय॑न् |
ज्योतीं॑षि कृ॒ण्वन्न॑वृ॒काणि॒ यज्य॒वे ऽव॑ सु॒क्रतु॒: सर्त॒वा अ॒पः सृ॑जत् ||
Though, fain for glory, and with strength increased on earth, he with great might destroys the dwellings made with art, He makes the lights of heaven shine forth secure, he bids, exceeding wise, the floods flow for his worshipper.
Though glory-seeking and earth-increased in strength he destroys dwellings made with art, he makes heaven's lights shine secure and, exceeding wise, lets waters flow for his worshipper.
Dual action: 'kṛtrimā sadanāni' vināśayan yet 'jyotīṁṣi avṛkāṇi' and apaḥ 'sartavā asṛjat' for yajyu. Destructive clearing serving luminous safety and hydrological grace.
Dismantle harmful constructs so safer light and freer flow reach those who sustain the work—destruction needs a life-serving aim.
1.55.7
दा॒नाय॒ मन॑: सोमपावन्नस्तु ते॒ ऽर्वाञ्चा॒ हरी॑ वन्दनश्रु॒दा कृ॑धि |
यमि॑ष्ठास॒: सार॑थयो॒ य इ॑न्द्र ते॒ न त्वा॒ केता॒ आ द॑भ्नुवन्ति॒ भूर्ण॑यः ||
Drinker of Soma, let thy heart incline to give; bring thy Bays hitherward, O thou who hearest praise. Those charioteers of thine, best skilled to draw the rein, the rapid sunbeams, Indra, lead thee not astray.
Drinker of Soma, let your mind incline to giving; turn the bay steeds hither, O hearer of praise; your charioteers most skilled to rein—the eager sunbeams—do not lead you astray.
Manaḥ 'dānāya astu'; harī 'arvāñcā'. Ketāḥ as sārathayaḥ—solar rays as Indra's drivers who 'na dabhnuvanti'. Divine motion guided by luminous intelligence toward the stotra.
Steer generosity with bright guidance; don't let peripheral dazzle divert the vehicle of help from those who call truly.
1.55.8
अप्र॑क्षितं॒ वसु॑ बिभर्षि॒ हस्त॑यो॒रषा॑ह्ळं॒ सह॑स्त॒न्वि॑ श्रु॒तो द॑धे |
आवृ॑तासोऽव॒तासो॒ न क॒र्तृभि॑स्त॒नूषु॑ ते॒ क्रत॑व इन्द्र॒ भूर॑यः ||
Thou bearest in both hands treasure that never fails; the famed One in his body holds unvanquished might. O Indra, in thy members many powers abide, like wells surrounded by the ministering priests.
You bear in both hands treasure that never fails; the famed one holds unvanquished might in his body; in your members, Indra, many powers abide like wells ringed by ministering priests.
'Aprakṣitaṁ vasu' in hastayoḥ; 'aṣāḷhaṁ sahas' in tanū. Multiple 'kratavaḥ' like 'avatāso na kartṛbhiḥ'—powers as sacred wells tended by ṛtvijs: Indra's body as yajña-field of capacities.
Treat your capacities as tended wells—multiple, renewable, circled by good practice—not as a single brittle weapon.