1.57.1
प्र मंहि॑ष्ठाय बृह॒ते बृ॒हद्र॑ये स॒त्यशु॑ष्माय त॒वसे॑ म॒तिं भ॑रे |
अ॒पामि॑व प्रव॒णे यस्य॑ दु॒र्धरं॒ राधो॑ वि॒श्वायु॒ शव॑से॒ अपा॑वृतम् ||
To him most liberal, lofty Lord of lofty wealth, verily powerful and strong, I bring my hymn,— Whose checkless bounty, as of waters down a slope, is spread abroad for all that live, to give them strength.
To the most liberal, lofty Lord of lofty wealth—truly powerful and strong—I bring my thought-hymn; whose irresistible bounty, like waters rushing down a slope, is opened for all that live, to give them strength.
Indra as maṃhiṣṭha and bṛhadrayi receives mati (mindful hymn) as sacred gift. His rādhas flows like apaḥ down a pravana—grace following the natural slope of ṛta toward all life (viśvāyu). Vedic dāna is not arbitrary favoritism but cosmic openness of śakti to those who live.
True abundance moves toward shared vitality, not hoarding. Leadership and creativity that strengthen everyone downstream outlast zero-sum extraction.
1.57.2
अध॑ ते॒ विश्व॒मनु॑ हासदि॒ष्टय॒ आपो॑ नि॒म्नेव॒ सव॑ना ह॒विष्म॑तः |
यत् पर्व॑ते॒ न स॒मशी॑त हर्य॒त इन्द्र॑स्य॒ वज्र॒: श्नथि॑ता हिर॒ण्यय॑: ||
Now all this world, for worship, shall come after thee—the offerer's libations like floods to the depth, When the well-loved one seems to rest upon the hill, the thunderbolt of Indra, shatterer wrought of gold.
Now the whole world shall follow you in worship—the offerer's libations like floods into the deep—when the beloved golden thunderbolt of Indra, the shatterer, seems to rest upon the mountain.
The vajra resting on the parvata images latent divine force poised for action. Savana and āpaḥ converge toward Indra as toward a depth (nimna). The hymn teaches that when the instrument of ṛta is present—even at rest—the cosmos orients itself in adoration and offering.
Presence of clear principle—even before action—reorders priorities. People and resources align when a trustworthy center of force is visible.
1.57.3
अ॒स्मै भी॒माय॒ नम॑सा॒ सम॑ध्व॒र उषो॒ न शु॑भ्र॒ आ भ॑रा॒ पनी॑यसे |
यस्य॒ धाम॒ श्रव॑से॒ नामे॑न्द्रि॒यं ज्योति॒रका॑रि ह॒रितो॒ नाय॑से ||
To him the terrible, most meet for lofty praise, like bright Dawn, now bring gifts with reverence in this rite, Whose being, for renown, yea, Indra-power and light, have been created, like bay steeds, to move with speed.
To the formidable one most worthy of lofty praise, bring gifts now with reverence in this rite, as to bright Dawn; whose nature for renown—Indra-power and light—was formed to move swiftly like bay steeds.
Indra is bhīma yet panīyas—awe-inspiring and praiseworthy. Offerings at the adhvara parallel approaching Uṣas: liminal reverence. His dhāman of śravas, indriya, and jyotis is created for speed (āyase)—divine responsiveness. Bay horses again signal the swift vehicles of spiritual force.
Respect formidable capability without freezing in fear. Channel awe into disciplined offering—preparation, craft, and timely action.
1.57.4
इ॒मे त॑ इन्द्र॒ ते व॒यं पु॑रुष्टुत॒ ये त्वा॒रभ्य॒ चरा॑मसि प्रभूवसो |
न॒हि त्वद॒न्यो गि॑र्वणो॒ गिर॒: सघ॑त् क्षो॒णीरि॑व॒ प्रति॑ नो हर्य॒ तद् वच॑: ||
Thine, Indra, praised by many, excellently rich! are we who trusting in thy help draw near to thee. Lover of praise, none else but thou receives our laud: as earth loves all her creatures, love thou this our hymn.
We are yours, O Indra praised by many and richly endowed; trusting your help we move toward you. Lover of praise, none but you receives our laud: as earth loves all her creatures, love this our hymn.
The intimate claim 'ime te... vayam' is early bhakti-flavored belonging within Vedic stuti. Girvaṇaḥ (lover of hymns) receives giraḥ alone—ekāgratā of devotion. The simile of earth loving her beings grounds Indra-seva in mātṛ-pṛthivī tenderness: cosmic power mirrored by maternal care.
Healthy belonging—'we are yours' without erasure of agency—builds trust. Reciprocal care between community and mission sustains long work.
1.57.5
भूरि॑ त इन्द्र वी॒र्यं १ तव॑ स्मस्य॒स्य स्तो॒तुर्म॑घव॒न् काम॒मा पृ॑ण |
अनु॑ ते॒ द्यौर्बृ॑ह॒ती वी॒र्यं॑ मम इ॒यं च॑ ते पृथि॒वी ने॑म॒ ओज॑से ||
Great is thy power, O Indra, we are thine. Fulfil, O Maghavan, the wish of this thy worshipper. After thee lofty heaven hath measured out its strength: to thee and to thy power this earth hath bowed itself.
Great is your heroic power, Indra—we are yours. Maghavan, fulfill this worshipper's desire. After you the lofty heaven has measured its strength; this earth has bowed itself to you and to your might.
Vīrya of Indra elicits surrender of identification ('tava smasi') without nihilism—it is alignment with Maghavan's kāma-fulfilling generosity. Dyaus measuring strength after Indra, and pṛthivī bowing to ojas, depict the three worlds ordered under ṛta's champion.
Acknowledge forces larger than ego—nature, ethics, collective good—then ask clearly for what is needed. Humility paired with specific request is mature agency.
1.57.6
त्वं तमि॑न्द्र॒ पर्व॑तं म॒हामु॒रुं वज्रे॑ण वज्रिन् पर्व॒शश्च॑कर्तिथ |
अवा॑सृजो॒ निवृ॑ता॒: सर्त॒वा अ॒पः स॒त्रा विश्वं॑ दधिषे॒ केव॑लं॒ सह॑: ||
Thou, who hast thunder for thy weapon, with thy bolt hast shattered into pieces this broad massive cloud. Thou hast sent down the obstructed floods that they may flow: thou hast, thine own for ever, all victorious might.
You who wield the thunder weapon have shattered this broad massive cloud to pieces with your bolt; you released the obstructed floods to flow, and you hold forever all victorious might as your own.
Parvata as cloud-mass and Vṛtra-barrier falls to the vajra; nivṛtāḥ apaḥ are set free to sartave (flow). Indra's kevalaṃ sahaḥ—exclusive victorious endurance—is the Sanātana assurance that obstructive concentration cannot permanently withhold life's waters from the yajamāna and the world.
Break logjams deliberately. Whether creative blocks, institutional bottlenecks, or emotional constriction—decisive release restores circulation and shared strength.