1.81.1
इन्द्रो॒ मदा॑य वावृधे॒ शव॑से वृत्र॒हा नृभि॑: |
तमिन्म॒हत्स्वा॒जिषू॒तेमर्भे॑ हवामहे॒ स वाजे॑षु॒ प्र नो॑ऽविषत् ||
THE men have lifted Indra up, the Vṛtra slayer, to joy and strength: Him, verily, we invocate in battles whether great or small: be he our aid in deeds of might.
Men have increased Indra, the Vṛtra-slayer, for rapture and for strength; him we call in great contests and in small—may he advance to aid us in our winning efforts.
Nṛbhiḥ vāvṛdhe: human stuti and Soma increase Indra. Invocation spans mahatsu ājīṣu and arbhe—great and small struggles—affirming that ṛta’s champion is needed in daily contests as in epic war. Vājeṣu avitā is the prayer for contested vitality.
Invite courage into both career-defining crises and small daily frictions. Consistent allyship with integrity scales better than heroics reserved for rare emergencies.
1.81.2
असि॒ हि वी॑र॒ सेन्यो ऽसि॒ भूरि॑ पराद॒दिः |
असि॑ द॒भ्रस्य॑ चिद् वृ॒धो यज॑मानाय शिक्षसि सुन्व॒ते भूरि॑ ते॒ वसु॑ ||
Thou, Hero, art a warrior, thou art giver of abundant spoil. Strengthening e’en the feeble, thou aidest the sacrificer, thou givest the offerer ample wealth.
You are a battle-hero, abundant bestower of prizes; you are increaser even of the weak; you train the sacrificer and give ample treasure to the Soma-presser.
Indra as senya and bhūri-parādadi balances martial and dānic faces. Vṛdha of the dabhra (feeble) and śikṣasi of the yajamāna show Maghavan as mentor-strengthener. Vasu flows to sunvat—the one who actively presses offering.
Strong systems uplift the vulnerable and mentor contributors. Reward those who actually do the work of offering value.
1.81.3
यदु॒दीर॑त आ॒जयो॑ धृ॒ष्णवे॑ धीयते॒ धना॑ |
यु॒क्ष्वा म॑द॒च्युता॒ हरी॒ कं हन॒: कं वसौ॑ दधो॒ ऽस्माँ इ॑न्द्र॒ वसौ॑ दधः ||
When war and battles are on foot, booty is laid before the bold. Yoke thou thy wildly-rushing Bays. Whom wilt thou slay and whom enrich? Do thou, O Indra, make us rich.
When contests arise, wealth is set down for the daring; yoke your rapture-streaming bays. Whom will you strike, whom set in treasure? O Indra, set us in treasure.
Ājayaḥ and dhana for dhṛṣṇu frame kṣatriya ethics of contested goods. Hari madacyutā are Indra’s Soma-excited steeds. The double question—kaṃ hanah, kaṃ vasau dadhaḥ—ends in preference for the singers: asmān vasau dadhaḥ.
In competitive markets, ask to whom value will accrue. Align boldness with communities you intend to enrich.
1.81.4
क्रत्वा॑ म॒हाँ अ॑नुष्व॒धं भी॒म आ वा॑वृधे॒ शव॑: |
श्रि॒य ऋ॒ष्व उ॑पा॒कयो॒र्नि शि॒प्री हरि॑वान् दधे॒ हस्त॑यो॒र्वज्र॑माय॒सम् ||
Mighty through wisdom, as he lists, terrible, he hath waxed in strength. Lord of Bay Steeds, strong-jawed, sublime, he in joined hands for glory's sake hath grasped his iron thunderbolt.
Great through purposeful wisdom, freely terrible, he has increased in strength; lofty, jaw-helmed, bay-horsed, for glory he has set the iron vajra in his two hands.
Kratvā mahān: greatness through sacred will-wisdom. Anuṣvadham—according to his own law of growth. Śiprī Harivān grasps āyasa vajra for śrī—glory as the radiance of ṛta-upholding power.
Grow formidable through deliberate intelligence, then take tools in hand for worthy renown—not for aimless intimidation.
1.81.5
आ प॑प्रौ॒ पार्थि॑वं॒ रजो॑ बद्ब॒धे रो॑च॒ना दि॒वि |
न त्वावाँ॑ इन्द्र॒ कश्च॒न न जा॒तो न ज॑निष्य॒ते ऽति॒ विश्वं॑ ववक्षिथ ||
He filled the earthly atmosphere and pressed against the lights in heaven. None like thee ever hath been born, none, Indra, will be born like thee. Thou hast waxed mighty over all.
He has filled the earthly mid-space and pressed against the lights in heaven; none like you has been born or will be born, O Indra—you have grown beyond all.
Pṛthivyaṃ rajaḥ filled, rocana divi pressed: Indra’s presence saturates vertical cosmos. Unique incomparability (na tvāvān) is theological hyperbole of supreme vīrya within Vedic polycentric devotion—Indra as unmatched for this function of liberation.
Some roles demand unmatched ownership. Fill your domain thoroughly—ground and sky of responsibility—without claiming false uniqueness in every field.
1.81.6
यो अ॒र्यो म॑र्त॒भोज॑नं परा॒ददा॑ति दा॒शुषे॑ |
इन्द्रो॑ अ॒स्मभ्यं॑ शिक्षतु॒ वि भ॑जा॒ भूरि॑ ते॒ वसु॑ भक्षी॒य तव॒ राध॑सः ||
May he who to the offerer gives the foeman's man-sustaining food, May Indra lend his aid to us. Deal forth—abundant is thy wealth—that in thy bounty I may share.
May he who grants the foe’s life-food to the giver aid us—Indra; distribute your abundant treasure; may I partake of your bounty.
Arya transferring martabhojana of the hostile to dāśuṣe frames just redistribution under Indra. Śikṣatu, vibhajā, bhakṣīya: teach, share, let me share—bhakti as participatory claim on Maghavan’s rādhas.
Ethical economies redirect captured value toward contributors. Ask for teaching and fair share, not silent hoarding at the top.
1.81.7
मदे॑मदे॒ हि नो॑ द॒दिर्यू॒था गवा॑मृजु॒क्रतु॑: |
सं गृ॑भाय पु॒रू श॒तोभ॑याह॒स्त्या वसु॑ शिशी॒हि रा॒य आ भ॑र ||
He, righteous-hearted, at each time of rapture gives us herds of kine. Gather in both thy hands for us treasures of many hundred sorts. Sharpen thou us, and bring us wealth.
In rapture after rapture the straight-willed giver gives us herds of cows; gather with both hands many hundreds of treasures; sharpen us and bring prosperity.
Ṛjukratu—straight, upright will—dispenses go-yūtha in each mada. Ubhayāhastya gathering and śiśīhi (sharpen us) unite outer rayi with inner tejas. Prosperity includes honing of human capacity.
Pair funding with skill-sharpening. Resources without capability development dull; capability without resources starves.
1.81.8
मा॒दय॑स्व सु॒ते सचा॒ शव॑से शूर॒ राध॑से |
वि॒द्मा हि त्वा॑ पुरू॒वसु॒मुप॒ कामा॑न्त्ससृ॒ज्महे ऽथा॑ नोऽवि॒ता भ॑व ||
Refresh thee, Hero, with the juice outpoured for bounty and for strength. We know thee Lord of ample store, to thee have sent our hearts' desires: be therefore our Protector thou.
Gladden yourself, O Hero, with the pressed Soma for strength and for bounty; we know you as lord of many treasures; we have launched our desires toward you—so be our protector.
Mādayasva with suta for śavas and rādhas: Indra’s joy enables dual gift. Purūvasu known, kāmān sasṛjmahe—desires released toward him—then avitā. Trust precedes protection in Vedic reciprocity.
State needs clearly to capable allies after offering real contribution. Protection follows mutual recognition, not silent expectation.
1.81.9
ए॒ते त॑ इन्द्र ज॒न्तवो॒ विश्वं॑ पुष्यन्ति॒ वार्य॑म् |
अ॒न्तर्हि ख्यो जना॑नाम॒र्यो वेदो॒ अदा॑शुषां॒ तेषां॑ नो॒ वेद॒ आ भ॑र ||
These people, Indra, keep for thee all that is worthy of your choice. Discover thou, as Lord, the wealth of men who offer up no gifts: bring thou to us this wealth of theirs.
These beings, Indra, foster for you all that is choice-worthy; as Arya, discern the substance of non-givers among people and bring their wealth to us.
Jantavaḥ puṣyanti vāryam for Indra—devotees cultivate what is worthy of divine choice. Prayer that arya unveil adāśuṣām veda and redirect it reflects Vedic critique of the non-sacrificing hoarder (contrast with dāśuri ethic), seeking ṛta’s circulation of goods.
Challenge extractive non-contribution: transparency about hoarded commons and reallocation toward those who sustain the shared work—within law and ethics, not predation.