An episode from 1/12/2026: Tonight, I read from the oldest religious poetry from India, the collection of 1,028 ritual hymns known as the The Rig Veda. Specifically, I read from the most popular story found there, the defeat of the serpent Vrtra by the god Indra and the freeing of the waters of the world.
I begin by telling the story briefly and then sharing examples of the short references to it that are scattered all over the Rig Veda (from hymns 1.51, 1.56, 1.57, 2.19, 4.17, 4.30), which in themselves are indications as to how well-known the story was. Finally, I read a handful of hymns (1.32, 1.80, 4.19) in their entirety that tell the story in different ways.
The translation and commentary I read from is by Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton; it took years to find a good and decently-priced used copy of these volumes, but I would recommend them to anyone interested in Hinduism, poetry, or religion.
The best way to support the podcast is by leaving a review on Apple or Spotify, sharing it with others, or sending me a note on what you think. You can also order any of my books: Time and the River: From Columbine to the Invention of Fire, due out next year, is now available for preorder. Other books include Notes from the Grid, To the House of the Sun, The Lonely Young & the Lonely Old, and Bone Antler Stone. I’ve also edited a handful of books in the S4N Pocket Poems series.
Email me at humanvoiceswakeus1@gmail.com.
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