Kontakion: You rose today from the tomb, O Merciful One, and led us out from the gates of death. Today Adam exults and Eve rejoices, and together with them, prophets and patriarchs unceasingly acclaim the divine might of Your power.
Tone 4. Troparion: Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel, the women disciples of the Lord cast from them their parental condemnation and proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying death has been vanquished. Christ our God has risen, granting the world great mercy.
Kontakion: My Savior and Redeemer as God rose from the tomb and delivered the earth-born from their chains. He has shattered the gates of hell, and as Master, He has risen on the third day.
Tone 5. Troparion: Let us, the faithful, praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born for our salvation from the Virgin; for He willed to be lifted up on the Cross in the flesh, to endure death, and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.
Kontakion: You descended into hell, my Savior, shattering its gates as Almighty, resurrecting the dead as Creator, and destroying the sting of death. You have delivered Adam from the curse, O Lover of man, and we all cry to You: “O Lord, save us.”
Tone 6. Troparion: The angelic powers were at your tomb; the guards became as dead men. Mary stood by your grave, seeking your most pure body. You captured hell not being tempted by it. You came to the Virgin, granting life. O Lord, who rose from the dead, glory to you.
Kontakion: Christ, the Life-giver, raised all of the dead from the valleys of misery with His mighty hand. He bestowed resurrection on the human race. He is the Savior of all, the Resurrection, the Life, and the God of all.
Tone 7. Troparion: You destroyed death by Your Cross, You opened paradise to the thief, You changed the lamentation of the myrrh-bearers, and commanded Your apostles to proclaim that You have risen, Christ our God, offering great mercy to the world.
Kontakion: The dominion of death can no longer hold men captive, for Christ descended, shattering and destroying its powers. Hell is bound, while the prophets rejoice and cry: The Savior has come to those in faith, enter, you faithful, into the Resurrection!
Tone 8. Troparion: From on high did You descend, O merciful Lord. You accepted the three-day burial to free us from our sufferings. O Lord, our Life and Resurrection, glory to You.
Kontakion: You rose from the grave and raised the dead. You raised Adam, and Eve rejoices in Your Resurrection, and the ends of the world celebrate Your rising from the dead, Most Merciful One.
Let us list a few hymns that emphasize the universality of Christ’s deed:
“Being the King of heaven and earth, incomprehensible, You voluntarily out of love for man let Yourself be crucified. Having met You below, hell was saddened, and the souls of the righteous, meeting, rejoiced. Adam also resurrected, having seen You, the Creator, in hell.” “Girded with power, You went up on the cross and entering into a struggle with the tormentor, You, as God, threw him down from the heights and unassailably resurrected Adam with Your mighty power.” “You resurrected Adam with Your almighty hand along with Yourself…”
The Octoechos contains hymns in which the hymnographer identifies himself and the entire Church or even humanity with those who accept the fruits of Christ’s salvific deed. The universal character of the descent into hell is also emphasized, here are some of them: “On the day of the salvation of the world, let us sing to the risen from the tomb and chief of our life, for He has indeed trampled death by death, granted victory to us and great mercy.” “Lord, King of ages and creator of all! You endured crucifixion and burial for us to liberate all of us from hell. You are our God, we know no other.”
Usually, the hymns do not specify anything definite (they do not indicate anyone in particular), simply speaking about the “dead,” “those in hell,” “earthborn,” “human race,” “race of Adam,” “world”: “Indeed, Christ God has risen, granting life and resurrection to those in hell.” “My Savior and Redeemer as God rose from the tomb and as Master on the third day resurrected the earth-born and shattered the gates of hell.” “Having risen from the dead by Your divine power, Savior, You resurrected the human race with Yourself, granting us life and incorruption as You love mankind.”
“We praise Your, Christ, resurrection from the dead through which You freed Adam’s race from the torment of hell and as God granted the world eternal life and great mercy.”
In the texts of the Octoechos, the liberation from hell of all who were there is often celebrated, here are some hymns of such content:
“Christ as the only strong and mighty one overcame hell and resurrected all the decayed, having abolished the fear of condemnation by the cross.” “For us voluntarily, as if helpless and wounded unto death, You, glorified, freed everyone and powerfully resurrected with Yourself.” “The assembly of angels was astonished, seeing You, counted among the dead, but You, Savior, destroyed the power of death, and raised Adam with Yourself, and freed all from hell” – stated in the Resurrectional troparia that are sung every Sunday during the morning service.