Indra

Indra (Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र, indra) is the chief deity of the Rigveda, and one of the most consistently acknowledged gods throughout the history of Indian religion, particularly in Hinduism. Indra is the god of weather and war, holding jurisdiction over the atmosphere, the space between heaven and earth. Hence, he is responsible for rain, thunder and lightning. Further, Indra's proficiency as a warrior is frequently evidenced through his victories over evil entities. Indra is most famously known in Vedic mythology for his defeat of the serpent Vrita, which freed the rivers and prevented a pending drought. Indra is described as delighting in the consumption of Soma, a hallucionogenic beverage which serves to enhance his divine powers.

Origins

Indra most likely takes origin in the proto-Indo-European (or Graeco-Aryan) tradition, which is suggested by the resemblances between Indra and other gods of the storm and/or heroism. Indra is particularly similar to Thor of Scandinavian culture. Each god is described in terms of the archetypcal warrior, and similarly, each controls thunder and lightning. Because of his connection with the storm, Indra is also commonly related to the supreme Greek Zeus (or the Roman Jupiter). Indra may also be related to gods of intoxicating drinks, such as Bacchus or Dionysius who also derive from the Graeco-Roman tradition. If indeed Indra follows from the traditional pantheon of the proto-Indo-Europeans, his name has either not been preserved in any other branch, or is itself an Indo-Iranian innovation. Janda (1998:221) suggests that the proto-Indo-European predecessor of Indra had the epitheta *trigw-welumos "smasher of the enclosure" (referring to his defeat of Vritra,) and diye-snūtyos "impeller of streams" (the liberated rivers, corresponding to Vedic apam ajas "agitator of the waters"), which resulted in the Greek gods Triptolemos and Dionysos. In the Vedic religion Indra has prominence over Dyeus, who was formerly the of chief god of the Indo-European pantheon. Dyeus appears in the Vedas as Dyaus Pita, a relatively minor deity who, interestingly enough, is Indra's father.

Indra in Hinduism

Vedas

Indra is the most important diety in Vedic Hinduism, and is celebrated in more than 250 hymns within the Rg Veda alone. This total is surpassed only by Agni, the personification of fire. Indra is also the focus of the Vedic sacrifices, and thus many of the earliest hymns in the Rg Veda are sung for purposes of his worship during sacrificial activity. The Rig-Veda 2.12.7 refers to Indra and his supremacy:

He under whose supreme control are horses, all chariots, and the villages, and cattle;

He who gave being to the Sun and Morning, who leads the waters, He, O men, is Indra.

The Vedas are primarily henotheistic, with one god always maintaining primacy over the other deities. As the Vedic stories progress, it is Indra who rises to this supreme position. In the beginning, Varuna, the personification of the supreme moral order in the universe, held position atop the Vedic pantheon. However, he was usurped in battle by way of Indra's brute physical strength and unsurpassed autonomy (svaraj), and thereby supplanted as the supreme god. Indra's victory represents his status as a slayer of enemy dieties and therefore the divine protector of the Aryan way of life, particularly the warrior class, for which Indra is the patron. Warriors no doubt held great esteem within Aryan society, therefore, Indra's rise to the top of the Vedic pantheon may mark the veneration of the militaristic principle over and above that of the peaceful, equalitarian life of the Indus Valley people, whom the Aryans invaded around the time that the Vedas were composed.

Epithets

The Rig-Veda frequently refers to Indra as Śakra, "the mighty-one". In the Vedic period, the number of gods was assumed to be thirty-three, and Indra was their lord. The later Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad enumerates these gods as the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, the twelve Adityas, as well as Prajapati and Indra himself. As lord of the Vasus, among others, Indra was also referred to as Vāsava. By the time of the Hindu epics, Indra became the prototype for all human lords, and variations of his name served as a suffix for rulers. Thus a king could be called Mānavendra (Indra or "lord of men"). Similarly, Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, was referred to as Rāghavendra (Indra of the clan of Raghu). Indra himself was also referred to as Devendra (Indra of the Devas). However, the titles Sakra and Vasava were used exclusively for the original Indra. Although modern texts usually adhere to the name Indra, the traditional Hindu texts, such as the Vedas, the Epics and Puranas, use Indra, Sakra and Vasava interchangeably and with equal frequency. Because he defeated the demon Vrtra, Indra also earned the moniker Vrtrahan, or "slayer of Vrtra".

Consort and Companions

Indra's father is Dyaus Pita, and his mother is Prthivi, both human beings. According to one belief, Indra pulled his father, Dyaus Pita, from the sky by the foot, causing him to fall to his death. Afterwards, Indra married his mother, who supported the murder. Indra also killed Puloman, father of Indrani or Aindra, who he would eventually marry as well. Indrani is the queen of heaven, and while Indra loves her dearly, he is prone to partaking in extramarital affairs. With Indrani, Indra has six children: Jayanta, Midhusa, Nilambara, Khamla, Rbhus, Rsabha. Later, he is also said to be the father of the all-important warrior Arjuna (by Kunti), who is enlightened by Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita. Indra is attended to by the Maruts (and the Vasus), children of Diti and Rudra. Indra had murdered Diti's previous children, so she hoped her son would be more powerful than Indra. In order to produce a great and mighty warrior, Diti kept herself pregnant for a century, practicing magic to aid her son's growth in the womb. When Indra discovered the impetus for Diti's extended pregnancy, he promptly threw a thunderbolt at her, shattering the fetus into 7 parts (or 49 parts, depending on the telling). Each part regenerated into a complete individual, and the parts grew into the Maruts, a group of storm gods, who are less powerful than Indra. The Maruts, as it turned out, became Indra's comrades in battle. Indra is also linked with the Asvins, the divine twins, and Agni, who is sometimes identified as his twin brother.

Indra and soma

The Vedas make it clear that Indra delights in drinking soma, an energizing and possibly hallucinogenic beverage of ritual importance. Indra's immense cosmical power is attributed to the copious quantities of soma which he consumes. The intoxicating power of soma was thought to provide both gods and mortals with such attributes as immortality and invincibility. Soma played an indispensible role in Vedic sacrifices, and humans commonly offered the beverage to the gods so they might maintain their transcendent qualities. While each of the gods consumed a portion of the soma offered at Vedic ceremonies, Indra was said to consume the most of them all, which increased his already immense strength, and therefore rendered him the most powerful god. In this way, Indra came to be the focus of the soma ritual.

Characteristics

Indra was born of a human mother and father, marking him as the only Hindu god to come from human progenitors. Despite this human origin, Indra possesses transcendent qualities, such as the ability to take innumerable physical forms. Nonetheless, artistic depictions of the god have been made, commonly characterizing him as a muscular man, golden or reddish in colour, sometimes with four very long arms which are said to span the entirety of the skies. Indra rides in a resplendent golden carriage which is drawn by two brown horses with flowing manes. In his right hand he carries his vajra, or thunderbolt, which is said to have been constructed from the bones of the seer Dadhichi. The weapon itself is circular with a hole at its center, and serves the purpose of creating both lightning and thunder. Indra also employs arrows, a net, a huge lance and the anka (a hook) for the purpose of catching enemies. When portrayed having four arms, he has lances in two of his hands which resemble elephant goads. When he is shown to have two arms, he holds only the vajra and a bow.

Indra lives in a heavenly abode within the clouds surrounding the mythical Mt. Meru. This heaven is called Svarga ("the good kingdom") and is populated by deceased warriors as well as those who have lived meritorious lives. The inhabitants of Svarga live without sadness, pain or fear. The gods of the elements, celestial sages, great kings and warriors enrich Indra's court, and together they watch the Apsaras (female cloud spirits) and their husbands the Gandharvas (male nature spirits) dance, sing and play games.

Despite his exalted divinity, Indra is not a perfect being, and is ascribed with more human characteristics and vices than any other Vedic deity, probably due to his human origins. For instance, when he is drunk upon soma, Indra has a penchant for garrolous, drunken boasting. Moreover, a number of well-known stories about Indra tell of sins that he committed and his subsequent punishment. In one story, Indra has an affair with Ahalya, wife of Gautama Maharishi. Gautama reciprocated the misdeed by placing a curse upon Indra that one thousand female genetalia would cover his body in a grotesque and vulgar display, and that his reign as king of the gods would meet with disaster and catastrophe. Thus, due to his sin Indra's throne remains insecure forever. Gautama later commuted the curse, upon the pleading of Brahma, replacing the genetalia with one thousand eyes. From this legend, Indra gained the name Sahasraka ("thousand eyes"), and was subsequently said to have the ability to survey the entirety of the cosmos with a single glance.

Functions

In his role as the supreme deity, Indra serves as ruler over other Devas who form and maintain Heaven and the elements, such as Agni (Fire), Varuna (Water) and Surya (Sun). Due to his connection with the storm, Indra is hailed as the dispenser of rain, and feared as the lord of thunder and lightning. Indra is said to send thunderstorms wherever and whenever he desires. In his capacity as the warrior god, Indra takes responsibility for defeating malevolent entities. In classic Vedic tales and the later Epics, he constantly wages war against the demonic Asuras and Daityas of the netherworlds who oppose morality and dharma. Indra consumes soma in preparation for these epic battles between good and evil. In addition, in his capacity as a defender of good he is considered one of the Guardians of the directions, defending the east. As such, Indra has significance for all warriors, and is said to be invoked by combatants on both sides of the battlefield, as evidenced in the mythical Battle of the Ten Kings.

Indra's most famous vanquishing of evil came during his battle with Vritra, a malevolent serpent. Vritra, an asura representing both drought and death, stole all the water in the world and Indra drank much Soma to prepare himself for the battle with the huge serpent. He passed through Vritra's ninety-nine fortresses, slew the monster and brought the fecundating waters back to Earth. Because of the fact he liberated the creative waters, Indra is also seen as bestowing fecundity upon human beings. Indra's weapon, which he used to kill Vritra, (with the help of other gods), is the thunderbolt (Vajra). Despite his immense physical power, Indra does not always win his battles. In a later version of the story, Vritra was created by Tvashtri to get revenge for Indra's murder of his son, Trisiras, a pious Brahmin whose increase of power worried Indra. Vritra won the battle and swallowed Indra, but the other gods forced him to vomit Indra out. The battle continued and Indra fled. Vishnu and the Rishis brokered a truce, and Indra swore he would not attack Vritra with anything made of metal, wood or stone, nor anything that was dry or wet, or during the day or the night. Indra used the foam from the waves of the ocean to kill him at twilight. In yet another version, recounted in the Mahabharata, Vritra was a Brahmin who got hold of supernatural powers, went rogue and became a danger to the gods. Indra had to intervene, and slew him after a hard fight. A horrible goddess named Brāhmanahatya (personified sin of brahmin murder) came from the dead corpse of Vritra and pursued Indra, who hid inside a lotus flower. Indra went to Brahma and begged forgiveness for having killed a Brahmin. "Vajrayudha" which Indra possessed is believed to be prepared from backbone of a sage Dadhichi to kill Asuras. However, in later texts, Vrtra is identified to be a Brahmin, thus, Indra is found to be guilty of the murder of a brahmin.

Decline in Popularity

In later mythology, Indra was dropped from his position atop the other gods. As newer gods such as Krishna, Shiva and Brahma took supremacy, Indra was relegated to the second level of gods, which was comprised mostly of outdated Vedic dieties. Indra still maintained supremacy over these older gods. As the fame of Krishna, grew within the devotional branches of Hinduism, Indra further receded in importance. In the Puranas, a collection of seminal Hindu mythology, Indra is featured in numerous stories as the main adversary of Krishna, the most famous avatar of Vishnu. One puranic story which illustrates Indra's the subjugation of is the story of Govardhan hill where Krishna carries the hill and protected his devotees when Indra, angered by the general lack of worship he has come to receive, launched hellacious rains over the village. Indra's subordinance was further promulgated in the Epics. In the Ramayana, Indra is the adversary of Ravana, king of Lanka, who battles against Indra upon a battlefield set in heaven. Indra is defeated by Ravana, whose son Indraji (whose name means victor over Indra) adds insult to injury by binding Indrain in serpent nooses and dragging him across Lanka in a humiliating display. Indra is eventually released when Brahma convinces him to do so, but Indra, as the defeated, had to pay tribute and accept Ravana's supremacy. Indra did as he was told, a dire sin against Vishnu. However, Indra realized the consequences of his sin, and was avenged by Rama, another avatar of Vishnu, who slew Ravana to deliver the three worlds from evil. Indra is slightly retooled in the Mahabarata, where he becomes associated specifically with the eastern regions of India, and rides a large white elephant with four tusks called Airavata. The numerous deities of the Vedic pantheon have fallen into the background as contemporary Hindus often worship a personal supreme God such as Shiva,Vishnu, Devi or Surya in monotheistic fashion. Thus, Hindus usually see Indra as minor deity in practical worship.

Indra in Other Religions

While the battle between Indra and Vritra is includee in the Avesta, the Zoroastrian holy book, Zoroastrism takes a much different interpretation of Indra's character. Rather than venerating Indra as the supreme embodiment of good, Zoroastrianism instead acknowledges Indra as the leader of "false gods" (all, or almost all other gods), beings who can be equated with demons. In the Vendidad, the most recent of the texts within the Avesta, Indra is identified as one of the six chief demons that are seen to stand opposite the six Amesha Spentas, spirits which put in place the benevolent will of Ahura Mazda, the supreme deity. Vendidad 10.9 explains that Indra is the direct enemy of Asha Vahishta, who personifies the aspect of asha/rta or Truth. Thus, Indra is the opponent of order, truth, and righteousness. Similarly, in the Denkard, a 9th century Middle Persian text, Indra is the arch-demon that "is the spirit of apostasy and further deceives the worldly existence of mankind" (9.3). In the Bundahishn, a Zoroastrian account of creation, Indra "freezes the minds of the creatures from practicing righteousness just like much frozen snow. He instills this into the minds of men that they ought not to have the sacred shirt and thread girdle" (Gbd. 27.6). The shirt and girdle are garments that must be worn by all devout Zoroastrians, thus Indra stands in diametric opposition to one of the indispensible aspects of the Zoroastrian faith. At frashokereti, the righteous renewal of the universe, Indra will be defeated by Asha Vahishta (Gbd. 34.27).

In the mythology and iconography which arose after the Vedas in Buddhism and Jainism, Indra retained his role as chief of the gods. Although Jainism is basically atheist, it is Indra awards Jain founder Mahavira with a golden robe during his earthly life, and later welcomes him into heaven upon his death. Buddhists also acknowledge Indra as the original leader of the devas, though his position is taken over by Śakra, ruler of the heaven of the Thirty-three gods. Śakra is, however, sometimes given the title indra, or, more commonly, devānām indra, "Lord of the devas". All in all, Indra is rarely referred to in Buddhist texts, and when he is it is either as a minor deity (a lord of the yakṣas, for instance), or as the object of worship of the Brahmins.

See also

• Rigvedic deities
• Hindu deities
• Zeus

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Elst, Koenraad. Update on the Aryan Invasion Debate. New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan, 1999. ISBN 81-86471-77-4.
• Frawley, David Gods, Sages and Kings. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1995. ISBN 8120810058
• Janda, M., Eleusis, das indogermanische Erbe der Mysterien. Innsbruck: Institut fur Sprachwissenschaft der Universitat Innsbruck, 1998.
• Masson-Oursel, P. & Morin, Louise. "Indian Mythology." In New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, Robert Graves, ed. New York: The Hamlyn Pulishing Group, 1976. 325-359.

External links

• Collection of Stories showing greatness of Indra 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
• Indra, the Storm-God - by Benjamin Slade
• Indra and Shiva - By Koenraad Elst
• Weekly podcast on Vedic Chanting and Vedic Mythology with stories from the Puranas

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