The tales of
Indian
mythology are very interesting and flavorful, involving several kathas
(stories) and upakathas (byplays or subplots) of various
Gods
and Goddesses. What makes them even more entertaining is that these
celestial beings are shown to be behaving and reacting in a very human
manner. This helps us identify with them; eventually making us realize, by
the clever use of symbolism, that good and bad both reside within us and
that it is entirely up to us to fight the evil and let the good emerge from
within us.
In this post, we bring you the life and times of a hero; a God who once
tirelessly fought for the good of mankind; who went on to reach the helm of
Godhead, but later, came to be considered as an antihero of sorts. Here is
the story of the mighty
Lord
Indra, the King of the Devas.
The Tale of Indra
Lord Indra is an ancient Vedic deity. He is the King of Swarga (
Heaven)
and the Ruler of the Devas (Gods) in
Hinduism.
In Buddhism, he features as a guardian deity and in Jainism, as the king of
the first heaven called Saudharmakalpa. He is a powerful character in Indian
mythology and his story is often compared to those of Indo-European deities
such as Zeus, Perun, Thor and Jupiter.
Indra features prominently throughout the Rigveda, the first of the Four
Vedas.
The God of Thunder and Lightning, he is known to have the power to invoke
storms, rain and strong river currents. This commanding persona is believed
to have slain the evil demon, Vritra, who aimed to destroy the peace and
happiness among human beings on Earth. By killing the Asura, Indra
established himself as a friend of mankind as a whole; also restoring peace,
joy and sunshine on this planet.
Indra features in other Asian countries as well, including Burma, Thailand,
Malaysia, China, Japan and so on.
Indra in the Post-Vedic Era
In the post-Vedic era, however, Indra lost much of his prominence. Though
still hailed as a mighty ruler, he started to be portrayed as an egoistic,
drunken, hedonistic and adulterous being, who often comes into the limelight
for all the wrong reasons.
According to Indian mythology, Indra behaved in this manner because he was
always afraid and insecure that a wise, saintly and knowledgeable person
would one day become more powerful than him and usurp his throne. So he
disturbed monks and pious people and tried his best to pull the good people
down.
Iconography
Indra is often portrayed as wielding his Vajra, or a thunderbolt. He rides a
white elephant named Airavata. In
Buddhism,
the elephant is sometimes shows with three heads, while in
Jainism;
it could have up to five heads. Sometimes, a single elephant is shown with
four tusks.
Indra on Seven Trunk Airavat
Indra's celestial abode is on a mountain near Sumeru (Mount Meru). He is
portrayed to be living there, along with his divine wife, Indrani. Indra is
often mentioned as the brother of Agni (the Sun God); another major Vedic
deity.
Indra in Buddhism and Jainism
In Buddhism, Indra is referred to by several names, including and most
importantly, Shakra. Herein, he is depicted very differently. He is more
God-like, completely non-violent and is shown paying obeisance to Buddha. In
fact, Indra and Surya (the Sun God) are shown to be guarding the entrance of
a 1st Century Buddhist cave at Bhaja Caves, Maharashtra.
In this philosophy too, Indra rules over the Devas. Much like in Hinduism,
he is a subject of ridicule here as well. He is shown as a mere figurehead
here - a God that is trapped within the Samsara (worldly) realm and suffers
many births and rebirths to clear his past karmas.
In Jainism too, he is shown as constantly put through the Samsara realm of
birth and death. He is often shown with his wife Indrani to celebrate
auspicious incidents in his life. He is considered as a Jain Tirthankara,
who, along with his wife, the Queen of Gods, ultimately fulfils his
spiritual journey as a Jina.
Etymology
The meaning of the name "Indra" and its root are unclear. The following are
some of the debated meanings of the name.
- Ind-u or 'rain drop': The One who conquered
rain and brought it to earthlings.
- Ind: He who wields great power.
- Idh or Ina: The
strong and powerful.
- Indha: The One who ignites the prana (vital
forces) within. He who brings light and power
- Idam-dra: The One who first perceived the
Brahman (the Supreme Being) within himself.
- Interestingly, the above meanings are similar-sounding to
Indo-European terms, such as amer (Greek), nert (Old Irish), Ossetic
nart and Sabine nero; all of which mostly mean "manly" or "heroic".
Other Indian names for Indra include Devendra, Vrsan, Vrtrahan, Meghavahana,
Surendra, Swargapati, Vajrapani and Vaasava.
Origins
Though a very ancient deity, Indra's exact origins are not clear.
Interestingly, he has often been associated with Thor of Nordic and Germanic
mythologies. Both carry weapons and have control over lightning and thunder;
both their weapons return to their respective owners after their use; both
are associated with bulls at an earlier time in their lives; and both are
heroes and protectors of mankind.
Historical facts indicate that Indira held a prominent place in northeastern
Asia minor. Inscriptions on the Boghaz-koi clay tablets in Turkey, dated
about 1400 BC, make mention of the
deity.
Evidence of Indra's existence is also found in Avestan pantheon. But here,
he is considered to be a
demon.
These facts suggest that he was worshipped even back then.
According to the Rigveda (around 1700-1100 BC), Indra was considered as the
highest God and the Supreme Being. He is referred to as Vritrahan, or
literally, "the slayer of the demon Vritra".
Indra and Vritra
The Rigveda mentions the serpent dragon Vritra, the main adversary of Indra.
He, who is also known as Ahi, blocked the course of the rivers, to stop the
water supply on Earth. Vritra held the water bodies captive, until the day
he was killed by Indra. The latter destroyed all his 99 forts and then,
liberated the imprisoned rivers.
Indra consumed a large volume of Soma (celestial drink), before going to
face Vritra. The latter was extremely powerful and so, Indra needed to
empower himself before the battle began. Tvashtri (the first-born creator of
the universe, according to the Vedas) crafted a Vajrayudha (thunderbolt) and
gave it to Indra.
Indra fought bravely and managed to injure the serpent demon several times.
He too was bruised in the battle and yet, continued to fight valiantly. When
he sensed the latter weakening a little, he picked him up and threw him
toward Vritra's fortresses. The latter's fall crushed and destroyed the
already shattered fortresses, pinning him under the debris; eventually
killing him.
Puranic and Other Versions
Later legends give varied accounts of Indra and Vritra. According to King
Yudhishthira's narration in the
Mahabharata,
Vritra won the battle and swallowed Indra. The Devas, however, forced him to
vomit him out. The battle then continued, till Indra fled the battlefield.
Lord
Vishnu then asked Indra to promise that he would not attack the demon
with anything made of metal, wood or stone. He further told him that he
could use neither a dry nor a wet weapon; nor kill him during day or night.
Vritra, the head of the
Asuras,
was a staunch devotee of Vishnu. However, his shortcoming was that he was
too egoistic and not at all pious-minded. This is what eventually led to his
downfall. After much deliberation and planning, Indra used the foam from the
waves of the ocean and killed him at twilight.
According to yet other legends, Vishnu advised Indra that he could kill
Vritra only by a weapon made from the bones of a sage. This was a difficult
goal to achieve, as not many rishis were willing to donate their bones.
Vishnu then directed him to approach Rishi Dadhichi, who was happy to help
for a good cause. The Devas collected all his bones and Indra created his
Vajrayudha from them. The battle between the two lasted 360 days, after
which Vritra was finally slain by Indra.
According to both the Vedic and the
Puranic
versions of the legend, the sin of Brahmanahatya (killing a Brahmin) chased
Indra for years and forced him to go into hiding. Nahusha was asked to hold
the position of the King of the Devas till he returned from his self-imposed
exile.
Even though Indra is the King of the Devas, there is no clear evidence of
the Gods being subordinate to him. All the Devas are shown as different
aspects of the Brahman, with no superiority over or subordination to any
other God.
Interestingly, the Vedas do not talk of Indra as a visible entity. He is
considered to be the one that causes lightning, rains, storms and river
currents. His myths range vastly from managing the rains, to helping the
rivers flow, to warming the land by controlling the winter forces and so on.
Indra in the Post-Vedic Era
As mentioned earlier, Indra started losing his significance in the
post-Vedic era. During this time, he evolved as minor Hindu deity. While he
was depicted as the father of Vali in the
Ramayana
and of Arjuna in the Mahabharata, he came to be considered as a general
annoyance and nuisance during this point in time. The main reason for this
fall from grace could be attributed to the several negative stories and
legends associated with him.
Let us now look at some of those stories in detail.
Indra Seduces Ahalya
Indra had a weakness for women. Though he had a lovely and devoted wife and
the choicest of
apsaras
in his court, he still had a penchant for good-looking women and would not
rest until he could lay his hands on the ones he fancied. One such woman was
the devout and pious Ahalya, who is extolled as the first among the
Sresthanaaris (five most chaste women).
Urvashi - Apsara in Indra's Court
Ahalya
was the wife of Gautama Maharishi. She was created by Lord Brahma and was
stunningly beautiful. Though much younger than sage Gautama, Brahma decided
that he would be the best match for her. After marrying Gautama, Ahalya
settled down in his ashrama (hermitage) in Mithila-upavana, a forest near
Mithila. There, the couple practiced asceticism for many years.
The Bala Kanda of the Epic Ramayana narrate Ahalya's story in detail. Indra
happened to see Ahalya and was completely taken in with her beauty. He
patiently watched the couple for a few days, to know their daily routine.
Then, one day, when Gautama left the house to have a dip in the river, Indra
disguised himself as the sage and entered the hermitage. Overcome with lust,
he proceeded to seduce her and have sexual intercourse with her.
According to one version, Ahalya saw through Indra's disguise. But never
having had a sexual encounter with her husband, she gave in to the imposter,
supposedly "out of curiosity". She is then believed to have requested Indra
to protect her from Gautama's wrath. Later texts, including the Uttara Kanda
of the Ramayana, absolve her of all guilt, portraying her as the victim of
his clever seduction.
When Gautama returned from his bath and realized what had happened during
his absence, he cursed Ahalya that she would permanently turn into stone. He
also spotted Indra (who had taken the form of a cat) and cursed him that he
would lose his testicles. According to the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Gautama
cursed Indra to bear a thousand vulvae, which would turn into eyes, when he
worshipped the
Sun
God.
Realizing that she had been tricked by Indra, Ahalya burst into tears, fell
at her husband's feet and told him how Indra had deceived her. Gautama
relented, but could not take back his curse. He told her that she would be
able to come back to her human form only on the day when a Mahatma (godly
soul) would place his feet on her.
Many years later, Lord
Rama,
who was traveling into the forest, came to know of Ahalya's story. At that
time, the young Rama was accompanied by his teacher, Vishwamitra and
brother, Lakshmana. Feeling bad for this woman, he proceeded toward the
ashrama and, going to the stone, placed his foot on it. The stone instantly
fell away, bringing Ahalya back to life. Thus, Ahalya was liberated by Lord
Shri Rama himself.
Rama Releases Ahalya
From Her Curse
Krishna Subdues Indra
The Bhagavata and the Puranas narrate a fascinating story about
Lord
Krishna subduing the egoistic Indra and teaching him a lesson. During
Krishna's childhood, he was staying in beautiful
Vrindavana,
located in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. This region is considered
sacred even today and hundreds of thousands of devotees flock here each year
to take their Lord's blessings.
As the story goes, the people of Braj were making great preparations for
their upcoming annual offering to Indra. Little Krishna, watching all the
hectic activity going on around him, questioned his father Nanda about the
same. When he learnt what was going on, he firmly stated that all this pujas
and rituals were unnecessary and that all the farmers should go back and
carry on with their regular work in the fields. He kept reiterating that
duty was above all else and that work was worship. Finally, he managed to
convince the innocent farmers to abandon their puja session. Krishna was
their favorite and they always agreed to what he had to say. So, leaving
everything, they returned to their fields and cattle.
This angered the arrogant Indra. He immediately unleashed terrible rains,
storms and floods on the village. Scared and helpless, the villagers ran to
Krishna for help. Deciding to teach Indra a lesson, Krishna approached
Govardhan, a hill situated near the town. He asked the villagers to follow
him along with their families, cattle and other livestock.
Krishna then went near the foot of the hill and, with the little finger of
his left hand, effortlessly lifted the entire hill. He then asked everyone
to take shelter under the hill. The amazed villagers quickly huddled under
the hill.
Krishna Lifts Govardhana Mountain to Save
Vrindavan
from Torrential Rain
Seeing Krishna lift the mountain, Indra realized that he was no ordinary boy
and that he was an avatara or Shri Maha Vishnu himself. Indra finally
accepted defeat and called the clouds and rain back to him. A bright,
cheerful sun shone down upon Vrindavana and all was well again. A smiling
Krishna assured the villagers that they were now safe and asked them to head
back to their respective houses. He then gently laid down Govardhana in its
original location and position.
A humbled Indra approached Krishna and begged for forgiveness. The boy,
actually being the Supreme Godhead, smiled benevolently at him and blessed
him; also enlightening him on the tenets of Dharma (righteousness) and
adherence to duty.
Govardhana, or Giriraj, as it is also called, is the sacred center of Braj
and is considered as a natural form of Krishna. Even today, the Govardhana
Puja is performed the day after Diwali, to commemorate Krishna's victory
over Indra.
Indra Attacks Hanuman
Hanuman is a
veritable superhero in Indian mythology. An ardent devotee of Lord Rama, he
is one of the most pivotal figures in the Ramayana. This mighty and
Chiranjeevi (immortal) son of Anjana and Kesari, who is also known as
Vayuputra (Son of Vayu, the Wind-God) is also considered by some texts as a
manifestation of Lord Shiva himself. There is an interesting story about the
first ever meeting between Indra and Hanuman. The tale goes thus:
As a child, Hanuman was very mischievous and refused to sit quietly even for
a minute. He was ever curious and was always getting into some trouble for
it. One day, he developed a strong fascination for the Sun. Believing it to
be a ripe mango, he was tempted and wanted to eat it. Determined to get hold
of the sun, Hanuman enlarged himself and, reaching upward, proceeded to its
orbit. Once he got hold of the Sun, Hanuman tried to put him in his mouth.
In the meantime, Rahu, one of the Navagrahas (Nine Planets), was searching
for the Sun himself. An eclipse was scheduled to happen at that particular
time and Hanuman's prank was preventing it from taking place. Rahu chased
Hanuman and tried to attack him. But the latter, being faster and more
powerful, thrashed the Graha. Rahu then approached Indra and told him how
the naughty little monkey had taken away the Sun and stopped the eclipse
from taking place.
Enraged, Indra hurled his Vajrayudha at the little mischief-monger. The
powerful weapon struck Hanuman in his jaw and he fell back down to the Earth
and became unconscious. The impact of the Ayudha left a permanent mark on
the left side of his chin.
On learning that Hanuman had been attacked, Vayu Deva got upset and went
into seclusion, withdrawing all the air unto himself. Without air, all the
beings on Earth started to asphyxiate. Realizing the extent of mayhem this
could cause, Indra withdrew the effect of his Vajra. The Devas then got
together to revive Hanuman and blessed him with multiple boons, in order to
appease Vayu Deva. Impressed by this strength, intelligence and power, Indra
too bestowed his grace on the monkey child.
Indra is Fearful of Losing His Throne
As mentioned earlier, Indra always had the fear that he would one day end up
losing his throne to someone more pious and powerful. So insecure was he
that he was willing to go to any lengths to stop earthlings and other beings
from taking his position. He often disturbed the penance of
sages
and tested people to the limit, just to see them fail in their lives'
mission. Here is one example of how he tried to break a sage's penance and
bring him down from his spiritual heights:
There was once a king named Kaushika. He was strong and wise and a mighty
ruler. Loved by his subjects and feared by his enemies, his true glory
unfolded not in his victory, but in his utter defeat and humiliation.
He and his armies were once hosted by sage Vasistha. Vasistha owned a divine
cow, named Kamadhenu. As the name suggested, the cow had the ability to
grant anything that its owner wanted. Now, Kaushika wanted Kamadhenu for
himself. He asked Vasistha to give it to him, but the sage refused to do so.
He then tried to take it by force. When he tried to attack Vasistha, the
latter turned his massive army to ashes; thereby defeating him entirely.
Kaushika realized that he was no match for Vasistha's spiritual power. He
knew that, in order to attain that kind of power, he would have to undertake
great penance to please and appease the Devas. He gave up all his royal
comforts and journeyed deep into the forest. There, he began his intense
tapas (penance), which lasted several years.
As time passed, Kaushika got more spiritually powerful and Indra got more
and more uncomfortable. Indra feared that, if the king continued at this
pace, he would soon become mighty enough to take charge of Indraloka. So he
devised a plan to distract Kaushika from his penance.
Indra sent one of his most beautiful apsaras (celestial dancers),
Menaka,
to tempt Kaushika and distract him from his tapas. Menaka came down to earth
and started to sing and dance in front of the king. Initially, he resisted
and gave her a good fight. He refused to look at her and continued on with
his penance. She failed several times, but never gave up trying. One fine
day, he finally gave in to her charms and fell deeply in love with her.
Kaushika and Menaka lived happily in the forest for some time. In due course
of time, they had a daughter named Shakuntala. Eventually, Kaushika became
aware of Indra's plot and how Menaka was sent down only to distract him.
Without second thought, he completely rejected Menaka and returned to his
tapas with more fervor than ever before.
Vishwamitra Rejects Menaka
and Their Daughter
Kaushika started regaining his Siddhis (spiritual powers). Indra, again
fearful of losing his throne, sent down Rambha, the Queen of apsaras to
tempt him once again. Not one to be fooled again, Kaushika angrily rejected
her and asked her to go back from the place she had come. He then reflected
upon the past and he learned a lesson from his temper - that he had not yet
learnt to master his own mind. He then understood that he was his own real
enemy and that he should first learn to control himself.
Kaushika undertook even more severe penance to attain that state of control.
Indra tried once more to break his will. The king of the Devas disguised
himself as a beggar and asked for a little bit of food that the king had
prepared for himself. The latter was just about to break a long fast and
Indra was trying to see if he would commit the sin of refusing him food. To
his dismay, the king, without hesitation, gave away all the food to him.
Finally having conquered himself, Kaushika returned to his tapas and rose
exponentially in spirituality. Several years later, Lord Brahma appeared
before him and gave him the title of Rajarishi (Royal Sage). Kaushika
continued his tapas, till he received the title Maharishi (Great Sage) and
then, finally, the most coveted Brahmarishi. He was then renamed sage
Vishwamitra (the friend of the whole world).
The Symbolic Meaning of Indra
Hinduism often uses symbolisms of various sorts to simplify high philosophy
and reach it to the masses at large. The story of Indra also has a much
deeper meaning and symbolism and we have a lot to learn from it.
- During the Vedic era, Indra was depicted as a God of War, wielding
the vajra. This could be perceived as our own nature, which enables us
to summon courage and strength when we most need it. Incidentally, the
lightning bolt is symbolic of the spiritual energy lying dormant within
each one of us. When used properly, it can translate into immense
spiritual power.
- He is shown as a powerful deity, vanquishing the terrible Vritra. In
actuality, it represents the dark forces within ourselves, which we need
to realize and triumph over. When we dare to do that, we improve the
quality of our own lives.
- Indra is often portrayed as being fearful, jealous, egoistic and
insecure. In reality, his story is symbolic of our basic human nature
and how we can become god-like if we try to gain control over our minds.
- Indra's vahana (vehicle) is Airavata, the White Elephant. While white
stands for purity and piety, the elephant represents wisdom, courage and
patience. These are the qualities once needs to fight one's own dark
forces within.
- All the battles and negativity that Indra fights and triumphs over is
eventually turns out for the good of mankind - it either helps in
restoring order or recovers something sacred, which was lost to mankind
during a bygone era. Likewise, all the tests that Indra puts people
through, ultimately works out for their own spiritual good. It finally
releases them from the vicious cycle of samsara and eliminates their bad
karma.
- Indra mainly consumes the inebriating Soma only to gain more
confidence in the battlefield. However, he also indulges in it for
recreation. The latter is what actually gets him into trouble. This
shows that, while it is alright to indulge in a bit of revelry once in a
way, completely losing ourselves in that sort of lifestyle will only
lead us to shame, defeat and downfall.