Indra
Indra (Devanagari: इन्द्र) or Śakra is the most important among the Indo-Aryan gods. He is the God of war, the god of thunderstorms.[1] In the Vedas, many verses (hymns) are there in his praise. The Rigveda praises him as a very strong God. Many Hindu scriptures tell about Indra, his character and his deeds.
Indra resides in a mythical city located above in the sky. The city’s name is Amravati. He lives there with his wife named Indrani, and several other smaller gods. There are many apsaras in amravati.
Indra was a very important God during the Vedic period. Later his importance became less. Gods like Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva became more important in Hinduism.
Indra in current form of mythology is similar to that of Zeus in Greek mythology. Though his importance has come down, he is still considered to be king of Gods. His status is below that of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. Thus, he is considered to be king of lesser Gods.
Again, his weapon is Vajra which is represented by Thunderbolt! His means, at times, treacherous and he is shown as, at times, jealous and vengeful. Further, he is made to suffer his own bad deeds.
Indra Media
Indra on his elephant, guarding the entrance of the 1st century BCE Buddhist Cave 19 at Bhaja Caves (Maharashtra).
Banteay Srei temple's pediment carvings depict Indra mounted on Airavata, Cambodia, c. 10th century.
Devraj Indra, Old Kalyan Print
Buddhist relief from Loriyan Tangai, showing Indra paying homage to the Buddha at the Indrasala Cave, 2nd century CE, Gandhara.
Many official seals in southeast Asia feature Indra. Above: seal of Bangkok, Thailand.
Bimaran casket: the Buddha (middle) is flanked by Brahma (left) and Indra, in one of the earliest Buddhist depictions (1st century CE).
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References
- ↑ Perry, Edward Delavan (1885). "Indra in the Rig-Veda". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 11: 121. doi:10.2307/592191. JSTOR 592191. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
- Masson-Oursel, P.; Morin, Louise (1976). "Indian Mythology." In New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, pp. 325–359. New York: The Hamlyn Publishing Group.
- Janda, M., Eleusis, das indogermanische Erbe der Mysterien (1998).
- http://www.magellanexperiences.com/tirta_empul_temple.htm Archived 2009-05-15 at the Wayback Machine