Indra

Indra

Indra (Devanagari: इन्द्र) also known as Śakra is the most important among the Indo-Aryan gods. He is the god of war, the god of thunderstorms. 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 Amaravati. He lives there with his wife named Shachi, and several other smaller gods and goddesses. There are many apsaras in Amaravati.

Indra was a very important god during the Vedic period. Later his importance became less. Gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva became more important in Hinduism.

Indra in current form of Hindu mythology, is similar to that of Zeus in Greek mythology. Though his importance has come down, he is still considered to be king of the gods. His status is below that of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva. Thus, he is the king of the lesser Gods.

Again, his weapon is Vajra, which is the lightning. His means, at times, treacherous and he is shown as, at times, jealous, vengeful. Further, he is made to suffer his own bad deeds.

Indra Media

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  Indra on his elephant, guarding the entrance of the 1st century BCE Buddhist Cave 19 at Bhaja Caves (Maharashtra).

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  Banteay Srei temple's pediment carvings depict Indra mounted on Airavata, Cambodia, c. 10th century.

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  Modern depiction of Indra, Old Kalyan Print.

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  Painting of Indra on his elephant mount, Airavata, c. 1820.

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  Buddhist relief from Loriyan Tangai, showing Indra paying homage to the Buddha at the Indrasala Cave, 2nd century CE, Gandhara.

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  Many official seals in southeast Asia feature Indra. Above: seal of Bangkok, Thailand.

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  Bimaran casket: the Buddha (middle) is flanked by Brahma (left) and Indra, in one of the earliest Buddhist depictions (1st century CE).

References

• 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

Other websites

• Indra, the Storm-god - by Benjamin Slade
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, Indra
• Indra according to Vedic literature