Indra
Indra (Devanagari: इन्द्र) also known as Śakra is the supreme Vedic God. He is the god of war, thunderstorms, sovereignty, and heaven.[1] In the Vedas, many verses (hymns) are there in his praise. The Rigveda praises him as the most powerful and highest god. Many Hindu scriptures tell about Indra, his character and his deeds; though his character has gone through changes in post-Vedic scriptures.
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 as 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 has become the king of the lesser Gods.
Again, his weapon is Vajra, which is the lightning. In the Vedas, Indra is described as heroic, powerful, yet aggressive and righteous; but in post-Vedic stories, His means, at times, treacherous and he is shown as, at times, jealous, vengeful. Further, he is made to suffer his own bad deeds.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 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
Other websites
[change | change source]
- Indra, the Storm-god - by Benjamin Slade
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Indra
- Indra according to Vedic literature
