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Indra is the favourite national god of the vedic Indians. He is celebrated in 250 hymns. Asthe name, which dates from the Indo-Iranian period and is of uncertain meaning, does not designate any phenomenon of nature, the figure of Indra has become very anthropomorphic and much surrounded by mythological imagery, more so than that of any other god in the veda. He is primarily the thunder-god, the conquest of the demons of draught or darkness and the consequent liberation of the waters or the winning of light 243 forming its mythological essence. By the time of puranas, the importance of Indra waned and in the Brahma-Purana he is a deity of secondary importance constantly searching the help of either lord Vismu, Siva, Brahma or some great sage in order to ensure safely from the demons and other forces. He has thousand eyes and a beautiful form. He 243 Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, P. 54.

593 wears a necklace and mounts the famous elephant Airavata (36.8-10). Saci sits by his side and Jayanta adorns his lap (140.6-4). In the Svayamvara of Uma, he comes with great pomp (36.8-10). He is surrounded by gods and is praised by Siddhas and Sadhyas. Apsarasas sing and dance and wave fans round him (140.6-8). He wields thunderbolt in his hand (124.5) and the thunderbolt is the weapon exclusively appropriate to Indra.244 He is called Sakra, Maghavan (10.20), Mahendra & Veruda, Jisnu (140.6-8), (124.5), Purandara (10.26), Vetraha, Namucihanta, Purambhetta and Gotravid (124.5). Vrtraha, The court of 'hall' of Indra is the rendezvous of the other gods and this is called Sudharma and by lord krsna's order Vayu carroed it to Dwaraka when Ugrasena was coronated and at the end of the Yadava family, it was given * back to Indra (115.14,16; 212.7) According to Hopkins 245 the 'halls' is a late description in opics, a supposition favoured by other evidence of the same character regarding their inhabitants perhaps a loan from the Jains, who have s heaven and gods called Saudharma. Indra is the lord of clouds and waters and in order 245 Epic Mythology, P. 58.

594 *to please him, the Indrotsava was celebrated.246 protected the sacrifice of Daksa (A.108,109). Brahma-purana. He Many anecdotes are related about Indra in the He killed the demon Namuci by the foam of the ocean (A.124). He was thrice deprived of his throne once on account of the sin of killing Vrtra, next for the sin of killing Sindhusena and thirdly when he seduced Ahalya in the garb of the sage Gautama. 247 The sage Gautama cursed Indra to have a thousand signs of female organ on his body but on being prayed by Indra, the thousand signs turned into the form of eyes and hence he was called Sahasraksa (A.87). Indra asked lord krsna to protect Arjuna who was a part of himself (A.188). He pierced the foetus of Diti into 49 pieces at the advice of the demon Maya and the Maruts were born from them. Thereupon Diti cursed him x that he would be dethroned and would be defeated by a woman and the sage Agastya cursed him that he would have to show his back in the battle (A.124). Indra deceived Raji by flattering him and thus deprived him of becoming the king of gods (A.11). There was a terrible fight between Indra and lord krsna for the Parijata tree and consequently Indra had to give the tree to lord krsna (A.188). By the killing of Vrtra, Indras was 246 187.35-40; cf. also Indradhvaja ceremony in Kausikasutra & Brhatsamhita, Ch.43. 247 122.49; also cf. Salv. Br. i.1.19-20.

595 polluted with the heinous sin of Brahmanicide and he fled in great terror to the end of the world. There he entered water, and concealed himself in the fibre of a lotus. After many years, he was purified by the water of the river Gautami (A.96). In the Mbh. 248 it is stated that Brhaspati cleansed him by a horse-sacrifice from the brahmahatya which was distributed amongst women, plants, etc. In the Rgveda and the Brahmanas there are innumerable stories which relate the intrigues of the gods with married women e.g. of Indra with the wife of Vrsanasva 249, with Apala Atreyi, 250 etc. The conduct of the gods is not here made a matter of reproach and adultery is not much considered from the ethical point of view. It is because the brahmin is in possession of the secret whereby he can inflict harm, that therefore, man must refrain from illicit intercourse with the wife of a brahmin.251 In the Brahma purana, it is said that when the sage Gautama entered his hermitage when Indra was in the company of Ahalya, Gautama's wife, Indra out of the fear of the sage became a cat and was afterwards cursed by the sage (A.122) 248 V. 11 ff.. 249 Rv. 1.51.13, combined with Satyayana Brahmana by Sayana, Sadvimsa Br. I.1.16; Maitrayanisamhita 11.5.5 250 Rv. viii.91 & Satyayana Br. iv.1.15. 251 Satapatha Br. XIV,9.4.11; Brhadaranyaka VI.4.12; Paraskara Grh.Su.,I.l 1.6; Encycl. Vol.I, P.128.

596 Indra in the brahmanical mythology is the ruler of heaven and represents the ksatroya or warrior class. " Indra is always afraid lest some saint should by severe austerities wrest his power from him, and when there is a danger of this kind, he sends one of the Apsaras, or heavenly nymph, to seduce the saint from his ascetic exercises. Thus the Brahma-purana states that Indra sent the nymph Pramloca to disturb the penance of the sage Kandu (A.178). Still he is regarded as the powerful lord of heaven and the chief of the gods, but in comparison with the supreme gods W Brahma, Visnu and Siva he, like the remaining gods, occupies but a second rank. Though, there are no temples of Indra, at least in modern times, his images and niches dedicated to him are met with in temples of other gods and so he may be said to receive a kind of indirect worship.