 |
| INDRA RIDING THE AIRAVAT |
Indra held court at SWARGA, his heaven in the clouds surrounding
the highest peak of the sacred mountain MERU. This heaven could move anywhere at its lord's
command. In Swarga, there is an enormous hall when slain warriors went after
death. Indra and the beautiful Indrani presided over their paradise. No sorrow,
suffering, or fear was allowed in Indra's home. Apsaras (beautiful damsels) and
Gandharvas (celestial beings) danced and entertained those who attended court,
and gaming and athletic contests were held.
In the post-Vedic period and during the age of Puranas Indra
falls from the front rank status and is given the lower grade in all respects. Though still the king
of other smaller gods, Indra is much inferior to the holy triad of Brahma, Vishnu
and Shiva.
Indra is still regarded as the controller of atmosphere, but only under the supervision
of the Almighty. Indra in later ages is the ruler of only
SWARG, the heaven where the gods live enjoying life in the company of beautiful
APSARAS, the female dancers.
He is now shown having great weakness and big faults. He is shown even to have
a lascivious character; indulging in sexual wrongs. He tried to seduce the pious
wife of sage GAUTAMA, named AHILYA. This enraged the sage, who cursed him to
have a thousand wounds resembling female organ on his whole body. When he repented
and prayed, these thousand wound marks were changed into thousand eyes; hence
Indra is also called SAHASRA CHAKSHU (the thousand eyed).
In later versions of the story of his battle against Vritra, he is portrayed
as vengeful and cowardly, and needs the help of Shiva and Vishnu to slay the
dragon. In the Mahabharata, a terrible female goddess called only Brahminicide
who rose up out of the dead Vritra, who was a Brahman in that version of the
story, pursues Indra. She relentlessly chased him and overtook him in his chariot
and clung to him so that he could not escape; he hid inside a lotus blossom,
but he still could not dislodge her. Finally, he went before Brahma and acknowledged
his crime, for the killing of a Brahman was considered a terrible sin, and Brahma
agreed to help him become free. The king of the gods had to perform penance to
atone for his transgression. Indra also suffered such indignities as having his
elephant's head cut off by Shiva to be given to Shiva's son Ganesha.
In the Ramayana comes the story that Ravana, the demon-king of Lanka, attacked
heaven and fought against Indra. Indra was badly defeated by Ravana's son, named
MEGHNAD, who since then was called INDRAJEET. As Meghnad took Indra captive,
other gods under the leadership of Brahma had to purchase Indra' s freedom by
bestowing on the demon the blessing of an immortal life. He is very much afraid
to lose his throne of heaven and regularly sends beautiful female singing and
dancing girls to disturb the penances of the holy men, whom Indra thinks may
dethrone him.
In the life of god Krishna, he presents himself as one whom the incarnated god
teaches a great lesson. He pours incessant rains to drown the people of Brajbhumi;
God Krishna raises the mountain named Govardhan on his little finger and defeats
the design of Indra. Again when Krishna goes to visit Swarg, he wants to carry
the divine Parijata tree. Indra opposes it and fights. In the battle too Krishna
defeats him and the tree is carried off.
Indra is actually a position, which the aspirant god attains
if his divine conduct is beyond any blemish. According to the mythological details even a moral being
or a man could get it, like king Nahush got once. But he fell from grace when
he tried to lay hold on the previous Indra's wife. Hence whoever becomes the
Indra has to guard his position by his good conduct. Though
Indra is not the object of direct worship in temples, he is constantly appearing
in all tales of religious scriptures as the king of lesser gods.
|
