The Hinduism is famous for the volume pantheon and the tangled relations between his various representatives. Headed all numerous range of deities of Ancient India, according to legends, certain god Indra. You will find all information about him in this article: the legends connected with his name, its origin as he looked according to views of Hindus and how influenced life of people.
Who is it?
In general it is possible to say safely that this deity is a Hindu analog of Ancient Greek Zeus. According to representations of Hindus, Vedists and some representatives of the Buddhism Indra is a tsar of all highest gods who were also called maidens, main in Svarge, the heavenly city, a Hindu analog of the Olympus.
Whether you know? Total number of the people professing Hinduism is about 1 billion people that does it by the third most popular religion in the world after Christianity and Islam.
Like Zeus, he has ability to control a thunder and a lightning and also it is considered the god of war who heads all senior gods in their war against younger, also called demons or asuram.
He is the main patron of Varna kshatriyev, the estate which is completely consisting of rich and influential soldiers. Often all future tsars were elected of this Varna.
Origin of the deity
As well as the origin of vast majority of other representatives of a Hindu pantheon, Indra's origin is very tangled and is often interpreted in different ways in different branches of Hinduism and Vedism. His parents it is accepted to call various characters of myths of that time.
Learn more about such deities in Hinduism as Hanuman, Brahma, Vishnu, Kali, Ganesh, Sarasvati, Shiva, Krishna.
The most often met version of origin of this deity is emergence it from Anditi, mother of all gods. It is considered that he was the seventh and most beloved offspring of the goddess.
Legends claim that its birth was quite not ordinary, but what specifically events accompanied it, nobody mentions.
According to legends, right after the birth small Indra grasped weapon of one of the brothers, his body became covered with gold armor-clad armor, and he accepted a pose so proud and aggressive that all deva understood at once — before them future great soldier and, without doubts, one of the main contenders for a throne.
As looks also Indra's attributes
This Indian god is one of the most anthropomorphous representatives of all Hindu pantheon. The only thing that significantly distinguished it from the ordinary person, is that he was multiarmed. On images he, as a rule, has two pairs of hands.
Indra carries the long black hair which are freely falling to it on a back, a breast, as a rule, is covered with nothing, on a neck the string of a blue beads is dressed. In earring ring ears, from a nose towards the left ear the long gold chain is stretched. It is considered that this deity has truly the giant sizes.
Its main weapon in fight against demons is, besides lightnings, the vadzhra. This powerful weapon used by Indra only in extreme cases unites all positive properties of a spear, a mace, a sword and depending on requirements or desire of the owner can change the form. Usually in drawings it is represented made of gold or bronze. Vakhana (special animal who is used by deities as the vehicle and the satellite) of this god is an elephant by the name of Ayravata.
It has a white color of skin and the sizes is comparable to the equestrian. According to legends it appeared from a shell of egg which before that gave Garude's life (bird which successor was Vishnu).
Other names of the tsar of gods
The list of other names of Indra is very impressive and in the majority is based on any given its victory or a feat:
- Krushitel Tverdyn — Purandara.
- Vritra's winner is Vritrakhan.
- Bala's winner is Balahang.
- Lord Blagikh — Vasava.
- Hundred-angry — Shatamanyyu.
- The one who made 100 sacrifice — Shatakratu.
- Mighty — Shakra.
- Generous — Magkhava.
- Tysyacheglazy — Sakhasraksha.
- One-legged Aries — Adzhaykapada.
- The Thunderer is Vadzhrabkhart.
Important! In Hinduism to each god there corresponded only one name therefore it is probably more correct to call this list the list of the epithets or titles characteristic of this deity. In other sources the similar lists can be met both as alternative names, and as titles.
Legends of Indra
Indra, as well as Ancient Greek Zeus, passed still for that rake and the joker. For its many tricks he was in the childhood and youth is punished by the senior companions. However the list of its good and great acts considerably blocks all youthful tricks.
Reflection of the reverent and respectful attitude of Hindus to this character can be considered the numerous myths and legends devoted to his adventures.
Victory over Vritra
It is considered that its victory over a dragon Vritry whom god master Tvashtar created was one of the greatest feats, perfect Indra. He made it because of offense at Vritra who arose because that killed his three-headed son who was born as a result of Tvashtar's union from one of the lowest goddesses. As substrate for creation of an awful dragon the flame and sacred som served. It had no extremities, and his body consisted of ninety nine rings which blocked beds of all rivers in India and deprived of it inhabitants of moisture, necessary for normal life.
Gods conducted by prayers of mortal came to Indra and asked to head their army in a campaign against Vritra. However, when the army of gods reached the head of a dragon, he died on them the infernal flame, and they in fear ran up who where, having abandoned the leader.
Indra it was not frightened Vritra and rushed to him in the attack, however that swallowed the tsar of gods and plunged into hibernation. But Shiva sent yawning on a dragon that allowed the master of lightnings to get out to freedom and to strike it vadzhry mortal blow.
Indra and Namouchi
On a legend, the representative of asur Namouchi, as well as Indra among dev was one of Indra's friends, was not equal to him on force among the lowest gods. During friendly chat they signed among themselves the contract which forbade them to enter with each other fights.
Neither wet weapon, nor dry, nor in the afternoon, nor at night, nor on the land, nor in the abyss sea they should not have attacked at each other. However Namouchi conceived to deprive Indra of all his force and by that to hold a post of the most powerful being in the Universe. Then it mixed with drink of the highest gods — to som by which Indra it was raised instead of mother's milk, the sura — strong intoxicated drink in which consoled themselves asura.
He made it as he knew that he dev, enjoyed suras, immediately will lose the forces. Grieved and lost forces Indra Ashvinam went for councils to twin gods. They told that they can make the structure capable to return forces to the master of gods of Namouchi's blood. But it was necessary to find still a way which would allow to bypass the oath sworn earlier.
Then it was decided to carry out a duel in a surf strip which is not, in effect, either the land, or a reservoir, weapon was decided to moisten with sea foam that it was neither wet, nor dry, and the fight had to take place at sunset, at that time, which it is impossible to call neither in the afternoon, nor at night.
During a fierce duel Indra by means of the vadzhra gained a hard victory and beheaded artful Namouchi. Having collected the required amount of blood, it carried it to twin gods who made the drink which safely returned force to the master of a thunder and lightnings.
About emergence thousands of eyes
This legend narrates to us about Indra prankish more likely, than about Indra hero. According to it the teacher of the master of gods, Gautama, had a beautiful wife by the name of Akhalya to whom Indra felt passionate and strong attraction.
Once, when was not at home his teacher, he dared to creep in rooms of his wife and made her an avowal of sentiments. Akhalya with favor accepted its recognitions, and they already intended to merge together as Gautama entered the house.
Having seen similar a picture, he damned the unworthy pupil in such a way that on his body one thousand signs of disgrace were formed. Then Indra began to beg for forgiveness at the guru, and the kind wise man met requirements of him, having turned one thousand signs of disgrace into the corresponding number of eyes.
However Indra did not manage to take out properly a lesson from the first experience and crept to the house to Gautama for the second time, but this time when the wise man came home, everything already came true. Then he damned Akhalyyu, having turned her into a boulder, and young made Indra the eunuch.
However gods, knowing about similar temper of the future tsar, stood up for Indra and made a small sacrifice which result was a return of its advantage to it.
Influence on life of people
Being god of a thunderstorm, lightnings and a thunder, according to Hindus, Indra showed the favor in relation to people every time when there was a rain. If, besides demanded in economy and agriculture of water, it happened to thunderstorm to bring both destructions and death, then was considered that the tsar of gods, on the contrary, shows a habit and with something it is dissatisfied.
In droughty weather made to Indra a set of various sacrifice that it sent to in distress as a result of a drought the region a rain.
When so long begged rain at last expected to fall, people organized a noisy feast in honor of the master of lightnings and said that he once again managed to repeat the victory over a dragon Vritra who blocked access of water to their settlements.
It is important! If you suddenly are going to make a sacrifice to Indra, remember that it will be insufficiently simple to leave any gifts on an altar, it is important to distribute them to monks and attendants of the holy sites that your prayer was heard.
Among Varna kshatriyev this god was honored especially. Was considered that that sovereign soldier who does the most generous gifts to Indra has the most essential chances to become in the future the tsar. Many soldiers, except the victims, went into battle with a name of this god on lips, made feats in his honor. As Indra was the chief military leader in fight of dev against asur, he was called by ordinary people when, according to them, demons began to build them some intrigues and in every possible way to soil.
Was considered absolutely normal to make a small sacrifice to Indra if, for example, you began to notice that things vanish in the house, products spoil not in time, children, etc. are capricious.
Indra and esoterics
In terms of esoterics this deity is a patron of completely mature manas (reason) which is consecrated with light of divine knowledge.
Our mind on some of stages of the life often begins to plunge into the abyss of thoughts that soul, most likely, will get no benefits in afterlife because of insufficiently just terrestrial existence or that our mind enters the conscious conflict with any manifestations of sincere greatness.
Indra, according to interpretations of esotericists, tries to reduce manas and I smother to a common denominator, to reconcile one with another. According to esoteric practicians, having made a sacrifice to this deity or having prayed to it, you will be able to get rid for some time of internal disharmony and to come to a condition of spiritual balance. So, we hope that this article helped you to find the answer to a question of the one who such Indra. Remember that there is a large amount of various interpretations of a Hindu pantheon, and you should not perceive this article as final instance.
Whether you know? At all branches of Hinduism in the sum there are about 8.5 million the highest and lowest gods therefore each representative of this religion can choose to himself the object which is the most suitable for worship.
In order that in the fullest way to understand this subject, we recommend to you to go to a trip around the country, native for this religion — India.