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Elements of Hindu Iconography v4.c33.s1: Indra

Elements of Hindu Iconography v4.c33.s1

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English

Indra

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The word Indra, is derived from Indha, meaning kindler says the Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa. In the Ṛig-vēda he is distinctly mentioned as one born without a fellow : (tvam anapir Indra janushasanadasi) and as one without a rival (aśatrur Indra jajñishē). In the Taittiriya saṃhitā Indra is seen contesting his supremacy with Viṣṇu, the Yajñapurusha. The same Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa mentions that Indra, Agni and Sūrya strove hard to secure the supreme positions among the gods and succeeded : this statement gives us an insight into the origin of the Trimūrtis of the later times. In the Ṛig-vēda Indra is described as the wielder of the vajra (or iron thunderbolt), encompassing the sky and the waters, and reaching up to heaven and is said to have fixed the earth, the luminaries, propped up the sky and so on, and that these acts were all done under the exhilarating influence of the drink quaffed off from three cups. Though praised as unequalled by other gods or mortals, Indra is not a self-existent being but was born of a mother (Ṛig-vēda. x 134, 1).

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It has already been stated that the vajra was shaped for Indra by Tvashtṛi from the bones of Dadhicha. With the vajra he killed the asura named Vṛitra. While he, as the chief of the gods, churned the ocean of milk in company with the asuras, the white elephant named Airāvata, came out of it and this was taken for himself by Indra. The name of the wife of Indra is Indrāṇi or Śachi. In the Mahābhārata, Indra is said to be the father of Arjuna and to have a thousand eyes (or yōnis) spread all over his body because he seduced Ahalya, the wife of the ṛishi Gautama. He is also classed, as we know, as one of the twelve Ādityas.

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It is thus seen how Indra, one of the supreme gods of the Vēdic period, deteriorated into the chief of the minor gods, the leader of the army of the gods and finally into one of the guardian deities of the eight regions. He was receiving from the human beings some sort of worship on earth, but Kṛishṇa was the first to put a stop to it. It was on this occasion that Indra caused havoc in Gōkula by sending down torrents of rain and it was also then that Kṛishṇa protected the cowherds and their belongings by lifting up the Gōvardhana mountain. In spite of Kṛishṇa’s protest against the worship of Indra, it was still existing in the 7th to the 10th centuries of the Christian era.

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The *Śilappadigāram*, that remarkable gem of dramatic epic of the Tamil language, has a chapter describing how the annual festival of Indra was celebrated in Kāvirippūm-paṭṭinam, the metropolis of the Chōḷas: it states that the festival began on the Paurṇimā of the solar month Vaiśākha and was continued for twenty-eight days. The date of this work has been determined to be the middle of the eighth century A.D. In an inscription belonging to the reign of Parāntaka Chōḷa I to be found in Toṇḍamānārrūr near Kaḷahasti, mention is made of the details of the arrangements made for celebrating the festival for Indra. The custom of offering *pūjā*, and *a fortiori* of celebrating festivals, to Indra does not obtain at the present day.

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The Vēdic deity Indra plays also an important part in the Buddhist and Jaina religious lore. The description of Śakra, as given on p. 78 of Beal's *Catena of Buddhist Scriptures* is almost exactly the same as that given in Hindu works.

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As has been already stated, Indra is the lord of the eastern direction and therefore the image of the deity is to be placed on the eastern side, when a group of the Dikpālakas is set up. The places where such a group is generally placed in a Hindu temple are the ceiling of the front *maṇḍapa*, the eight corners of one of the upper-storeys of the

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vimāna if it has more storeys than one, and, if the temple has more than one prākāra, in one of them.

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The description of the image of Indra, as also of the other Dikpālakas is contained in almost all the āgamas and in the Bṛhat-saṃhitā and Viṣṇu-dharmōttara. It is stated in the Aṃśumadbhēdā-gama that the colour of the image of Indra should be dark and that it should have two eyes and two arms; the image should possess very handsome features and be adorned with the kirīṭa, kuṇḍalas, hāra, kēyūra and other ornaments and be draped in red garments (delicate textured Chinese cloths ?). Indra should carry in his right hand the śakti and in the left the aṅkuśa. The neck of the figure of Indra should be thick and the belly rather big; the image might be sitting or standing upon a siṃhā-sana or be seated upon his elephant, the Airāvata.

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To the left of the figure of Indra should be seated that of his consort Indrāṇī, decorated with all ornaments and carrying an utpala flower in the hand, and the features should be those of a gay and joyful young woman. On either side of this celestial pair should be represented two Gandharva women waving multicoloured chāmaras.

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Some of the other authorities have practically the same description but differ in stating that the articles held in the hand by Indra are the vajra and *aṅkuśa* or a *nīlotpala* flower; while the others state that the colour of Indra should be white and that he should have a third eye lying horizontally in the middle of the forehead and four arms,—one of the right hands of which is to carry the *vajra*, the other right hand a *padma*, while one of the left arms should be passed round the figure of Indrāṇī as in embracing and the remaining left hand should carry the *aṅkuśa*.

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Indrāṇī should be of the colour of gold and be clad in blue garments. She should have two arms of which one should be embracing Indra and the other hand should carry a *santāna-mañjari*. The *Viṣṇudharmottara* adds that she should be seated upon the left lap of herlord.

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The elephant Airāvata should have four tusks, two on either side.

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Two photographs are reproduced in illustration of the description of the figure of Indra. The first figure Pl. CL, is to be found in Chidambaram. Indra is seated upon his Airāvata and has four arms, the front two hands are in the *abhaya* and *varada* poses and the back hands carry the *aṅkuśa* and the *vajra*. The second one, fig. 1, Pl. CLI, is seated on a *bhadrapīṭha* and has four arms. The front right hand is kept in the *varada* pose and holds in it an *akṣamālā*; the front left hand

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Indra : Stone : Chidambaram.

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Fig. 1. Indra : Stone :

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Fig. 2. Vāyu : Stone : Chidambaram.

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carries a *kamaṇḍalu* and the back right and left hands hold the *aṅkuśa* and the *vajra* respectively. The head is adorned with a *jaṭāmakuṭa* and a number of necklaces and an *yajñōpavīta* adorns the chest.

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