The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c9.29

c9.29

The point at stake seems to be Indra's ambiguous nature, and it is in this connection perhaps not irrelevant that he is sometimes called *brahmán*.⁴¹ He seems to be absent, or even hidden, most of the time. On the question of where Indra is, the poet answers that he has secretly espied his place.⁴² Indra must be summoned and activated in order to manifest himself. In the next verse, the poet triumphantly announces to those "who know and who do not know": "Here drives the bountiful in full armor".⁴³ The way to activate Indra seems to be by questions and answers, working up toward his decisive manifestation. Thus he is called upon to decide the question by declaring whether the power, the vīrya (of his former deeds) is now his or whether it is not.⁴⁴ Similarly, *Ṛgveda* 6. 27 starts with questions about Indra’s achievements (answer: “The being [*sat*] is his [achievement]”); then addresses Indra directly “We do not now perceive your greatness. . . . your Indra power [*indriya*] has not shown itself”; and announces, finally “Now this your indriya has become manifest.”⁴⁵