Vedic Mythology c5.s2.17

c5.s2.17

His greatness and power are lauded in the most unstinted terms. He has no parallel among those born or to be born (4, 18⁴). No one, celestial or terrestrial, has been born or shall be born, like to him (7, 32²³). No one, god or man, either surpasses or equals him (6, 30⁴). Neither former, later, nor recent beings have attained to his valour (5, 42⁶). Neither gods nor men nor waters have attained to the limit of his might (1, 100¹⁵). No one like him is known among the gods; no one born, past or present, can rival him (1, 165⁹). He surpasses the gods (3, 46³). All the gods yield to him in might and strength (8, 51⁷). Even the former gods subordinated their powers to his divine glory and kingly dignity (7, 21⁷). All the gods are unable to frustrate his deeds and counsels (2, 32⁴). Even Varuṇa and Sūrya are subject to his command (1, 101³ cp. 2, 38⁹ p. 16). He is besought to destroy the foes of Mitra, Aryaman, and Varuṇa (10, 89⁸. ⁹) and is said to have acquired by battle ample space for the gods (7, 98³). Indra alone is king of the whole world (3, 46²). He is the lord of all that moves and breathes (1, 101⁵). He is the king of things moving and of men (5, 30⁵); he is the eye of all that moves and sees (10, 102¹²). He is the leader of human races and divine (3, 34²). He is several times called a universal monarch (4, 19² &c.) and still oftener a self-dependent sovereign (3, 46¹ &c.; cp. p. 24). He is also said to rule alone (*eka*) by his might as an ancient seer (8, 64¹). A few times he receives the epithet *asura* (1, 174¹; 8, 79⁶). Indra bears several characteristic attributes expressive of power. *Śakra* ‘mighty’ applies to Indra about 40 times and only about five times to other gods. *Śacīvat*, ‘possessed of might’ describes Indra some fifteen times and other deities only twice. The epithet *śacīpati* ‘lord of might’, occurring eleven times in the RV. belongs to Indra with only one exception (7, 67⁵), when the Aśvins as ‘lords of might’ are besought to strengthen their worshippers with might (*śacībhiḥ*). In one of these passages (10, 24²) Indra is pleonastically invoked as ‘mighty lord of might’ (*śacīpate śacīnām*). This epithet survives in post-Vedic literature as a designation of Indra in the sense of ‘husband of Śacī’ (a sense claimed for it by PISCHEL even in the RV.). The very frequent attribute *śatakratu*, ‘having a hundred powers’, occurring some 60 times in the RV. is with two exceptions entirely limited to Indra. In the great majority of instances *satpati*, ‘strong lord’ is appropriated to Indra. Indra’s strength and valour are also described with various other epithets. He is strong (*tavas*), nimble (*nṛtu*), victorious (*tura*), heroic (*śūra*), of unbounded force (1, 11⁴. 102⁶), of irresistible might (1, 84²). He is clothed in might like the elephant and bears weapons like the terrible lion (4, 16¹⁴). He is also young (1, 11⁴ &c.) and unaging (*ajara*), as well as ancient (*pūrvya*).