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INDRA

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Originally appearing in Volume V14, Page 501 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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INDRA , in See also:

early See also:Hindu See also:mythology, See also:god of the clear See also:sky and greatest of the Vedic deities. The origin of the name is doubtful, but is by some connected with indu, drop. His importance is shown by the fact that about 250 See also:hymns celebrate his greatness, nearly one-See also:fourth of the See also:total number in the Rig Veda. He is represented as specially See also:lord of the elements, the See also:thunder-god. But Indra was more than a See also:great god in the See also:ancient Vedic See also:pantheon. He is the See also:patron-deity of the invading See also:Aryan See also:race in See also:India, the god of See also:battle to whose help they look in their struggles with the dark See also:aborigines. Indra is the See also:child of Dyaus, the See also:Heaven. In See also:Indian See also:art he is represented as a See also:man with four arms and hands; in two he holds a See also:lance and in the third a thunderbolt. He is often painted with eyes all over his See also:body and then he is called Sahasraksha, " the thousand eyed." He lost much of his supremacy when the triad Brahma, See also:Siva and See also:Vishnu became predominant. He gradaally became identified merely with the headship of Swarga, a See also:local See also:vice-See also:regent of the See also:abode of the gods. See A. A.

See also:

Macdonell, Vedic Mythology (See also:Strassburg, 1897).

End of Article: INDRA

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