INDRA

chief of the Vedic gods of India. A warlike, typically Aryan god, he conquered innumerable human and demon enemies, vanquished the sun, and killed the dragon Vrtra, who had prevented the monsoon from breaking. His weapons are lightning and the thunderbolt, and he is strengthened for these feats by drinks of the elixir soma, the offering of the sacrifice. Among his allies are the Rudras (or Maruts), who ride the clouds and direct storms; the Asvins, twin horsemen; and Vishnu, who later evolved into one of the three principal gods of Hinduism. In later Hinduism, Indra plays little part except in his role as god of rain, regent of the heavens, and guardian of the east. The Puranas record some rivalry between Indra and Krishna, who persuaded the cowherders of Vraja (Braja, in modern Uttar Pradesh) to stop their worship of Indra. Enraged, he sent down torrents of rain, but Krishna lifted Mount Govardhana on his fingertip and gave the people shelter under it for seven days until Indra relented and paid him homage. Indra is father to Arjuna, hero of the Mahabharata war. Indra is sometimes referred to as the thousand-eyed, because of the thousand marks on his body resembling eyes (actually yonis, or symbols of the female sexual organ), a result of a curse by a sage whose wife Indra seduced. In painting and sculpture he is often depicted riding on his white elephant Airavata. Indra also plays a part in the Jaina and Buddhist mythology of India. As chief of the gods he received into his hands the hair of the Jaina prophet Mahavira when he cut it off to signify his renunciation of the world.