Indra the creator:

The divine knowledge given by Indra is not meant to come in one step or at any one moment like the experience of samadhi in some individuals. The seers get this knowledge step by step. As stated in

RV (1.10.1),

"O Indra, the seers of the mantra (1),

rise and attain thee as if they are climbing a ladder (2)." (1.10.1)

brahmaṇastva shatakrata (1), udvamshamiva yemire (2), (1.10.1)

ब्रह्मार्णस्त्वा शतक्रत उद्वंशर्मिव येमिरे ।।

In (1.10.11), Indra is described as one 'who makes a seer' and 'gives a new life to the seer'. Consider RV (1.6.3) where Indra gives knowledge and creates forms.

"You manifest knowledge for one who has it not (1), and form for one who has no form, O Strong one (2).

You are born with the rays of the dawn knowledge (3)." (1.6.3)

ketum kṛṇvan aketave (1), pesho maryā apeshase (2),

sam ushadbhir ajayathāh (3).

के॒तुं कृ॒ण्वन्न॑के॒तवे॒ पेशो॑ मर्या अपे॒शसे॑ समु॒षद्भि॑रजायथाः ।। (1.6.3)

ketu means knowledge, born of inner understanding. A person who has no such knowledge is aketu. Indra aims to manifest in man the higher knowledge, the knowledge of the different planes, the

knowledge of gods, methods of obtaining their grace, the methods of not exposing oneself to hostile forces, etc. The process of the birth of knowledge is imagined by the Rig Vedic poets as the birth of a child to a human being, the person who does the yajña. The yajamāna prays to the gods invoking them to be born as his children.

However, there is a deeper meaning in imagining the dawn of knowledge in man as the birth of a god. A first step in the spiritual life of many persons is the vision of a deity or a divine hearing or an appropriate suprasensual experience. But such an experience, by itself, is not sufficient to sustain spiritual life. The memory of such a vision often fades with time due to natural forces. But, if we want to have a continuous vision of the godhead and continuously feel its/his

presence, then we need a subtle body in addition to a gross body to support the inner vision and other experiences.

The power of gods like Indra manifesting in a human has a subtle body which is as concrete as the physical body, but operates on a different plane. Thus the first line of (1.6.3) states, 'giving knowledge to one who does not have it' and the second line says, 'Indra gives an appropriate form, pesho, which can sustain this knowledge.' Just as the physical dawn denotes the advent of the physical sun in the sky, the divine goddess Usha by her presence indicates the advent of the Spiritual Sun.

The quotation given above is not an isolated one, but one of a hundred or more such images in the Rig Veda. In (1.4.1) Indra is hymned as 'surüpa kratnu,' 'fashioner of perfect forms.' This mantra is

discussed in some detail in the Chapter 9. Indra's forms are perfect because he has access to complete knowledge. A famous mantra on this topic is due to the seer Bhāradvāja, (6.47.18):

"To every form Indra has remained the counter form (1);

That is his Form for us to face and see (2);

by his maya powers he moves on endowed with many forms (3);

for yoked are his thousand steeds (4)." (6.47.18)

rūpam rūpam pratirupo babhūva (1), tat asya rūpam

pratichakshaṇāya (2), indro māyābhiḥ pururupa iyate (3),

yuktā hi asya harayaḥ shatā dasha (4)

रू॒प॑रू॑षं॒ प्रति॑रूपो बभूव॒ तद॑स्य रूपं प्र॑ति॒चक्ष॑णाय ।

इन्द्रो॑ मा॒याभिः॑ पु॒रूप॑ ईयते युक्ता ह्य॑स्य॒ हर॑यः श॒ता दश॑ ।।

(6.47.18)

This mantra is repeated in the Bṛhadaranyaka Upanishad (2.5) as

a part of the Madhu, 'Universal Delight', doctrine. It is sufficient to note that the Supreme Brahman of the Vedantic thought, is also a Supreme Person, ätman, and every form is himself, his creation, a

mould of the substance, a shape of his being. Indra is the divine counterpart every form in existence; whatever we see is only a form of Indra through which Indra is pleased to reveal himself. The Maya

powers, in fact, have nothing to do with magic or illusion.

They are his creative conscious powers through which he has set in motion the

countless life powers, which we behold. These life-forces are imagined as his thousand horses, a fairly common image for life-forces. The Sanskrit word for the four-footed animal horse, ashva, is derived from the word 'ash', which denotes strength.

"Indra is seen with many forms (1),

which come from his body by his Māya powers (2)." (3.53.8)

rūpam rūpam maghava bobhavīti (1)

māyāḥ kŕṇvānaḥ tanvam pari svām (2)

(3.53.8)

रूपंरू॑पं म॒घवा॑ बोभवीति मा॒याः कृ॑ण्वानस्त॒न्वः॑ परि॒ स्वाम् ।

This statement compliments the mantra RV (8.100.4). Indra's steeds are not the animals needed for transportation, but

are his life-powers, and ratha, the chariot, indicates movement. Indra himself creates the subtle body in man as indicated in

RV (1.10.11) and prepares the spiritual aspirant for the vision of Indra and other deities. The spiritual aspirant, the human sacrificer, should be in a mood of inward surrender and outward activity. Indra brightens the word of praise, makes the word accomplished RV (1.6.9), Indra is the great harmoniser, RV (1.7.8).

vayam indra tvāyavaḥ sakhitvam ā rabhāmahe RV (10.133.6)

व॒यमि॑न्द्र त्वायवः॑ सखित्वमा र॑भामहे ।

indra kratum na à bhara pita putrebhyo yatha RV (7.32.26)

इन्द्र॒ क्रतु॑ न॒ आ भ॑र पि॒ता पु॒त्रेभ्यो॒ यथा॑ ।

🙏 Jayatu Indra 🙏

🙏 Namo Narasiṁha 🙏