Indra: the greatest Friend of men

In the Vedas, the relationship between the Gods and human beings is not that of a king and his subjects. The seeker regards the God Indra as his friend, father, guide or son. This is an important aspect of Vedas and many mantras may be quoted in support:

"Indra is the friend who gives joy", (mandayat sakham) R.V.(1.4.7).

एमा॒शुमा॒शवे॑ भर यज्ञ॒श्रियं॑ नृ॒माद॑नम् ।

प॒त॒यन्म॑न्द॒यत्स॑खम् ॥ १.००४.०७

emā̱śumā̱śave̍ bhara yajña̱śriya̍ṃ nṛ̱māda̍nam .

pa̱ta̱yanma̍nda̱yatsa̍kham .. 1.004.07

"Indra, we are seeking your friendship, we desire you alone" R.V. (10.133.6)

व॒यमि॑न्द्र त्वा॒यवः॑ सखि॒त्वमा र॑भामहे ।

ऋ॒तस्य॑ नः प॒था न॒याति॒ विश्वा॑नि दुरि॒ता नभ॑न्तामन्य॒केषां॑ ज्या॒का अधि॒ धन्व॑सु ॥ १०.१३३.०६

va̱yami̍ndra tvā̱yava̍ḥ sakhi̱tvamā ra̍bhāmahe .

ṛ̱tasya̍ naḥ pa̱thā na̱yāti̱ viśvā̍ni duri̱tā nabha̍ntāmanya̱keṣā̍ṃ jyā̱kā adhi̱ dhanva̍su .. 10.133.06

"O Indra develop in us the will-power just as a father trains his son". R.V. (7.32.26)

इन्द्र॒ क्रतुं॑ न॒ आ भ॑र पि॒ता पु॒त्रेभ्यो॒ यथा॑ ।

शिक्षा॑ णो अ॒स्मिन्पु॑रुहूत॒ याम॑नि जी॒वा ज्योति॑रशीमहि ॥ ७.०३२.२६

indra̱ kratu̍ṃ na̱ ā bha̍ra pi̱tā pu̱trebhyo̱ yathā̍ .

śikṣā̍ ṇo a̱sminpu̍ruhūta̱ yāma̍ni jī̱vā jyoti̍raśīmahi .. 7.032.26

"O Indra, coming together let us converse". R.V. (1.30.6)

ऊ॒र्ध्वस्ति॑ष्ठा न ऊ॒तये॒ऽस्मिन्वाजे॑ शतक्रतो ।

सम॒न्येषु॑ ब्रवावहै ॥ १.०३०.०६

ū̱rdhvasti̍ṣṭhā na ū̱taye̱'sminvāje̍ śatakrato .sama̱nyeṣu̍ bravāvahai .. 1.030.06

"We, as friends, call Indra for our increase". R.V. (1.30.7)

योगे॑योगे त॒वस्त॑रं॒ वाजे॑वाजे हवामहे ।

सखा॑य॒ इन्द्र॑मू॒तये॑ ॥ १.०३०.०७

yoge̍yoge ta̱vasta̍ra̱ṃ vāje̍vāje havāmahe .

sakhā̍ya̱ indra̍mū̱taye̍ .. 1.030.07

"You may think in any way, being pleased you may grant me my wishes, but I do not desire. Only be pleased, O Indra".

R.V. (8.45.31)

यद्द॑धि॒षे म॑न॒स्यसि॑ मन्दा॒नः प्रेदिय॑क्षसि ।

मा तत्क॑रिन्द्र मृ॒ळय॑ ॥ ८.०४५.३१

yadda̍dhi̱ṣe ma̍na̱syasi̍ mandā̱naḥ prediya̍kṣasi .

mā tatka̍rindra mṛ̱l̤aya̍ .. 8.045.31

"We do not regard ourselves as sinners, indigent or ignorant, since we regard ourselves as friends of the showerer

Indra doing our work". R.V. (8.61.11).

न पा॒पासो॑ मनामहे॒ नारा॑यासो॒ न जळ्ह॑वः ।

यदिन्न्विन्द्रं॒ वृष॑णं॒ सचा॑ सु॒ते सखा॑यं कृ॒णवा॑महै ॥ ८.०६१.११

na pā̱pāso̍ manāmahe̱ nārā̍yāso̱ na jal̤ha̍vaḥ .

yadinnvindra̱ṃ vṛṣa̍ṇa̱ṃ sacā̍ su̱te sakhā̍yaṃ kṛ̱ṇavā̍mahai .. 8.061.11

"O Indra, you are superior to father or brother. You are same as

my mother". R.V. (8.1.6)

वस्या॑ँ इन्द्रासि मे पि॒तुरु॒त भ्रातु॒रभु॑ञ्जतः ।

मा॒ता च॑ मे छदयथः स॒मा व॑सो वसुत्व॒नाय॒ राध॑से ॥ ८.००१.०६

vasyā̍m̐ indrāsi me pi̱turu̱ta bhrātu̱rabhu̍ñjataḥ .

mā̱tā ca̍ me chadayathaḥ sa̱mā va̍so vasutva̱nāya̱ rādha̍se .. 8.001.06

These pramanas prove that the relationship between Indra and the Vedic folks was not only that if God/ a benefactor but like their own friend or a closest relative, to whom they could look up to in times of need and he would answer immediately.

🙏 Jayatu Indra 🙏

🙏 Namo Narasimha 🙏