He is the Head of all Indira Loga. He is the god for giving rain in the earth. in early periods all people are worship indira for rain. now also this type functions done in coimbatore side villages.i have a question how comes indra was so important in the vedas and now is a minor god? does any group in india worship him?
I do not visualise Indra as a separate person/devatha. He symbolically represents the
control or better still management of one's senses, mind and brain.
If we fail in this management and control, great humiliation and loss of reputation await us.
Does you people mean that puranic indra and vedic indra are two??
Some quarters consider them the same. Some consider them are different. There were different Indras at different points of time. Some info on 14 Indras: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indra
My query is if indra is a deva, whether he needs worship or not?
Vedic worship includes worship to Indra. Indra is considered a demon in the Zoarashtrian religion. Possibly the Yadu hordes of Krishna caused the cesation of Indra worship in India for a time period.
Am not arguing whether indra is mind or indra is indriya or indra is power. What I actually need now is the metaphorical explanation only sirs. If these two are different, can you say always puranas contradict vedas?? Which we has to follow, vedas or puranas?? How can we part vedas and puranas? Does vedas have no puranic stories inside them? I mean by the hymns are they not conveying any stories???
Not sure if the hymns might be conveying some story. Rigvedic hyms are mixed in nature, sometimes addressed to God, to Nature, to a nameless superpower and so on.
I think the hymns on indra came out, just because he is the lord of devas. Might be a "MUGASTHUTHI" to pacify the king, though he is inefficient as we see in today's ministry... Please don't think that Iam against Indra or vedas. Iam asking out of curiosity whether the worship is needed or not? thats all.
There are many puranic stories related to indra, but none has described him as an hero. Whether all these puranas purposefully wanted to contradict a vedic hero?? Iam totally unaware of vedas and I dont even know the hymns that are in praise of indra. Since the topic turn towards the worship of indra, am asking these...
Pranams
THE FACT ABOUT INDRA i HAVE GATHERED FROM READING SEVERAL BOOKS ON HINDU mYTHOLOGY, THE PURANAS AND SEEING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CULTURE IN A RATIONAL MANNERShri PBKHema,
Its an interesting thing you have written. If you have inferred this from some sources, please could you share them?
Also, there is this debate that
a) Shiva was pre-vedic and Vishnu was Vedic
b) Both Shiva and Vishnu were Vedic
c) Shiva was Vedic and Vishnu was Puranic
But you have mentioned both Shiva and Vishnu as post-vedic dieties. Is there any reason for it?
Also, is it possible that the same Indra lived from the vedic period of even as recent as 700 BC all the way to the puranic period of 300 to about 1500AD ?
Regards.
THE FACT ABOUT INDRA i HAVE GATHERED FROM READING SEVERAL BOOKS ON HINDU mYTHOLOGY, THE PURANAS AND SEEING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CULTURE IN A RATIONAL MANNER
Siva was definetely not a Vedic God.THe Rudras were there in the Vedic times and it evolved into Siva.
I feel that prioe to the vedic people there must have been some kind of phalic (linga worship) worship.This was nit liked by the Vedic people.In fact (I do not recollect correctly now who) Indra or one of the Vedic Devas were reerred to as sisira nasyahah meaning destroyer of lingas
The Dhasha Yanja episode itself is to bring Siva into the Vedic fold and give himea shre of the Havir
Vishnu as now we know was not in the Vedas.There is an indirect reference to the Vamana Avataram by the saying he measured the three worlds with his foot steps