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Mahabharata katha London
2012
In later era of Jain and Buddhist ascendancy, Indra is used as a foil against which these two atheistic religions measure their respective leaders. Both these religions are 'god-less' in that they do not believe in a creator God. Their own main leaders are ‘realised souls’ and hence elevated above the status of 'Gods'. Yet, both religions use Indra as a yard stick to measure their own religious leaders. Indra and his iconography is evoked several times in the ‘life stories’ of their leaders to justify elevating them above Indra.
For example, Tirthankars and Buddha
are said to be born when Indra’s white elephant enters their mother through the
right side of the womb. Indra attends to their birth, praises them on numerous
occasions, witnesses or announces their ‘enlightenment’ and even anoints them as
'king of heaven / universe'. Indra comes again and again in their tales to
‘validate’ the greatness of these 'new' religious icons.
By having
Indra’s authority and approval used as a foil for their own Gods, these
religions give a back handed compliment to Indra and his Vedic function as 'King
of Heaven'.
Indra still invokes powerful emotions in Indian mind. For that reason, Sikhism, latest off shoot-of Hinduism, still uses 'Inder' as an important adjective in its male and female names !! Sikhs use same / similar sounding names for their men and women. For example - Inder-kaur (Princess-Indra - female) ; Sukhvinder (as-happy-as-Indra - male). By adding Singh or Kaur, both names can be used for male / female member of the Sikh sect. Using of 'Indra' in common names by a non-Hindu religion, show the enduring appeal of Indra.
Indra in later Bhakti sects & scriptures