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Thread: why Indra is not worshipped?

  1. why Indra is not worshipped?

    Indra was the chief vedic gods, mentioned in the rig Veda, and is one of the most respected gods in the vedic dharma but he is very much diminished and not even worshiped even once by the present generation Hindus. Why is the role of Indra diminished?

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    Re: why Indra is not worshipped?

    I hope my post here does not create arguments across users here , but I heard Indra the chief god among vedas was replaced by Lord Visnu who was supposed to be Dravidian god (one Tamil author claimed it's the same case with Lord Shiva also). Edwin Bryant quotes regarding Lord Shiva's adoption in Vedic gods in his book "The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture" but I don't have any source for Lord Visnu's adoption. There could be an ulterior motive to the people who created Vedas
    ॐ महेश्वराय नमः

    || Om Namo Bhagavate Rudraya ||

    Hara Hara Mahadeva Shambo Shankara

  3. Re: why Indra is not worshipped?

    Quote Originally Posted by realdemigod View Post
    but I heard Indra the chief god among vedas was replaced by Lord Visnu who was supposed to be Dravidian god
    Vishnu is Also mentioned in the rigveda as the most supreme of all the gods. Please refer to Rigveda 8:15:9
    And also in rig veda's book one 154, 155 and 156 chapters are all in the praise of Vishnu so that pretty much sums it up that rig vedic people adopted Vishnu from
    people of some other culture in india. (implying it existed in vedic age)

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    Re: why Indra is not worshipped?

    Quote Originally Posted by sanataniyodha View Post
    Indra was the chief vedic gods, mentioned in the rig Veda, and is one of the most respected gods in the vedic dharma but he is very much diminished and not even worshiped even once by the present generation Hindus. Why is the role of Indra diminished?
    Namaste! Indra is worshiped in various Yagnas/Homas by chanting Vedic mantras. Even today, wherever Yagna is conducted or hymns recited in temples etc, you can see that he is being worshiped.

    Compared to previous yugas, in Kali yuga Yagnas have considerably diminished because of dwindling faith. Therefore the importance of Indra is diminishing.

    As far as devotion(Bhakti) is concerned, our Puranas record since time immemorial dedicated devotees of Lord Shiva, Vishnu etc. Such worship continue even today, strengthened by the manifestation of exalted Bhaktas and Acharyas from time to time. No dedicated Bhaktas of Indra have been recorded.

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    Re: why Indra is not worshipped?

    Namast,

    No dedicated Bhaktas of Indra have been recorded.

    No solely-dedicated bhaktas, no, but Śrī Gaṇapati Muni (known as Kāvyakaṇṭha), disciple of Śrī Ramana Mahaṛṣi, was a devotee. He composed several devotional works in praise of Indra - including the indrasahasranāmastotram - and his biography by S.R. Leela (ISBN 0910261415) contains a few stories of his receiving Indra's grace in times of trial.
    "What was, what is, what will be: I am That." -from Bāṣkalamantra Upaniṣad

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    Re: why Indra is not worshipped?

    Quote Originally Posted by Arjunī View Post
    Namast,

    No dedicated Bhaktas of Indra have been recorded.

    No solely-dedicated bhaktas, no, but Śrī Gaṇapati Muni (known as Kāvyakaṇṭha), disciple of Śrī Ramana Mahaṛṣi, was a devotee. He composed several devotional works in praise of Indra - including the indrasahasranāmastotram - and his biography by S.R. Leela (ISBN 0910261415) contains a few stories of his receiving Indra's grace in times of trial.
    You did some good research and also you have a special interest in Lord Indra , running a blog of your own and all that Miss Arjuni. Have you found out how and when this transition took place, that is the loyalty shifting from Indra to Shiva, Vishnu etc, both historically and cannonically speaking. Enlighten us a bit bitte. Namaste.

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    Re: why Indra is not worshipped?

    Namast,

    Charitra, I don't have the power to 'enlighten' anyone. But seriously, I understand your meaning, and have intended to write about this topic for months now. Give me a few weeks to get my notes together, and if/when I write post(s) on the subject, I will return to this thread with a link for you.
    "What was, what is, what will be: I am That." -from Bāṣkalamantra Upaniṣad

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    Re: why Indra is not worshipped?

    Quote Originally Posted by charitra View Post
    Have you found out how and when this transition took place, that is the loyalty shifting from Indra to Shiva, Vishnu etc, both historically and cannonically speaking. Enlighten us a bit bitte. Namaste.
    Why assume a shift...just curious? There has never been a shortage of Rishis/devotees that circumvented Indra and worshipped Shiva/Vishnu. By history are you including our scriptures(itihasa Puranas)?

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    Re: why Indra is not worshipped?

    Indra has been worshiped atleast by one great sage - Bharadwaj. Bharadwaj muni is said to have been very devoted to learning the vedas - no amount of learning vedas was satisfactory to him - hence he wanted to live longer and longer so that he would be able to master all of the vedas. Thus passed eons and Bharadwaja was still learning vedas. When he knew it was time for end of his life, he prayed vigorously to Indra - and Indra appeared before him - Bharadwaja asked for another millenium years to live and Indra granted him thus. Thrice Bharadwaja asked Indra for a boon of longer life like this and Indra granted him thus. But Bharadwaja still couldn't master the vedas. Finally, the 4th time Bharadwaja asked Indra of the boon of wanting longer life, Indra finally created 3 mountains and took a handful of sand from all the three and said to Bharadwaja "The amount of veda you have learnt in all this Billion years amounts to this much of sand while the amount you still have to master is akin to the size of those mountains. Thus please know that no amount of lifetime will be sufficient to master the vedas and let nature take its course".

    Thus we know, though Indra is known to be a 'demi-god', is capable to conferring one of the toughest boons - of granting or lengthening the lifetime (ayus).

    Indra is also known to have taken mercy to the serpent king Takshaka in Mahabharata and have given him protection during the time king Janamejaya conducted his fire ritual to kill all the serpents of the world.
    Last edited by Viraja; 19 March 2013 at 11:12 AM. Reason: Removed the section on 'Indra's follies'.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

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    Re: why Indra is not worshipped?

    Quote Originally Posted by sanataniyodha View Post
    Indra was the chief vedic gods, mentioned in the rig Veda, and is one of the most respected gods in the vedic dharma but he is very much diminished and not even worshiped even once by the present generation Hindus. Why is the role of Indra diminished?
    Indra is just one of the names of paramAtma. There is no reason why you can't worship indra. Vide sahasranAma. Indra means one with unlimited aishvarya or splendour - which is God himself.

    The "clownish" Indra of the purANa-s is a personification of the human mind, and is subject to ups and downs. The legends of indra are infact, that of our own mind, that seeks to know the Almighty and has to face innumerable trials and tribulations and has to constantly fight the inner demons (with the help of other Godly powers).
    Guard your Dharma, Burn the Myth, Promote the Truth, Crush the superstition.

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