Indra as Vedic hero
Reflecting on the place of Indra in the Veda and in the Indo-European tradition
Zarathushtra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!
‘Who is the best-armed of the heavenly gods?’
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘It is Verethraghna, made by Ahura, O Spitama Zarathushtra!’
We read these words in the Warharan Yasht of the Avesta, in praise of Verethragna, the Iranian God of Victory.
Verethragna is of course the Iranian cognate of the Vedic Vṛtraghna, meaning Slayer of the Foe, used as an epithet of the Vedic god Indra, generally considered to be a god of rain, storm, lightning or flood. He seems to be cognate with other Indo-European bad weather gods like Thor, and is also related to the early Vedic god Dyaus Pitā, from the Proto-Indo-European *Dyḗus Ph2tḗr, also emerging as Ζεὺς πατὴρ and cognate sky gods in the Indo-European tradition.
A few general characteristics of Indra are -
- He is extremely fond of drinking soma. Indeed, it is suggested that he is the only drinker of soma among gods and mortal beings [RV 8.2.4]
- He rides a chariot drawn by bay horses [RV 3.35]
- He is invoked by soldiers in battle [RV 4.24]
