Myth behind the legend

Enchanting book ‘Indra: the Rise and Fall of a Hero’ delves into mythological narratives, highlighting conflicts, transitions, and the evolution of civilisations through the lens of Indra’s life

More and more universities are setting up departments of ‘mythology’, and together with self-help books, this genre is gaining greater currency than historical fiction, poetry, politics, films, sports, and biography. Students of literature, history, sociology, anthropology, and political science are delving deeper into these myths to understand the finer nuances of how their societies came into being, and what forces and factors inspired their actions. Usually intergenerational, they also address issues of valour, love, anger, deceit, revenge, retribution, and in most cases, the triumph of justice. Myths also form part of the core values of a civilization – and thus we have Roman, Greek, Mesopotamian, Nordic myths besides of course our own Vedic texts, in which the name Indra, the god of rain and the king of kings reigns supreme. His name has inspired an entire series: Surendra, Devendra, Bhupendra, Jeetendra, Veerendra, Raghavendra for men and Indrani, Indramati, Indrakanta, Indrayshi for women, and then of course we have so many place names with Indra as the root — starting with Indraprastha!

This then is the context in which we take up the reading of ‘Indra: The Rise and Fall of a Hero’ by academic and mythologist Utkarsh Patel, who has delved into the life and times of Indra from the Devlok (realm of the gods) and has over 250 hymns dedicated to him in the Rig Veda, and another 300 in association with other gods. The Atharva Veda, the Satapatha Brahmana, and of course the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, record the episodes in his life, though in the post Vedic period, tales about his vanquishment at the hands of the young Krishna gain greater prominence.

Spread over sixty-two chapters, each of which describes a character, or an episodic event in his times, the book tells us about his difficult birth, the aloofness bordering on near animosity with which the eldest sibling Varuna regards him, his obsessive love for ‘soma — the nectar of the gods’, his proximity and friendship with sibling Agni and the efforts of Mitra to ensure some kind of a détente with Varuna. The eldest sibling swore to protect the rules of his tribe, while the youngest, Indra — the defiant who was always impulsive — lived in the moment, and did what was right, or rather, what seemed to be right at the moment. Thus, their perceptions differed on almost everything, and their first public disputation arose on whether it was right for a king to sacrifice his son to mark the fulfillment of his boon. While Varuna felt that this was a commitment, Indra felt that this was akin to ‘killing’ a person who had little agency over his life! Indra loved frolicking with adolescent girls in the ‘kanya kund’, an out-of-bounds place for males and it was with great difficulty that his mother and Mitra saved him from the wrath of Varuna, who insisted on rules being followed to the tee.

Indra was therefore sent to the Ashram of Rishi Gautama, where more than rules, he admired Ahalya, the daughter of the Creator, who looked surreal with her soft demeanour, smile, face, eyes, and resplendent hair, and their evening dalliances became the most pleasurable experience for both of them. But the idyll could not last, for Mitra came to take him back to help them (the Devas) take on the Asuras, the Rakshasas and the Danavas who “were a different kind of people… dark complexioned, disrupters of the rituals of yagna, abductors of fair women and destroyers of cattle”. To Indra’s question on why Varuna was not able to sort this out, Mitra remarks “Varuna has been in charge, but his sense of law and righteousness often comes in the way of defeating the enemies which need a combination of valour and guile”. In essence, Mitra was telling him that the time for a transition of leadership was on the anvil, and that mother too was keen that Indra come and take responsibility. Together with his friends, the Maruts and Ahibhavana, the one with the brilliance of serpents, they took on Vala, but in the process, they also learn that Vishwaroop, the son of the sage Twastha had been helping the enemy camp.

While at one level, there is the struggle between the Devas and the Danavas, there is also the conflict between the warrior chiefs and the Rishis, who were mostly Brahmans, and some of their actions, especially curses — whether they be of

Durvasa or Gautama — also defy mortal explanation. Why should Gautama bind Ahalya in a loveless marriage, given the insurmountable difference in their ages, passions, and temperaments. Was he not aware of their mutual love for each other? We also learn about the skills of the Ashwins, the sacrifice of sage Dadhichi, the weapons of war, his attraction to, and marriage with Indrani from the dynasty of Danavas, the installation of Namush on the throne of Indraprastha, his friendship with Vishnu of the island kingdom, so on and so forth. There are stories within stories, and subplots within each plot even as Varuna abdicates in favor of Indra.

The best part of the book is the Epilogue, because here Acharya Gyaneshwar (the lord of knowledge) is trying to address the questions on the time period of Indra’s life with his student Jignyasu whose name means curiosity. Gyaneshwar explains to his acolyte that “choice was not a feature of primitive society. A singular thought process was needed to bind people together and any deviation against norms is met with retribution”. But over time, societies evolve into civilizations, and each has its own needs, concerns, heroes, and gods.

Just as Varuna had given way to Indra, he in turn must give way to Krishna. Indra was the hero of a tribal society. People were constantly at war and the Brahmans were dependent on the warrior class. They were essentially pastoral nomads engaged in cattle rearing, cattle herding, breeding, and capturing. Thus, cattle raids were a form of aggression and assertion of power. However, as pastoralists settled in the lands around the Yamuna, there was a need for co-existence with the agriculturists.

So, we have Krishna of Mathura challenging the authority of Indra, and this leads to the hero’s vanquishment at the hands of this cowherd – the hero of the Mahabharata. However, the real reason was that with an increase in populations and settlements, there was a need for more crops and one yield per year was not sufficient. So even in terms of metaphor, rain lost out as the only source of life! Embankments, ponds, storage tanks became important, and Krishna’s brother Balaram is the very personification of the new agricultural society. But it should be seen as a transition from tribal affiliations to one in which rules of statecraft are well established, the emphasis shifts to material growth and prosperity ushers in larger philosophical dialogues, especially the Bhagavad Gita, the song celestial which continues to guide and inspire millions of people, not just in India, but across the globe.

The reviewer will host a conversation with the author Utkarsh Patel and lead discussant Shalini Rao in the “Afternoons with an Author” series of the Valley of Words on Sunday, March 31 at 3 pm. So do tune in with the links:

The book depicts

Indra’s difficult birth, the aloofness bordering on near animosity with which the eldest sibling Varuna regards him, his obsessive love for ‘soma — the nectar of the gods’, his proximity and friendship with sibling Agni etc.

The writer, a former Director of LBS National Academy of Administration, is currently a historian, policy analyst and columnist, and serves as the Festival Director of Valley of Words — a festival of arts and literature