A Divine Tester of Virtue

We are used to thinking of Indra, king of the celestials, as a complex personality. In story after story, he comes across as libidinous, crafty, and jealously guarding his turf. But over time, I began to realize that he is often a catalyst, just like Narada Muni and Rishi Durvasa. Indra's interventions can bring out stark truths.

- RENUKA NARAYANAN

We are used to thinking of Indra, king of the celestials, as a complex personality. In story after story, he comes across as libidinous, crafty, and jealously guarding his turf. But over time, I began to realize that he is often a catalyst, just like Narada Muni and Rishi Durvasa. Indra's interventions can bring out stark truths. This is also noticeable in Buddhist tradition, wherein he is usually called by one of his other names, Sakra.

Sakra, also pronounced Shakra, means "mighty" and "powerful" in Sanskrit, a name found in verses from way back in the Rig Veda. In Buddhism, which came much later and drew heavily on Hinduism, Sakra, spelt Sakka in Pali, is a prominent figure, considered the ruler of the Trayastrimsa heaven. That is the name of the heaven at the top of Mount Meru—the celestial realm. Mount Meru is the name assigned in Hinduism to the polar center of the physical world. Indra has many versions of his name across the Indic world, in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. In Buddhism, he is often held to consult with the Buddha on matters of morality, and along with Brahma, he is cast as a Dharmapala, meaning a guardian of the Buddha's dharma or dhamma, that is, a protector of Buddhism.