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![]() IndraKing of Gods, Lord of the Firmament, is the most important vedic god; he is the leader of the Devas, the god of war, the god of thunder and storms, the greatest of all warriors. He is the defender of gods and mankind against the forces of evil.Archetype of arian warriors and heroes, he defeats the Asuras and killed the demon-dragon Vritra. He has four hands: the first holds vajra (thunderbolt); one holds a ankusha (hook) to seize the enemies. He is depicted as a four-armed man on a white elephant carrying a thunderbolt. It is he who slashes the clouds with his thunderbolt to release the rain. His consort is Indrani, called also Sashi (the Powerful). With the rise of Vaishnavism (IVth century b.c.) Indra lost his place of importance to Vishnu. He rides a white elephant who has four tusks, Airvata king of elephants, his vahana (vehicle). Other names are:
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