Ever wonder why Inder is the most common name in Punjab? It is represented mostly as a suffux, for example - Amarinder, Rajinder. Narinder, Dharminder, Gurinder, or simply as Inder. Lets take a few moments to understand the term, its meaning, historical perspective, and how it became the most common name among the Punjabis. So, who was Indra who left such an impression on the Punjabis that we continue to name our next generations after him ... afte 4,000 yars?
“41 per cent of respondents were overweight and obese in the survey ,” said Dr Thakur of PGI. “If waist circumference is considered, more than 80 per cent of respondents were overweight with central obesity.”
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| Indra, the Conqurerer |
Mythological Indra
Indra (Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is an ancient Vedic deity in Hinduism. He is the king of Devas (gods) and associated with lightning, thunder, and war. Indra's iconography shows him wielding a lightning thunderbolt weapon known as Vajra, riding on a white elephant known as Airavata.Indra's mythology is similar to Indo-European deities such as Jupiter, Zeus, and Thor, suggesting a common origin in Proto-Indo-European mythology.
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| Mythological Indra on Airavat |
Vedic Indra
Indra is the most referred to deity in the Rigveda – a Hindu scripture dated to have been composed partially in Punjab region sometime between 1700 and 1100 BC. Indra is praised as the highest god in 250 hymns of the Rigveda, thus making him one of the most celebrated Vedic deities. In the Vedic literature, Indra is a heroic god. In the Avestan (ancient, pre-Islamic Persian scripture), Indra – or accurately Andra – is a gigantic demon who opposes the truth. In the Vedic texts, Indra kills the archenemy and demon Vritra who threatens mankind. In the Avestan texts, the demon Andra is slayed by the Daitya, the Aryan God.
Destroyer of Cities
Aryans were basically nomads, wanderers, a keepers of herds, a hunter, but not an agriculturalist builder of settlements in fertile river valleys. And Aryan herds led by Indra, their undisputed leader, were not a superior race but a horde of horse riding nomadic hunter warriors.
The valley Indra and his men attacked, was then inhabited by the highly evolved tribe of what the intruders termed as Dasa. The Dasa were conquered by Aryans and enslaved, Thus the term Dasa came to be a synonym for a slave.
“Indra protects his Aryan worshippers on countless occasions, protects them in all wars. He subdues the people who do not perform sacrifices for the benefit of Aryans. He flays the Dasa of his black skin and kills him and reduces him to ashes. He burns down all who do injury and all who are cruel.”
“O Indra! the poet prays to thee for pleasant food. Thou hast made the earth the bed (burial-ground) of the Dasas. Indra has beautified the three regions with his gifts; he has slain Kuyavacha for King Daryori."
Aryans entered India through the Indus valley (today’s Punjab and Sindh areas) and destroyed the forts and well designed urban settlements that stood there. Hence Indra is also known as the Purandar, the destroyer of forts.
“Indra, who slew Vritra and stormed towns, has destroyed the troops of the black Dasas, and has made the earth and the water for the (Aryan) man, and fulfilled the wishes of the sacrificer.”
Indra's significance diminishes in the post-Vedic Indian literature and he is depicted as a powerful king who constantly gets into trouble with his drunken, hedonistic and adulterous ways, and the god who disturbs sages as they meditate because he fears self-realized human beings may become more powerful than him.
Beef Eating and Intoxication of Indra
Indra is extremely fond of drinking soma and eating beef. Even Vivekananda has asserted that Vedas justified alcoholism and beef eating. He explains: “The old gods were found to be incongruous — these boisterous, fighting, drinking, beef-eating gods of the ancients — whose delight was in the smell of burning flesh and libations of strong liquor. Sometimes Indra drank so much that he fell upon the ground and talked unintelligibly. These gods could no longer be tolerated.”
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| Indra with his escort Sachi |
Rigveda (6/17/1) states that “Indra used to eat the meat of cow, calf, horse and buffalo.”
Rigveda Mandal 10, Hymn 86 verses 13 and 14: "Indra will eat your oxen. They cook fifteen, twenty oxen at a time for Indra for Indra eat only the fat meat."
Domestic Quarrel with Wife
Indra is mostly portrayed as a warrior in the Vedas but there is one verse that talks about his domestic troubles in a rather human fashion. Rigveda verse 10.86 gives us this interesting story where his wife Shachi is fighting with her husband and complaining about his friend Vrishakapi. It became known that Indra used to frequently go and meet Vrishaakapi and spend a lot of time with him, This made Shachi contemptuous due to amorous affectionate infatuation, when She used to see Him go frequently and thought He is in love with Vrishakapi.
Shachi complains: "Kapi hath marred the beauteous things, all deftly wrought, that were my joy. No Dame hath ampler charms than 1, or greater wealth of love's delights. None with more ardour offers all her beauty to her lord's embrace. This noxious creature looks on me as one bereft of hero's love, "
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| Indra and Sach Quarrel |
Indra tells Shachi:
"O Indraani! I do not go to anyone except for my friend Vrishaakapi. Water too always benefits Agni of Havish(Yagya). So do I also oath that I go to nowhere else other than Thee, O Beloved! Thus O my Lover! Thou art not to suspect me of going other places."
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"O Beautiful Shachi! Vrishaakapi is my friend and He is born of water, and Thou also art always my beloved friend, and no one other than you two is beloved of me."
Indra in Punjabi Men
Indra, the Soma-souled, the Lord of Delight, is summarised in modern popular culture as the Punjabi Male, a gluttinous drinker of inebriating spirits. For the Punjabi man it is the social norm to drink, and for many it’s usually to excess with different cultural aspects only encouraging this behaviour. Many Indian Punjabi songs revolve around themes such as alcohol, guns, drugs, women and violence.
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| Punjabi Songs and Alcohol |
Since drinking is socially acceptable, most don’t even consider binge drinking or alcoholism as a serious problem like drug addiction. According to an Indian Tribune study, more than half of Punjabi men drink alcohol and it comes as no surprise that Punjab is amongst the top three states in India in terms of alcohol consumption. Liquor stores can be found throughout major towns just as easily as a pharmacist or grocer.
Despite clear warnings in Sikh scriptures against the use of intoxicants, alcohol abuse is sadly all too evident among many in the Sikh community, which can lead to serious health effects, domestic violence and family breakdown. Problems such as alcoholism, domestic violence, problems in the workplace and social disorder to name just a few. Now this refers to those who drink to excess regularly leading to higher mortality rates, and not those who are simply social drinkers.
More than 40 per cent of the population in Punjab is overweight or obese; just under half the population is at high risk of contracting kidney ailments, and the prevalence rate of diabetes is five per cent higher than the national average. According to the study, two-fifths of Punjab is overweight and obese.
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| Obesity Problem among Punjabis |
“41 per cent of respondents were overweight and obese in the survey ,” said Dr Thakur of PGI. “If waist circumference is considered, more than 80 per cent of respondents were overweight with central obesity.”
The prevalence rate of diabetes was also high (14 per cent), higher than the national nine per cent. The study found more than one-fifth of the adult population having raised triglycerides.
What did the Gurus Say?
Guru Nanak’s teachings warns that the consumption of alcohol dims our awareness of our priorities and responsibilities.
SGGS Page 15 Full Shabad
ਅਮਲ ਗਲੋਲਾ ਕੂੜ ਕਾ ਦਿਤਾ ਦੇਵਣਹਾਰਿ ॥ The Great Giver has given the intoxicating drug of falsehood.
ਮਤੀ ਮਰਣ ਵਿਸਾਰਿਆ ਖਸੀ ਕੀਤੀ ਦਿਨ ਚਾਰਿ ॥ The people are intoxicated; they have forgotten death, and they have fun for a few days.
ਸਚ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਤਿਨ ਸੋਫੀਆ ਰਾਖਣ ਕਉ ਦਰਵਾਰ ॥੧॥ Those who do not use intoxicants are true; they dwell in the Court of the Lord. ॥1॥
Guru Nanak advises against overindulgance in taste of food:
"ਬਾਬਾ ਹੋਰੁ ਖਾਣਾ ਖੁਸੀ ਖੁਆਰੁ ॥ ਜਿਤੁ ਖਾਧੈ ਤਨੁ ਪੀੜੀਐ ਮਨ ਮਹਿ ਚਲਹਿ ਵਿਕਾਰ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥: Baabaa horu khaanaa khusee khuaaru. Jitu khaadhe tanu peereeai man mahi chalahi vikaar ||1||Rahaaou|| (sggs 16).
Sri Guru Granth Sahib also advises us on the effects of diet on human behavior. "ਅਲੁ ਮਲੁ ਖਾਈ ਸਿਰਿ ਛਾਈ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਮੂਰਖਿ ਅੰਧੈ ਪਤਿ ਗਵਾਈ ॥: Alu malu khaaee siri chhaaee paaee. Moorakhi andhai pati Gvaaee. (sggs 467)."
References
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/culture/hidden-histories-chronicling-the-rise-and-fall-of-mighty-aryan-warrior-god-indra
https://www.huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/rig-veda-say-that-indra-hindu-god-of-rain-and-heaven-ate-beef_a_23540853
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/punjabis-obese-unhealthy-can-t-care-less-262933
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16176059/
https://jech.bmj.com/content/65/Suppl_1/A179.4
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43505784
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40613289
https://www.indianpediatrics.net/june2008/500.pdf
What an intriguing piece. I read it twice to fully absorb it.
ReplyDeleteI do have a question on intoxication - Nihang Singh's also referred to as Guruji's pyarri fojj do consume marijuana. Is that prohibited too? Thank you.
I am not an authority to comment whether Nihangs should or should not use it. We should base our deductions from Guru's teachings in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Sikh Rehatnama prohibits intoxication of all kind for the Amritdhari Sikhs. Bhang or Marijuana has been in use by warriors since the Aryan period. They called is "Soma" and ancient Persians called it :Homa". Its use was medicinal or spiritual in the past and it was not used to get intoxicated for pleasure. Indian warriors and Yogis used "Bhang" for thousands of years while the Afghans used "Afeem" or opium for the same purpose.
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