Question
Are Devas like Indra god?
Answer
The question is
I heard many stories about deeds of Indra and other gods in Puranas.
For e.g. rape of Ahilya by Indra, rape of Tara by Saima etc. So my question is how can a God do this?
Are they really God? If they are not God why did Vedas praise them? Is there anything from Hindu scriptures, especially in Vedas or Upanishads, that denies them as God?
Rig Veda 2.1 says
2 Thine is the Herald's task and Cleanser's duly timed; Leader art thou, and Kindler for the pious man. Thou art Director, thou the ministering Priest: thou art the Brahman, Lord and Master in our home.
3 Hero of Heroes, Agni! Thou art Indra, thou art Viṣṇu of the Mighty Stride, adorable: Thou, Brahmaṇaspati, the Brahman finding wealth: thou, O Sustainer, with thy wisdom tendest us.
In the 1st mantra, AGNI was eulogised as BRAHMAN, the Almighty. In the subsequent mantras AGNI was eulogised as INDRA, VISHNU, etc.
So the names (AGNI, INDRA, VISHNU, etc.) used in the Veda, are epithets of same Almighty.
In Rig Veda III.36.2 Indra was eulogised as the Regulator of TIME.
The story of Indra and Ahalya is allegorical in nature, which was re-written demeaning Indra.
In the post Vedic period, the epithets of the Almighty God were deified and speicific physical characteristics were attributed to each God, ie., (i) 3 eyes, serpent in the neck, Thrishula in Hand, etc, in respect of Shiva, (ii) Sudarshana in hand, Garuda as Vehicle, etc, in respect of Vishnu, and so on.
Puranas were composed at a later date, to eulogise VISHNU/SHIVA/SHAKTI, etc, as SUPREME GOD.
As such there is no concept of SUPREME GOD and demi Gods in Veda
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