Indra
/ˈɪn.drə/noun
Indra is the ancient Vedic deity of storms, rain, warfare, and kingship, later incorporated into Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
Did you know?Indra’s weapon, the vajra, means “thunderbolt” or “diamond” and became a major ritual symbol in Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Late 2nd millennium BCE
Vedic Sanskrit
Indra
“A powerful Vedic deity associated with storms, rain, warfare, and victory”
c. 1500–500 BCE
Vedic Sanskrit
Indra
“The chief warrior god praised in the Rigveda for defeating the serpent Vṛtra and releasing the waters”
c. 500 BCE–300 CE
Sanskrit
Indra
“A prominent deity in epic and classical Hindu literature, especially linked with heaven and divine kingship”
c. 3rd century BCE onward
Middle Indo-Aryan
Inda
“A regional and linguistic form of the divine name in Middle Indo-Aryan Buddhist and religious texts”
c. 1st millennium CE
Buddhist Sanskrit
Śakra-Indra
“A Buddhist heavenly ruler, often identified with Śakra and incorporated into Buddhist cosmology”
Modern English
English
Indra
“A proper name and title for the Vedic storm god, also used in modern religious, historical, and cultural writing”