Goddess Indrani (Matrika)

Devi Indrani or Indrani Matrika is one of the Saptamatrikas. She is the female counterpart or the creative energy of Indra. Indrani is also known as Shachi, Poulami and Aindri. She had three sons with Lord Indra – Jayanta, Rishabh and Midhusa and one daughter – Jayanti. The daughter married Indra’s rival Shukra.

किरीटिनि महावज्र सहस्रनयनोज्ज्वले ।
वृत्रप्राणहरे चैन्द्रि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

(Salutations to You O Narayani)

Who, Decorated with a Jeweled crown and holding the Great Thunderbolt is Blazing with the Brilliance of a Thousand Eyes. And Who Took Away the Life of Demon Vritra in the Form of Devi Aindri; Salutations to You O Narayani.

Mythology behind origin of Devi Indrani (Matrika)

According to Puranas, Lord Indra created his female self, Indrani, to protect Devi Parvati from lustful Andhakasura. Devi Indrani and the other Saptamatrikas helped Lord Shiva win over Andhakasura. Click here to read the story of Andhakasura.

According to another belief, all the Matrikas, including Devi Indrani, emerged from different parts of the Supreme Goddess and helped the Supreme Goddess in defeating and killing the demon Raktabija.

According to Jainism, Devi Indrani is the mirror image of Indra. Both of them represents an ideal couple. Indra and Devi Indrani descended to earth to celebrate the birth of all the Tirthankaras.

In most of the mythological stories, Devi Indrani is associated with Lord Indra and her significance is mostly as the wife of Indra. Indrani was first mentioned in Rigveda in the second century BCE. In this holy scripture, she is described as the most fortunate woman as Indra, her husband, cannot die of old age.

Indra killing Vritra

I have written about sage Kashyap and his wife Diti. This part is about Danu, his another wife. Diti’s children were Daityas and Danu’s offspring were Danavas. Sage Kashyap and Danu had a son Puloman. Puloman had one daughter, Shachi. Shachi was extremely beautiful and sensuous. Many desired her and several of them tried to forcefully marry her too.

Puloman had an able commander – Vrut or Vritra. He loved Shachi. Shachi rejected his overtures many a times. She considered him a servant of his father and thus an unworthy suitor.

The rejected Vritra decided to prove his mettle. He worshiped Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva gave him a boon that he can’t be killed by any known weapon of war.

The demon become very powerful with this boon. He attacked and won many kingdoms. Vritra soon ruled an area bigger than that of Puloman’s. However, the zeal to own even a bigger kingdom made him a terror and an unpopular figure.

It was during this time, Indra noticed Shachi and fell in love with her. Vritra was his adversary in love. And Indra was also afraid that he may even attack Devaloka and take over it. Indra became cautious and vigilant about Vritra’s growing powers.

Vritra become very arrogant and once created drought all over the world by stealing all the water of the world for the use of his demon army. He is thus considered a personification of drought and a natural adversary of Indra – The God of rains.

Indra was aware of Vritra’s boon. He consulted Lord Vishnu on how to defeat the demon. Lord Vishnu, suggested Indra to visit sage Dadhichi as weapons made from his bones can help him kill Vritra.

When Indra explained the situation to the sage he listened to him thoughtfully. He then decided to sacrifice his life for the betterment of all living beings. He sat in deep meditation and his soul left his body. The divine cow, Kamadhenu, licked and removed the flesh from his bones.

The army of Devtas fought the war with weapons made from Sage Dadhichi’s bone. Indra used Sage’s spine bone to make Vajra (thunderbolt). In the war, Indra stuck Vritra with thunderbolt. Vritra could not bear the blow of the weapon and died. Shachi married Lord Indra and became Indrani.

Emboldened by soma (draught of immortality)

driving Airavata’s thundering charge

through Vrtrá’s ninety-nine fortresses,

Indra strings indradhanushya (the rainbow)

with vajra striking the dragon’s belly –

splits it wide open releasing a deluge of water

rain falls from lavender skies to bloom the lotus

all beings rejoice, sing sacred songs,

to mark the end of the spiritual drought

From: https://chromapoetica.com/2012/07/07/indras-bow-slaying-vrtra/

The story did not end here. After the victory, Indra was filled with immense remorse. He felt that he was responsible for the death of a revered saint and has committed a Brahmhatya. He left the kingdom and hid himself on earth.

The story of Nahusha

Devas had no leader. They become extremely vulnerable to external attacks. They approached Nahusha, a lunar Dynasty king and requested him to become their king. The name Nahusha means the fearless one and the king was just like this.

Slowly, and slowly he got intoxicated by his powerful position. One day he saw Shachi and a lascivious desire to own her grew in him. He requested her to marry him. Shachi did not pay much heed to his pleadings and he realized that his request fell on deaf ears. He became angry and ordered Shachi to marry her.

Shachi realized the threat. First, she took the help of Guru Brihaspati to search Indra. They were able to find and meet Indra, who was hiding in the Mansarovar Lake. Indra declined to come and take back his throne. He said, “Nahusha is the king of Devaloka. I cannot return till Nahusha is alive and ruling Devaloka“.

Now, the onus of coming out of this situation fell back on Devi Indrani. She devised a plan and sent a message to Nahusha that she is ready to marry him. She put only one condition for the marriage, “Nahusha has to come to her Palace riding a palanquin driven by sages”. The lust-driven and arrogant Nahusha could not see anything odd or wrong in this condition.

The sages find it insulting, but agreed as he was the king of Devaloka. They were riding the Palanquin slowly owing to their old age. Nahusha become impatient as he wanted to reach Indrani’s Palace as quickly as possible. In this impatience and arrogance he hit sage Agastya prodding him to walk fast.

The sages were already feeling humiliated with the demand of Nahusha and this act of kicking made them lose patience. Sage Agastya blurted that Nahusha is not worthy of becoming the king of Devas. He cursed him to fall back from heaven and turn into a poisonous snake, similar to his real-self.

Devi Indrani’s analysis of Nahusha’s impatience and arrogance turned out to be true. He behaved exactly the way she predicted. Once again Devaloka was without a king. However, this time Indra’s presence was known. Devtas requested him to come back and occupy his throne which he readily accepted.

Why Indra killed Puloman, his father-in-law

According to Ramayana, Ahlada the son of Hiranyakashipu once spotted Shachi after her marriage. He wanted to marry Shachi. He discussed it with Puloman who readily agreed as he did not like his son-in-law Indra. It was not possible to convince Shachi for the re-marriage and so Ahlada tried to abduct her with the help of her father.

Indra noticed Ahlada trying to abduct Shachi just in time and saved her by killing Ahlada. When he become aware of his Father-in-law’s involvement, he killed him as well.

Iconograophy of Indrani Matrika

Devi Indrani is a Goddess with three eyes and four arms. She is depicted as carrying Vajra and Shakti (spear) in her two hands. Her other two hands are portrayed in Varada and Abhaya poses. She is colored in red and adorns a kiritamukuta. She is depicted wearing many ornaments.

Her vehicle is Elephant (Airavat); but she is also carved riding a lion. Her abode is under Kalpaka tree. Her emblems include a rosary, elephant goad (ankush), a water-vessel, a flower or leaves of a tree, a Vajra and spear.

In Vishnudharmottara, she is believed to be the Goddess with thousand eyes. She is colored in Golden Colors and has six hands. Four of her hands must carry Sutra, Vajra, Water-pot (kalasha), Patra and the other two hands should be in Abhaya and Varada Mudra.

According to Devi Purana, she is a two-handed Goddess with Ankusha and Vajra in her hand.

According to Purvakarnaagama, she is a two-eye Goddess and holds a lotus in her hand.

The Story of Indra’s thousand eyes

We all know the story of Devi Ahalya, who was seduced by Lord Indra. Indra disguised as sage Gautama, her husband, and had intercourse with her when sage Gautama was out of the ashram. However, the sage returned to his ashram when Indra was still inside the ashram and caught him red-handed.

He was furious and cursed Ahalya to become stone and cursed Indra to have thousand vagina like orifices on his body.

Ahalya begged the sage and told about her innocence and Indra’s deceit. Sage Gautama relented at her sorrow. He gave her a boon that she would be converted back in human form by the touch of none else but Lord Rama, incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Stricken by remorse, Indra also seek sage’s forgiveness. By this time, sage’s anger subsided; he reduced Indra’s curse and told him that his orifices would change to thousand eyes. And so, Indra is also known as सहस्रअक्ष | However, the sage reminded Indra, “The horizontal third eye will always remind you of your misdeed”.

Devi Indrani (Matrika) represents Jealousy and Fault-finding

Devi Indrani is the Goddess of jealousy and Fault-finding. She guides her devotees to bliss as she shows them the path to escape from the clutches of jealousy and fault-finding. She is also associated with beauty and eloquence (Shachi also means speech or eloquence).

According to Hindu astrology, she is the ruler of Venus and symbolizes the qualities of Rajas. She believes in sovereignty and is intolerant of opposition and disorder.

Why devotees worship Devi Indrani (Matrika)

Devi Indrani confers the boon of security and Territorial gains to its devotees.

Devi Indrani (Matrika) – the Goddess deity of South-west

She is the Goddess deity of South-West Direction and according to Tantra-Yoga represents outer thighs.

References

Please click here to read about Matrikas

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