In Vedas , Gods are referred the personalised forms of natural forces and there corresponding principles . So all the Gods , have there physical form and also there are subtle forms beyond there physical forms . The Vedic Gods , are Maruts [ A Range of Warrior Gods which are related to Storms ] , Rudra which is wrath and warrior form Shiva, and we have Agni [ Who was the fire God ] , Vayu [ The Wind God] and also we have Sun and the corresponding Sun- God, Indra [ Thunderstorm ] who is considered as the King of Devas, as it had all the aspect of all Gods – as the thunderstorm has the aspect of Agni [ the fire ] , Vayu [ Air ] , Rudra [ Storms ] , Maruts [ Warrior] Gods .
Now each of these Gods , has influence in the external environments and in the macro bodies and at the same time our inner environments and our constitution of micro bodies. So the Vedic Seers , [ The Saptarishis ] on the Guidance of Adi Guru [ Dakshinamurty] designed many rituals where more accurate and detailed Knowledge could be gathered about these principles and the ways they operated . While modern science does the same thing , but works on the gross physical bodies of the nature , the vedic seers worked in a little deeper layers, and created understanding about the subtle bodies which operate behind the gross bodies. These was even more scientific to operate in these manner as the subtle is the cause and the gross is the effect. So by working on the subtle we are working on the cause and we are in the position to transform the effect . And so we had more power to transform ourselves both on the macro and the micro level.
Like Scientist, the Vedic seers also defined different Nomenclatures and formulas, rituals which can be referred as practical experiment in scientific languages. They also found many streams of Knowledge can be managed , and where these entire gamut of things, can be classified and stored in categorisation. And we have streams like different Yogas , Tantras, Arthasastras, Kamsastras , Astrology , Vastusastras , Ayurvedas where more specific knowledge about the operations can be found.
This Nomenclatures are what we refer as Gods , and there formulae’s as their principles, and the practical experiment where we find out the application parameters, and the effect of these principles and how they operates , as Sadhanas in Individual levels, and Rituals in collective levels .
From the same temperament if we look at the “Glory of Arunachala” then we can understand the subtle workings of there natural forces and how they could be re-engineered and transformed by group of Sadhanas and rituals with proper understanding.
Upon these, Indra is one who controls the Indriyas, or the sense organs on the micro level in the body and also in macro level on the Global body of the Global senses . What we see around us , hear around us , feel around us is because of our sense organs . These are instrument by which we perceive the world around us . Arthasastras refers that Avinankshee strategy is what makes a King a King, and that is “superior sense control” . Same here with the Indra, he is the King of Gods and unlike human king who has mastered the gross part of the sense control and applied in ruling a state , the Indra has mastered the senses ( Indriyas – Karma Indriyas and Gyan Indriyas ) itself in practising a more abstract form of sense control then the human kings and by that have become the greatest of the kings.
However , this Indra sometimes also incur sins when he losses, or somebody takes out the control, with his austerities and pleasing the higher forms of subtle bodies by there sadhanas and rituals .
Similar thing happened when Indra had incurred sin by slaying Vritra, Bala, Paka, Namuchi and Jrimbha who had in ancient times obtained boons from Siva and had become lords of the worlds by there superior degree of sense control.
He lost his vigour and his kingdom. As directed by Siva, he worshipped Arunachala in the prescribed manner and got rid of his sin. Afterwards he performed Aswamedha yaga and pleasing Siva thereby, regained his status as lord of devas.
Sri Joydip Ashram 