Adhyaya 79 — The Vaivasvata Manvantara: Classes of Devas, the Seven Sages, and Manu’s Nine Sons
सर्वे ते त्रिदशेन्द्रास्तु विज्ञेयास्तुल्यलक्षणाः ।
सहस्राक्षाः कुलिशिनः सर्व एव पुरन्दराः ॥
sarve te tridaśendrās tu vijñeyās tulya-lakṣaṇāḥ | sahasrākṣāḥ kuliśinaḥ sarva eva purandarāḥ ||
Todos esos Indras de los dioses deben conocerse como de rasgos semejantes: de mil ojos, portadores del rayo (vajra), y todos, en verdad, “destructores de fortalezas” (Purandara).
Power is legitimized by protection: Indra’s epithets portray vigilance (many eyes) and decisive action (vajra), implying that leadership must be alert and capable of removing obstacles to order.
Manvantara: it generalizes the characteristics of the Indra-role across successive ages, reinforcing cyclical governance.
‘Thousand-eyed’ can indicate expanded awareness; the vajra symbolizes unbreakable discernment—spiritual sovereignty as clarity that shatters ignorance’s ‘fortresses’.