Vamana Purana — Shiva's Kedara Tirtha, Shloka 40
Shiva’s Kedara-Tirtha and the Rise of Mura: From Shaiva Pilgrimage to Vaishnava Theology
ततो गजेन्द्रकुलिशौ हृतौ शक्रस्य शत्रुणा सकलत्रो महातेजाः सह देवैः सुतेन च
tato gajendrakuliśau hṛtau śakrasya śatruṇā sakalatro mahātejāḥ saha devaiḥ sutena ca
Alors l’ennemi s’empara, à Śakra (Indra), de l’éléphant souverain Airāvata ainsi que du foudre Vajra. Dépouillé de tous ses insignes et moyens de royauté, l’Indra au grand éclat demeura avec les dieux, et avec son fils également.
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FAQs
They are Indra’s defining insignia: Airāvata symbolizes royal sovereignty and cosmic authority, while the Vajra represents irresistible martial power. Their seizure marks a complete collapse of Indra’s kingship.
Although the form can be read in different ways across manuscripts, in this narrative context it functions as ‘stripped of all’—i.e., bereft of the instruments and emblems that constitute Indra’s rule and capacity to act.
The verse does not name him. In Purāṇic usage, Indra’s son is often Jayanta; however, identification depends on the immediate chapter’s preceding/following verses and manuscript tradition.