Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu
महाबलो महावीर्यः शतयज्ञोपलक्षितः ।
शिखिरीन्द्रस्तथा तेषां देवानामभवद्विभुः ॥
mahābalo mahāvīryaḥ śatayajñopalakṣitaḥ / śikhirindrastathā teṣāṃ devānāmabhavadvibhuḥ
قوت میں عظیم، شجاعت میں عظیم، اور سو یَجْنوں سے ممتاز—شِکھِری اُن دیوتاؤں کا اندَر، یعنی ان کا حاکم بنا۔
Authority is grounded in merit (yajña) and capacity (bala, vīrya). The ‘Indra’ role is presented as earned and cyclical, not permanent.
Manvantara: identification of the reigning Indra is a standard element of Manvantara description.
Indra symbolizes the ruling faculty (command) within the cosmos/psyche; ‘hundred sacrifices’ implies sustained self-offering that stabilizes leadership.