Gods Are Us; A Scene from Our Heaven

Reading numerous Puranas in my childhood, I used to wonder how Lord Indra gets away so lightly with all kinds of crimes- including adultery- he commits.

Julian Gough: “…To have the gods laughing at us through our fictions is acceptable if the gods are multiple, and flawed like us.” (Prospect Magazine UK May 2007)

Now, I know better. Indra is flawed like me.

But I will die; Indra won’t.

Homer Simpson:
“If he's so smart, how come he's dead?” ("Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?" Production code: AABF21 Original Air-date on FOX: 24-Oct-1999)

Lord Indra is smart.

Author G A Kulkarni जी ए कुलकर्णी - influenced by Greek mythology and literature- had this take on the subject of our gods.

"...आपल्या अनेक देवता पाहा. त्यांना संतती तरी नसते किंवा झालीच तर ती त्यांच्या प्रणयक्रीडेचे अनिवार्य फळ म्हणूनच असते. एखादी देवता आपले मूल कडेवर घेवून त्याच्याकडे मातृप्रेमाने पाहात आहे, असे तुला कधी दिसले आहे?"

“…Look at many of our gods. They either have no children or if they do, it’s the inevitable fruit of their copulation. Any goddess holding her child atop her waist, looking at it with mother’s love, have you ever seen this?”

("ऑर्फियस" पिंगळावेळ) ("Orpheus" Owl-Time) 1977

So is following scene from our heaven?


The Spectator 2007