
This image shows Indra, king of the gods’ realm, and worshipped by Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains alike. We can identify him by his horizontal third eye and his magnificent clothing, including a high crown and other jewelry. Indra sits with one knee raised in a position known as “royal ease” (rajalila asana). His thumb and index finger are pressed together in a gesture that shows he is teaching, (vitarka mudra). This image of Indra, with its lustrous gilded copper surface and scattering of semiprecious stones, is more than just an exquisitely decorated sculpture of a deity. It was made to house sacred relics, which were once sealed within its inner cavity. Its splendid outward form was created specifically to protect and honor the holy artifacts held inside.
by Sanganaka
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This is interesting, because I’ve never seen Indra represented with a third eye. For reference, I’m a Hindu and I have only seen third eye on lord shiva and the eye is usually closed. Opening the eye means we are fucked.
Edit: that said, this is what I found on ChatGPT
“After Indra’s encounter with sage Gautama’s wife, he was cursed to have a thousand eyes (or sometimes described as a thousand marks) all over his body. Later, these were transformed into eye-like marks, symbolizing his shame.
• In this context, Indra is sometimes called “Sahasraksha” (the thousand-eyed one).”