Indrākṣi
By Swami Harshananda
Indrākṣi literally means ‘One whose eyes resemble those of Indra’.
Indrākṣī is one of the several forms of the Devī (Śakti or Pārvati) often resorted to by the votaries to get rid of diseases like fever, tuberculosis, epilepsy. According to some works like the Śrītattvanidhi, Indrākṣī has two arms, carrying the vajra (thunderbolt) in her left hand and showing the gesture of bestowal of boons (varada mudrā) in the right hand. Her body is red in colour whereas her garments are yellow. She is well-bedecked with various ornaments. Her face is calm and beautiful. She is surrounded by celestial damsels.
There is a well-known hymn called Indrāṣīstotra attributed to Indra, the king of gods and is said to be a part of the Mārkandeya Purāna. Almost all the names mentioned here are those of Pārvatī in her different aspects.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore