tasmād idandro nāmedandro ha vai nāma | tam idandraṁ santam indra ity ācakṣate parokṣeṇa | parokṣapriyā iva hi devāḥ parokṣapriyā iva hi devāḥ ||
"Therefore His name is Idandra ("I-saw-this"). Idandra is indeed His name. But they call Him Indra indirectly, for the gods love the indirect — the gods love the indirect."
What This Means:
The Self's exclamation "Idam adarśam" (I saw this) became the name Idandra, which evolved into Indra. The gods prefer indirect names and hidden meanings — they don't reveal themselves directly.
Going Deeper:
This playful etymology connects the experience of seeing (adarśam) to the deity Indra, king of the gods. The point is that Indra — supreme deity in the Vedas — is actually the Self that recognizes itself. The statement "gods love the indirect" acknowledges that spiritual truth is often veiled.
How To Apply This:
Divine truth often hides in plain sight. The gods "love the indirect" — don't expect obvious answers. Be willing to look beneath surfaces, to find the sacred hidden in the ordinary.
Key Sanskrit Terms: