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: