The Origins of Indra

[Daniel George]

It is my understanding that the devolopment of the gods Indra, Soma, and
Agni precede that of Shiva and Vishnu. I have been unable to persuade a
friend that this was how the religions of India evolved. Showing her a
refence she discarded it as a "Western" source and quoted Sanskrit
scripture. I have dropped the subject with her but suspect her
understanding is derived froma devotional disposition, in contrast with my
more philosophical approach. Since the mythology of India absorbed and
adapted preceding aspects as it evolved, I am assuming that texts which
refer to Shiva represent a religion which already absorbed Indra into its
pantheon and placed him in a lower loka. Thus, whether older texts refer to
Indra without Shiva would not convice a devotee of Shiva that Indra
preceded Shiva. In any case, I need to get this clear in my own mind and if
anyone has particular knowledge on the chronology of the evolution of the
pantheon as it relates to Indra, I would much appreciate the information.