049, How can a God-Head compare himself to a God of low character?

Chapter: 10, verse 022.
VIBHUUTI 022
veedaanaam saamaveedoo asmi
deevaanaam asmi vaasava:
indriyaan`aam manas` ca asmi
bhuutaanaam asmi cheetanaa.

Gist: I am sAma vEda (the knowledge of singing hymns), among the vEdas. I am vAsava (God Indra) among demy-Gods. I am the manas (mind) among the organs and senses of body. I am the cEtana (Dynamism or motivator) among the elements.

ybrao a donkey's observations.

The vASava or Indra is the Ruler of Heaven. We have three immediate worlds in Hindusim. Earth, Heaven and the Nether (below earth or pAtALam). This God-Head Indra's reputation we can see in Valmiki Ramayana. One fine early morning, he entered the hermitage of Sage Gautama, disguised as that Sage. The real Sage went to the river for his morning ablutions. Indra (or Vasava) in the disguise of Goutama committed adultery with his wife Ahalya. The real sage came back, understood the damage done by Indra and cursed him to have a 1000 eyes on his body. The sage also cursed his own wife Ahalya to become a way-side stone. This stone, when touched by Rama's feet, came back to life as Ahalya. If Vasava has 1000 eyes because of the Sage's curse, since Vishnu is Vasava as per Bhagavadgita, he should also have a 1000 eyes.

Another question which arises is: Is Vishnu a womanizer like vAsava (Indra)? We cannot make such wild deductions. Our mythological stories have many bizarre incongruities. For example, Lord Vishnu had to take the guise of Jalandhara and disturb the chastity of his pious wife Tulasi, with the object of killing Jallandhara. Tulasi in her past birth was said to be a maid of Goddess Lakshmi in Vishnu's abode, Vaikuntham. It appears that Tulasi loved her master Vishnu, and Lakshmi cursed Tulasi. After killing Jalandhara, Vishnu had to assuage the hurt feelings of Tulasi. He had to reveal the story of her past birth in Vaikuntham and Lakshmi's curse. Nevertheless, Tulasi cursed him to become a stone (sAlagrAma). Just as Lord Shiva is worshipped as Linga (stone vertical cylindrical symbol), Vishnu's salagrama is also a special stone found in the River Gandaki.

This vAsava or Indra or Sakra is the same gentle! God who abducted the demon King Hiranya Kasipu's pregnant wife (Prahlada's mother), for whatever be the reason. What type of God will vAsava be who abducts an enemy's pregnant wife? He must be worse than Turkish or Moghul Muslim invaders who sometimes hesitated to touch married women.

This vAsava or Indra or Sakra is the same noble! God who stole the sacrificial animals of King Ambarisha (For this verse and comment see my rAmAyaNa blog post. And that king had to search for a suitable human substitute for the sacrificial animal. The early Aryan sacrifices were satisfying the God Indra, on whom the Rig Veda laid stress. Vishnu seems to be a subsequent receivers of the horse, bull and animal parts and clarified butter thrown into the sacrificial fire. God Siva apparently was a further late entrant, as he was angry because he was not given a share in the sacrificial offerings (called havis). Remember the sacrifice performed by Daksha without inviting Siva.

One question which arises here is why the foremost God and the recipient of early sacrificial offerings the vAsava -Indra-Sakra stooped down to such a low level of abducting an enemy's wife or entering the hermitage of a sage early morning and cheating his wife? Surprisingly, the supreme God Lord Krishna is comparing himself to the stooped down God!

*It is not clear why Krishna chose Sama Veda as his vibhUti. Many scholars consider that Rig vEda (the first vEda) is the greatest among vEdas. Gita contrasts this scholarly beliefs.