Note 375 — Chapter I
Reading edition
Another belief is that during the rainy season, Indra plays gedi-dānda375, and the strokes given to the gedi in the course of the game, produce what we call thunder;376 or, that the clouds are god’s footballs, and thunder is produced by his foot striking them, while at play during the rainy season.371 Some believe thunder to be due to the loud sounds produced by various musical instruments which are played upon the occasion of the marriage-ceremony of Indra.377 According to others, thunder is produced by the cannon of Indra;378 or, as some again say, by the trumpetings of Airāvat, the elephant of Indra379; or, we hear thunder when Indra draws his bow and adjusts an arrow to the bow-string, in order to bring about the fall of rain.380