Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma – Pulastya – Vishravas – Ravana – Meghanadha.

Vishravas was born to the prajapati Pulastya and his wife Manini. Vishravas had 2 wives – Kaikasi and Devarnini. Devarnini was also known as Ilibila. Vaishravana, more famously known as Kuber was born to Ilibila. Kaikasi had 4 children – Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana and Shurpanakha. Ravana married Mandodari and they had 3 sons – Meghanadha, Atikaya and Akshakumar. Meghanadha once defeated Indra and came to be known as Indrajit. As per Uttararamayana, though Mandodari gave birth to Indrajit, he was Shiva’s son. Apparently, once an apsara named Madhura took vows on Monday and adorned herself with jewels to appease Shiva. She reached Kailash while Parvati was not around and became pregnant with Shiva’s child. Parvati came to know of it and cursed Madhura to become a frog. She begged for forgiveness and Shiva said that twelve years later, she would transform into a beautiful woman, be born as Maya’s daughter and marry a marry a valiant king. As per Parvati’s curse, Madhura immediately became a  frog and landed in a well, deep in a forest. Nearby, Maya was praying for a daughter. Twelve years later, Maya was walking by and saw a little girl in the well. He took her back to the palace and named her Mandodari. She married Ravana later and Shiva’s seed emerged from her then as Meghanadha.

Once Ravana left Lanka for a campaign. During this time, Meghanadha reached Nikumbhila and conducted seven yajnas with Shukra as the chief priest – Agnishtoma, Ashwamedha, Bahuswarna, Vaishnava, Maheshwara, Rajasuya, Gosama. By then, Ravana got back and heard from Shukra about this. He was not pleased about the Vaishnava yajna. Shukra became angry and cursed that Ravana would die at the hands of Vishnu, as per Uttararamayana. By conducting the Shaiva yaga, Meghanadha started receiving boons from Shiva. Shiva taught him the samadhi mantra which could make the invoker invisible.

Once Ravana surrounded Indraloka with his army. Indra took refuge with Vishnu, who decreed that it was not yet time for Ravana to die, and he would incarnate later to kill Ravana. Indra went back and prepared for war. Indra and Ravana fought a fierce battle, as did their sons Jayantha and Meghanadha respectively. When the battle raged on, Meghanadha used the samadhi mantra. He became invisible and started showering arrows. Jayantha fell unconscious and Indrani’s father Puloma quietly hid him deep in the ocean. Everyone considered him dead and a distraught Indra attacked Ravana again. Ravana collapsed but the invisible Meghanadha jumped on to Indra’s chariot and captured him. Ravana was revived by then and together, they took Indra to Lanka, where they chained him to a flagpole. At the devas’ request, Brahma reached there and freed Indra. He named Meghanadha Indrajit, the one who defeated Indra. Indrajit asked Brahma for a boon that would make him immortal but Brahma refused. He then said that he would conduct a yajna and from that should emerge a chariot and horses. Indrajit sought the boon that he could not be killed while he was fighting from that chariot. If he failed to complete the yajna, he could be killed. Brahma agreed and Indra was freed after a year of captivity.

When Hanuman reached Lanka, searching for Sita, he fought with Indrajit. Indrajit captured Hanuman using the Brahmastra as per Ramayana Sundarakanda Sarga 37.

During the war with Rama, Indrajit fought with Lakshmana. Seeing an imminent defeat, Indrajit created a fake Sita and killed her. Everyone including Lakshmana and Hanuman thought that Sita was indeed dead, and retreated. When Hanuman conveyed the news to Rama, he collapsed. Indrajit started a yajna in Nikumbhila for a rakshasa victory. This was the same yajna, which, if not completed, would cost him his life, as per Brahma’s boon. Vibhishana informed Rama and Lakshmana about this. Lakshmana reached Nikumbhila and Indrajit was forced to fight him, leaving the yajna incomplete. Indrajit died in this battle, as per Ramayana Yudhakanda Chapters 82-91.