Vṛtrāsura Instructs Indra on Providence and Devotion; The Slaying of Vṛtrāsura
ततो युगान्ताग्निकठोरजिह्व- माविध्य शूलं तरसासुरेन्द्र: । क्षिप्त्वा महेन्द्राय विनद्य वीरो हतोऽसि पापेति रुषा जगाद ॥ २ ॥
tato yugāntāgni-kaṭhora-jihvam āvidhya śūlaṁ tarasāsurendraḥ kṣiptvā mahendrāya vinadya vīro hato ’si pāpeti ruṣā jagāda
Then Vṛtrāsura, the great hero of the demons, whirled his trident, which had points like the flames of the blazing fire at the end of the millennium. With great force and anger he threw it at Indra, roaring and exclaiming loudly, “O sinful one, thus shall I kill you!”
In this verse, ‘yugāntāgni’ refers to the cosmic fire of destruction at the end of an age, used as an intense comparison for the trident’s blazing, fearsome flames.
In the heat of battle, Vṛtrāsura condemns Indra as “sinful,” reflecting the fierce conflict and moral accusation that frames their confrontation in this chapter.
The verse highlights how anger and moral labeling can intensify conflict; a devotee can learn to restrain rage and seek clarity and dharmic conduct even under provocation.