Shloka 96
The Greatness of Puṣkara: Tripuṣkara Pilgrimage, Sacred Geography, and the Doctrine of Self-Restraint
तस्मिन्हते दैत्यवरे भयार्तः शक्रः प्रदुद्राव सरः प्रवेष्टुं । वज्रं च मेने स्वकरात्प्रमुक्तं वृत्रं भयाच्चैव हतं न पश्यति
tasminhate daityavare bhayārtaḥ śakraḥ pradudrāva saraḥ praveṣṭuṃ | vajraṃ ca mene svakarātpramuktaṃ vṛtraṃ bhayāccaiva hataṃ na paśyati
ولمّا قُتِل ذلك الأوّل من الدَّيتْيَة، اندفع شَكرا وقد أضناه الخوف ليَدخلَ البحيرة. وظنّ أنّ الفَجْرَة قد أفلتت من يده، ومن شدّة الرعب لم يرَ حتى أنّ فِرترا قد قُتِل.
Narrator (Purāṇic narration; specific dialogue speaker not explicit in this verse alone)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: river
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्मिन्हते = तस्मिन् हते; स्वकरात्प्रमुक्तं = स्व-करात् प्रमुक्तम्; भयाच्चैव = भयात् च एव
FAQs
It describes Indra’s fearful reaction immediately after the slaying of Vṛtra: instead of rejoicing, he panics and runs to hide in a lake, barely registering that Vṛtra has been killed.
It highlights how fear can overwhelm perception and judgment—so much so that even a victorious act is not recognized as victory when the mind is dominated by terror.
In Purāṇic storytelling, Indra is sometimes depicted as hiding in waters after grave conflict or sin/fear; the lake functions as a symbolic refuge and a narrative setting for subsequent developments.