Shloka 36
Vṛtra’s Cosmic Threat, Viṣṇu’s Upāya, and the Conditional Vulnerability
Udyoga-parva 10
यदि वृत्र॑ न हन्म्यद्य वज्चयित्वा महासुरम् । महाबलं महाकायं न मे श्रेयो भविष्यति
yadi vṛtraṁ na hanmy adya vañcayitvā mahāsuram | mahābalaṁ mahākāyaṁ na me śreyo bhaviṣyati ||
যদি আজ এই মহাবলী, মহাকায় মহাসুর বৃত্রকে ছল করেও বধ না করি, তবে আমার মঙ্গল হবে না।
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic tension: when confronted by an existential threat, a ruler/warrior may seek victory through timing and stratagem rather than straightforward combat. It invites reflection on whether ends (self-preservation, restoration of order) can justify means (deception), especially when constrained by vows or boons.
A crisis moment is described at twilight, a liminal time neither day nor night. Indra, mindful of Viṣṇu’s boon and its conditions, decides that this junction-time allows him to kill Vṛtra. The speaker’s line underscores urgency: failing to slay the powerful asura immediately—by outwitting him—will lead to Indra’s ruin.