Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 33

Vṛtrāsura Instructs Indra on Providence and Devotion; The Slaying of Vṛtrāsura

Devanagari script

वज्रस्तु तत्कन्धरमाशुवेग: कृन्तन् समन्तात् परिवर्तमान: । न्यपातयत् तावदहर्गणेन यो ज्योतिषामयने वार्त्रहत्ये ॥ ३३ ॥

Transliteration

vajras tu tat-kandharam āśu-vegaḥ kṛntan samantāt parivartamānaḥ nyapātayat tāvad ahar-gaṇena yo jyotiṣām ayane vārtra-hatye

Translation

Obwohl der Donnerkeil mit großer Geschwindigkeit um Vṛtrāsuras Hals wirbelte, dauerte es ein ganzes Jahr (360 Tage), um seinen Kopf vom Körper zu trennen. Dann fiel sein Kopf zu Boden.

Synonyms

• वज्रः: the thunderbolt (weapon)
• वज्रः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• तत्-कन्धरम्: his neck
• तत्-कन्धरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कन्धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (his/that one's neck)

• आशु-वेगः: of swift speed
• आशु-वेगः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशु (प्रातिपदिक) + वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (swift-speeded = very swift)

• कृन्तन्: cutting
• कृन्तन्: कर्ता (Agent participle of vajraḥ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृन्त् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• समन्तात्: देशाधिकरण (Adverbial/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: on all sides/from all around)

• परिवर्तमानः: whirling/turning around
• परिवर्तमानः: कर्ता (Agent participle of vajraḥ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शानच्/Present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न्यपातयत्: struck down/caused to fall
• न्यपातयत्: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + पत् (धातु) caus. (णिच्)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; causative sense ‘caused to fall’

• तावत्: just then/so long
• तावत्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: then/so long/just then)

• अहः-गणेन: by (the measure of) a number of days
• अहः-गणेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहः (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (a collection of days)

• यः: which/that (who)
• यः: सम्बन्ध (Relative connector)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• ज्योतिषाम्: of the luminaries (heavenly lights)
• ज्योतिषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अयने: in the course/path (of the sun; solstice course)
• अयने: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वार्त्र-हत्ये: in the slaying of Vṛtra
• वार्त्र-हत्ये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्त्र (वृत्र-सम्बन्धि, प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (slaying of Vṛtra)

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Vṛtrāsura

FAQs

How did Indra kill Vṛtrāsura in Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse says Indra’s Vajra thunderbolt, spinning and cutting from all sides, finally severed Vṛtrāsura’s neck after a long duration, completing the slaying of Vṛtra.

Who is narrating the battle of Indra and Vṛtrāsura in Canto 6 Chapter 12?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates these events to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as part of the account of Vṛtrāsura and the devas’ conflict with the asuras.

What practical lesson can devotees take from the description of Vṛtrāsura’s death?

Even dramatic external victory and defeat unfold under divine arrangement; a seeker should focus on inner devotion and surrender rather than identifying with temporary outcomes of conflict.