Shloka 6
Vāsudeva’s Upadeśa: The Inner Enemy and the Indra–Vṛtra Precedent (आत्मशत्रु-बोधः; इन्द्र-वृत्रोपाख्यानम्)
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथाधर्म यथाश्रुतम् इन्द्रस्य सह वृत्रेण यथा युद्धमवर्तत
atra te vartayiṣyāmi yathā-dharmaṁ yathā-śrutam | indrasya saha vṛtreṇa yathā yuddham avartata ||
“Here I shall recount to you—according to dharma and exactly as I have heard—the account of how the battle between Indra and Vṛtra once took place. I will narrate that ancient episode in the same manner it has been handed down.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The speaker frames the narration as yathā-dharma and yathā-śrutam—an ethically responsible telling that aligns with dharma and with faithfully transmitted tradition. The verse emphasizes that how one speaks and transmits history matters: truthfulness, propriety, and moral orientation are part of righteous discourse.
Vāyudeva announces that he will recount an ancient episode: the battle between Indra and Vṛtra. This verse functions as a preface, signaling a forthcoming traditional account and setting a dharmic tone for the story.