Shloka 15
भ्रष्टैश्वर्य पुरा वृत्रमुशना वाक्यमब्रवीत् | काचित् पराजितस्याद्य न व्यथा ते5स्ति दानव,पूर्वकालकी बात है कि वृत्रासुरको ऐश्वर्यभ्रष्ट हुआ देख शुक्राचार्यने उससे पूछा --'दानवराज! तुम्हें देवताओंने पराजित कर दिया है तो भी आजकल तुम्हारे चित्तमें किसी प्रकारकी व्यथा नहीं है; इसका क्या कारण है?”
bhraṣṭaiśvaryaḥ purā vṛtram uśanā vākyam abravīt | kācit parājitasya adya na vyathā te 'sti dānava ||
Bhishma said: Long ago, when Vritra had fallen from his former sovereignty, Ushanas (Shukracharya) addressed him: “O Danava! Though you have been defeated, today there is no distress in you at all. What is the reason for this?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up an ethical inquiry: true steadiness is measured not by external success but by the mind’s freedom from agitation. By highlighting Vritra’s lack of distress even after losing sovereignty, the text points toward inner composure and detachment as a higher strength than mere power.
Bhishma recalls an old episode: after Vritra has been defeated and stripped of his former dominion, his teacher Ushanas (Shukracharya) notices Vritra’s unusual calm and asks why he feels no pain or anxiety despite the defeat.