Shloka 34
Vṛtra’s Cosmic Threat, Viṣṇu’s Upāya, and the Conditional Vulnerability
Udyoga-parva 10
वृत्रासुरके छिद्रकी (उसे मारनेके अवसरकी) खोज करते हुए देवराज इन्द्र सदा उद्विग्न रहते थे। एक दिन उन्होंने समुद्रके तटपर उस महान् असुरको देखा ।।
saṃdhyākāla upāvṛtte muhūrte cātidāruṇe | tataḥ saṃcintya bhagavān varadānaṃ mahātmanaḥ ||
Ever anxious to find a vulnerable opening against Vṛtrāsura, Indra, king of the gods, remained in constant unrest. One day, on the ocean’s shore, he beheld that mighty asura. As a terribly ominous twilight moment arrived, he recalled the boon granted by the great-souled Lord (Viṣṇu) and reasoned: this fearful juncture is neither night nor day—therefore it is the very opportunity the boon allows. Knowing delay would mean ruin, he resolved to strike Vṛtra at once, even by stratagem, for the asura threatened to seize all that upheld his sovereignty and safety.
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how moral choices in conflict can hinge on technicalities and timing: Indra seeks to fulfill the letter of a divine boon (neither day nor night) to defeat a dangerous enemy, raising ethical tension between righteous protection and the use of deception.
Indra, searching for a way to kill Vṛtrāsura, sees a dreadful twilight moment and recalls Viṣṇu’s boon. He decides that this in-between time is the decisive opening to slay Vṛtra immediately, before the asura can cause further ruin.