Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 14
Vṛtrāsura Rebukes Indra; Heroic Combat and the Asura’s Pure Devotional Prayers
श्रीवृत्र उवाच दिष्ट्या भवान् मे समवस्थितो रिपु- र्यो ब्रह्महा गुरुहा भ्रातृहा च । दिष्ट्यानृणोऽद्याहमसत्तम त्वया मच्छूलनिर्भिन्नदृषद्धृदाचिरात् ॥ १४ ॥
śrī-vṛtra uvāca diṣṭyā bhavān me samavasthito ripur yo brahma-hā guru-hā bhrātṛ-hā ca diṣṭyānṛṇo ’dyāham asattama tvayā mac-chūla-nirbhinna-dṛṣad-dhṛdācirāt
Śrī Vṛtrāsura dit : Celui qui a tué un brāhmaṇa, celui qui a tué son maître spirituel — en effet, celui qui a tué mon frère — se tient maintenant, par bonne fortune, face à moi comme mon ennemi. Ô être le plus abominable, quand je transpercerai ton cœur de pierre avec mon trident, je serai libéré de ma dette envers mon frère.
FAQs
This verse has Vṛtrāsura directly accuse Indra of grave sins—killing a brāhmaṇa, killing the guru, and killing his brother—showing that even exalted devas can be bound by severe karmic reactions for irreligious acts.
In the battlefield exchange, Vṛtrāsura condemns Indra’s past misdeeds and hypocrisy, using strong language to highlight the moral weight of those actions and to shame Indra’s adharma.
The verse cautions that status does not erase accountability: harmful actions—especially against teachers, the innocent, or family—carry consequences, and real integrity requires aligning power with dharma.