Shloka 20
Vṛtrāsura Rebukes Indra; Heroic Combat and the Asura’s Pure Devotional Prayers
नन्वेष वज्रस्तव शक्र तेजसा हरेर्दधीचेस्तपसा च तेजित: । तेनैव शत्रुं जहि विष्णुयन्त्रितो यतो हरिर्विजय: श्रीर्गुणास्तत: ॥ २० ॥
nanv eṣa vajras tava śakra tejasā harer dadhīces tapasā ca tejitaḥ tenaiva śatruṁ jahi viṣṇu-yantrito yato harir vijayaḥ śrīr guṇās tataḥ
Ô Śakra (Indra), le foudre que tu portes pour me tuer a été rendu puissant par la vaillance de Śrī Hari Viṣṇu et par la force des austérités de Dadhīci. Puisque tu agis selon l’ordre de Viṣṇu, frappe l’ennemi avec ce même foudre; Hari étant de ton côté, ta victoire, ta prospérité et toutes tes vertus sont assurées.
Vṛtrāsura not only assured King Indra that the thunderbolt was invincible, but also encouraged Indra to use it against him as soon as possible. Vṛtrāsura was eager to die with the stroke of the thunderbolt sent by Lord Viṣṇu so that he could immediately return home, back to Godhead. By hurling the thunderbolt, Indra would gain victory and enjoy the heavenly planets, remaining in the material world for repeated birth and death. Indra wanted to gain victory over Vṛtrāsura and thereby become happy, but that would not at all be happiness. The heavenly planets are just below Brahmaloka, but as stated by the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino ’rjuna: even if one achieves Brahmaloka, he must still fall to the lower planetary systems again and again. However, if one goes back to Godhead, he never returns to this material world. By killing Vṛtrāsura, Indra would not actually gain; he would remain in the material world. Vṛtrāsura, however, would go to the spiritual world. Therefore victory was destined for Vṛtrāsura, not for Indra.
FAQs
This verse states that where Hari (Viṣṇu) is present, victory, prosperity (śrī), and auspicious qualities naturally follow—success ultimately depends on divine sanction, not mere force.
In the midst of battle, Vṛtrāsura urges Indra to use the vajra empowered by Viṣṇu and Dadhīci’s tapas, acknowledging that Indra’s weapon will succeed because it is backed by the Lord’s will.
Do your duty with full effort, but align intentions with dharma and devotion—recognizing that results mature best when actions are offered to God and guided by higher principles.