अथ शक्रच्छलान्वेषी सदा वृत्रस्य वर्तते । न च्छिद्रं लभते क्वापि वीक्षमाणोपि यत्नतः
atha śakracchalānveṣī sadā vṛtrasya vartate | na cchidraṃ labhate kvāpi vīkṣamāṇopi yatnataḥ
Alors Vṛtra, toujours à l’affût des ruses d’Indra, demeura sans cesse sur ses gardes ; et, malgré une observation attentive, il ne trouvait nulle part la moindre faille.
Narrative (contextual narrator; not explicitly marked in this verse)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)
Scene: Vṛtra stands alert, eyes scanning, aura controlled; he watches for Indra’s deception yet finds no breach—an image of disciplined guardianship.
A fortified mind and disciplined vigilance make one difficult to overcome; dharma also cautions against relying solely on cunning.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves the chapter’s narrative leading to a sacred-locale reference later.
None; the verse describes vigilance and the absence of a vulnerable point.