Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 14
Vāsudeva’s Upadeśa: The Inner Enemy and the Indra–Vṛtra Precedent (आत्मशत्रु-बोधः; इन्द्र-वृत्रोपाख्यानम्)
व्याप्ते वायौ तु वृत्रेण स्पर्शेड्थ विषये हृते
vyāpte vāyau tu vṛtreṇa sparśedtha viṣaye hṛte
वायु-देव ने कहा— जब वृत्र ने स्वयं वायु को व्याप्त करके रोक दिया और स्पर्श-नामक विषय-क्षेत्र को भी हर लिया, तब न स्पर्श कैसे हो और न गति कैसे रहे?
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that when a fundamental cosmic principle (wind/breath) is overpowered, the ordinary functioning of life and perception collapses; it implies that restoring dharma involves removing forces that seize or distort the natural order.
Vāyu-deva describes a situation where Vṛtra has pervaded/blocked the wind and has ‘seized’ the domain of touch, emphasizing the paralysis of movement and sensory contact caused by Vṛtra’s obstruction.