Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 33
Vṛtrāsura Instructs Indra on Providence and Devotion; The Slaying of Vṛtrāsura
वज्रस्तु तत्कन्धरमाशुवेग: कृन्तन् समन्तात् परिवर्तमान: । न्यपातयत् तावदहर्गणेन यो ज्योतिषामयने वार्त्रहत्ये ॥ ३३ ॥
vajras tu tat-kandharam āśu-vegaḥ kṛntan samantāt parivartamānaḥ nyapātayat tāvad ahar-gaṇena yo jyotiṣām ayane vārtra-hatye
Meskipun halilintar itu berputar di leher Vṛtrāsura dengan kecepatan tinggi, memisahkan kepalanya dari tubuhnya memakan waktu satu tahun penuh (360 hari). Kemudian, kepalanya jatuh ke tanah.
FAQs
This verse says Indra’s Vajra thunderbolt, spinning and cutting from all sides, finally severed Vṛtrāsura’s neck after a long duration, completing the slaying of Vṛtra.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates these events to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as part of the account of Vṛtrāsura and the devas’ conflict with the asuras.
Even dramatic external victory and defeat unfold under divine arrangement; a seeker should focus on inner devotion and surrender rather than identifying with temporary outcomes of conflict.