Shloka 20
अग्निस्तुति, इन्द्रदर्शन, नहुष-भयवर्णन
Agni-hymn, discovery of Indra, and the Nahuṣa threat
कि कार्यमवशिष्टं वो हतस्त्वाष्टो महासुर: । वृत्रश्न सुमहाकायो यो वै लोकाननाशयत्
ki k01ryam avabia va hatas tvao mah01sura | vtrana sumah01k01yo yo vai lok01n an01bayat ||
“Wahai Brahmana! Vṛtra, putra Tvaṣṭā, Asura agung bertubuh raksasa yang membinasakan dunia-dunia, telah kutewaskan. Kini tugas apa lagi yang masih tersisa bagi kalian, yang harus kulakukan?”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames heroism as service: after removing a grave threat to the worlds, the speaker asks what duty remains. It highlights the ethical ideal that strength should be directed toward protecting order and fulfilling assigned responsibility, not merely toward personal glory.
Shalya addresses a Brahman-like interlocutor and claims he has already accomplished a decisive featslaying the gigantic Asura Vtra who was destroying the worldsand then asks what further task is still expected of him.