Shloka 126
Vāsudeva’s Upadeśa: The Inner Enemy and the Indra–Vṛtra Precedent (आत्मशत्रु-बोधः; इन्द्र-वृत्रोपाख्यानम्)
शतक्रतुरतिक्रुद्धस्तत्र वज़्मवासृजत् । वृत्रासुरके द्वारा तेजपर भी अधिकार कर लिया गया और उसके रूप नामक विषयका अपहरण हो गया, यह जानकर शतक्रतुके क्रोधकी सीमा न रह गयी। उन्होंने वहाँ भी वृत्रासुरपर वज्ञका प्रहार किया
śatakratur atikruddhas tatra vajram avāsṛjat |
Vāyu said: Indra (Śatakratu), overcome with intense anger, hurled his thunderbolt there. Learning that Vṛtrāsura had seized the splendor and authority associated with his very form and name, Indra’s wrath knew no bounds, and he struck at Vṛtra again with the vajra—an act driven by wounded sovereignty and the fierce impulse to restore cosmic order.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how wounded authority and fear of losing rightful power can inflame anger, pushing even a ruler toward violent action. Ethically, it points to the tension between restoring order (dharma) and being driven by uncontrolled wrath—suggesting that power must be exercised with restraint, even when confronting a threat.
Vāyu narrates that Indra, furious upon realizing that Vṛtrāsura has usurped or appropriated his splendor/authority (linked to his identity and renown), responds by hurling the vajra at Vṛtra again, escalating the confrontation.