Shloka 39

Vṛtra’s Cosmic Threat, Viṣṇu’s Upāya, and the Conditional Vulnerability

Udyoga-parva 10

Devanagari script

सवज्रमथ फेन त॑ क्षिप्रं वृत्रे निसृष्टवान्‌ | प्रविश्य फेनं तं विष्णुरथ वृत्रं व्यनाशयत्‌

Transliteration

sa-vajram atha phenaṁ taṁ kṣipraṁ vṛtre nisṛṣṭavān | praviśya phenaṁ taṁ viṣṇur atha vṛtraṁ vyanāśayat |

Translation

ಹೀಗೆ ಯೋಚಿಸಿ ಇಂದ್ರನು ವಜ್ರದೊಂದಿಗೆ ಆ ಫೇನವನ್ನು ತ್ವರಿತವಾಗಿ ವೃತ್ರನ ಮೇಲೆ ಎಸೆದನು. ಆ ಕ್ಷಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಗವಾನ್ ವಿಷ್ಣು ಆ ಫೇನದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿ ವೃತ್ರನನ್ನು ಸಂಹರಿಸಿದನು.

Word by Word

• सवज्रम्: together with the thunderbolt
• सवज्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-वज्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• फेनम्: foam
• फेनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फेन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: him/that (Vṛtra)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र

• वृत्रे: upon/against Vṛtra
• वृत्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• निसृष्टवान्: hurled/let fly
• निसृष्टवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-सृज्
• Form: क्तवतु (past active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• फेनम्: the foam
• फेनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फेन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: that (foam)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• वृत्रम्: Vṛtra
• वृत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• व्यनाशयत्: destroyed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नश् (caus. नाशय)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शल्य (Śalya)
• इन्द्र (Indra)
• वृत्र / वृत्रासुर (Vṛtra/Vṛtrāsura)
• विष्णु (Viṣṇu)
• वज्र (Vajra)
• फेन (Foam)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteous action succeeds when it accords with dharma and is supported by higher order: even an unconventional instrument (foam) becomes effective when guided by divine presence and a just aim.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya recounts how Indra, after considering the situation, quickly strikes Vṛtra with foam along with the vajra; Viṣṇu enters that foam, enabling the destruction of Vṛtra.