Shloka 2
वृत्ति-सत्सङ्ग-दान-धर्म
Livelihood, Virtuous Association, and Ethics of Giving
ज्वरेण मोहितो वृत्र: कथितस्ते जनाधिप । निहतो वासवेनेह वज्रेणेति तदानघ,निष्पाप जनेश्वर! आपने कहा है कि वृत्रासुर ज्वरसे मोहित हो गया था, उसी अवस्थामें इन्द्रने अपने वज़से उसे मार डाला
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca:
Jvareṇa mohito Vṛtraḥ kathitas te janādhipa | nihato Vāsaven eha vajreṇeti tadānagha ||
Niṣpāpa janeśvara! āpane kahā hai ki Vṛtrāsura jvarase mohita ho gayā thā, usī avasthā meṃ Indrane apane vajrase use mār ḍālā.
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Raja, engkau telah memberitahuku bahawa Vṛtra, yang dikelirukan oleh demam (Jvara), telah dibunuh di sini oleh Vāsava (Indra) dengan vajra, petirnya. Wahai tuan manusia yang tiada cela—maka maksudmu, Vṛtrāsura yang dikuasai demam dan kebingungan itu dibunuh oleh Indra dalam keadaan sedemikian.”
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical doubt: if an enemy is incapacitated (here, deluded by fever), the act of killing raises questions about righteousness and responsibility. Yudhiṣṭhira’s careful restatement signals scrutiny of whether victory achieved against a weakened foe aligns with dharma.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a kingly interlocutor and repeats what he has been told: Vṛtra, overcome and confused by fever, was killed by Indra using the vajra. This sets up further discussion about the circumstances and moral implications of that slaying.