Shloka 14

Vāsudeva’s Upadeśa: The Inner Enemy and the Indra–Vṛtra Precedent (आत्मशत्रु-बोधः; इन्द्र-वृत्रोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

व्याप्ते वायौ तु वृत्रेण स्पर्शेड्थ विषये हृते

Transliteration

vyāpte vāyau tu vṛtreṇa sparśedtha viṣaye hṛte

Translation

ବାୟୁଦେବ କହିଲେ— ବୃତ୍ର ଯେତେବେଳେ ବାୟୁକୁ ନିଜେ ବ୍ୟାପି ଅବରୋଧ କଲା ଏବଂ ସ୍ପର୍ଶ-ବିଷୟର କ୍ଷେତ୍ରକୁ ଅପହରଣ କଲା, ସେତେବେଳେ ସ୍ପର୍ଶ କିପରି ହେବ? ମୁକ୍ତ ଗତି କିପରି ରହିବ?

Word by Word

• व्याप्ते: when (it was) pervaded/filled
• व्याप्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याप्त (√व्याप्)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वायौ: in the wind/air
• वायौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• वृत्रेण: by Vṛtra
• वृत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• स्पर्शे: in/with regard to touch
• स्पर्शे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• इथ: here/thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इथ

• विषये: in the domain/object (of sense)
• विषये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हृते: when taken away/removed
• हृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत (√हृ)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu-deva)
• वृत्र (Vṛtra)
• स्पर्श (touch; tactile sense-domain)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that when a fundamental cosmic principle (wind/breath) is overpowered, the ordinary functioning of life and perception collapses; it implies that restoring dharma involves removing forces that seize or distort the natural order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva describes a situation where Vṛtra has pervaded/blocked the wind and has ‘seized’ the domain of touch, emphasizing the paralysis of movement and sensory contact caused by Vṛtra’s obstruction.