Shloka 28
Vṛtra’s Cosmic Threat, Viṣṇu’s Upāya, and the Conditional Vulnerability
Udyoga-parva 10
शल्य कहते हैं--राजन्! महर्षियोंकी यह बात सुनकर महातेजस्वी वृत्रने उनसे कहा --'भगवन्! आप-जैसे तपस्वी महात्मा अवश्य ही मेरे लिये सम्माननीय हैं ।। ब्रवीमि यदहं देवास्तत् सर्व क्रियते यदि । ततः सर्व करिष्यामि यदूचुर्मा द्विजर्षभा:,“देवताओ! मैं अभी जो कुछ कह रहा हूँ, वह सब यदि आपलोग स्वीकार कर लें, तो इन श्रेष्ठ ब्रह्मर्षियोंने मुझे जो आदेश दिये हैं, उन सबका मैं अवश्य पालन करूँगा
śalya uvāca—rājan! maharṣīṇāṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā mahātejasvī vṛtro 'bravīt—“bhagavan! yuṣmādṛśāḥ tapasvino mahātmānaḥ mama niyataṃ pūjanīyāḥ. bravīmi yad ahaṃ devās tat sarvaṃ kriyate yadi, tataḥ sarvaṃ kariṣyāmi yad ūcur māṃ dvijarṣabhāḥ.”
शल्य उवाच—राजन्! महर्षिवचनं श्रुत्वा महातेजा वृत्रस्तानब्रवीत्—‘भगवन्! यूयमिव तपस्विनो महात्मानो मेऽवश्यं माननीयाः। ब्रवीमि यदहं देवास्तत्सर्वं क्रियते यदि, ततः सर्वं करिष्यामि यदूचुर्मा द्विजर्षभाः॥’
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes reverence toward realized sages and the ethical weight of commitments: Vritra acknowledges the moral authority of ascetics and frames his obedience to their instruction as contingent upon the gods honoring what he declares—highlighting accountability on both sides of an agreement.
Shalya narrates that Vritra, after hearing the seers, respectfully addresses them and the gods. He states that if the gods accept his stated terms, he will comply fully with the commands given to him by the foremost brahmin-sages.