Shloka 20
Vāsudeva’s Upadeśa: The Inner Enemy and the Indra–Vṛtra Precedent (आत्मशत्रु-बोधः; इन्द्र-वृत्रोपाख्यानम्)
इदं धर्म्य रहस्यं वै शक्रेणोक्तं महर्षिषु । ऋषिभिक्ष मम प्रोक्त तन्निबोध जनाधिप
idaṃ dharmyaṃ rahasyaṃ vai śakreṇoktaṃ maharṣiṣu | ṛṣibhiś ca mama proktaṃ tan nibodha janādhipa ||
மக்களுடைய தலைவனே, இந்த தர்மமான இரகசியத்தை சக்ரன் (இந்திரன்) மகரிஷிகளிடையே உரைத்தான்; ரிஷிகள் அதை எனக்குச் சொன்னார்கள்; நான் அதே இரகசியத்தை உனக்குச் சொன்னேன்—அதை நன்றாக உணர்ந்து கொள்.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
That there exists a subtle, dharma-aligned 'rahasya' (confidential principle) worthy of careful attention, and that its authority is strengthened by a lineage of transmission—from Indra to the great sages, from them to Vāyu, and now to the king—implying it should be received as a serious ethical guideline rather than casual advice.
Vāyudeva addresses a king and emphasizes that what he is about to convey (or has conveyed) is not merely personal opinion: it is a sanctioned secret of dharma originally taught by Indra to the sages, then passed to Vāyu, and now delivered to the ruler, who is urged to understand it thoroughly.