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

వాయుదేవుడు అన్నాడు— వృత్రుడు వాయువునే వ్యాపించి అడ్డగించి, స్పర్శవిషయ పరిధిని అపహరించినప్పుడు, అప్పుడు స్పర్శ ఎలా కలుగును? స్వేచ్ఛగా చలనం ఎలా సాధ్యము?

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.