Shloka 22
The Slaying of Vṛtrāsura
Vṛtra’s Death, Indra’s Sin, and Brahmin Censure
इंद्र उवाच । येन केनाप्युपायेन हंतव्योरिः सदैव हि । देवब्राह्मणहंतारं यज्ञानां धर्मकंटकम्
iṃdra uvāca | yena kenāpyupāyena haṃtavyoriḥ sadaiva hi | devabrāhmaṇahaṃtāraṃ yajñānāṃ dharmakaṃṭakam
ఇంద్రుడు అన్నాడు— “ఏ ఉపాయమైనా సరే, ఈ శత్రువును ఎల్లప్పుడూ సంహరించవలసిందే; ఇతడు దేవబ్రాహ్మణహంత, యజ్ఞధర్మాలకు కంటకము।”
Indra
Concept: Protection of yajña and brāhmaṇas is presented as a paramount duty; however, the phrase ‘by any means’ raises the Padma Purāṇa’s recurring tension between expediency and dharma-purity.
Application: Defend what is sacred and socially sustaining, but examine whether your methods corrupt the very dharma you claim to protect.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Indra rises in the assembly, eyes blazing, one hand gripping the vajra while the other gestures sharply as he brands the foe a killer of gods and brāhmaṇas. Around him, sacrificial fires in miniature altars flicker as if threatened, and the devas lean forward, caught between fear and approval.","primary_figures":["Indra","Devas","Brāhmaṇas (ritualists)","Personified Yajña (symbolic)"],"setting":"Svarga’s council hall with cloud-pillars, banners, and small sacrificial altars symbolizing endangered rites.","lighting_mood":"storm-lit intensity with flashes of celestial fire","color_palette":["electric blue","flame orange","golden ochre","cloud white","crimson"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Indra enthroned yet leaning forward in command, vajra raised; surrounding devas with ornate crowns; tiny yajña-kuṇḍas with flames at the base; heavy gold leaf halos and architectural arches, rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornaments emphasizing authority and urgency.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Indra standing in a delicate pavilion on cloud-banks, expressive hand gesture, refined facial tension; cool blues with warm fire accents; lyrical detailing of banners and small ritual fires, subtle psychological drama.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: frontal Indra with bold outlines, wide eyes, vajra prominent; stylized flames and ritual implements; red/yellow/green palette with blue background, temple-wall gravitas conveying protective wrath.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic Svarga court framed by floral borders; Indra central with vajra, surrounding motifs of yajña flames and sacred threads; deep blue ground with gold highlights, narrative medallions depicting ‘dharma’ as a lotus protected from thorns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","war drums (soft)","thunder crack","metallic chime","crowd murmur fading into silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: केनापि = केन + अपि; केनाप्युपायेन = केन + अपि + उपायेन; हंतव्योरिः = हन्तव्यः + अरिः (विसर्ग-सन्धि); देवब्राह्मणहंतारम् = देवब्राह्मणहन्तारम् (अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-लेखनभेद); धर्मकंटकम् = धर्मकण्टकम् (ट/ण्ट लेखनभेद).
FAQs
Indra is speaking, urging that an enemy who destroys gods, brāhmaṇas, and obstructs yajña and dharma should be eliminated by any effective means.
It literally means “a thorn of dharma,” i.e., someone who injures or blocks the functioning of righteousness—especially by disrupting sacrifice (yajña) and harming its protectors.
The verse frames the protection of yajña, brāhmaṇas, and dharma as a paramount duty; it portrays persistent, violent opposition to these as a grave threat requiring decisive action.