Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

आकाशे वृत्रभूते5थ शब्दे च विषये हते

Transliteration

ākāśe vṛtrabhūte ’tha śabde ca viṣaye hate

Translation

เมื่อท้องฟ้าราวกับถูกวฤตระกีดขวาง และเมื่อเสียงพร้อมทั้งขอบเขตแห่งการทำงานของมันถูกทำลายลง ภาพทั้งปวงก็กลายเป็นความนิ่งงันตะลึง—ประหนึ่งว่าสื่อแห่งการได้ยินเองถูกครอบงำเสียแล้ว

Word by Word

• आकाशे: in the sky
• आकाशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वृत्रभूतेऽथ: then, when it had become like Vṛtra / Vṛtra-like
• वृत्रभूतेऽथ: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्रभूत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• शब्दे: in sound
• शब्दे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

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

• हते: when/where (it was) slain/destroyed
• हते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त), Passive (participial)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• Vṛtra
• ākāśa (sky/space)
• śabda (sound)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses cosmic metaphor to show how overwhelming force can suspend ordinary functions (like sound and its perception), reminding the listener that human experience depends on subtle conditions that can be eclipsed by greater powers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva describes a moment of extreme disturbance: the sky seems ‘Vṛtra-like’ (blocked or covered), and sound along with its perceptible range is ‘struck down,’ conveying a sudden, portentous hush amid upheaval.