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Shloka 50

और्वोपाख्यानम्

Aurva Episode: Restoration of Sight and Restraint of World-Destructive Anger

पुरा कृतं महेन्द्रस्य वज् वृत्रनिबर्हणम्‌ । दशधा शतधा चैव तच्छीर्ण वृत्रमूर्धनि,पूर्वकालमें वृत्रासुरका संहार करनेके निमित्त इन्द्रके लिये जिस वज्रका निर्माण किया गया था, वृत्रासुरके मस्तकपर पड़ते ही उसके दस बड़े और सौ छोटे टुकड़े हो गये

purā kṛtaṁ mahendrasya vajraṁ vṛtranibarhaṇam | daśadhā śatadhā caiva tacchīrṇaṁ vṛtramūrdhani ||

Gandharva nói: “Thuở xưa, vì Mahendra (Indra), người ta đã rèn nên lôi chùy Vajra để diệt Vṛtra. Khi nó giáng xuống đầu Vṛtra, nó vỡ tan—thành mười mảnh lớn và một trăm mảnh nhỏ.”

पुराformerly, earlier
पुरा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरा
कृतम्made, fashioned
कृतम्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)
महेन्द्रस्यof Mahendra (Indra)
महेन्द्रस्य:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootमहेन्द्र
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
वज्रम्thunderbolt (vajra)
वज्रम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवज्र
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
वृत्र-निबर्हणम्the slaying/destruction of Vṛtra
वृत्र-निबर्हणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनिबर्हण
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
दशधाinto ten parts, tenfold
दशधा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदशधा
शतधाinto a hundred parts, hundredfold
शतधा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootशतधा
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed, just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
तत्that (vajra)
तत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
शीर्णम्shattered, broken
शीर्णम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशीर्ण
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Past participle (from √शॄ/√शृ, 'to break, shatter')
वृत्र-मूर्धनिon Vṛtra's head
वृत्र-मूर्धनि:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमूर्धन्
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular

गन्धर्व उवाच

गन्धर्व (Gandharva)
महेन्द्र/इन्द्र (Mahendra/Indra)
वज्र (Vajra)
वृत्र (Vṛtra)

Educational Q&A

The verse invokes a well-known mythic precedent: force and weaponry are justified only in the service of restoring order by defeating a dangerous adversary. Even a divine weapon can break, highlighting both the gravity of such conflict and the exceptional circumstances under which it is undertaken.

A Gandharva recounts an ancient event: Indra’s vajra, created specifically to kill Vṛtra, strikes Vṛtra’s head and splinters into many pieces—ten major fragments and a hundred minor ones—emphasizing the impact of the blow and the legendary nature of the weapon.