Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 4

Indra’s Brahma-hatyā, Flight from Sin, and Purification by Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच वृत्रविक्रमसंविग्ना: सर्वे देवा: सहर्षिभि: । तद्वधायार्थयन्निन्द्रं नैच्छद् भीतो बृहद्वधात् ॥ ४ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca vṛtra-vikrama-saṁvignāḥ sarve devāḥ saharṣibhiḥ tad-vadhāyārthayann indraṁ naicchad bhīto bṛhad-vadhāt

Translation

舒迦提婆答道：因弗利特罗阿修罗的非凡威势，诸天与诸仙皆惊惧不安，聚集请求因陀罗诛杀他；但因陀罗畏惧杀害婆罗门之罪，便拒绝了。

Synonyms

• śrī-śukaḥ: Śrī Śuka
• śrī-śukaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: śrī + śuka

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vṛtra-vikrama-saṁvignāḥ: alarmed by Vṛtra’s prowess
• vṛtra-vikrama-saṁvignāḥ: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛtra (प्रातिपदिक) + vikrama (प्रातिपदिक) + saṁvigna (कृदन्त, √svid/√vij?; here saṁvigna as adjective)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: vṛtrasya vikramaḥ (Vṛtra’s prowess) → tena saṁvignāḥ ‘alarmed by’

• sarve: all
• sarve: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• saha-ṛṣibhiḥ: together with the sages
• saha-ṛṣibhiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: saha = indeclinable preposition (सह-योगे अव्यय); ṛṣibhiḥ: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन) used as demonstrative ‘that’

• vadhāya: for the killing
• vadhāya: Sampradana/Prayojana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन)

• ārthayan: requesting
• ārthayan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arthaya (धातु-नामधातु from artha)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural; from √arthaya ‘to request/beg’

• indram: Indra
• indram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• aicchat: desired/was willing
• aicchat: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhītaḥ: afraid
• bhītaḥ: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīta (कृदन्त, √bhī)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• bṛhat-vadhāt: from the great slaughter
• bṛhat-vadhāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhat (प्रातिपदिक) + vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: bṛhat + vadha ‘great killing/slaughter’

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva Gosvāmī
• Vṛtrāsura
• Indra
• Devas
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

Why was Indra unwilling to kill Vṛtrāsura in Srimad Bhagavatam 6.13.4?

Because Indra feared the severe karmic reaction of bṛhad-vadha—killing a great person—and therefore hesitated despite the devas’ request.

Who is speaking in Bhagavatam 6.13.4 and to whom is the narration addressed?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is speaking, narrating the history to King Parīkṣit as part of the Sixth Canto’s account of the devas and Vṛtrāsura.

What practical lesson does Bhagavatam 6.13.4 teach about duty and fear of wrongdoing?

It highlights how moral fear and awareness of karmic consequences can create hesitation; one must seek dharmic clarity and higher guidance before acting in grave situations.