Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच इत्युक्ते नृपतौ तस्मिन्व्यासेनाद्भुतकर्मणा वासुदेवो महातेजास्ततो वचनमाददे
AI Translation: Vaishmapayana said: When the king was thus addressed by Vyasa, the performer of wonderful deeds, Then Vasudeva, of great splendor, spoke these words:
तं नृपं दीनमनसं निहतज्ञातिबान्धवम् उपप्लुतमिवादित्यं सधूममिव पावकम्
AI Translation: The king, whose mind was distressed, whose relatives and friends were killed, was like the sun obscured, like fire with smoke.
निर्विण्णमनसं पार्थं ज्ञात्वा वृष्णिकुलोद्वहः आश्वासयन्धर्मसुतं प्रवक्तुमुपचक्रमे
AI Translation: Knowing that Partha's mind was despondent, the upholder of the Vrishni clan began to speak in order to console the son of Dharma.
वासुदेव उवाच सर्वं जिह्मं मृत्युपदमार्जवं ब्रह्मणः पदम् एतावाञ्ज्ञानविषयः किं प्रलापः करिष्यति
M. N. Dutt: Vasudeva said All crookedness of heart brings on destruction, and all rectitude leads to Brahma. This and this only in the aim and object of all true wisdom, what can mental distraction do (to him).
नैव ते निष्ठितं कर्म नैव ते शत्रवो जिताः कथं शत्रुं शरीरस्थमात्मानं नावबुध्यसे
M. N. Dutt: Your deed has not yet been destroyed nor have your enemies been subjugated, for you do not yet know the enemies that live within your own body.
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथाधर्मं यथाश्रुतम् इन्द्रस्य सह वृत्रेण यथा युद्धमवर्तत
M. N. Dutt: I shall (therefore) relate to you truly as I have heard it, the story of the war of Indra with Vritra as It happened.
वृत्रेण पृथिवी व्याप्ता पुरा किल नराधिप दृष्ट्वा स पृथिवीं व्याप्तां गन्धस्य विषये हृते धराहरणदुर्गन्धो विषयः समपद्यत
M. N. Dutt: Formerly, the Earth, O king, was encompassed by Vritra, and by this abstraction of earthly matter the seat of all smeil, there arose bad odours on all sides, and the Performer of a Hundred Sacrifices (Indra), being much incensed by this deed, hurled his thunderbolt at Vritra.
शतक्रतुश्चुकोपाथ गन्धस्य विषये हृते वृत्रस्य स ततः क्रुद्धो वज्रं घोरमवासृजत्
AI Translation: Indra was angry when the Gandharva's wife was abducted. Then he angrily hurled his terrible thunderbolt at Vritra.
स वध्यमानो वज्रेण पृथिव्यां भूरितेजसा विवेश सहसैवापो जग्राह विषयं ततः
M. N. Dutt: And being deeply wounded by the thunderbolt of powerful Indra, Vritra entered into the (waters), and by doing so, he destroyed their property.
व्याप्तास्वथाप्सु वृत्रेण रसे च विषये हृते शतक्रतुरभिक्रुद्धस्तासु वज्रमवासृजत्
M. N. Dutt: The waters being seized by Vritra, their liquid property left them. At this Indra became wroth and again smote him with his thunderbolt.
स वध्यमानो वज्रेण सलिले भूरितेजसा विवेश सहसा ज्योतिर्जग्राह विषयं ततः
M. N. Dutt: And he (Vritra) smitten by the thunderbolt by the most powerful Indra went to the luminous matter and abstracted its inherent property.
व्याप्ते ज्योतिषि वृत्रेण रूपेऽथ विषये हृते शतक्रतुरभिक्रुद्धस्तत्र वज्रमवासृजत्
AI Translation: When the light was covered by Vritra, and the form and the object were taken away, Indra, very angry, there discharged the thunderbolt.
स वध्यमानो वज्रेण सुभृशं भूरितेजसा विवेश सहसा वायुं जग्राह विषयं ततः
M. N. Dutt: And he (Vritra) smitten by the thunderbolt by the most powerful Indra went to the luminous matter and abstracted its inherent property.
व्याप्ते वायौ तु वृत्रेण स्पर्शेऽथ विषये हृते शतक्रतुरभिक्रुद्धस्तत्र वज्रमवासृजत्
AI Translation: When the wind was pervaded by Vritra, and the sense of touch was taken away, Indra, greatly enraged, then hurled his thunderbolt there.
स वध्यमानो वज्रेण तस्मिन्नमिततेजसा आकाशमभिदुद्राव जग्राह विषयं ततः
M. N. Dutt: And he (Vritra) smitten by the thunderbolt by the most powerful Indra went to the luminous matter and abstracted its inherent property.
आकाशे वृत्रभूते च शब्दे च विषये हृते शतक्रतुरभिक्रुद्धस्तत्र वज्रमवासृजत्
AI Translation: When the object of sound was taken away in the sky and in the form of Vritra, Indra, very angry, then hurled his thunderbolt there.
स वध्यमानो वज्रेण तस्मिन्नमिततेजसा विवेश सहसा शक्रं जग्राह विषयं ततः
M. N. Dutt: And he (Vritra) smitten by the thunderbolt by the most powerful Indra went to the luminous matter and abstracted its inherent property.
तस्य वृत्रगृहीतस्य मोहः समभवन्महान् रथंतरेण तं तात वसिष्ठः प्रत्यबोधयत्
AI Translation: When he was seized by Vritra, a great delusion arose in him. O son, Vasishtha awakened him with the Rathantara.
ततो वृत्रं शरीरस्थं जघान भरतर्षभ शतक्रतुरदृश्येन वज्रेणेतीह नः श्रुतम्
AI Translation: Then, O bull among the Bharatas, he struck Vritra who was in his body with the invisible thunderbolt, so we have heard.
इदं धर्मरहस्यं च शक्रेणोक्तं महर्षिषु ऋषिभिश्च मम प्रोक्तं तन्निबोध नराधिप
AI Translation: This secret of the Dharma was spoken by Shakra to the great sages, And by the sages to me. Understand it, O king.