Category:Vrtrasura
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the extraordinary history of Vṛtrāsura, a fearsome demon who was actually an exalted pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. Formerly the great King Citraketu, he was cursed by Mother Pārvatī to take birth as a demon, yet this curse was a divine benediction arranged by the Lord to quickly bring him back to Godhead. During his cosmic battle with King Indra and the demigods, Vṛtrāsura displayed unparalleled heroism, simultaneously fighting fiercely while instructing his enemy in the highest philosophy of devotional service. Unlike the demigods who fought for temporary heavenly opulence, Vṛtrāsura had no desire for material planets or mystic perfections; his sole ambition was to be killed by Indra's thunderbolt so he could immediately return to Vaikuṇṭha. His profound prayers on the battlefield, recorded in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, stand as the ultimate standard of pure devotion, proving that Kṛṣṇa consciousness transcends all material designations and bodily forms.
- A Devotee in Disguise: Although possessing the terrifying body of an asura, Vṛtrāsura never lost his pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, proving that devotional service is not hindered by one's material birth or species.
- The Supreme Will: Vṛtrāsura's condition was directly orchestrated by the Supreme Lord. What appeared to be a curse from Pārvatī was actually the Lord's arrangement to end Citraketu's material reactions and bring him home.
- Transcendental Instructions: In the midst of mortal combat, Vṛtrāsura acted as a spiritual master, astonishing King Indra by speaking profound philosophy about providence, duty, and the temporary nature of material victory.
- The Purest Desire: While the demigods prayed for physical safety and heavenly enjoyment, Vṛtrāsura desired only to give up his material body and re-enter the eternal loving service of the Lord.
- Returning to Godhead: Because he entered a deep yogic trance, Indra's thunderbolt took 360 days to sever his head, after which Vṛtrāsura's soul visibly merged into the spiritual sky to eternally serve Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Vṛtrāsura - The Hero Among Heroes.
Subcategories
This category has the following 5 subcategories, out of 5 total.
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Pages in category "Vrtrasura"
The following 132 pages are in this category, out of 132 total.
A
- A pure devotee knows that there is no need to ask the Absolute Truth for any material necessities. Therefore, while informing the Lord about their distress in being attacked by Vrtrasura, the demigods apologized for offering prayers for their safety
- According to his position and the time and circumstances, Vrtrasura, the hero among heroes, spoke words that were much to be appreciated by thoughtful men
- Acting through the heart of Parvati, the Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart, cursed Citraketu in order to end all his material reactions. Citraketu became Vrtrasura in his next life and returned home, back to Godhead
- Although Indra had doubts because he could not understand that Lord Visnu's order never fails, Vrtrasura understood Lord Visnu's purpose
- Although King Indra hurled his thunderbolt at Namuci with great force, it could not even pierce his skin. It is very wonderful that the famed thunderbolt that had pierced the body of Vrtrasura could not even slightly injure the skin of Namuci's neck
- Although one of his arms was severed from his body, Vrtrasura angrily approached King Indra and struck him on the jaw with an iron mace. He also struck the elephant that carried Indra. Thus Indra dropped the thunderbolt from his hand
- Although still fully equipped with transcendental knowledge and practical application of that knowledge in life, he appeared as a demon at the fire sacrifice performed by Tvasta, and thus he became famous as Vrtrasura
- Although the thunderbolt revolved around Vrtrasura's neck with great speed, separating his head from his body took one complete year - 360 days, the time in which the sun, moon and other luminaries complete a northern and southern journey
- Although Vrtrasura can destroy all the three worlds, do not fear that he will harm you. He is also a devotee and will never be envious of you
- Although Vrtrasura was known as an asura, or demon, he did not lose his consciousness of Krsna or devotional service
- Although Vrtrasura was on the verge of defeat, he was not at all affected. He knew that he was going to be defeated by Indra, and he voluntarily accepted that, but since he was supposed to be Indra's enemy, he tried his best to kill Indra
- Although your attack upon me with your club was certainly useless, like a request of money from a miser, the thunderbolt you carry will not be useless. You need have no doubts about this
- As a morose wife whose husband is away from home always longs for him to return and satisfy her in all respects, I always yearn for the opportunity to render direct service unto You
- As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (BG 4.9), tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: after giving up his body, a devotee immediately returns to Lord Krsna and never returns to accept another body. This was Vrtrasura's interest
- As for Prahlada Maharaja, he was initiated by Narada Muni, and therefore it was possible for him to become a great devotee, although he was born in a family of demons. For Vrtrasura, however, Indra could not detect such causes
- As small calves tied with ropes await anxiously the time of milking, when they will be allowed to drink the milk of their mothers, I always yearn for the opportunity to render direct service unto You
- As the demigods closed their eyes in fear, Vrtrasura, taking up his trident and making the earth tremble with his great strength, trampled the demigods beneath his feet on the battlefield the way a mad elephant tramples hollow bamboos in the forest
B
- Because both (Vrtrasura and Indra) of them were devotees, the Lord (Visnu) awarded them the respective benedictions they wanted. Vrtrasura never wanted material possessions, for he knew very well the nature of such possessions
- By hurling the thunderbolt, Indra would gain victory and enjoy the heavenly planets, remaining in the material world for repeated birth and death. Indra wanted to gain victory over Vrtrasura & thereby become happy, but that would not at all be happiness
- By the force of your thunderbolt, I shall be freed of material bondage and shall give up this body and this world of material desires. Fixing my mind upon the lotus feet of Lord Sankarsana, I shall attain the destination of such great sages as Narada Muni
- By Your love-filled glance, with its cool and pleasing smile of sympathy, and by the sweet, nectarean words emanating from Your beautiful face, free us from the anxiety caused by this Vrtrasura, who always pains the cores of our hearts
C
- Citraketu fell down and became a demon, Vrtrasura, but he too was protected. Thus even if one falls down from the path of bhakti-yoga, one is ultimately saved
- Consider this battle a gambling match in which our lives are the stakes, the arrows are the dice, and the animals acting as carriers are the game board. No one can understand who will be defeated and who will be victorious. It all depends on providence
H
- He (Indra) was struck with wonder that Vrtrasura was such an exalted devotee that he could fix his mind without deviation upon the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, Vasudeva
- He (Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura) says that when Vrtrasura swallowed King Indra and his carrier, the elephant, he thought, "Now I have killed Indra, and therefore there is no more need of fighting. Now let me return home, back to Godhead"
- He (Vrtrasura's elder brother) was your (Indra's) spiritual master, but although you entrusted him with the performance of your sacrifice, you later mercilessly severed his heads from his body the way one butchers an animal
- He (Vrtrasura) called to the heroes of the demons, "O Vipracitti! O Namuci! O Puloma! O Maya, Anarva and Sambara! Please hear me and do not flee"
- He (Vrtrasura) stopped all his bodily activities and became situated in trance. Taking advantage of the silence of Vrtrasura's body, Indra pierced the demon's abdomen, and because of Vrtrasura's trance, Indra was able to come out
I
- I (Vrtrasura) shall not kill you, for unlike you, I am not so evil minded as to kill persons who are neither heroic nor willing to fight. If you have faith in your heroism, please stand before me
- I do not desire to be master of the powers of mystic yoga, nor do I want liberation if I have to give up Your lotus feet
- I have already been defeated, for my weapon and arm have been cut to pieces. You have already overwhelmed me, but nonetheless, with a desire to kill you, I am trying my best to fight. I am not at all morose, even under such adverse conditions
- I shall thus be relieved of my obligations to the reactions of my karma, and my fortune will be to receive the dust from the lotus feet of great devotees like Narada Muni
- In Matsya Purana, it is said with reference to the Gayatri mantra in the Bhagavatam that there are many narrations of spiritual instructions beginning with the Gayatri mantra. And there is the history of Vrtrasura
- In the Matsya Purana it is said, That which contains many narrations of spiritual instruction, begins with the Gayatri mantra and also contains the history of Vrtrasura, is known as the Srimad-Bhagavatam
- In the Vedas it is said, sa imaḻ lokan avrnot tad vrtrasya vrtratvam: because the demon covered all the planetary systems, his name was Vrtrasura
- In this fight, Vrtrasura is actually the sura, whereas Indra is the asura
- In this very great narrative there are descriptions of devotees like Indra and Vrtrasura, and there are statements about King Indra's release from sinful life and about his victory in fighting the demons
- Indeed, Indra's elephant was injured and thrown back fourteen yards. Therefore even though Indra stood with the thunderbolt to hurl against Vrtrasura, he was doubtful, thinking that the thunderbolt might also fail
- Indra said: O great demon, I see by your discrimination and endurance in devotional service, despite your dangerous position, that you are a perfect devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul and friend of everyone
- Indra was surprised to see that Vrtrasura, undisturbed, was fixed in devotional service to the Lord, for such a mentality is impossible for a demon. However, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, anyone can become an exalted devotee
- Indra, the King of the demigods, threw his club at Vrtrasura, but Vrtrasura was such a great hero that he easily caught the club with his left hand and used it to beat Indra's elephant
- Instead of an enemy of Indra's, there (out of the sacrificial fire) emerged the body of Vrtrasura, of whom Indra was the enemy
- It appears from the statement of this verse (SB 6.12.26) that sometimes there are flying mountains and that their wings are cut by the thunderbolt of Indra. Vrtrasura's huge body resembled such a mountain
K
M
- Maharaj Pariksit inquires from Sukadeva Gosvami, "I am astonished that Vrtrasura has become such a devotee"
- Maharaj Pariksit inquires from Sukadeva Gosvami, "My dear brahmana, I understand that the demon Vrtrasura was a great sinful person and that his mentality was completely absorbed in the modes of passion and ignorance"
- My attachment to my body, wife, children and home is continuing by the spell of Your external energy, but I wish to be attached to them no longer. Let my mind, my consciousness and everything I have be attached only to You
- My dear King Pariksit, as Rudra, being very angry at Antaka (Yamaraja) had formerly run toward Antaka to kill him, Indra angrily and with great force attacked Vrtrasura, who was surrounded by the leaders of the demoniac armies
- My dear King Pariksit, you inquired from me how Vrtrasura, a great devotee, took birth in a demoniac family. Thus I have tried to explain to you everything about this
- My dear lord, Sukadeva Gosvami, although Vrtrasura was a sinful demon, he showed the prowess of a most exalted ksatriya and satisfied Lord Indra in battle. How could such a demon be a great devotee of Lord Krsna?
N
- Now I shall pierce your body with my trident, and after you die with great pain, even fire will not touch you; only the vultures will eat your body
- Now, Vrtrasura was in yoga-samadhi, and therefore although King Indra wanted to cut his throat, the demon's neck was so stiff that Indra's thunderbolt took 360 days to cut it to pieces
O
- O King of the demigods (Indra), since I (Vrtrasura), your enemy, am standing before you, why don't you hurl your thunderbolt at me?
- O King Pariksit, he vigorously took up his trident and with great force attacked Lord Indra, the King of heaven, just as Kaitabha had forcefully attacked the Supreme Personality of Godhead when the universe was inundated
- O King Pariksit, subduer of enemies, the living spark then came forth from Vrtrasura's body and returned home, back to Godhead. While all the demigods looked on, he entered the transcendental world to become an associate of Lord Sankarsana
- O King Pariksit, the powerful Vrtrasura, the enemy of King Indra, angrily struck the head of Indra's elephant with that club, making a tumultuous sound on the battlefield. For this heroic deed, the soldiers on both sides glorified him
- O King, Vrtrasura, the commander in chief of the demons, advised his lieutenants in the principles of religion, but the cowardly demoniac commanders, intent upon fleeing the battlefield, were so disturbed by fear that they could not accept his words
- O King, when all the asuras came onto the battlefield, headed by Vrtrasura, they saw King Indra carrying the thunderbolt and surrounded by the Rudras, Vasus, Adityas, Asvini-kumaras, Pitas, Vahnis, Maruts, Rbhus, Sadhyas and Visvadevas
- O King, when the great hero Vrtrasura saw Indra, his enemy, the killer of his brother, standing before him with a thunderbolt in his hand, desiring to fight, Vrtrasura remembered how Indra had cruelly killed his brother
- O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so that my mind may always think of Your transcendental attributes, my words always glorify those attributes, and my body always engage in the loving service of Your Lordship?
- O Lord, O supreme controller, O Lord Krsna, please annihilate this dangerous demon Vrtrasura, Tvasta's son, who has already swallowed all our weapons, our paraphernalia for fighting, and our strength and influence
- O lotus-eyed Lord, as baby birds that have not yet developed their wings always look for their mother to return and feed them, I always yearn for the opportunity to render direct service unto You
- O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, will I again be able to be a servant of Your eternal servants who find shelter only at Your lotus feet?
- O my Lord, source of all opportunities, I do not desire to enjoy in Dhruvaloka, the heavenly planets or the planet where Lord Brahma resides, nor do I want to be the supreme ruler of all the earthly planets or the lower planetary systems
P
- Pariksit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami: O learned brahmana, demons are generally sinful, being obsessed with the modes of passion and ignorance. How, then, could Vrtrasura have attained such exalted love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana?
- Pariksit Maharaja was surprised that Vrtrasura, whose purpose was to give trouble and anxiety to others, was one of these devotees, even on a battlefield. What was the reason for Vrtrasura's advancement
S
- Seeing his army broken and all the asuras, even those known as great heroes, fleeing the battlefield out of intense fear, Vrtrasura, who was truly a great-minded hero, smiled and spoke the following words
- Seeing the pitiable condition of his soldiers, Vrtrasura, the best of the asuras, was very much aggrieved. Unable to tolerate such reverses, he stopped and forcefully rebuked the demigods, speaking the following words in an angry mood
- Seeing Vrtrasura's disposition, Indra, the King of heaven, became intolerant and threw at him one of his great clubs, which are extremely difficult to counteract. However, as the club flew toward him, Vrtrasura easily caught it with his left hand
- She (Putana) assumed her real feature as a great demon. She opened her fierce mouth and spread her arms & legs all over. She fell exactly as Vrtrasura did when struck by the thunderbolt of Indra. The long hair on her head was scattered all over her body
- Simultaneously, he cut off one of Vrtrasura's arms, which was as thick as the body of Vasuki, the King of the serpents
- Since Vrtrasura was among the demons, Maharaja Pariksit wondered how it was possible for him to have become such an exalted devotee
- Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Vrtrasura and King Indra spoke about devotional service even on the battlefield, and then as a matter of duty they again began fighting. My dear King, both of them were great fighters and were equally powerful
- Sri Vrtrasura said: He who has killed a brahmana, he who has killed his spiritual master - indeed, he who has killed my brother - is now, by good fortune, standing before me face to face as my enemy
- Struck with the club by Vrtrasura like a mountain struck by a thunderbolt, the elephant Airavata, feeling great pain and spitting blood from its broken mouth, was pushed back fourteen yards. In great distress, the elephant fell, with Indra on its back
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: Desiring to give up his body, Vrtrasura considered death in the battle preferable to victory
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: Hearing the straightforward, instructive words of Vrtrasura, King Indra praised him and again took the thunderbolt in his hand. Without bewilderment or duplicity, he then smiled and spoke to Vrtrasura as follows
T
- That very fearful demon, who was actually the son of Tvasta, covered all the planetary systems by dint of austerity. Therefore he was named Vrtra, or one who covers everything
- The demigods, headed by Indra, charged the demon with their soldiers, striking him with their own transcendental bows and arrows and other weapons but Vrtrasura swallowed all their weapons
- The demon (Hiranyaksa) now began to strike the Lord with his hard fists, but Lord Adhoksaja slapped him in the root of the ear, even as Indra, the lord of the Maruts, hit the demon Vrtra
- The denizens of various planets, like the demigods, demons, Caranas and Siddhas, praised Vrtrasura's deed, but when they observed that Indra was in great danger, they lamented, "Alas! Alas!"
- The protective armor of Narayana, which Indra possessed, was identical with Narayana Himself, the SPG. Protected by that armor and by his own mystic power, King Indra, although swallowed by Vrtrasura, did not die within the demon's belly
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead wanted to bring Citraketu to Vaikunthaloka as soon as possible. The Lord's plan was that Citraketu be cursed by Parvati to become Vrtrasura so that in his next life he could quickly return home, back to Godhead
- The word yoni is generally understood to mean jati-family, group or species. Although Vrtrasura appeared in a family of demons, it is clearly said that his knowledge of spiritual life still existed
- Then Vrtrasura, the great hero of the demons, whirled his trident, which had points like the flames of the blazing fire at the end of the millennium
- Thinking of Indra's sinful activities, he became mad with lamentation and forgetfulness. Laughing sarcastically, he spoke as follows
- This punishment (from Parvati) was a boon to Citraketu because after taking birth as the demon Vrtrasura, he was promoted directly to Vaikuntha
V
- Vrtrasura addresses the Lord, "I do not aspire to this. Nor do I wish the mystic perfections of yoga practice, nor do I aspire to spiritual emancipation. All I wish for, my Lord, is Your association and transcendental service eternally"
- Vrtrasura being an unalloyed devotee, aspired only to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Lord arranged for him to go back to Godhead after his bodily bondage was destroyed by Indra
- Vrtrasura continued: O Indra, no one is guaranteed of being always victorious but the original enjoyer, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. He is the cause of creation, maintenance and annihilation, and He knows everything
- Vrtrasura encouraged Indra, saying, "Don't be morose because of my victory. There is no need to stop fighting. Instead, you should go on with your duty. When Krsna desires, you will certainly be victorious." This verse is very instructive
- Vrtrasura insulted the demoniac soldiers by comparing them to the stool of their mothers. Both stool and a cowardly son come from the abdomen of the mother, and Vrtrasura said that there is no difference between them
- Vrtrasura not only assured King Indra that the thunderbolt was invincible, but also encouraged Indra to use it against him as soon as possible
- Vrtrasura prayed "I do not want the facilities for happiness on Brahmaloka, Svargaloka or even Dhruvaloka, not to speak of this earth or the lower planets. I simply want to return home, back to Godhead." This is the determination of a pure devotee
- Vrtrasura rebuked both the demigods and the demoniac soldiers because the demons were running in fear of their lives and the demigods were killing them from behind. The actions of both were abominable
- Vrtrasura requested Indra to release his thunderbolt against him as soon as possible so that both he and Indra would benefit according to their proportionate advancement in devotional service
- Vrtrasura requested Indra to release the thunderbolt immediately, and he prepared himself by fixing his mind at the lotus feet of Krsna. A devotee is always ready to give up his material body, which is described as the rope of material attachment
- Vrtrasura said, "O most abominable one, when I pierce your stonelike heart with my trident, I shall be freed from my debt to my brother"
- Vrtrasura said: All living entities who have taken birth in this material world must die. Surely, no one in this world has found any means to be saved from death. Even providence has not provided a means to escape it
- Vrtrasura shook even the mountains and began crushing the surface of the earth with his legs, as if he were the Himalayas walking about. He came before Indra and swallowed him and Airavata, his carrier, just as a big python might swallow an elephant
- Vrtrasura was a perfect Vaisnava, and therefore he was also a brahmana
- Vrtrasura was considered a demon, but actually he was more than qualified as a devotee, or maha-paurusya. If one somehow becomes a devotee of the Supreme Lord, whatever his position, he can be brought to the position of a perfect person
- Vrtrasura was eager to die with the stroke of the thunderbolt sent by Lord Visnu so that he could immediately return home, back to Godhead
- Vrtrasura was formerly Citraketu Maharaja, a great devotee. Because he derided Lord Siva, the foremost of all devotees, he had to accept the body of a demon called Vrtra, but then he was taken back to Godhead
- Vrtrasura was situated in the blazing fire of battle and was an infamous, sinful demon, always engaged in giving troubles and anxieties to others. How could such a demon become so greatly Krsna conscious?
- Vrtrasura was so great and powerful that in effect he was acting as the spiritual master of Indra
- Vrtrasura was very powerful in physical strength and influence. He placed his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw in the sky. His mouth became very deep, like the sky itself, and his tongue resembled a large serpent
- Vrtrasura, bleeding profusely, his two arms cut off at their roots, looked very beautiful, like a flying mountain whose wings have been cut to pieces by Indra
- Vrtrasura, however, being a Vaisnava, assured Indra that the thunderbolt would not fail, for Vrtrasura knew that it had been prepared in accordance with the instructions of Lord Visnu
- Vrtrasura, the angry and most powerful hero, terrified the demigods with his stout and strongly built body. When he roared with a resounding voice, nearly all living entities fainted
- Vrtrasura, who addresses the Lord as follows, "My dear Lord, by leaving Your transcendental service I may be promoted to the planet called Dhruva-loka (the Pole Star), or I may gain lordship over all the planetary systems of the universe"
- Vrtrasura, who was completely able to subdue his enemy, took his iron club, whirled it around, aimed it at Indra and then threw it at him with his left hand
W
- When all the demigods heard Vrtrasura's tumultuous roar, which resembled that of a lion, they fainted and fell to the ground as if struck by thunderbolts
- When he saw Indra's carrier elephant thus fatigued and injured and when he saw Indra morose because his carrier had been harmed in that way, the great soul Vrtrasura, following religious principles, refrained from again striking Indra with the club
- When King Indra threw his club at Vrtrasura, Vrtrasura caught it in his left hand and retaliated by using it to strike the head of Indra's elephant. Thus Indra's attack was a disastrous failure
- When the demigods saw Vrtrasura's attitude, they were so afraid that they practically fainted, and Vrtrasura began trampling them down
- When the demigods, along with Brahma, other prajapatis and other great saintly persons, saw that Indra had been swallowed by the demon, they became very morose. "Alas," they lamented. "What a calamity! What a calamity!"
- When the soldiers of the demons, commanded by Vrtrasura, saw that the soldiers of King Indra were quite well, having not been injured at all by their volleys of weapons, not even by the trees, stones and mountain peaks, the demons were very much afraid
- While fighting with Indra, Vrtrasura proved himself a great devotee of the SPG. Furthermore, as soon as he finished fighting with Indra and was apparently killed, Vrtrasura was transferred to Vaikunthaloka to become an associate of Sankarsana
- With his fearful, deathlike teeth, he seemed to be trying to devour the entire universe. Thus assuming a gigantic body, the great demon Vrtrasura shook even the mountains and began crushing the surface of the earth with his legs
- With his thunderbolt named Sataparvan, Indra simultaneously cut to pieces Vrtrasura's club and his remaining hand
- With his thunderbolt, King Indra, who was also extremely powerful, pierced through Vrtrasura's abdomen and came out. Indra, the killer of the demon Bala, then immediately cut off Vrtrasura's head, which was as high as the peak of a mountain
- With those (Demigods) heads I shall perform a sacrifice to Bhairava and the other leaders of the ghosts, along with their hordes
Y
- You (Vrtrasura) have surmounted the illusory energy of Lord Visnu, and because of this liberation, you have given up the demoniac mentality and have attained the position of an exalted devotee
- You are naturally cruel. If the other demigods, unaware of my prowess, follow you by attacking me with raised weapons, I shall sever their heads with this sharp trident