The demon raised to destroy Indra, who on the battlefield prayed to be the servant of the Lord's servants.
Appears in
Vritra's prayer — Skandha 6, adhyayas 9-12 — The demon Indra must kill turns out to be a devotee, and prays on the battlefield more beautifully than the god who kills him.
Embodies
Devotion as the highest dharma — The Bhagavatam's own thesis (1.2.6): the highest dharma is devotion with no motive, which nothing can interrupt.
Surrender and grace — Rescue comes when strength runs out: the elephant, the queen and the king are saved at the point they stop relying on themselves.
Questions to explore
Who was Vritra in his previous life?
What does Vritra say to Indra on the battlefield?
Why does the Bhagavatam make a demon a model devotee?
