Vritra
/ˈvr̩.t̪rɐ/noun
A serpent-like demon in Vedic mythology who withholds the waters until defeated by the god Indra.
Did you know?Vritra’s defeat is portrayed as a cosmic breakthrough: Indra’s thunderbolt shatters the being who confines the life-giving waters.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wer-
“To cover, enclose, or shut in”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
vṛ
“To cover, obstruct, or conceal”
Rigveda, c. 1500–1200 BCE
Vedic Sanskrit
Vṛtra
“The encloser or obstruction, personified as a serpent-like adversary”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Vṛtra
“A mythic demon or serpent who restrains the waters”
19th Century
English
Vritra
“An English-used name for the Vedic adversary of Indra”
Modern English
English
Vritra
“A figure in Hindu mythology associated with obstruction, drought, and the release of cosmic waters”