There is another, longer version of this story in MBh 5.9–13, where Śalya tells the same story to Yudhiṣṭhira. There, a treaty between Indra and Vṛtra determines that, if Indra should kill Vṛtra, he will suffer the consequences of brahminicide. Furthermore,
it is interesting that Indra suffers the consequences only after his second brahminicide: Before killing Triśiras he is warned by a woodcutter about the consequences. Clearly both decscendents of Tvaṣṭṛ are seen as brahmins because Tvaṣṭṛ is a brahminic Asura.
I do not know about any older evidence for Vṛtra being a brahmin. This detail was very likely included to show Indra's inferiority to brahmins and that even the king of the gods had to bear the consequences of brahminicide.
It is also noteworthy that Tvaṣṭr, Triśiras, and even Vṛtra are portrayed as righteous beings following dharma and achieving special powers by meditation, while Indra is a rogue all the time scheming to destroy his rivals.
Regarding Triśiras's indo-european relatives cf. Dumezil, Georges. The Destiny of the Warrior. Translated by Alf Hiltebeitel. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970.
Best wishes,
Vitus
Dear List members,
In MBh 12, 273 Indra kills Vr̥tra. From the latter's body a demoness Brahmahatyā emerges which clinges to Indra. Hopkins, Epic Mythology, p. 129 writes: "As Vr̥tra is of Brahmanic family, his slaughter is regarded as 'priest murder'". On p. 131 he writes that this is Indra's second Brahman-cide, as earlier he had killed Triśiras, another son of Tvaṣṭr̥ (traiśīrṣā brahmahatyā). So I assume that Vr̥tra's brahminhood goes back to his father Tvaṣṭr̥. I have no idea, however, where to look for information on Tvaṣṭr̥'s and Vr̥tra's brahminhood, other than the brahmahatyā passages mentioned above.
Wist kind regards,Herman
Herman TiekenStationsweg 582515 BP Den HaagThe Netherlands00 31 (0)70 2208127
website: hermantieken.com
The Aśoka Inscriptions: Analysing a corpus, New Delhi: Primus Books, 2023.
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Dr. Vitus Angermeier
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University of Vienna
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