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
On 17.11.23 12:53, Tieken, H.J.H.
(Herman) via INDOLOGY wrote:
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
Tieken
Stationsweg
58
2515
BP Den Haag
The
Netherlands
00
31 (0)70 2208127
The Aśoka Inscriptions:
Analysing a corpus, New Delhi: Primus Books, 2023.
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