पुरा कृतं महेन्द्रस्य वज्रं वृत्रनिबर्हणे ॥
दशधा शतधा चैव तच् छीर्णं वृत्रमूर्धनि ॥
ततो भागीकृतो देवैर् वज्रभाग उपास्यते ॥
लोके यत् साधनं किं चित् सा वै वज्रतनुः स्मृता ॥
वज्रपाणिर् ब्राह्मणः स्यात् क्षत्रं वज्ररथं स्मृतम् ॥
वैश्या वै दानवज्राश् च कर्मवज्रा यवीयसः ॥
वज्रं क्षत्रस्य वाजिनो अवध्या वाजिनः स्मृताः ॥
रथाङ्गं वडवा सूते सूताश् चाश्वेषु ये मताः ॥
कामवर्णाः कामजवाः कामतः समुपस्थिताः ॥
इमे गन्धर्वजाः कामं पूरयिष्यन्ति ते हयाः ॥
purā kṛtaṃ mahendrasya vajraṃ vṛtranibarhaṇe ||
daśadhā śatadhā caiva tac chīrṇaṃ vṛtramūrdhani ||
tato bhāgīkṛto devair vajrabhāga upāsyate ||
loke yat sādhanaṃ kiṃ cit sā vai vajratanuḥ smṛtā ||
vajrapāṇir brāhmaṇaḥ syāt kṣatraṃ vajrarathaṃ smṛtam ||
vaiśyā vai dānavajrāś ca karmavajrā yavīyasaḥ ||
vajraṃ kṣatrasya vājino avadhyā vājinaḥ smṛtāḥ ||
rathāṅgaṃ vaḍavā sūte sūtāś cāśveṣu ye matāḥ ||
kāmavarṇāḥ kāmajavāḥ kāmataḥ samupasthitāḥ ||
ime gandharvajāḥ kāmaṃ pūrayiṣyanti te hayāḥ ||
'Long ago the vajra of Indra, created for the slaying of Vritra, split upon his head into ten and then a hundred pieces; hence the gods honor the "portion of the vajra": every effective instrument in the world is called "vajra-bodied." Let the brahmin be "vajra-handed" (his vajra is the Veda); the kshatriya class is honored as "vajra-charioted" (its vajra is the chariot); the vaishyas are "vajras of giving," and the shudras "vajras of labor." The vajra of the kshatriya is horses, and horses are held to be unkillable; the mare gives birth to that which moves the chariot, and charioteers are bound to horses. These gandharva-born horses — of whatever color, swift as desire, appearing at will — will fulfill your desire.'
d17e454f27ec · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:19:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the gift of horses is framed by a teaching on the 'vajra' of every class. The teaching is telling: each has its own instrument of power — for the brahmin, the Veda; for the kshatriya, the chariot and horses; for the vaishya, giving; for the shudra, labor; each is given his own strength according to his dharma. Here it is revealed that every calling has its own means of flourishing, sanctified by its purpose. It is telling that horses are called the 'vajra' of the kshatriya: for a warrior, the speed and strength of horses are what the thunderbolt is for Indra. Thus scripture shows that the gandharva's gift is no accident — he hands Arjuna his own 'vajra,' fitting for a kshatriya.