Vritra
| Vritra | |
|---|---|
Personification of drought | |
| Affiliation | Asura |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | |
| Equivalents | |
| Indo-European | H₂n̥gʷʰis |
Vritra (Sanskrit: वृत्र, lit. 'enveloper', IAST: Vṛtrá, Sanskrit pronunciation: [ʋr̩.ˈtrɐ]) is a danava in Hinduism. He serves as the personification of drought, and is an adversary of the king of the devas, Indra. As a danava, he belongs to the race of the asuras. Vritra is also known in the Vedas as Ahi (Sanskrit: अहि, lit. 'snake' IAST: ahi Sanskrit pronunciation: [ɐ.hi]). He appears as a human-like serpent blocking the course of the Rigvedic rivers, and is slain by Indra with his newly forged vajra.