वृत्र [ vṛtra ] [ vṛtrá ] m. ( only once in Lit. TS.) or n. ( mostly in pl.) " coverer , investor , restrainer " , an enemy , foe , hostile host Lit. RV. Lit. TS.

  [ vṛtra ] m. N. of the Vedic personification of an imaginary malignant influence or demon of darkness and drought (supposed to take possession of the clouds , causing them to obstruct the clearness of the sky and keep back the waters ; Indra is represented as battling with this evil influence in the pent up clouds poetically pictured as mountains or castles which are shattered by his thunderbolt and made to open their receptacles ( cf. esp. Lit. RV. i , 31 ) ; as a Dānava , Vṛitra is a son of Tvashṭṛi , or of Danu q.v. , and is often identified with Ahi , the serpent of the sky , and associated with other evil spirits , such as Śushṇa , Namuci , Pipru , Śambara , Uraṇa , whose malignant influences are generally exercised in producing darkness or drought) Lit. RV.

  a thunder-cloud Lit. RV. iv , 10 , 5 ( cf. Lit. Naigh. i , 10)

  darkness Lit. L.

  a wheel Lit. L.

  a mountain Lit. L.

  N. of a partic. mountain Lit. L.

  a stone Lit. KātyŚr. Sch.

  N. of Indra (?) Lit. L.

  n. wealth (= [ dhana ] ) Lit. L. (v.l. [ vitta ] )

  sound , noise (= [ dhvani ] ) Lit. L.