śrī-śukaḥ uvāca - Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; vṛtra - of Vṛtrāsura; vikrama - by the powerful activities; saṁvignāḥ - being full of anxieties; sarve - all; devāḥ - the demigods; saha ṛṣibhiḥ - with the great sages; tat-vadhāya - for the killing of him; ārthayan - requested; indram - Indra; na aicchat - declined; bhītaḥ - being afraid; bṛhat-vadhāt - due to killing a brāhmaṇa.

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered: When all the great sages and demigods were disturbed by the extraordinary power of Vṛtrāsura, they had assembled to ask Indra to kill him. Indra, however, being afraid of killing a brāhmaṇa, declined their request.