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How did Vishnu help Indra in killing Vritra?

And Vishnu said, 'I am no doubt bound to do what is for your good. I shall, therefore, tell you of a contrivance whereby he may be annihilated. Do ye with the Rishis and the Gandharvas repair to the place where Vritra that bearer of a universal form is and adopt towards him a conciliatory policy. You will thus succeed in overthrowing him. By virtue of my power, victory, ye gods, will be won by Indra, for, remaining invisible, I shall enter into his thunderbolt, that best of weapons. O foremost of gods, depart ye with the Rishis and the Gandharvas. Let there be no delay in effecting a peace between Indra and Vritra.'

Vishnu was clearly an active participant in the killing of Vrtra.

Why did Brahmahatya attach only to Indra for killing Vrtra?

S K
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Dharma/Karma is defined only for jIvas.

Vishnu is not a jIva. Even in avatAras, His birth doesn't restrict Him to a physical (composed of the 24 prakriti tattvas) body and hence His actions do not attract karma.

Source: Bhagavad-Gita (4.5 - 4.9)

On the other hand, the post of Indra is fulfilled temporarily by a jIva and therefore their actions attract karma. A jIva can become Indra by performing the right sacrifices such as Ashvamedha. When their speficic karma is extinguished, they move on from that post.

hashable
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  • https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/19033/which-vedic-verses-describe-indra-as-brahman – S K Apr 30 '22 at 18:45
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    It is precisely to resolve issues like this we have chAga-pashu-nyAya (https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/51226/10413). E.g bhU-sUkta refers to bhUmi as both indrapatnI and viShNupatnI. Clearly 'indra' doesn't refer to shacIpati-devendra here. – hashable May 01 '22 at 14:57