The Defeat of Vishvamitra's Missiles

Shloka 1 (bala.56.1)

एवमुक्तो वसिष्ठेन विश्वामित्रो महाबलः। आग्नेयमस्त्रमुत्क्षिप्य तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत् ॥ १-५६-१ ॥

evamukto vasiṣṭhena viśvāmitro mahābalaḥ| āgneyamastramutkṣipya tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt || 1-56-1 ||

Thus addressed by Vashishtha, the mighty Vishvamitra, raising up the Fire missile, cried, "Stand! Stand!"

Shloka 2 (bala.56.2)

ब्रह्मदण्डं समुद्यम्य कालदण्डमिवापरम्। वसिष्ठो भगवान् क्रोधादिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ १-५६-२ ॥

brahmadaṇḍaṃ samudyamya kāladaṇḍamivāparam| vasiṣṭho bhagavān krodhādidaṃ vacanamabravīt || 1-56-2 ||

Raising up his Brahma-staff, like another rod of Death, the venerable Vashishtha spoke these words in fury:

Shloka 3 (bala.56.3)

क्षत्रबन्धो स्थितोऽस्म्येष यद्बलं तद्विदर्शय। नाशयाम्यद्य ते दर्पं शस्त्रस्य तव गाधिज ॥ १-५६-३ ॥

kṣatrabandho sthito'smyeṣa yadbalaṃ tadvidarśaya| nāśayāmyadya te darpaṃ śastrasya tava gādhija || 1-56-3 ||

"O wretched Kshatriya, here I stand; show me whatever strength you have. This day, O son of Gadhi, I shall destroy your pride and your weapon's."

Shloka 4 (bala.56.4)

क्व च ते क्षत्रियबलं क्व च ब्रह्मबलं महत्। पश्य ब्रह्मबलं दिव्यं मम क्षत्रियपांसन ॥ १-५६-४ ॥

kva ca te kṣatriyabalaṃ kva ca brahmabalaṃ mahat| paśya brahmabalaṃ divyaṃ mama kṣatriyapāṃsana || 1-56-4 ||

"Where is your Kshatriya might, and where the great might of a Brahmin? Behold, O disgrace of Kshatriyas, my divine Brahmin-power!"

Shloka 5 (bala.56.5)

तस्यास्त्रं गाधिपुत्रस्य घोरमाग्नेयमुत्तमम्। ब्रह्मदण्डेन तच्छान्तमग्नेर्वेग इवाम्भसा ॥ १-५६-५ ॥

tasyāstraṃ gādhiputrasya ghoramāgneyamuttamam| brahmadaṇḍena tacchāntamagnervega ivāmbhasā || 1-56-5 ||

That terrible and supreme Fire-missile of Gadhi's son was quenched by the Brahma-staff, as the rush of fire is quenched by a flood of water.

Shloka 6 (bala.56.6)

वारुणं चैव रौद्रं च ऐन्द्रं पाशुपतं तथा। ऐषीकं चापि चिक्षेप रुषितो गाधिनंदनः ॥ १-५६-६ ॥

vāruṇaṃ caiva raudraṃ ca aindraṃ pāśupataṃ tathā| aiṣīkaṃ cāpi cikṣepa ruṣito gādhinaṃdanaḥ || 1-56-6 ||

Then, enraged, the son of Gadhi hurled the missiles of Varuna, Rudra, Indra, the Pashupata, and also the Aishika.

Shloka 7 (bala.56.7)

मानवं मोहनं चैव गांधर्वं स्वापनं तथा। जृंभणं मादनं चैव संतापनविलापने ॥ १-५६-७ ॥

mānavaṃ mohanaṃ caiva gāṃdharvaṃ svāpanaṃ tathā| jṛṃbhaṇaṃ mādanaṃ caiva saṃtāpanavilāpane || 1-56-7 ||

He launched the Manava, the Mohana, the Gandharva, the Svapana, the Jrimbhana, the Madana, and also the Santapana and the Vilapana.

Shloka 8 (bala.56.8)

शोषणं दारणं चैव वज्रमस्त्रं सुदुर्जयम्। ब्रह्मपाशं कालपाशं वारुणं पाशमेव च ॥ १-५६-८ ॥

śoṣaṇaṃ dāraṇaṃ caiva vajramastraṃ sudurjayam| brahmapāśaṃ kālapāśaṃ vāruṇaṃ pāśameva ca || 1-56-8 ||

He also released the Shoshana, the Darana, the invincible Vajra missile, the noose of Brahma, the noose of Time, and the noose of Varuna.

Shloka 9 (bala.56.9)

पैनाकास्त्रं च दयितं शुष्कार्द्रे अशनी तथा। दण्डास्त्रमथ पैशाचं क्रौञ्चमस्त्रं तथैव च ॥ १-५६-९ ॥

painākāstraṃ ca dayitaṃ śuṣkārdre aśanī tathā| daṇḍāstramatha paiśācaṃ krauñcamastraṃ tathaiva ca || 1-56-9 ||

And the Pinaka missile, the favoured Dayita, the dry and moist Ashani, then the Danda missile, the Paishacha, and likewise the Kraunca missile.

Shloka 10 (bala.56.10)

धर्मचक्रं कालचक्रं विष्णुचक्रं तथैव च। वायव्यं मथनं चैव अस्त्रं हयशिरस्तथा ॥ १-५६-१० ॥

dharmacakraṃ kālacakraṃ viṣṇucakraṃ tathaiva ca| vāyavyaṃ mathanaṃ caiva astraṃ hayaśirastathā || 1-56-10 ||

The Discus of Dharma, the Discus of Time, and likewise the Discus of Vishnu; the Vayavya, the Mathana, and the missile called Hayashiras.

Shloka 11 (bala.56.11)

शक्तिद्वयं च चिक्षेप कंकालं मुसलं तथा। वैद्याधरं महास्त्रं च कालास्त्रमथ दारुणम् ॥ १-५६-११ ॥

śaktidvayaṃ ca cikṣepa kaṃkālaṃ musalaṃ tathā| vaidyādharaṃ mahāstraṃ ca kālāstramatha dāruṇam || 1-56-11 ||

He hurled the pair of Shakti missiles, the Kankala, the Musala, the great Vaidyadhara missile, and then the fearsome Kala missile.

Shloka 12 (bala.56.12)

त्रिशूलमस्त्रं घोरं च कापालमथ कंकणम्। एतान्यस्त्राणि चिक्षेप सर्वाणि रघुनंदन ॥ १-५६-१२ ॥

triśūlamastraṃ ghoraṃ ca kāpālamatha kaṃkaṇam| etānyastrāṇi cikṣepa sarvāṇi raghunaṃdana || 1-56-12 ||

The terrible Trishula missile, then the Kapala and the Kankana - all these missiles, O delight of Raghu's line, he hurled.

Shloka 13 (bala.56.13)

वसिष्ठे जपतां श्रेष्ठे तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्। तानि सर्वाणि दण्डेन ग्रसते ब्रह्मणः सुतः ॥ १-५६-१३ ॥

vasiṣṭhe japatāṃ śreṣṭhe tadadbhutamivābhavat| tāni sarvāṇi daṇḍena grasate brahmaṇaḥ sutaḥ || 1-56-13 ||

Against Vashishtha, best of those absorbed in prayer, it all became like a wonder - Brahma's son swallowed all of them with his staff.

Shloka 14 (bala.56.14)

तेषु शांतेषु ब्रह्मास्त्रं क्षिप्तवान् गाधिनंदनः। तदस्त्रमुद्यतं दृष्ट्वा देवाः साग्निपुरोगमाः ॥ १-५६-१४ ॥

teṣu śāṃteṣu brahmāstraṃ kṣiptavān gādhinaṃdanaḥ| tadastramudyataṃ dṛṣṭvā devāḥ sāgnipurogamāḥ || 1-56-14 ||

When all those were quelled, the son of Gadhi launched the Brahma-missile. Seeing that weapon raised up, the gods, with Agni at their head,

Shloka 15 (bala.56.15)

देवर्षयश्च संभ्रांता गंधर्वाः समहोरगाः। त्रैलोक्यमासीत् संत्रस्तं ब्रह्मास्त्रे समुदीरिते ॥ १-५६-१५ ॥

devarṣayaśca saṃbhrāṃtā gaṃdharvāḥ samahoragāḥ| trailokyamāsīt saṃtrastaṃ brahmāstre samudīrite || 1-56-15 ||

the divine sages, the gandharvas, together with the great serpents, were thrown into confusion; the three worlds became terrified as the Brahma-missile was unleashed.

Shloka 16 (bala.56.16)

तदप्यस्त्रं महाघोरं ब्राह्मं ब्राह्मेण तेजसा। वसिष्ठो ग्रसते सर्वं ब्रह्मदण्डेन राघव ॥ १-५६-१६ ॥

tadapyastraṃ mahāghoraṃ brāhmaṃ brāhmeṇa tejasā| vasiṣṭho grasate sarvaṃ brahmadaṇḍena rāghava || 1-56-16 ||

That most terrible Brahma-weapon too, O descendant of Raghu, Vashishtha wholly consumed with the Brahma-staff, through his own Brahmic radiance.

Shloka 17 (bala.56.17)

ब्रह्मास्त्रं ग्रसमानस्य वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः। त्रैलोक्यमोहनं रौद्रं रूपमासीत् सुदारुणम् ॥ १-५६-१७ ॥

brahmāstraṃ grasamānasya vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ| trailokyamohanaṃ raudraṃ rūpamāsīt sudāruṇam || 1-56-17 ||

As the great-souled Vashishtha swallowed the Brahma-missile, his form became terrifying and dreadful, bewildering the three worlds.

Shloka 18 (bala.56.18)

रोमकूपेषु सर्वेषु वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः। मरीच्य इव निष्पेतुरग्नेर्धूमाकुलार्चिषः ॥ १-५६-१८ ॥

romakūpeṣu sarveṣu vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ| marīcya iva niṣpeturagnerdhūmākulārciṣaḥ || 1-56-18 ||

From every pore of the great-souled Vashishtha's body there shot forth rays like flames of fire mingled with smoke.

Shloka 19 (bala.56.19)

प्राज्वलत् ब्रह्मदण्डश्च वसिष्ठस्य करोद्यतः। विधूम इव कालाग्निर्यमदण्ड इवापरः ॥ १-५६-१९ ॥

prājvalat brahmadaṇḍaśca vasiṣṭhasya karodyataḥ| vidhūma iva kālāgniryamadaṇḍa ivāparaḥ || 1-56-19 ||

The Brahma-staff, raised up in Vashishtha's hand, blazed forth like the smokeless fire of Time, like another rod of Yama.

Shloka 20 (bala.56.20)

ततोऽस्तुवन् मुनिगणा वसिष्ठं जपतां वरम्। अमोघं ते बलं ब्रह्मंस्तेजो धारय तेजसा ॥ १-५६-२० ॥

tato'stuvan munigaṇā vasiṣṭhaṃ japatāṃ varam| amoghaṃ te balaṃ brahmaṃstejo dhāraya tejasā || 1-56-20 ||

Then the assembled sages praised Vashishtha, best of those who pray, saying: "Unfailing is your might, O Brahmin; restrain this fire with your own fiery power."

Shloka 21 (bala.56.21)

निगृहीतस्त्वया ब्रह्मन् विश्वामित्रो महातपाः। प्रसीद जपतां श्रेष्ठलोकाः सन्तु गतव्यथाः ॥ १-५६-२१ ॥

nigṛhītastvayā brahman viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ| prasīda japatāṃ śreṣṭhalokāḥ santu gatavyathāḥ || 1-56-21 ||

"Great-ascetic Vishvamitra has been subdued by you, O Brahmin. Be gracious, O best of those who pray; let the worlds be freed of their distress."

Shloka 22 (bala.56.22)

एवमुक्तो महातेजाः शमं चक्रे महातपाः। विश्वामित्रोऽपि निकृतो विनिःश्वस्येदमब्रवीत् ॥ १-५६-२२ ॥

evamukto mahātejāḥ śamaṃ cakre mahātapāḥ| viśvāmitro'pi nikṛto viniḥśvasyedamabravīt || 1-56-22 ||

Thus addressed, the greatly resplendent, great ascetic composed himself. Vishvamitra too, humbled, sighing deeply, spoke this:

Shloka 23 (bala.56.23)

धिग्बलं क्षत्रियबलं ब्रह्मतेजोबलं बलम्। एकेन ब्रह्मदण्डेन सर्वास्त्राणि हतानि मे ॥ १-५६-२३ ॥

dhigbalaṃ kṣatriyabalaṃ brahmatejobalaṃ balam| ekena brahmadaṇḍena sarvāstrāṇi hatāni me || 1-56-23 ||

"Fie upon the strength of Kshatriya might! The strength of Brahmin radiance is the true strength - by a single Brahma-staff all my missiles have been destroyed."

Shloka 24 (bala.56.24)

तदेतत् समवेक्ष्याहं प्रसन्नेन्द्रियमानसः। तपो महत् समास्थास्ये यद्वै ब्रह्मत्वकारणम् ॥ १-५६-२४ ॥

tadetat samavekṣyāhaṃ prasannendriyamānasaḥ| tapo mahat samāsthāsye yadvai brahmatvakāraṇam || 1-56-24 ||

"Having considered this, with senses and mind made tranquil, I shall undertake that great austerity which is indeed the very cause of attaining Brahminhood."