Once again, the earth produced fierce Shakas mingled with Yavanas, and soon the land was covered with these formidable warriors. They shone with radiant might, like golden filaments, armed with sharp swords and spears, and clad in garments of gold. But that entire army was consumed, as though devoured by blazing fire. Then the mighty sage Vishvamitra unleashed his weapons, throwing the Yavanas, Kambojas, and Barbaras into utter confusion. Now, listen to the fifty-fifth sarga in the glorious Valmiki Ramayana, Balakanda. Witnessing his adversaries bewildered by Vishvamitra’s weapons, Vasistha, the great sage, urged his wish-fulfilling cow to create by her yogic power. From her bellowing emerged the Kambojas, radiant as the sun; from her udder came the Barbaras, armed for battle. From the region of her wombs arose the Yavanas, and from the land of her excrement appeared the Shakas. In her hair follicles dwelled the Mlecchas, Haritas, and Kiratas. By these beings, in that very instant, all of Vishvamitra’s forces were destroyed—elephants, horses, and chariots alike. Seeing his army struck down by the great-souled Vasistha, a hundred sons of Vishvamitra, bearing various weapons, rushed forward in fury. Then, exceedingly enraged, Vasistha—foremost among reciters of mantras—advanced upon them. With a mere roar, he burned them all to ashes. The sons of Vishvamitra, along with their horses, chariots, and foot soldiers, were reduced to ashes in a moment by the great-souled Vasistha. Seeing all his forces destroyed, the illustrious Vishvamitra was seized by shame and deep thought. He was like the ocean deprived of its surge, a serpent with broken fangs, or the sun eclipsed—suddenly bereft of brilliance. Deprived of sons and strength, dejected like a bird with clipped wings, all his power and enthusiasm gone, he fell into despair. He then appointed one son to rule the kingdom, instructing him to govern the earth according to the duty of a kshatriya, and departed for the forest. Vishvamitra journeyed to the slopes of the Himalayas, frequented by Kinnaras and serpents, and there undertook severe austerities to win the favor of Mahadeva. After some time, the lord of the gods, the bull-bannered one, appeared before the great sage Vishvamitra, ready to grant him a boon. “For what purpose do you practice austerities, O king?” asked Mahadeva. “Speak what you desire. I am the giver of boons—let your wish be declared.” Bowing to Mahadeva, Vishvamitra replied, “If you are pleased, O sinless Mahadeva, grant me the knowledge of the science of archery, with all its branches, sub-branches, Upaniṣads, and secrets. May all the weapons known among the gods, Dānavas, great sages, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, and Rākṣasas become manifest to me, O sinless one. By your grace, O god of gods, may my wish be fulfilled.” The lord of the gods answered, “So be it,” and departed. Having obtained the weapons from the lord of the gods, the mighty Vishvamitra was filled with great pride. Growing in power like the ocean at the full moon, he considered the eminent sage Vasistha as already slain. Then, returning to the hermitage, the king released his weapons, by which the forest of ascetics, known as Tapovana, was burned up by the power of his missiles. Seeing that weapon, released by the wise Vishvamitra, rising up, hundreds of terrified sages fled in all directions. The disciples of Vasistha, as well as the deer and birds, frightened and panic-stricken, scattered by the thousands in all directions out of fear. For a moment, the hermitage of the great-souled Vasistha became empty and silent, resembling a desert of reeds. Vasistha, repeating again and again, “Do not fear,” declared, “Today I will destroy the son of Gadhi, as the sun dispels the mist.” Having spoken thus, the mighty Vasistha, foremost among those who recite mantras, addressed these words, filled with anger, to Vishvamitra: “You have destroyed this hermitage, long nurtured, O deluded one of evil conduct; therefore, you shall not endure.” Extremely enraged, he swiftly raised his staff, resembling the rod of Yama, like a smokeless fire of destruction. Listen now to the fifty-sixth sarga. Thus addressed by Vasistha, the mighty Vishvamitra, aiming the missile of Agni, challenged, “Stand, stand!” Raising the Brahma-staff, like another rod of Time, the venerable Vasistha, enraged, spoke: “O destroyer of the Kshatriya race, I am standing here—show me your strength! Today I will destroy your pride in weapons, O son of Gadhi. Where is your Kshatriya power, and where is the great power of Brahman? Behold my divine Brahmanic power, O dust of Kshatriyas!” The terrible and supreme missile of fire, released by the son of Gadhi, was subdued by the Brahma-staff, as the force of fire is subdued by water. Then, enraged, Vishvamitra released the Varuna, Rudra, Indra, Pashupata, and also the Aishika missiles. He also released the Manava missile, the Mohana, Gandharva, Swapana, Jrimbhana, Madana, and the Santapana and Vilapana missiles.