वदतो वै वसिष्ठस्य मा भैरिति मुहुर्मुहुः। नाशयाम्यद्य गाधेयं नीहारमिव भास्करः
As Vasiṣṭha kept saying again and again, 'Do not fear,' he declared, 'Today I will destroy the son of Gādhi, as the sun dispels the mist.'
एवमुक्त्वा महातेजा वसिष्ठो जपतां वरः। विश्वामित्रं तदा वाक्यं सरोषमिदमब्रवीत्
Having spoken thus, the mighty Vasiṣṭha, foremost among those who recite mantras, addressed these words, filled with anger, to Viśvāmitra.
आश्रमं चिरसंवृद्धं यद् विनाशितवानसि। दुराचारो हि यन्मूढस्तस्मात् त्वं न भविष्यसि
'You have destroyed this hermitage, long nurtured, O deluded one of evil conduct; therefore, you shall not endure.'
इत्युक्त्वा परमक्रुद्धो दण्डमुद्यम्य सत्वरः। विधूम इव कालाग्निर्यमदण्डमिवापरम्
Having said this, extremely enraged, he swiftly raised his staff, resembling the rod of Yama, like a smokeless fire of destruction.
thumb|षट्पञ्चाशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे षट्पञ्चाशः सर्गः ॥१-
Listen to the fifty-sixth sarga.
एवमुक्तो वसिष्ठेन विश्वामित्रो महाबलः। आग्नेयमस्त्रमुद्दिश्य तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत्
Thus addressed by Vasiṣṭha, the mighty Viśvāmitra, aiming the missile of Agni, said, 'Stand, stand!'
ब्रह्मदण्डं समुद्यम्य कालदण्डमिवापरम्। वसिष्ठो भगवान् क्रोधादिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
Raising the Brahma-staff, like another rod of Time, the venerable Vasiṣṭha, enraged, spoke these words.
क्षत्रबन्धो स्थितोऽस्म्येष यद् बलं तद् विदर्शय। नाशयाम्यद्य ते दर्पं शस्त्रस्य तव गाधिज
'O destroyer of the Kṣatriya race, I am standing here—show me your strength! Today I will destroy your pride in weapons, O son of Gādhi.'
क्व च ते क्षत्रियबलं क्व च ब्रह्मबलं महत्। पश्य ब्रह्मबलं दिव्यं मम क्षत्रियपांसन
'Where is your Kṣatriya power, and where is the great power of Brahman? Behold my divine Brahmanic power, O dust of Kṣatriyas!'
तस्यास्त्रं गाधिपुत्रस्य घोरमाग्नेयमुत्तमम्। ब्रह्मदण्डेन तच्छान्तमग्नेर्वेग इवाम्भसा
The terrible and supreme missile of fire, released by the son of Gādhi, was subdued by the Brahma-staff, as the force of fire is subdued by water.
वारुणं चैव रौद्रं च ऐन्द्रं पाशुपतं तथा। ऐषीकं चापि चिक्षेप कुपितो गाधिनन्दनः
Then the son of Gādhi, enraged, released the Varuṇa, Rudra, Indra, Pāśupata, and also the Aiṣīka missiles.
मानवं मोहनं चैव गान्धर्वं स्वापनं तथा। जृम्भणं मादनं चैव संतापनविलापने
He also released the Mānavāstra, the Mohana, the Gāndharva, the Svāpana, the Jṛmbhaṇa, the Mādana, and the Saṃtāpana and Vilāpana missiles.
शोषणं दारणं चैव वज्रमस्त्रं सुदुर्जयम्। ब्रह्मपाशं कालपाशं वारुणं पाशमेव च
He released the Śoṣaṇa, Dāraṇa, the invincible Vajra missile, the Brahma-pāśa, Kāla-pāśa, and the Varuṇa-pāśa as well.
पिनाकमस्त्रं दयितं शुष्कार्द्रे अशनी तथा। दण्डास्त्रमथ पैशाचं क्रौञ्चमस्त्रं तथैव च
He released the beloved Pināka missile, the dry and wet thunderbolt, the Daṇḍa missile, the Paiśāca, and also the Krauñca missile.
धर्मचक्रं कालचक्रं विष्णुचक्रं तथैव च। वायव्यं मथनं चैव अस्त्रं हयशिरस्तथा
He released the Dharma wheel, the Time wheel, the Vishnu wheel, the wind weapon, the churning weapon, and the horse-head missile as well.
शक्तिद्वयं च चिक्षेप कङ्कालं मुसलं तथा। वैद्याधरं महास्त्रं च कालास्त्रमथ दारुणम्
He hurled two spears, the Kankala weapon, the club, the mighty Vidyadhara missile, and then the dreadful Kala missile.
त्रिशूलमस्त्रं घोरं च कापालमथ कङ्कणम्। एतान्यस्त्राणि चिक्षेप सर्वाणि रघुनन्दन
He released the fierce trident weapon, the Kapala missile, and the Kankana missile; all these weapons, O descendant of Raghu, he discharged.
वसिष्ठे जपतां श्रेष्ठे तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्। तानि सर्वाणि दण्डेन ग्रसते ब्रह्मणः सुतः
For Vasiṣṭha, the foremost of those who recite mantras, it was as if a wonder; the son of Brahma consumed all those weapons with his staff.
तेषु शान्तेषु ब्रह्मास्त्रं क्षिप्तवान् गाधिनन्दनः। तदस्त्रमुद्यतं दृष्ट्वा देवाः साग्निपुरोगमाः
When those weapons were subdued, the son of Gadhi released the Brahma missile; seeing that weapon raised, the gods led by Agni,
देवर्षयश्च सम्भ्रान्ता गन्धर्वाः समहोरगाः। त्रैलोक्यमासीत् संत्रस्तं ब्रह्मास्त्रे समुदीरिते
The divine sages were alarmed, as were the Gandharvas and the great serpents; the three worlds were terrified when the Brahma missile was invoked.
तदप्यस्त्रं महाघोरं ब्राह्मं ब्राह्मेण तेजसा। वसिष्ठो ग्रसते सर्वं ब्रह्मदण्डेन राघव
Even that most dreadful Brahma missile, O Rāghava, Vasiṣṭha consumed entirely with the power of his Brahma staff.
ब्रह्मास्त्रं ग्रसमानस्य वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः। त्रैलोक्यमोहनं रौद्रं रूपमासीत् सुदारुणम्
As the great-souled Vasiṣṭha was absorbing the Brahma missile, his form became terribly fierce, bewildering the three worlds.
रोमकूपेषु सर्वेषु वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः। मरीच्य इव निष्पेतुरग्नेर्धूमाकुलार्चिषः
From every hair pore of the great-souled Vasiṣṭha, rays burst forth like the smokeless, blazing flames of fire.
प्राज्वलद् ब्रह्मदण्डश्च वसिष्ठस्य करोद्यतः। विधूम इव कालाग्नेर्यमदण्ड इवापरः
The Brahma staff, raised in Vasiṣṭha's hand, blazed forth, like the smokeless fire of destruction, like another staff of Yama.
ततोऽस्तुवन् मुनिगणा वसिष्ठं जपतां वरम्। अमोघं ते बलं ब्रह्मंस्तेजो धारय तेजसा
Then the hosts of sages praised Vasiṣṭha, the best of those who recite mantras: 'Your power is unfailing, O Brahman; sustain your brilliance with your radiance.'
निगृहीतस्त्वया ब्रह्मन् विश्वामित्रो महाबलः। अमोघं ते बलं श्रेष्ठ लोकाः सन्तु गतव्यथाः
'By you, O Brahman, mighty Viśvāmitra has been subdued; your power is supreme and unfailing—may the worlds be free from fear.'
एवमुक्तो महातेजाः शमं चक्रे महाबलः। विश्वामित्रो विनिकृतो विनिःश्वस्येदमब्रवीत्
Thus addressed, the mighty and radiant one, Vasiṣṭha, calmed himself; Viśvāmitra, defeated, sighed deeply and spoke this.
धिग् बलं क्षत्रियबलं ब्रह्मतेजोबलं बलम्। एकेन ब्रह्मदण्डेन सर्वास्त्राणि हतानि मे
'Fie upon the power of the warrior, the strength of the Kṣatriya; the strength of Brahmanic energy is true strength. With a single Brahma staff, all my weapons have been destroyed.'
तदेतत् प्रसमीक्ष्याहं प्रसन्नेन्द्रियमानसः। तपो महत् समास्थास्ये यद् वै ब्रह्मत्वकारणम्
Reflecting on this, with his senses and mind composed, he said, 'I will undertake great austerity, which alone is the cause of becoming a Brahman.'
thumb|सप्तपञ्चाशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे सप्तपञ्चाशः सर्गः ॥१-
Hear now the fifty-seventh sarga in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa.