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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.55.16

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 55: Story of Viśvāmitra: Vasiṣṭha’s staff absorbs the weapons. Vasiṣṭha’s staff absorbs every missile, including the Brahmāstra, Viśvāmitra recognizes the superiority of spiritual power and resolves to attain brāhmaṇa status

In the sequence: Viśvāmitra finally releases the Brahmāstra, terrifying devarṣis, gandharvas, great uragas and the three worlds → Vasiṣṭha absorbs that too

1.55.16

tad apy astraṃ mahāghoraṃ brāhmaṃ brāhmeṇa tejasā
vasiṣṭho grasate sarvaṃ brahmadaṇḍena rāghava

But that too—the exceedingly terrible Brahmā-missile—Vasiṣṭha devoured entirely with his brahman-energy and the brahman-staff, O Rāghava.

Words: tad apy — that too; astraṃ — missile; mahāghoraṃ — exceedingly terrible; brāhmaṃ — the Brahmā-(missile); brāhmeṇa — with the brahman-(energy); tejasā — with energy; vasiṣṭho — Vasiṣṭha; grasate — devours, swallows; sarvaṃ — whole, entire; brahmadaṇḍena — with the brahman-staff; rāghava — O Rāghava

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.