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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.55.23
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: humbled, Viśvāmitra declares that all his warrior power has been defeated by a single staff → he resolves to undertake austerity that will make him a brāhmaṇa.
1.55.23
dhig balaṃ kṣatriyabalaṃ brahmatejobalaṃ balam
ekena brahmadaṇḍena sarvāstrāṇi hatāni me
'Fie on strength—the strength of a kṣatriya! The power of brahman-energy is (the true) strength: with a single brahman-staff all my missiles have been destroyed.'
Words: dhig — fie on, shame on; balaṃ — strength; kṣatriyabalaṃ — the strength of a kṣatriya; brahmatejobalaṃ — the strength of brahman-energy; balam — (is real) strength; ekena — with a single; brahmadaṇḍena — with the brahman-staff; sarvāstrāṇi — all missiles; hatāni — destroyed; me — my
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.