← 1.62.16 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 62: Story of Viśvāmitra: Menakā and the unfinished mastery of desire · 1.62.18 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.62.17

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 62: Story of Viśvāmitra: Menakā and the unfinished mastery of desire. Menakā interrupts his austerity for ten years, renewed effort wins the rank of maharṣi, but Brahmā withholds brahmarṣi until his senses are mastered

In the sequence: After another thousand years, the alarmed Suras ask Brahmā to recognize him as a maharṣi → Brahmā grants that distinction

1.62.17

devatānāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā sarvalokapitāmahaḥ
abravīn madhuraṃ vākyaṃ viśvāmitraṃ tapodhanam

Hearing the gods' word, the Grandsire of all the worlds spoke a gentle word to Viśvāmitra, rich in austerity:

Words: devatānāṃ — of the gods; vacaḥ — word; śrutvā — having heard; sarvalokapitāmahaḥ — the Grandsire of all the worlds; abravīn — spoke; madhuraṃ — gentle, sweet; vākyaṃ — word; viśvāmitraṃ — to Viśvāmitra; tapodhanam — rich in austerity

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.