← 1.62.1 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 62: Story of Viśvāmitra: Menakā and the unfinished mastery of desire · 1.62.3 →
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.62.2
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 the thousand years, Brahmā recognizes Viśvāmitra as a ṛṣi → Viśvāmitra continues his austerities
1.62.2
abravīt sumahātejā brahmā suruciraṃ vacaḥ
ṛṣis tvam asi bhadraṃ te svārjitaiḥ karmabhiḥ śubhaiḥ
Brahmā of very great splendor spoke a most lovely word: “You are (now) a ṛṣi — blessings on you! — by reason of your well-earned holy deeds.”
Words: abravīt — spoke; sumahātejā — of very great splendor; brahmā — Brahmā; suruciraṃ — most lovely, pleasing; vacaḥ — word; ṛṣis — a ṛṣi, seer; tvam — you; asi — are; bhadraṃ te — blessings on you; svārjitaiḥ — by well-earned; karmabhiḥ — by deeds; śubhaiḥ — holy, auspicious
Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.