# Bāla Kāṇḍa 20 — Vasiṣṭha’s intervention: The promise and Viśvāmitra’s powers *Viśvāmitra threatens to leave, Vasiṣṭha urges Daśaratha to honour his promise and assures him of the ṛṣi’s power to protect Rāma* Portion: Viśvāmitra’s request and Rāma’s departure · Verses: 19 · Ref format: 1.20. ## Sequence - Viśvāmitra angrily accuses Daśaratha of breaking his word and disgracing his dynasty → he threatens to depart → the earth trembles and the Suras grow afraid at his anger (20.1–4) - Vasiṣṭha intervenes, reminding Daśaratha of his duty and warning that a broken promise would destroy the merit of his sacrifices and good works (20.5–8) - he assures him that Rāma will be safe under Viśvāmitra's protection, trained or untrained (20.9) - he describes Viśvāmitra's unmatched wisdom, austerity, and mastery of weapons (20.10–12) - the divine weapons were given to Viśvāmitra while he was King: a hundred mighty sons of Kṛśāśva, born through Dakṣa's daughters Jayā and Suprabhā, fifty from each (20.13–17) - Viśvāmitra knows them all and can create others → Vasiṣṭha urges Daśaratha to put aside his doubts (20.18–19). ## Verses **1.20.1** tac chrutvā vacanaṃ tasya snehaparyākulākṣaram samanyuḥ kauśiko vākyaṃ pratyuvaca mahīpatim Hearing that speech of his, its syllables faltering with affection, the Kauśika (Viśvāmitra), full of anger, replied to the king: **1.20.2** pūrvam arthaṃ pratiśrutya pratijñāṃ hātum icchasi rāgavāṇām ayukto 'yaṃ kulasyāsya viparyayaḥ Having first promised the matter, you now wish to abandon your pledge; this reversal, unworthy of the Rāghavas, is a disgrace to this line. **1.20.3** yad idaṃ te kṣamaṃ rājan gamiṣyāmi yathāgatam mithyāpratijñaḥ kākutstha sukhī bhava sabāndhavaḥ If this seems fitting to you, O king, I shall go as I came; false to your promise, O Kākutstha, live happily with your kinsmen. **1.20.4** tasya roṣaparītasya viśvāmitrasya dhīmataḥ cacāla vasudhā kṛtsnā viveśa ca bhayaṃ surān As that wise Viśvāmitra was overcome with wrath, the whole earth trembled, and fear entered the gods. **1.20.5** trastarūpaṃ tu vijñāya jagat sarvaṃ mahān ṛṣiḥ nṛpatiṃ suvrato dhīro vasiṣṭho vākyam abravīt Perceiving that the whole world had become terrified, the great seer Vasiṣṭha, of good vows and steadfast, spoke these words to the king: **1.20.6** ikṣvākūṇāṃ kule jātaḥ sākṣād dharma ivāparaḥ dhṛtimānsuvrataḥ śrīmān na dharmaṃ hātum arhasi Born in the line of the Ikṣvākus, like a second Dharma made manifest — resolute, of good vows, illustrious — you ought not to abandon dharma. **1.20.7** triṣu lokeṣu vikhyāto dharmātmā iti rāghavaḥ svadharmaṃ pratipadyasva nādharmaṃ voḍhum arhasi Renowned in the three worlds as 'the righteous,' O Rāghava — take up your own dharma; you ought not to bear the burden of unrighteousness. **1.20.8** saṃśrutyaivaṃ kariṣyāmīty akurvāṇasya rāghava iṣṭāpūrtavadho bhūyāt tasmād rāmaṃ visarjaya Having promised 'I will do thus,' if you fail to do it, O Rāghava, the destruction of the merit of your sacrifices and pious works would follow; therefore send Rāma forth. **1.20.9** kṛtāstram akṛtāstraṃ vā nainaṃ śakṣyanti rākṣasāḥ guptaṃ kuśikaputreṇa jvalanenāmṛtaṃ yathā Whether trained in weapons or untrained, the rākṣasas will not be able (to harm) him, guarded by the son of Kuśika, as nectar (is guarded) by fire. **1.20.10** eṣa vigrahavān dharma eṣa vīryavatāṃ varaḥ eṣa buddhyādhiko loke tapasaś ca parāyaṇam He is dharma embodied; he is the best of the mighty; he surpasses all in wisdom in the world, and is the highest resort of austerity. **1.20.11** eṣo 'strān vividhān vetti trailokye sacarācare nainam anyaḥ pumān vetti na ca vetsyanti ke cana He knows the various weapons that exist in the three worlds with all that moves and moves not; no other man knows them as he does, nor will any ever know them. **1.20.12** na devā narṣayaḥ ke cin nāsurā na ca rākṣasāḥ gandharvayakṣapravarāḥ sakiṃnaramahoragāḥ Neither the gods, nor any of the seers, nor the asuras, nor the rākṣasas, nor the chief of the gandharvas and yakṣas, with the kinnaras and great serpents (know them). **1.20.13** sarvāstrāṇi kṛśāśvasya putrāḥ paramadhārmikāḥ kauśikāya purā dattā yadā rājyaṃ praśāsati All the weapons — the supremely righteous sons of Kṛśāśva — were of old given to the Kauśika, when he was ruling the kingdom. **1.20.14** te 'pi putrāḥ kṛśāśvasya prajāpatisutāsutāḥ nakarūpā mahāvīryā dīptimanto jayāvahāḥ And those sons of Kṛśāśva, the sons born of the daughters of Prajāpati, of manifold forms, of great valour, radiant, bringers of victory — **1.20.15** jayā ca suprabhā caiva dakṣakanye sumadhyame te suvāte 'straśastrāṇi śataṃ parama bhāsvaram Jayā and Suprabhā, the two fair-waisted daughters of Dakṣa — the two bore a hundred weapons and arms, supremely brilliant. **1.20.16** pañcāśataṃ sutāṃl lebhe jayā nāma varān purā vadhāyāsurasainyānām ameyān kāmarūpiṇaḥ Jayā by name of old obtained fifty choice sons, immeasurable, able to take any form, for the slaughter of the armies of the asuras. **1.20.17** suprabhājanayac cāpi putrān pañcāśataṃ punaḥ saṃhārān nāma durdharṣān durākrāmān balīyasaḥ And Suprabhā in turn bore fifty sons called Saṃhāras (Destroyers), invincible, hard to assail, exceedingly powerful. **1.20.18** tāni cāstrāṇi vetty eṣa yathāvat kuśikātmajaḥ apūrvāṇāṃ ca janane śakto bhūyaś ca dharmavit This son of Kuśika knows those weapons duly, and this knower of dharma is furthermore able in the creating of new ones. **1.20.19** evaṃ vīryo mahātejā viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ na rāmagamane rājan saṃśayaṃ gantum arhasi Such is the might of the greatly splendoured Viśvāmitra of great austerity; you ought not, O king, to entertain doubt about Rāma's going.