# Bāla Kāṇḍa 26 — Divine weapons: Viśvāmitra grants the powers *Viśvāmitra teaches the weapon-mantras, the powers appear and offer service, Rāma asks them to answer whenever summoned* Portion: The divine weapons · Verses: 25 · Ref format: 1.26. ## Sequence - The next morning Viśvāmitra smiles and speaks sweetly to Rāma → pleased with him and filled with affection, he offers him astras powerful enough to overcome Devas, asuras, gandharvas and uragas (26.1–3) - he names the discuses of Daṇḍa, Dharma, Kāla, Viṣṇu, and Indra; the thunderbolt, Śiva's trident, Brahmaśiras, Aiṣīka, and the Brahmāstra (26.4–7) - he adds the maces Modakī and Śikharī, the nooses of Dharma, Kāla, and Varuṇa, and the dry and moist thunderbolts (26.7–9) - further gifts include the Paināka, Nārāyaṇa, fire and wind weapons, Hayaśiras, Krauñca, spears, swords, and weapons associated with asuras, vidyādharas, and gandharvas (26.10–14) - he gives weapons that induce sleep, pacify, dry up, torment, inflame desire, or delude, along with others that draw away an enemy's energy or bring cold (26.15–20) - pure and composed, Viśvāmitra stands facing east and murmurs the mantras → the weapons appear in person before Rāma, join their palms, and offer themselves as his servants (26.21–23) - Rāma accepts them and touches them with his hand, asking them to be present in his mind whenever summoned → he salutes his teacher and resumes the journey (26.24–25). ## Verses **1.26.1** atha tāṃ rajanīm uṣya viśvāmiro mahāyaśāḥ prahasya rāghavaṃ vākyam uvāca madhurākṣaram Then, having passed that night, the greatly illustrious Viśvāmitra, smiling, spoke to Rāghava words of sweet syllables: **1.26.2** patituṣṭo 'smi bhadraṃ te rājaputra mahāyaśaḥ prītyā paramayā yukto dadāmy astrāṇi sarvaśaḥ “I am well pleased — blessings on you, O illustrious prince! Filled with the highest affection, I give you all the weapons, **1.26.3** devāsuragaṇān vāpi sagandharvoragān api yair amitrān prasahyājau vaśīkṛtya jayiṣyasi the weapons by which you shall overpower and subdue your enemies in battle and conquer them — even the hosts of gods and asuras, together with the gandharvas and serpents. **1.26.4** tāni divyāni bhadraṃ te dadāmy astrāṇi sarvaśaḥ daṇḍacakraṃ mahad divyaṃ tava dāsyāmi rāghava Those divine weapons — blessings on you — I give you all of them. The great divine Daṇḍa discus I shall give you, O Rāghava, **1.26.5** dharmacakraṃ tato vīra kālacakraṃ tathaiva ca viṣṇucakraṃ tathātyugram aindraṃ cakraṃ tathaiva ca and then the Dharma discus, O hero, and likewise the Kāla (Time) discus, the Viṣṇu discus, exceedingly fierce, and the discus of Indra as well; **1.26.6** vajram astraṃ naraśreṣṭha śaivaṃ śūlavaraṃ tathā astraṃ brahmaśiraś caiva aiṣīkam api rāghava the thunderbolt weapon, O best of men, and likewise the excellent trident of Śiva; and also the weapon Brahmaśiras and the Aiṣīka, O Rāghava. **1.26.7** dadāmi te mahābāho brāhmam astram anuttamam gade dve caiva kākutstha modakī śikharī ubhe I give you, O mighty-armed one, the peerless Brahmā weapon; and two maces, O Kākutstha, both Modakī and Śikharī, **1.26.8** pradīpte naraśārdūla prayacchāmi nṛpātmaja dharmapāśam ahaṃ rāma kālapāśaṃ tathaiva ca both blazing, O tiger among men — these I bestow, O prince. And I give you the noose of Dharma, O Rāma, and likewise the noose of Kāla (Death), **1.26.9** vāruṇaṃ pāśam astraṃ ca dadāny aham anuttamam aśanī dve prayacchāmi śuṣkārdre raghunandana and the peerless noose-weapon of Varuṇa I also give; and two thunderbolts I bestow, the dry and the moist, O delight of the Raghus. **1.26.10** dadāmi cāstraṃ painākam astraṃ nārāyaṇaṃ tathā āgneyam astra dayitaṃ śikharaṃ nāma nāmataḥ I give too the Paināka weapon (of Śiva's bow) and likewise the Nārāyaṇa weapon; and the cherished fiery (Āgneya) weapon, Śikhara by name, **1.26.11** vāyavyaṃ prathamaṃ nāma dadāmi tava rāghava astraṃ hayaśiro nāma krauñcam astraṃ tathaiva ca the wind-weapon (Vāyavya) called Prathama I give you, O Rāghava; and the weapon named Hayaśiras (Horse-head), and likewise the Krauñca weapon, **1.26.12** śakti dvayaṃ ca kākutstha dadāmi tava cānagha kaṅkālaṃ musalaṃ ghoraṃ kāpālam atha kaṅkaṇam and a pair of spears (śakti), O Kākutstha, I give you as well, O sinless one; the dreadful Kaṅkāla and the mace (musala), the Kāpāla and then the Kaṅkaṇa, **1.26.13** dhārayanty asurā yāni dadāmy etāni sarvaśaḥ vaidyādharaṃ mahāstraṃ ca nandanaṃ nāma nāmataḥ which the asuras bear — all these I give; and the great Vaidyādhara weapon, Nandana by name, **1.26.14** asiratnaṃ mahābāho dadāmi nṛvarātmaja gāndharvam astraṃ dayitaṃ mānavaṃ nāma nāmataḥ the jewel of swords, O mighty-armed son of the best of men, I give; the cherished gāndharva weapon, Mānava by name, **1.26.15** prasvāpanapraśamane dadmi sauraṃ ca rāghava darpaṇaṃ śoṣaṇaṃ caiva saṃtāpanavilāpane the two weapons Prasvāpana and Praśamana (that lull to sleep and pacify) I give, and the solar (Saura) weapon, O Rāghava; the Darpaṇa and the Śoṣaṇa (the drier), and the Saṃtāpana and Vilāpana (that torment and make wail), **1.26.16** madanaṃ caiva durdharṣaṃ kandarpadayitaṃ tathā paiśācam astraṃ dayitaṃ mohanaṃ nāma nāmataḥ pratīccha naraśārdūla rājaputra mahāyaśaḥ and the invincible Madana (passion-weapon), dear to Kandarpa (the god of love); and the cherished piśāca weapon, Mohana (deluder) by name — receive it, O tiger among men, O illustrious prince! **1.26.17** tāmasaṃ naraśārdūla saumanaṃ ca mahābalam saṃvartaṃ caiva durdharṣaṃ mausalaṃ ca nṛpātmaja the Tāmasa, O tiger among men, and the mighty Saumana, and the invincible Saṃvarta, and the Mausala, O prince; **1.26.18** satyam astraṃ mahābāho tathā māyādharaṃ param ghoraṃ tejaḥprabhaṃ nāma paratejo'pakarṣaṇam the Satya (Truth) weapon, O mighty-armed one, and likewise the supreme Māyādhara; the dreadful one called Tejaḥprabha, which draws off the energy of foes. **1.26.19** somāstraṃ śiśiraṃ nāma tvāṣṭram astraṃ sudāmanam dāruṇaṃ ca bhagasyāpi śīteṣum atha mānavam the lunar (Soma) weapon called Śiśira (the Cold), the weapon of Tvaṣṭṛ named Sudāman, the terrible weapon of Bhaga too, and then the cold-arrowed Mānava. **1.26.20** etān nāma mahābāho kāmarūpān mahābalān gṛhāṇa paramodārān kṣipram eva nṛpātmaja These indeed, O mighty-armed one — able to take any form at will, mighty and most excellent — receive at once, O prince. **1.26.21** sthitas tu prāṅmukho bhūtvā śucir nivaratas tadā dadau rāmāya suprīto mantragrāmam anuttamam Then, standing and facing east, pure and composed, well pleased, he gave Rāma the peerless collection of mantras. **1.26.22** japatas tu munes tasya viśvāmitrasya dhīmataḥ upatasthur mahārhāṇi sarvāṇy astrāṇi rāghavam As that wise sage Viśvāmitra murmured the mantras, all those most precious weapons presented themselves before Rāghava. **1.26.23** ūcuś ca muditā rāmaṃ sarve prāñjalayas tadā ime sma paramodāra kiṃkarās tava rāghava And, delighted, all of them then spoke to Rāma with palms joined: “Here we are, O most noble Rāghava — we are your servants.” **1.26.24** pratigṛhya ca kākutsthaḥ samālabhya ca pāṇinā manasā me bhaviṣyadhvam iti tāny abhyacodayat And Kākutstha, having accepted them and touched them with his hand, urged them, saying: “Be present in my mind whenever I call you.” **1.26.25** tataḥ prītamanā rāmo viśvāmitraṃ mahāmunim abhivādya mahātejā gamanāyopacakrame Then Rāma, glad at heart and of great splendour, having saluted the great sage Viśvāmitra, set out to continue on his way.