# Bāla Kāṇḍa 27 — Divine weapons: Rāma learns their withdrawal *Rāma learns their withdrawal, permits the embodied powers to depart and asks about the beautiful hermitage ahead* Portion: The divine weapons · Verses: 18 · Ref format: 1.27. ## Sequence - As they walk, Rāma’s face beams → he declares that, having received the weapons, he is now unassailable even by the Suras, but also wants to learn their withdrawal or recall, saṃhāra (27.1–2) - Viśvāmitra teaches their withdrawal and names the associated powers, including Satyavat, Satyakīrti, Kāmarūpa, Moha, Āvaraṇa, and Jṛmbhaka (27.3–9) - these radiant, shape-changing sons of Bhṛśāśva appear in embodied form and ask for Rāma's commands (27.10–11) - he permits them to go where they wish, asking that they dwell in his mind and help when needed → they circle him reverently and depart (27.12–13) - continuing onward, Rāma notices a beautiful grove gleaming like a cloud beside a mountain, full of deer and sweet-voiced birds → contrasting it with the terrifying forest they have left, he asks whether this is the hermitage troubled by the rākṣasas (27.14–18). ## Verses **1.27.1** pratigṛhya tato 'strāṇi prahṛṣṭavadanaḥ śuciḥ gacchann eva ca kākutstho viśvāmitram athābravīt Having received the weapons, his face beaming and pure, Kākutstha, even as he walked along, then said to Viśvāmitra: **1.27.2** gṛhītāstro 'smi bhagavan durādharṣaḥ surair api astrāṇāṃ tv aham icchāmi saṃhāraṃ munipuṃgava “I have taken up the weapons, O venerable one, and am now unassailable even by the gods; but I wish, O bull among sages, to know their withdrawal.” **1.27.3** evaṃ bruvati kākutsthe viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ saṃhāraṃ vyājahārātha dhṛtimān suvrataḥ śuciḥ As Kākutstha spoke thus, the great sage Viśvāmitra — steadfast, of firm vows, and pure — then declared the means of withdrawal: **1.27.4** satyavantaṃ satyakīrtiṃ dhṛṣṭaṃ rabhasam eva ca pratihārataraṃ nāma parāṅmukham avāṅmukham Satyavat and Satyakīrti, Dhṛṣṭa and Rabhasa, the one named Pratihāratara, Parāṅmukha and Avāṅmukha, **1.27.5** lakṣākṣaviṣamau caiva dṛḍhanābhasunābhakau daśākṣaśatavaktrau ca daśaśīrṣaśatodarau Lakṣākṣa and Viṣama, and Dṛḍhanābha and Sunābha, Daśākṣa and Śatavaktra, and Daśaśīrṣa and Śatodara, **1.27.6** padmanābhamahānābhau dundunābhasunābhakau jyotiṣaṃ kṛśanaṃ caiva nairāśya vimalāv ubhau Padmanābha and Mahānābha, Dundunābha and Sunābha, and Jyotiṣa and Kṛśana, and both Nairāśya and Vimala, **1.27.7** yaugandharaharidrau ca daityapramathanau tathā pitryaṃ saumanasaṃ caiva vidhūtamakarāv ubhau Yaugandhara and Haridra, and likewise the two Daityapramathanas (crushers of the Daityas), and Pitrya and Saumanasa, and both Vidhūta and Makara, **1.27.8** karavīrakaraṃ caiva dhanadhānyau ca rāghava kāmarūpaṃ kāmaruciṃ moham āvaraṇaṃ tathā and Karavīrakara, and Dhana and Dhānya, O Rāghava; Kāmarūpa and Kāmaruci, and Moha and Āvaraṇa likewise, **1.27.9** jṛmbhakaṃ sarvanābhaṃ ca santānavaraṇau tathā bhṛśāśvatanayān rāma bhāsvarān kāmarūpiṇaḥ Jṛmbhaka and Sarvanābha, and the two Santāna and Varaṇa likewise — these radiant sons of Bhṛśāśva, O Rāma, able to take any form at will — **1.27.10** pratīccha mama bhadraṃ te pātrabhūto 'si rāghava divyabhāsvaradehāś ca mūrtimantaḥ sukhapradāḥ receive them from me; blessings on you, for you are a worthy vessel, O Rāghava. And with divine, radiant bodies, embodied and bringing joy, **1.27.11** rāmaṃ prāñjalayo bhūtvābruvan madhurabhāṣiṇaḥ ime sma naraśārdūla śādhi kiṃ karavāma te with palms joined and speaking sweetly, they said to Rāma: “Here we are, O tiger among men; command us — what shall we do for you?” **1.27.12** gamyatām iti tān āha yatheṣṭaṃ raghunandanaḥ mānasāḥ kāryakāleṣu sāhāyyaṃ me kariṣyatha “Go where you please,” the delight of the Raghus said to them; “dwelling in my mind, in times of need you shall render me aid.” **1.27.13** atha te rāmam āmantrya kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇam evam astv iti kākutstham uktvā jagmur yathāgatam Then they, taking leave of Rāma and circumambulating him reverently, said to Kākutstha “So be it,” and departed as they had come. **1.27.14** sa ca tān rāghavo jñātvā viśvāmitraṃ mahāmunim gacchann evātha madhuraṃ ślakṣṇaṃ vacanam abravīt And Rāghava, having taken note of them, then, even as he walked on, spoke to the great sage Viśvāmitra these sweet and gentle words: **1.27.15** kiṃ nv etan meghasaṃkāśaṃ parvatasyāvidūrataḥ vṛkṣaṣaṇḍam ito bhāti paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me “What is this, resembling a cloud, that gleams yonder near the mountain — this grove of trees? For great indeed is my curiosity. **1.27.16** darśanīyaṃ mṛgākīrṇaṃ manoharam atīva ca nānāprakāraiḥ śakunair valgubhāṣair alaṃkṛtam Lovely to behold, thronged with deer, and exceedingly charming, adorned with sweet-voiced birds of many kinds. **1.27.17** niḥsṛtāḥ sma muniśreṣṭha kāntārād romaharṣaṇāt anayā tv avagacchāmi deśasya sukhavattayā We have come out, O best of sages, from that hair-raising wilderness; and by this pleasantness of the region I perceive that we are near a dwelling. **1.27.18** sarvaṃ me śaṃsa bhagavan kasyāśramapadaṃ tv idam saṃprāptā yatra te pāpā brahmaghnā duṣṭacāriṇaḥ Tell me all, O venerable one: whose hermitage is this, where those sinful, brahmin-slaying evildoers have come?”