# Bāla Kāṇḍa 53 — Story of Viśvāmitra: Śabalā resists seizure *The King seizes Śabalā, she returns to Vasiṣṭha and, with his permission, produces armies to resist the royal forces* Portion: Story of Viśvāmitra · Verses: 23 · Ref format: 1.53. ## Sequence - Viśvāmitra begins dragging Śabalā away (53.1) - distressed, she wonders whether Vasiṣṭha has abandoned her and what wrong she has done (53.2–4) - she shakes off the King's servants, races back to Vasiṣṭha, and asks him why he has let her be taken (53.5–8) - Vasiṣṭha assures her that she is innocent and that he has not given her up, but points to the King's overwhelming military force (53.9–12) - Śabalā insists that spiritual power is greater than royal force and asks permission to fight through his power (53.13–16) - Vasiṣṭha commands her to produce an army (53.17) - hundreds of Pahlavas spring from her bellow and devastate Viśvāmitra's troops → the King kills them with his weapons (53.18–19) - she produces Śakas and Yavanas, who attack with swords and spears → Viśvāmitra answers with his missiles (53.20–23). ## Verses **1.53.1** kāmadhenuṃ vasiṣṭho 'pi yadā na tyajate muniḥ tadāsya śabalāṃ rāma viśvāmitro 'nvakarṣata When the sage Vasiṣṭha still would not give up the wish-cow, then, O Rāma, Viśvāmitra began to drag his Śabalā away. **1.53.2** nīyamānā tu śabalā rāma rājñā mahātmanā duḥkhitā cintayām āsa rudantī śokakarśitā But as Śabalā was being led away by the great king, O Rāma, distressed, weeping, and wasted with grief, she reflected: **1.53.3** parityaktā vasiṣṭhena kim ahaṃ sumahātmanā yāhaṃ rājabhṛtair dīnā hriyeyaṃ bhṛśaduḥkhitā 'Have I then been abandoned by the exceedingly great-souled Vasiṣṭha, that I, wretched and sorely afflicted, should be carried off by the king's servants?' **1.53.4** kiṃ mayāpakṛtaṃ tasya maharṣer bhāvitātmanaḥ yan mām anāgasaṃ bhaktām iṣṭāṃ tyajati dhārmikaḥ 'What wrong have I done to that great sage of purified soul, that the righteous one abandons me—faultless, devoted, and dear?' **1.53.5** iti sā cintayitvā tu niḥśvasya ca punaḥ punaḥ jagāma vegena tadā vasiṣṭhaṃ paramaujasaṃ Having reflected thus and sighing again and again, she then went with speed to Vasiṣṭha of supreme might. **1.53.6** nirdhūya tāṃs tadā bhṛtyāñ śataśaḥ śatrusūdana jagāmānilavegena pādamūlaṃ mahātmanaḥ Shaking off those servants by the hundreds, O slayer of foes, she then sped with the swiftness of the wind to the feet of the great-souled one. **1.53.7** śabalā sā rudantī ca krośantī cedam abravīt vasiṣṭhasyāgrataḥ sthitvā meghadundubhirāviṇī That Śabalā, weeping and crying out, standing before Vasiṣṭha and bellowing like a thunder-cloud and a war-drum, said this: **1.53.8** bhagavan kiṃ parityaktā tvayāhaṃ brahmaṇaḥ suta yasmād rājabhṛtā māṃ hi nayante tvatsakāśataḥ 'O venerable one, O son of Brahmā, why have I been abandoned by you, that the king's servants are leading me away from your presence?' **1.53.9** evam uktas tu brahmarṣir idaṃ vacanam abravīt śokasaṃtaptahṛdayāṃ svasāram iva duḥkhitām Thus addressed, the brahmin-seer spoke these words to her, whose heart was scorched with grief and who was distressed like his own sister: **1.53.10** na tvāṃ tyajāmi śabale nāpi me 'pakṛtaṃ tvayā eṣa tvāṃ nayate rājā balān matto mahābalaḥ 'I am not abandoning you, Śabalā, nor have you done any wrong to me; this mighty king is leading you away from me by force.' **1.53.11** na hi tulyaṃ balaṃ mahyaṃ rājā tv adya viśeṣataḥ balī rājā kṣatriyaś ca pṛthivyāḥ patir eva ca 'For my strength is no match (for his); and the king, moreover, is now especially (strong): the king is mighty, a warrior, and the very lord of the earth.' **1.53.12** iyam akṣauhiṇīpūrṇā savājirathasaṃkulā hastidhvajasamākīrṇā tenāsau balavattaraḥ 'This host is a full akṣauhiṇī, crowded with horses and chariots, thronged with elephants and banners; therefore he is the stronger.' **1.53.13** evam uktā vasiṣṭhena pratyuvāca vinītavat vacanaṃ vacanajñā sā brahmarṣim amitaprabham Thus addressed by Vasiṣṭha, she who knew (the power of) speech replied humbly, with a word, to the brahmin-seer of measureless splendour: **1.53.14** na balaṃ kṣatriyasyāhur brāhmaṇo balavattaraḥ brahman brahmabalaṃ divyaṃ kṣatrāt tu balavattaram 'They say the strength of a kṣatriya is no (true) strength; the brahmin is the stronger. O brahmin, the power of brahman is divine, and mightier than that of the kṣatra.' **1.53.15** aprameyabalaṃ tubhyaṃ na tvayā balavattaraḥ viśvāmitro mahāvīryas tejas tava durāsadam 'Yours is immeasurable strength; Viśvāmitra of great valour is not stronger than you; your energy is hard to withstand.' **1.53.16** niyuṅkṣva māṃ mahātejas tvadbrahmabalasaṃbhṛtām tasya darpaṃ balaṃ yat tan nāśayāmi durātmanaḥ 'Set me to the task, O you of great splendour—me, sustained by the power of your brahman—and I shall destroy the pride and the strength of that evil-souled one.' **1.53.17** ity uktas tu tayā rāma vasiṣṭhaḥ sumahāyaśāḥ sṛjasveti tadovāca balaṃ parabalārujam Thus addressed by her, O Rāma, Vasiṣṭha of very great fame then said, 'Bring forth a host that shatters the enemy's army!' **1.53.18** tasyā humbhāravotsṛṣṭāḥ pahlavāḥ śataśo nṛpa nāśayanti balaṃ sarvaṃ viśvāmitrasya paśyataḥ From her 'humbhā' bellow there sprang forth Pahlavas by the hundreds, O king, and they destroyed all of Viśvāmitra's army as he looked on. **1.53.19** sa rājā paramakruddhaḥ krodhavisphāritekṣaṇaḥ pahlavān nāśayām āsa śastrair uccāvacair api That king, exceedingly enraged, his eyes wide with wrath, destroyed the Pahlavas with weapons of every sort. **1.53.20** viśvāmitrārditān dṛṣṭvā pahlavāñ śataśas tadā bhūya evāsṛjad ghorāñ śakān yavanamiśritān Seeing the Pahlavas afflicted by Viśvāmitra by the hundreds, she then again brought forth terrible Śakas mingled with Yavanas. **1.53.21** tair āsīt saṃvṛtā bhūmiḥ śakair yavanamiśritaiḥ prabhāvadbhir mahāvīryair hemakiñjalkasaṃnibhaiḥ By those Śakas mingled with Yavanas—powerful, of great valour, gleaming like the golden filaments of a lotus—the earth was covered over. **1.53.22** dīrghāsipaṭṭiśadharair hemavarṇāmbarāvṛtaiḥ nirdagdhaṃ tad balaṃ sarvaṃ pradīptair iva pāvakaiḥ By those bearing long swords and paṭṭiśa-spears and clad in gold-coloured garments, that whole army was burnt up as if by blazing fires. **1.53.23** tato 'strāṇi mahātejā viśvāmitro mumoca ha Then Viśvāmitra of great splendour let loose his missiles.