# Bāla Kāṇḍa 54 — Story of Viśvāmitra: Defeat, Śiva’s weapons and retaliation *His army and sons are destroyed, Viśvāmitra wins Śiva’s weapons through austerity and returns to burn Vasiṣṭha’s hermitage* Portion: Story of Viśvāmitra · Verses: 28 · Ref format: 1.54. ## Sequence - Seeing Śabalā's warriors disordered by the missiles, Vasiṣṭha orders her to produce more (54.1) - Kāmbojas spring from her bellow, Pahlavas from her udder, Yavanas from her womb-region, Śakas from her dung-region, and other peoples from her pores → these forces destroy the King's army (54.2–4) - Viśvāmitra's hundred sons rush at Vasiṣṭha → the ṛṣi burns them and their forces to ashes with a single “huṃ” (54.5–7) - humiliated and desolate, Viśvāmitra installs his surviving son as King and goes to the forest (54.8–11). On the Himālaya's slopes he practices austerity to win Śiva's favor (54.12) - Śiva appears and offers a boon → Viśvāmitra asks for Dhanurveda (the science of archery), with its subsidiary disciplines and secrets, and the astras of Devas, dānavas, maharṣis, gandharvas, yakṣas and rākṣasas → Śiva grants the request and departs (54.13–18) - filled with renewed pride, Viśvāmitra considers Vasiṣṭha already defeated (54.19–20) - he returns and burns the hermitage with his missiles → munis, pupils, animals, and birds flee, leaving it deserted (54.21–24) - Vasiṣṭha calls on them not to fear, condemns the destruction, and raises his staff, blazing like the staff of Death (54.25–28). ## Verses **1.54.1** tatas tān ākulān dṛṣṭvā viśvāmitrāstramohitān vasiṣṭhaś codayām āsa kāmadhuk sṛja yogataḥ Then, seeing them thrown into confusion, bewildered by Viśvāmitra's missiles, Vasiṣṭha urged: 'O wish-cow, bring forth (more) by your power!' **1.54.2** tasyā humbhāravāj jātāḥ kāmbojā ravisaṃnibhāḥ ūdhasas tv atha saṃjātāḥ pahlavāḥ śastrapāṇayaḥ From her 'humbhā' bellow were born Kāmbojas resembling the sun; and from her udder arose Pahlavas, weapons in hand; **1.54.3** yonideśāc ca yavanaḥ śakṛddeśāc chakās tathā romakūpeṣu mecchāś ca harītāḥ sakirātakāḥ and from her womb-region Yavanas, from her dung-region Śakas likewise, and from her hair-pores Mlecchas and Harītas together with Kirātas. **1.54.4** tais tan niṣūditaṃ sainyaṃ viśvamitrasya tatkṣaṇāt sapadātigajaṃ sāśvaṃ sarathaṃ raghunandana By them Viśvāmitra's army was destroyed that very instant, O delight of the Raghus—together with its foot-soldiers, elephants, horses, and chariots. **1.54.5** dṛṣṭvā niṣūditaṃ sainyaṃ vasiṣṭhena mahātmanā viśvāmitrasutānāṃ tu śataṃ nānāvidhāyudham Seeing the army destroyed by the great-souled Vasiṣṭha, the hundred sons of Viśvāmitra, bearing weapons of various kinds, **1.54.6** abhyadhāvat susaṃkruddhaṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ japatāṃ varam huṃkāreṇaiva tān sarvān nirdadāha mahān ṛṣiḥ rushed in great fury upon Vasiṣṭha, the best of those who mutter prayers; but the great seer burnt them all up with a mere 'hum' sound. **1.54.7** te sāśvarathapādātā vasiṣṭhena mahātmanā bhasmīkṛtā muhūrtena viśvāmitrasutās tadā Those sons of Viśvāmitra, with their horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers, were reduced to ashes in an instant by the great-souled Vasiṣṭha. **1.54.8** dṛṣṭvā vināśitān putrān balaṃ ca sumahāyaśāḥ savrīḍaś cintayāviṣṭo viśvāmitro 'bhavat tadā Seeing his sons and his army destroyed, the very illustrious Viśvāmitra then became filled with shame and sunk in thought. **1.54.9** saṃdura iva nirvego bhagnadaṃṣṭra ivoragaḥ uparakta ivādityaḥ sadyo niṣprabhatāṃ gataḥ Like a sea whose surge is stilled, like a serpent with its fangs broken, like the eclipsed sun, he instantly fell into a state of lost brilliance. **1.54.10** hataputrabalo dīno lūnapakṣa iva dvijaḥ hatadarpo hatotsāho nirvedaṃ samapadyata His sons and army slain, wretched, like a bird with its wings clipped, his pride broken and his energy gone, he sank into despair. **1.54.11** sa putram ekaṃ rājyāya pālayeti niyujya ca pṛthivīṃ kṣatradharmeṇa vanam evānvapadyata Appointing his one (remaining) son to the kingship with 'Rule the earth by the law of kṣatriyas,' he betook himself to the forest. **1.54.12** sa gatvā himavatpārśvaṃ kiṃnaroragasevitam mahādevaprasādārthaṃ tapas tepe mahātapāḥ Going to the slopes of Himavat, frequented by kiṃnaras and serpents, the great ascetic practised austerity to win the favour of Mahādeva. **1.54.13** kena cit tv atha kālena deveśo vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ darśayām āsa varado viśvāmitraṃ mahāmunim Then after some time the lord of gods, whose emblem is the bull, the giver of boons, showed himself to Viśvāmitra, the great sage. **1.54.14** kimarthaṃ tapyase rājan brūhi yat te vivakṣitam varado 'smi varo yas te kāṅkṣitaḥ so 'bhidhīyatām 'For what purpose do you practise austerity, O king? Tell me what you wish to say. I am a giver of boons; let whatever boon you desire be named.' **1.54.15** evam uktas tu devena viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ praṇipatya mahādevam idaṃ vacanam abravīt Thus addressed by the god, the great ascetic Viśvāmitra, bowing down to Mahādeva, spoke these words: **1.54.16** yadi tuṣṭo mahādeva dhanurvedo mamānagha sāṅgopāṅgopaniṣadaḥ sarahasyaḥ pradīyatām 'If you are pleased, O Mahādeva, O sinless one, let the science of archery be given to me—with its limbs and sub-limbs and mystic teachings, together with its secret lore.' **1.54.17** yāni deveṣu cāstrāṇi dānaveṣu maharṣiṣu gandharvayakṣarakṣaḥsu pratibhāntu mamānagha 'Whatever missiles exist among the gods, the dānavas, the great seers, and among the gandharvas, yakṣas, and rākṣasas—let them shine forth for me, O sinless one.' **1.54.18** tava prasādād bhavatu devadeva mamepsitam evam astv iti deveśo vākyam uktvā divaṃ gataḥ 'By your grace, O god of gods, let my desire be fulfilled.' 'So be it,' said the lord of gods, and having spoken, went to heaven. **1.54.19** prāpya cāstrāṇi rājarṣir viśvāmitro mahābalaḥ darpeṇa mahatā yukto darpapūrṇo 'bhavat tadā And having obtained the missiles, the royal seer Viśvāmitra of great strength, filled with great pride, then became swollen with arrogance. **1.54.20** vivardhamāno vīryeṇa samudra iva parvaṇi hatam eva tadā mene vasiṣṭham ṛṣisattamam Swelling with power like the sea at the full moon, he then thought Vasiṣṭha, the best of seers, as good as slain. **1.54.21** tato gatvāśramapadaṃ mumocāstrāṇi pārthivaḥ yais tat tapovanaṃ sarvaṃ nirdagdhaṃ cāstratejasā Then, going to the hermitage, the king let loose his missiles, by which that whole penance-grove was burnt up with the fiery power of the weapons. **1.54.22** udīryamāṇam astraṃ tad viśvāmitrasya dhīmataḥ dṛṣṭvā vipradrutā bhītā munayaḥ śataśo diśaḥ Seeing that missile of the wise Viśvāmitra being hurled, the sages fled in terror by the hundreds in every direction. **1.54.23** vasiṣṭhasya ca ye śiṣyās tathaiva mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ vidravanti bhayād bhītā nānādigbhyaḥ sahasraśaḥ And Vasiṣṭha's pupils, and likewise the beasts and birds, terrified, fled in fear by the thousands in all directions. **1.54.24** vasiṣṭhasyāśramapadaṃ śūnyam āsīn mahātmanaḥ muhūrtam iva niḥśabdam āsīd īriṇasaṃnibham The hermitage of the great-souled Vasiṣṭha became empty; for a moment it was silent, resembling a barren waste. **1.54.25** vadato vai vasiṣṭhasya mā bhaiṣṭeti muhur muhuḥ nāśayāmy adya gādheyaṃ nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ Even as Vasiṣṭha said again and again, 'Do not fear; today I shall destroy this son of Gādhi as the sun destroys the mist'— **1.54.26** evam uktvā mahātejā vasiṣṭho japatāṃ varaḥ viśvāmitraṃ tadā vākyaṃ saroṣam idam abravīt Having spoken thus, Vasiṣṭha of great splendour, the best of those who mutter prayers, then addressed this angry word to Viśvāmitra: **1.54.27** āśramaṃ cirasaṃvṛddhaṃ yad vināśitavān asi durācāro 'si yan mūḍha tasmāt tvaṃ na bhaviṣyasi 'Since you have destroyed a hermitage long-established, and since you are of evil conduct, O fool—therefore you shall cease to be.' **1.54.28** ity uktvā paramakruddho daṇḍam udyamya satvaraḥ vidhūma iva kālāgnir yamadaṇḍam ivāparam Having said this, exceedingly enraged, he swiftly raised his staff, like a smokeless doomsday fire, like a second staff of Yama.