# Bāla Kāṇḍa 55 — Story of Viśvāmitra: Vasiṣṭha’s staff absorbs the weapons

*Vasiṣṭha’s staff absorbs every missile, including the Brahmāstra, Viśvāmitra recognizes the superiority of spiritual power and resolves to attain brāhmaṇa status*

Portion: Story of Viśvāmitra · Verses: 24 · Ref format: 1.55.<verse>

## Sequence

- Viśvāmitra raises the fire weapon and challenges Vasiṣṭha (55.1)
- Vasiṣṭha stands his ground, declaring the superiority of spiritual power → his brahman-staff extinguishes the fire weapon like water quenching flame (55.2–5)
- Viśvāmitra releases a succession of divine missiles: weapons of water, wind, sleep, delusion, torment, destruction, divine nooses, discuses, thunderbolts, and others → the staff absorbs them all (55.6–13)
- Viśvāmitra finally releases the Brahmāstra, terrifying devarṣis, gandharvas, great uragas and the three worlds → Vasiṣṭha absorbs that too (55.14–16)
- flames stream from his pores, and his staff blazes with dreadful force (55.17–19)
- the munis praise his victory and ask him to restrain his power for the world's relief → he becomes calm (55.20–22)
- humbled, Viśvāmitra declares that all his warrior power has been defeated by a single staff → he resolves to undertake austerity that will make him a brāhmaṇa (55.23–24).

## Verses

**1.55.1**  
evam ukto vasiṣṭhena viśvāmitro mahābalaḥ  
āgneyam astram utkṣipya tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt  
Thus addressed by Vasiṣṭha, the mighty Viśvāmitra, raising the fire-missile, said, 'Stand! Stand!'

**1.55.2**  
vasiṣṭho bhagavān krodhād idaṃ vacanam abravīt  
The venerable Vasiṣṭha, out of anger, spoke these words:

**1.55.3**  
kṣatrabandho sthito 'smy eṣa yad balaṃ tad vidarśaya  
nāśayāmy eṣa te darpaṃ śastrasya tava gādhija  
'O base kṣatriya, here I stand—show what strength you have; here I destroy your pride and (the power) of your weapon, O son of Gādhi.'

**1.55.4**  
kva ca te kṣatriyabalaṃ kva ca brahmabalaṃ mahat  
paśya brahmabalaṃ divyaṃ mama kṣatriyapāṃsana  
'Where is your kṣatriya strength, and where the great power of brahman? Behold my divine brahman-power, O disgrace of kṣatriyas!'

**1.55.5**  
tasyāstraṃ gādhiputrasya ghoram āgneyam uttamam  
brahmadaṇḍena tac chāntam agner vega ivāmbhasā  
That terrible, supreme fire-missile of the son of Gādhi was quelled by the brahman-staff, as the force of fire is quelled by water.

**1.55.6**  
vāruṇaṃ caiva raudraṃ ca aindraṃ pāśupataṃ tathā  
aiṣīkaṃ cāpi cikṣepa ruṣito gādhinandanaḥ  
The son of Gādhi, enraged, hurled the missile of Varuṇa, and of Rudra, of Indra, of Paśupati, and also the reed-missile;

**1.55.7**  
mānavaṃ mohanaṃ caiva gāndharvaṃ svāpanaṃ tathā  
jṛmbhaṇaṃ mohanaṃ caiva saṃtāpanavilāpane  
the Mānava, the Mohana (deluding), the Gāndharva, and the Svāpana (sleep-inducing), the Jṛmbhaṇa (yawn-causing) and the Mohana, the Saṃtāpana (tormenting) and the Vilāpana (lament-causing)—

**1.55.8**  
śoṣaṇaṃ dāraṇaṃ caiva vajram astraṃ sudurjayam  
brahmapāśaṃ kālapāśaṃ vāruṇaṃ pāśam eva ca  
the Śoṣaṇa (drying-up) and the Dāraṇa (rending), the well-nigh invincible Vajra missile, the noose of Brahmā, the noose of Kāla, and the noose of Varuṇa;

**1.55.9**  
pinākāstraṃ ca dayitaṃ śuṣkārdre aśanī tathā  
daṇḍāstram atha paiśācaṃ krauñcam astraṃ tathāiva ca  
the beloved Pināka missile, the two thunderbolts, dry and moist, then the Daṇḍa missile, the Paiśāca (goblin) missile, and likewise the Krauñca missile;

**1.55.10**  
dharmacakraṃ kālacakraṃ viṣṇucakraṃ tathaiva ca  
vāyavyaṃ mathanaṃ caiva astraṃ hayaśiras tathā  
the discus of Dharma, the discus of Kāla, and likewise the discus of Viṣṇu, the Vāyavya (wind-missile), the Mathana (churning), and the missile Hayaśiras (horse-head);

**1.55.11**  
śaktidvayaṃ ca cikṣepa kaṅkālaṃ musalaṃ tathā  
vaidyādharaṃ mahāstraṃ ca kālāstram atha dāruṇam  
he hurled the pair of spears, the Kaṅkāla (skeleton) and the Musala (mace), the great Vaidyādhara missile, and then the terrible Kāla missile;

**1.55.12**  
triśūlam astraṃ ghoraṃ ca kāpālam atha kaṅkaṇam  
etāny astrāṇi cikṣepa sarvāṇi raghunandana  
the terrible Triśūla (trident) missile, the Kāpāla (skull) and the Kaṅkaṇa (bracelet)—all these missiles he hurled, O delight of the Raghus.

**1.55.13**  
vasiṣṭhe japatāṃ śreṣṭhe tad adbhutam ivābhavat  
tāni sarvāṇi daṇḍena grasate brahmaṇaḥ sutaḥ  
Against Vasiṣṭha, the best of those who mutter prayers, it became like a marvel: the son of Brahmā devoured all of them with his staff.

**1.55.14**  
teṣu śānteṣu brahmāstraṃ kṣiptavān gādhinandanaḥ  
tad astram udyataṃ dṛṣṭvā devāḥ sāgnipurogamāḥ  
When these were quelled, the son of Gādhi hurled the Brahmā-missile; seeing that missile raised, the gods, with Agni at their head,

**1.55.15**  
devarṣayaś ca saṃbhrāntā gandharvāḥ samahoragāḥ  
trailokyam āsīt saṃtrastaṃ brahmāstre samudīrite  
and the divine seers, alarmed, and the gandharvas together with the great serpents—the three worlds were terrified when the Brahmā-missile was raised.

**1.55.16**  
tad apy astraṃ mahāghoraṃ brāhmaṃ brāhmeṇa tejasā  
vasiṣṭho grasate sarvaṃ brahmadaṇḍena rāghava  
But that too—the exceedingly terrible Brahmā-missile—Vasiṣṭha devoured entirely with his brahman-energy and the brahman-staff, O Rāghava.

**1.55.17**  
brahmāstraṃ grasamānasya vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ  
trailokyamohanaṃ raudraṃ rūpam āsīt sudāruṇam  
As the great-souled Vasiṣṭha devoured the Brahmā-missile, his form became fierce, bewildering to the three worlds, and exceedingly dreadful.

**1.55.18**  
romakūpeṣu sarveṣu vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ  
marīcya iva niṣpetur agner dhūmākulārciṣaḥ  
From all the hair-pores of the great-souled Vasiṣṭha there shot forth, like rays, the smoke-clouded flames of fire.

**1.55.19**  
prājvalad brahmadaṇḍaś ca vasiṣṭhasya karodyataḥ  
vidhūma iva kālāgnir yamadaṇḍa ivāparaḥ  
And the brahman-staff, raised in Vasiṣṭha's hand, blazed like a smokeless doomsday fire, like a second staff of Yama.

**1.55.20**  
tato 'stuvan munigaṇā vasiṣṭhaṃ japatāṃ varam  
amoghaṃ te balaṃ brahmaṃs tejo dhāraya tejasā  
Then the hosts of sages praised Vasiṣṭha, the best of those who mutter prayers: 'Your power is unfailing, O brahmin; restrain your energy with (your own) energy.'

**1.55.21**  
nigṛhītas tvayā brahman viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ  
prasīda japatāṃ śreṣṭha lokāḥ santu gatavyathāḥ  
'Viśvāmitra, the great ascetic, has been subdued by you, O brahmin; be gracious, O best of those who mutter prayers; let the worlds be freed of their distress.'

**1.55.22**  
evam ukto mahātejāḥ śamaṃ cakre mahātapāḥ  
viśvāmitro 'pi nikṛto viniḥśvasyedam abravīt  
Thus addressed, the great ascetic of great splendour grew calm; and Viśvāmitra, humbled, heaving a sigh, said this:

**1.55.23**  
dhig balaṃ kṣatriyabalaṃ brahmatejobalaṃ balam  
ekena brahmadaṇḍena sarvāstrāṇi hatāni me  
'Fie on strength—the strength of a kṣatriya! The power of brahman-energy is (the true) strength: with a single brahman-staff all my missiles have been destroyed.'

**1.55.24**  
tad etat samavekṣyāhaṃ prasannendriyamānasaḥ  
tapo mahat samāsthāsye yad vai brahmatvakārakam  
'Reflecting on this, I, with senses and mind made serene, shall undertake a great austerity that will make me a brahmin.'