# Bāla Kāṇḍa 61 — Story of Viśvāmitra: Two verses save Śunaḥśepa *Śunaḥśepa seeks protection, Viśvāmitra curses his sons for refusing substitution and teaches two verses that preserve the boy’s life and fulfil the sacrifice* Portion: Story of Viśvāmitra · Verses: 27 · Ref format: 1.61. ## Sequence - At midday Ambarīṣa stops at Puṣkara (61.1) - thirsty and exhausted, Śunaḥśepa sees Viśvāmitra and falls into his lap → feeling abandoned by his family, he begs the muni to save him while allowing the King's sacrifice to succeed (61.2–6) - Viśvāmitra comforts him, then asks his own sons to substitute for the boy as the victim (61.7–11) - led by Madhuṣyanda, they mock the request to sacrifice his children for someone else's (61.12–13) - furious at their refusal, he curses them to live on dogs' flesh on earth for a thousand years, like Vasiṣṭha's cursed sons (61.14–16) - he then prepares a protective charm and teaches Śunaḥśepa two divine verses to recite when bound at Viṣṇu's sacrificial post, wearing red garlands and unguents (61.17–19). - Having learned them, Śunaḥśepa urges Ambarīṣa to return quickly and proceed (61.20–21) - at the enclosure, with the priests' assent, the King prepares the boy with the prescribed markings and red clothing and binds him to the post (61.22–23) - Śunaḥśepa praises Indra and Viṣṇu with the verses → pleased, Indra grants him long life → Ambarīṣa obtains the completed sacrifice and its benefits (61.24–26) - Viśvāmitra undertakes another thousand years of austerity at Puṣkara (61.27). ## Verses **1.61.1** śunaḥśepaṃ naraśreṣṭha gṛhītvā tu mahāyaśāḥ vyaśrāmyat puṣkare rājā madhyāhne raghunandana Having taken Śunaḥśepa, O best of men, the greatly glorious king rested at Puṣkara at midday, O delight of the Raghus. **1.61.2** tasya viśramamāṇasya śunaḥśepo mahāyaśāḥ puṣkaraṃ śreṣṭham āgamya viśvāmitraṃ dadarśa ha While he was resting, the glorious Śunaḥśepa, coming to the excellent Puṣkara, saw Viśvāmitra. **1.61.3** viṣaṇṇavadano dīnas tṛṣṇayā ca śrameṇa ca papātāṅke mune rāma vākyaṃ cedam uvāca ha With dejected face, wretched from thirst and exhaustion, he fell into the sage's lap, O Rāma, and spoke these words: **1.61.4** na me 'sti mātā na pitā jñātayo bāndhavāḥ kutaḥ trātum arhasi māṃ saumya dharmeṇa munipuṃgava “I have no mother, no father — where then kinsmen or relatives? You ought to save me by righteousness, gentle one, O bull among sages. **1.61.5** trātā tvaṃ hi muniśreṣṭha sarveṣāṃ tvaṃ hi bhāvanaḥ rājā ca kṛtakāryaḥ syād ahaṃ dīrghāyur avyayaḥ For you are a protector, O best of sages; you are the fosterer of all. Let the king have his purpose accomplished, and let me be long-lived and undecaying. **1.61.6** svargalokam upāśnīyāṃ tapas taptvā hy anuttamam sa me nātho hy anāthasya bhava bhavyena cetasā piteva putraṃ dharmātmaṃs trātum arhasi kilbiṣāt May I enjoy the world of heaven, having practiced unsurpassed austerity. Be that protector of me who am without a protector, with a gracious mind; as a father his son, O righteous one, you ought to save me from harm.” **1.61.7** tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ sāntvayitvā bahuvidhaṃ putrān idam uvāca ha Having heard those words of his, Viśvāmitra of great austerity, having consoled (him) in many ways, spoke this to his sons: **1.61.8** yatkṛte pitaraḥ putrāñ janayanti śubhārthinaḥ paralokahitārthāya tasya kālo 'yam āgataḥ “That for the sake of which fathers, desiring good, beget sons — for the sake of welfare in the other world — that time has now come. **1.61.9** ayaṃ munisuto bālo mattaḥ śaraṇam icchati asya jīvitamātreṇa priyaṃ kuruta putrakāḥ This young son of a sage seeks refuge with me. Do him a kindness merely by (granting) his life, my dear sons. **1.61.10** sarve sukṛtakarmāṇaḥ sarve dharmaparāyaṇāḥ paśubhūtā narendrasya tṛptim agneḥ prayacchata All of you are doers of good deeds, all devoted to dharma; becoming the sacrificial victim for the king, provide satisfaction to the fire. **1.61.11** nāthavāṃś ca śunaḥśepo yajñaś cāvighnato bhavet devatās tarpitāś ca syur mama cāpi kṛtaṃ vacaḥ Thus Śunaḥśepa will have a protector, the sacrifice will proceed without obstruction, the gods will be gratified, and my word too will be fulfilled.” **1.61.12** munes tu vacanaṃ śrutvā madhuṣyandādayaḥ sutāḥ sābhimānaṃ naraśreṣṭha salīlam idam abruvan But hearing the sage's words, the sons headed by Madhuṣyanda, O best of men, spoke this with arrogance and mockery: **1.61.13** katham ātmasutān hitvā trāyase 'nyasutaṃ vibho akāryam iva paśyāmaḥ śvamāṃsam iva bhojane “How is it, O lord, that abandoning your own sons you would save another's son? We regard this as a thing not to be done, like dog's flesh among foods. **1.61.14** teṣāṃ tad vacanaṃ śrutvā putrāṇāṃ munipuṃgavaḥ krodhasaṃraktanayano vyāhartum upacakrame Hearing those words of his sons, the bull among sages, his eyes red with anger, began to speak: **1.61.15** niḥsādhvasam idaṃ proktaṃ dharmād api vigarhitam atikramya tu madvākyaṃ dāruṇaṃ romaharṣaṇam “This that you have shamelessly spoken, transgressing my word, is condemned even by dharma — cruel and hair-raising. **1.61.16** śvamāṃsabhojinaḥ sarve vāsiṣṭhā iva jātiṣu pūrṇaṃ varṣasahasraṃ tu pṛthivyām anuvatsyatha You shall all become eaters of dog's flesh, like the sons of Vasiṣṭha among the (outcast) births, and shall dwell upon the earth for a full thousand years.” **1.61.17** kṛtvā śāpasamāyuktān putrān munivaras tadā śunaḥśepam uvācārtaṃ kṛtvā rakṣāṃ nirāmayām Having subjected his sons to the curse, the best of sages then, having made a flawless protective charm, spoke to the distressed Śunaḥśepa: **1.61.18** pavitrapāśair āsakto raktamālyānulepanaḥ vaiṣṇavaṃ yūpam āsādya vāgbhir agnim udāhara “Bound with sacred cords, wearing red garlands and unguents, approach the sacrificial post of Viṣṇu and invoke the fire with (these) words. **1.61.19** ime tu gāthe dve divye gāyethā muniputraka ambarīṣasya yajñe 'smiṃs tataḥ siddhim avāpsyasi And sing these two divine verses at this sacrifice of Ambarīṣa, O son of a sage; then you shall attain success.” **1.61.20** śunaḥśepo gṛhītvā te dve gāthe susamāhitaḥ tvarayā rājasiṃhaṃ tam ambarīṣam uvāca ha Śunaḥśepa, having learned those two verses, well composed, quickly spoke to that lion among kings, Ambarīṣa: **1.61.21** rājasiṃha mahāsattva śīghraṃ gacchāvahe sadaḥ nivartayasva rājendra dīkṣāṃ ca samupāhara “O lion among kings, O greatly mighty one, let us quickly go to the sacrificial assembly; turn back thither, O king of kings, and undertake the consecration.” **1.61.22** tad vākyam ṛṣiputrasya śrutvā harṣaṃ samutsukaḥ jagāma nṛpatiḥ śīghraṃ yajñavāṭam atandritaḥ Hearing those words of the sage's son, the king, filled with joy and eager, went quickly and untiring to the sacrificial enclosure. **1.61.23** sadasyānumate rājā pavitrakṛtalakṣaṇam paśuṃ raktāmbaraṃ kṛtvā yūpe taṃ samabandhayat With the assent of the officiating priests, the king, having made the victim marked with purificatory signs and clad in red garments, bound him to the post. **1.61.24** sa baddho vāgbhir agryābhir abhituṣṭāva vai surau indram indrānujaṃ caiva yathāvan muniputrakaḥ Bound (there), the sage's son with excellent words duly praised the two gods, Indra and Indra's younger brother (Viṣṇu). **1.61.25** tataḥ prītaḥ sahasrākṣo rahasyastutitarpitaḥ dīrgham āyus tadā prādāc chunaḥśepāya rāghava Then the thousand-eyed one (Indra), pleased, gratified by the secret hymn of praise, granted long life to Śunaḥśepa, O Rāghava. **1.61.26** sa ca rājā naraśreṣṭha yajñasya ca samāptavān phalaṃ bahuguṇaṃ rāma sahasrākṣaprasādajam And that king, O best of men, gained the completion of the sacrifice and its manifold fruit, O Rāma, born of the favor of the thousand-eyed one. **1.61.27** viśvāmitro 'pi dharmātmā bhūyas tepe mahātapāḥ puṣkareṣu naraśreṣṭha daśavarṣaśatāni ca And Viśvāmitra too, the righteous one of great austerity, practiced austerity once more at Puṣkara for another ten hundred years, O best of men.