Shloka 1.56.24
बालकाण्ड ५६: विश्वामित्र–वसिष्ठ अस्त्रसंघर्षः (Visvamitra and Vasistha: Contest of Divine Weapons)
तदेतत्समवेक्ष्याहं प्रसन्नेन्द्रियमानस:।तपो महत्समास्थास्ये यद्वै ब्रह्मत्वकारणम्।।।।
mānavaṃ mohanaṃ caiva gāndharvaṃ svāpanaṃ tathā |
jṛmbhaṇaṃ mādanaṃ caiva saṃtāpanavilāpane ||
śoṣaṇaṃ dāraṇaṃ caiva vajram astraṃ sudurjayam |
brahmapāśaṃ kālapāśaṃ vāruṇaṃ pāśam eva ca ||
painākāstraṃ ca dayitaṃ śuṣkārdrē aśanī ubhe |
daṇḍāstram atha paiśācaṃ krauñcam astraṃ tathaiva ca ||
dharmacakraṃ kālacakraṃ viṣṇucakraṃ tathaiva ca |
vāyavyaṃ mathanaṃ caiva astram hayaśiras tathā ||
śaktidvayaṃ ca cikṣepa kaṅkālaṃ musalaṃ tathā |
vaidyādharaṃ mahāstraṃ ca kālāstram atha dāruṇam ||
triśūlam astraṃ ghoraṃ ca kāpālam atha kaṅkaṇam |
ētāny astrāṇi cikṣepa sarvāṇi raghunandana |
vasiṣṭhe japatāṃ śreṣṭhe tad adbhutam ivābhavat ||
O Rāghava, Viśvāmitra hurled an overwhelming array of weapons—Mānava, Mohana, Gāndharva, Svāpana, Jṛmbhaṇa, Mādana, Saṃtāpana and Vilāpana; Śoṣaṇa and Dāraṇa; the hard-to-defeat Vajra; the Brahma- and Kāla-nooses and Varuṇa’s noose; the Paināka and the cherished Daita; the two thunderbolts, dry and wet; the Daṇḍa, Paiśāca, and Krauñca; the Dharma-, Kāla-, and Viṣṇu-cakras; the Vāyavya, Mathana, and Hayaśiras; the twin Śaktis, Kaṅkāla and Musala; the Vaidyādhara great weapon and the dreadful Kāla-weapon; the fearsome Triśūla, Kāpāla, and Kaṅkaṇa. All these he discharged against Vasiṣṭha, the foremost among those absorbed in japa—and it appeared utterly wondrous.
"Now I have realised the reason. With clear mind and senses, I shall undertake intense penance which will earn me brahminhood".ইত্যার্ষে শ্রীমদ্রামাযণে বাল্মীকীয আদিকাব্যে বালকাণ্ডে ষট্পঞ্চাশস্সর্গ:৷৷Thus ends the fiftysixth sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
The verse illustrates how anger leads to reckless escalation; Dharma emphasizes restraint and the responsible use of power, especially when one possesses extraordinary means.
Viśvāmitra, frustrated, unleashes a vast catalogue of divine weapons against Vasiṣṭha, who is characterized as the foremost practitioner of japa.
Vasiṣṭha’s implied steadiness—rooted in japa and tapas—stands as the counterpoint to weapon-driven fury.