Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 59, Shloka 18
विश्वामित्रस्य शरणागति-प्रशंसा तथा वासिष्ठपुत्र-शापः
Visvamitra grants refuge; the curse upon Vasishta’s sons
अद्य ते कालपाशेन नीता वैवस्वतक्षयम्।सप्तजातिशतान्येव मृतपस्सन्तु सर्वश:।।1.59.18।।
adya te kāla-pāśena nītā vaivasvata-kṣayam | sapta-jāti-śatāny eva mṛta-pāḥ santu sarvaśaḥ || 1.59.18 ||
Hoy, atrapados por el lazo de la Muerte, que sean llevados a la morada de Yama; y por setecientos nacimientos, que vivan alimentándose de los muertos.
Reborn as the merciless race of mushtikas, feeding on the flesh of dogs, hideous and deformed, they shall wander in these worlds.
FAQs
Actions and speech generate consequences (karma); the verse also cautions that punitive power, when driven by anger, risks becoming ethically excessive.
Viśvāmitra utters a curse specifying death and prolonged degraded rebirths for the offenders.
The narrative highlights the fearful efficacy of ascetic speech (vāg-bala), indirectly teaching that such power should be governed by dharma.