Shloka 17

कामधेनुसैन्यप्रादुर्भावः

Kamadhenu’s Forces, Visvamitra’s Austerities, and Vasishta’s Wrath

Devanagari script

यानि देवेषु चास्त्राणि दानवेषु महर्षिषु।गन्धर्वयक्षरक्षस्सु प्रतिभान्तु ममानघ।।1.55.17।।

Transliteration

yāni deveṣu cāstrāṇi dānaveṣu maharṣiṣu | gandharvayakṣarakṣassu pratibhāntu mamānagha || 1.55.17 ||

Translation

और देवों, दानवों, महर्षियों, गन्धर्वों, यक्षों तथा राक्षसों में जो-जो अस्त्र प्रसिद्ध हैं, हे निष्पाप प्रभो, वे सब मेरे ज्ञान में स्पष्ट रूप से प्रकट हों।

Word by Word

यानिwhatever (those which)

देवेषुamong the gods

चand

अस्त्राणिweapons (missiles)

दानवेषुamong the dānavas

महर्षिषुamong the great sages

गन्धर्वयक्षरक्षस्सुamong gandharvas, yakṣas, and rākṣasas

प्रतिभान्तुlet them appear/flash forth

ममin me / my

अनघO blameless one

Context

O Irreproachable one! whatever weapons are known to devatas, danavas, maharshis, gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas, be revealed to me.

Characters & Entities

Viśvāmitra

Mahādeva (Śiva)

Deva

Dānava

Maharṣi

Gandharva

Yakṣa

Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse raises the dharmic question of how power is held: seeking universal weapon-knowledge implies that moral maturity must match capability, otherwise knowledge becomes a cause of harm.

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra expands his request, asking that all classes of supernatural and human weapon-knowledge become available to him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Intensity of striving for knowledge; implicitly, the need for self-control to govern such knowledge.