Valmiki Ramayana 1.63.6: Bala Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 6
विश्वामित्रस्य तपोविघ्नः, मेनकाप्रसङ्गः, महर्षिपदप्रदानम्
Visvamitra’s Austerity Obstructed; Menaka Episode; Conferment of Maharshi Status
दृष्ट्वा कन्दर्पवशगो मुनिस्तामिदमब्रवीत् ।
अप्सरस्स्वागतं तेऽस्तु वस चेह ममाश्रमे ॥६॥
अनुगृह्णीष्व भद्रं ते मदनेन सुमोहितम् ।
dṛṣṭvā kandarpavaśago munis tām idam abravīt |
apsaraḥ svāgataṃ te 'stu vasa ceha mamāśrame ||6||
anugṛhṇīṣva bhadraṃ te madanena sumohitam |
जब उसने उसे देखा, वो मोह में पड़ गया। उसने कहा, अप्सरा, आपका स्वागत है। मेरे आश्रम में रहो। मुझपर मेहरबानी करो, मैं प्यार में पागल हो गया हूँ।
On seeing her (Menaka) Viswamitra came under the influence of the god of love (fell in love with her). He said, O Apsara! welcome to my hermitage stay here. I am infatuated with you: Oblige me. Wish you well.
FAQs
Dharma requires mastery over desire: even a sage can falter when the mind yields to passion, showing that ethical strength depends on inner discipline (saṃyama).
Viśvāmitra, stirred by desire on seeing Menakā, invites her to stay and openly admits his infatuation.
A cautionary contrast: the virtue needed is restraint, but the verse portrays a lapse—illustrating how quickly tapas can be undermined by kāma.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
