Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 55, Shloka 8
कामधेनुसैन्यप्रादुर्भावः
Kamadhenu’s Forces, Visvamitra’s Austerities, and Vasishta’s Wrath
दृष्ट्वा विनाशितान् पुत्रान् बलं च सुमहायशा:।सव्रीडश्चिन्तयाऽविष्टो विश्वामित्रोऽभवत्तदा।।1.55.8।।
dṛṣṭvā vināśitān putrān balaṃ ca sumahāyaśāḥ |
savrīḍaś cintayāviṣṭo viśvāmitro 'bhavat tadā || 1.55.8 ||
见到自己的诸子与军队尽皆毁灭，那位声名显赫的毗湿瓦密多心生惭愧，沉入忧惧的思虑之中。
Then one hundred sons of Viswamitra together with their horses, chariots and foot- soldiers were reduced to ashes in a moment by the powerful Vasishta.
FAQs
Dharma includes the capacity to recognize one’s error. Shame here functions as moral feedback, pushing Viśvāmitra from pride toward introspection and eventual spiritual striving.
After catastrophic defeat and the loss of his sons, Viśvāmitra’s emotional state shifts from aggression to stunned self-questioning.
The emerging virtue is self-reflection: the ability to pause, reconsider, and redirect one’s path—an early step toward Viśvāmitra’s later ascetic attainment.