Shloka 2
बालकाण्ड ५६: विश्वामित्र–वसिष्ठ अस्त्रसंघर्षः
Visvamitra and Vasistha: Contest of Divine Weapons
ब्रह्मदण्डं समुत्क्षिप्य कालदण्डमिवाऽपरम्।वसिष्ठो भगवान् क्रोधादिदं वचनमब्रवीत्।।।।
brahmadaṇḍaṃ samutkṣipya kāladaṇḍam ivāparam | vasiṣṭho bhagavān krodhād idaṃ vacanam abravīt || 1.56.2 ||
圣者婆悉吒愤然举起梵天之杖（Brahma-daṇḍa），宛如死神之杖再现，遂说出如下言辞。
"O Descendent of Raghu Viswamitra employed weapons like manava, mohana, gandharva, swapana, jrimbhana, madana, santapana, vilapana, shoshana, darana, vajra weapons, Brahma, kala and varuna pasas, the favourite painaka, daita, shushka, ardra vajras, danda, paisacha, krauncha, weapons, dharmachakra, kalachakra, vishnuchakras, vayavya, mathana, hayasira weapons, kanakala, musala powers, vaidyadhara, kalatrishula, kapala, kankana weapons discharged against Vasishta the best of ascetics. All this became aweful.
FAQs
Even spiritual authority (brahma-tejas) must be governed by dharma; the verse frames power as grave and consequential—comparable to the rod of Death—thereby warning that anger and force are ethically weighty.
In the escalating conflict, Vasiṣṭha raises the Brahmadaṇḍa and is about to respond verbally and spiritually to the barrage of weapons used against him.
Vasiṣṭha’s spiritual potency and authority are emphasized; at the same time, the scene implicitly tests restraint, showing how easily anger can accompany immense power.