तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विश्वामित्रस्य धीमतः।
हृष्टरोमा महातेजाः शतानन्दो महातपाः॥
गौतमस्य सुतो ज्येष्ठस्तपसा द्योतितप्रभः।
रामसन्दर्शनादेव परं विस्मयमागतः॥
tasya tad vacanaṁ śrutvā viśvāmitrasya dhīmataḥ
hṛṣṭa-romā mahā-tejāḥ śatānando mahā-tapāḥ
gautamasya suto jyeṣṭhas tapasā dyotita-prabhaḥ
rāma-sandarśanād eva paraṁ vismayam āgataḥ
tasya tat vacanam śrutvā = hearing the words; viśvāmitrasya = Viśvāmitra; dhīmataḥ = of the intelligent; hṛṣṭa-romā = his hair standing on end; mahā-tejāḥ = of great prowess; śatānandaḥ = Śatānanda; mahā-tapāḥ = and austerity; gautamasya = Gautama’s; sutaḥ jyeṣṭhaḥ = eldest son; tapasā = due to his austerity; dyotita-prabhaḥ = his effulgence blazing; rāma-sandarśanāt eva = simply on seeing Śrī Rāma; param vismayam āgataḥ = became greatly astonished.
Hearing the words of the intelligent Viśvāmitra, Gautama’s eldest son, Śatānanda of great prowess and austerity, his effulgence blazing due to his austerity, his hair standing on end, became greatly astonished simply on seeing Śrī Rāma.
Since it is essential to know the glories of the bona fide spiritual master, the author presents the life of Viśvāmitra in fifteen chapters [beginning with this chapter].
Śatānanda became astonished upon seeing Lord Rāma, for he thought, “Oh, how glorious is Śrī Rāma! Because of Him, my mother has become perfect.”
NOTE. Regarding acceptance of a bona fide spiritual master and serving him submissively, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. The Bhāgavatam (6.3.19) says, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help lead one to the right path. Nor by independent study of books of knowledge can one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige.” (Bhagavad-gītā 4.34 purport)
It is understood that Lord Rāmacandra and Lord Lakṣmaṇa served the sage Viśvāmitra to teach the world how one should submissively serve a spiritual master like a menial servant.