नगराणि च राष्ट्राणि सरितश्च तथा गिरीन्।
आश्रमान्क्रमशो राम विचरन्नाजगाम ह॥
वसिष्ठस्याश्रमपदं नानावृक्षसमाकुलम्।
नानामृगगणाकीर्णं सिद्धचारणसेवितम्॥
देवदानवगन्धर्वैः किन्नरैरुपशोभितम्।
प्रशान्तहरिणाकीर्णं द्विजसङ्घनिषेवितम्॥
ब्रह्मर्षिगणसङ्कीर्णं देवर्षिगणसेवितम्।
तपश्चरणसम्सिद्धैरग्निकल्पैर्महात्मभिः॥
सततं सङ्कुलं श्रीमद्ब्रह्मकल्पैर्महात्मभिः।
अब्भक्षैर्वायुभक्षैश्च शीर्णपर्णाशनैस्तथा।
फलमूलाशनैर्दान्तैर्जितरोषैर्जितेन्द्रियैः॥
ऋषिभिर्वालखिल्यैश्च जपहोमपरायणैः।
अन्यैर्वैखानसैश्चैव समन्तादुपशोभितम्॥
nagarāṇi ca rāṣṭrāṇi saritaś ca tathā girīn
āśramān kramaśo rāma vicarann ājagāma ha
vasiṣṭhasyāśramapadaṁ nānā-vṛkṣa-samākulam
nānā-mṛga-gaṇākīrṇaṁ siddha-cāraṇa-sevitam
deva-dānava-gandharvaiḥ kinnarair upaśobhitam
praśānta-hariṇākīrṇaṁ dvija-saṅgha-niṣevitam
brahma-rṣi-gaṇa-saṅkīrṇaṁ deva-rṣi-gaṇa-sevitam
tapaścaraṇa-samsiddhair agni-kalpair mahātmabhiḥ
satataṁ saṅkulaṁ śrīmad brahma-kalpair mahātmabhiḥ
ab-bhakṣair vāyu-bhakṣaiś ca śīrṇa-parṇāśanais tathā
phala-mūlāśanair dāntair jita-roṣair jitendriyaiḥ
ṛṣibhir vālakhilyaiś ca japa-homa-parāyaṇaiḥ
anyair vaikhānasaiś caiva samantād upaśobhitam
nagarāṇi ca = cities; rāṣṭrāṇi = countries; saritaḥ ca tathā girīn = rivers, mountains; āśramān kramaśaḥ = and āśramas; rāma = O Rāma; vicaran = passing through; ājagāma ha = he arrived at; vasiṣṭhasya-aśrama-padam = Vasiṣṭha’s āśrama; nānā-vṛkṣa-samākulam = it was replete with various trees; nānā-mṛga-gaṇa-ākīrṇam = crowded with many deer; siddha-cāraṇa-sevitam = resorted to by siddhas and cāraṇas; deva-dānava-gandharvaiḥ kinnaraiḥ upaśobhitam = adorned by devas, dānavas, gandharvas and kinnaras; praśānta-hariṇa-ākīrṇam = filled with mild deer; dvija-saṅgha-niṣevitam = visited by the twice-born; brahma-ṛṣi-gaṇa-saṅkīrṇam = crowded with brahmarṣis,; deva-ṛṣi-gaṇa-sevitam = inhabited by devarṣis; tapaścaraṇa-samsiddhaiḥ = who had become completely perfect through austerity; agni-kalpaiḥ = resembling fire; mahā-ātmabhiḥ = with great souls; satatam saṅkulam = always thronged; śrīmat = and splendorous; brahma-kalpaiḥ = resembling Brahmā; mahā-ātmabhiḥ = by great souls; ap-bhakṣaiḥ = consuming water alone; vāyu-bhakṣaiḥ ca = or the wind alone; śīrṇa-parṇa-aśanaiḥ tathā = or shrivelled leaves; phala-mūla-aśanaiḥ = or fruits and roots; dāntaiḥ = and who were controlled in mind; jita-roṣaiḥ = anger; jita-indriyaiḥ = and senses; ṛṣibhiḥ vālakhilyaiḥ ca = there were also Vālakhilya sages; japa-homa-parāyaṇaiḥ = absorbed in japa and sacrifices; anyaiḥ = and other sages; vaikhānasaiḥ ca eva = known as Vaikhānasas; samantāt upaśobhitam = it was ornamented all over.
O Rāma, passing through cities, countries, rivers, mountains and āśramas, he arrived at Vasiṣṭha’s āśrama. It was replete with various trees, crowded with many deer, resorted to by siddhas and cāraṇas, adorned by devas, dānavas, gandharvas and kinnaras, filled with mild deer, visited by the twice-born, crowded with brahmarṣis, inhabited by devarṣis, always thronged with great souls who had become completely perfect through austerity resembling fire and splendorous. It was ornamented all over by great souls resembling Brahmā consuming water alone or the wind alone or shrivelled leaves or fruits and roots and who were controlled in mind, anger and senses. There were also Vālakhilya sages absorbed in japa and sacrifices, and other sages known as Vaikhānasas.
The Vālakhilya sages were born from Lord Brahmā’s hair. The Vaikhānasa sages were born from his nails. This is stated in the Śruti: ye nakhās te vaikhānasāḥ. ye vālās te vālakhilyāḥ.