Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 56: King Viśvāmitra Decides to Become a Brāhmaṇa
Text 1.56.1
एवमुक्तो वसिष्ठेन विश्वामित्रो महाबलः।
आग्नेयमस्त्रमुत्क्षिप्य तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत्॥
evam ukto vasiṣṭhena viśvāmitro mahā-balaḥ
āgneyam astram utkṣipya tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt
evam uktaḥ = thus addressed; vasiṣṭhena = by Vasiṣṭha; viśvāmitraḥ = Viśvāmitra; mahā-balaḥ = the greatly powerful; āgneyam astram = an Āgneya weapon; utkṣipya = took out and; tiṣṭha tiṣṭha iti ca = just wait; abravīt = said.
Thus addressed by Vasiṣṭha, the greatly powerful Viśvāmitra took out an Āgneya weapon and said, “Just wait!”1
1 The Āgneya weapon is Agni’s weapon.
The author points out in this chapter that the strength of a brāhmaṇa is greater than the prowess of a kṣatriya [though] complete with the strength of all kinds of weapons.
Viśvāmitra told Vasiṣṭha, “Just wait!” to frighten him.