Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 56: King Viśvāmitra Decides to Become a Brāhmaṇa
Text 1.56.24
तदेतत्समवेक्ष्याहं प्रसन्नेन्द्रियमानसः।
तपो महत्समास्थास्ये यद्वै ब्रह्मत्वकारणम्॥
tad etat samavekṣyāhaṁ prasannendriya-mānasaḥ
tapo mahat samāsthāsye yad vai brahmatva-kāraṇam
tat etat samavekṣya = now that I have seen this; aham = I; prasanna-indriya-mānasaḥ = with a pacified mind and senses; tapaḥ mahat samāsthāsye = will engage in those great austerities; yad vai = which; brahmatva-kāraṇam = lead one to become a brāhmaṇa.
Now that I have seen this, with a pacified mind and senses, I will engage in those great austerities which lead one to become a brāhmaṇa.
Viśvāmitra wanted to pacify his mind and senses, that is, he wanted to give up his kṣatriya fury.
NOTE. In his purport to Bhagavad-gītā 3.35, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the background understanding one must have to understand this episode of Viśvāmitra becoming a qualified brāhmaṇa:
“Viśvāmitra was originally a kṣatriya, but later on he acted as a brāhmaṇa, whereas Paraśurāma was a brāhmaṇa but later on he acted as a kṣatriya. Being transcendentally situated, they could do so; but as long as one is on the material platform, he must perform his duties according to the modes of material nature.”