Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 56: King Viśvāmitra Decides to Become a Brāhmaṇa
Text 1.56.3
क्षत्रबन्धो स्थितोऽस्म्य् एष यद्बलं तद्विदर्शय।
नाशयाम्यद्य ते दर्पं शस्त्रस्य तव गाधिज॥
kṣatra-bandho sthito ‘smy eṣa yad balaṁ tad vidarśaya
nāśayāmy adya te darpaṁ śastrasya tava gādhija
kṣatra-bandho = O son of a kṣatriya; sthitaḥ asmi eṣaḥ = here I am; yat balam tat vidarśaya = show your strength; nāśayāmi = I will destroy; adya = today; te darpam = your pride; śastrasya tava = and the pride of your weapons; gādhija = O son of Gādhi.
O son of a kṣatriya, here I am. Show your strength. O son of Gādhi, today I will destroy your pride and the pride of your weapons.1
1 It means, “I will destroy the pride you have in yourself and the pride you have in your weapons.”
Kṣatra-bandho indicates that Viśvāmitra was the worst of the kṣatriyas.