Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 61: Śunaḥśepa Sold
Text 1.61.1
विश्वामित्रो महात्माथ प्रस्थितान्प्रेक्ष्य तानृषीन्।
अब्रवीन्नरशार्दूल सर्वांस्तान्वनवासिनः॥
viśvāmitro mahātmātha prasthitān prekṣya tān ṛṣīn
abravīn nara-śārdūla sarvāṁs tān vana-vāsinaḥ
viśvāmitraḥ = Viśvāmitra; mahā-ātmā = the great soul; atha prasthitān = that had departed; prekṣya = noticing; tān = then; ṛṣīn = sages; abravīt = spoke; nara-śārdūla = O tiger among men; sarvān = to all; tān = of the; vana-vāsinaḥ = inhabitants of the forest.
O tiger among men, then, noticing that the sages had departed, the great soul Viśvāmitra spoke to all of the inhabitants of the forest.
Viśvāmitra was fully capable of protecting Śunaḥśepa who had surrendered unto him. In other to point this out, this chapter describes another austerity performed by Viśvāmitra.
Viśvāmitra noticed that the sages who had assembled on his order had departed. He then spoke to the inhabitants of the forest, that is, the residents of his hermitage (tapovana).