Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 62: Śunaḥśepa Saved
Text 1.62.16
निःसाध्वसमिदं प्रोक्तं धर्मादपि विगर्हितम्।
अतिक्रम्य तु मद्वाक्यं दारुणं रोमहर्षणम्॥
niḥsādhvasam idaṁ proktaṁ dharmād api vigarhitam
atikramya tu mad-vākyaṁ dāruṇaṁ roma-harṣaṇam
niḥsādhvasam = audacious words; idam proktam = you have spoken these; dharmāt api vigarhitam = and in a manner condemned by the standards of Vedic dharma; atikramya = transgressing; tu mad-vākyam = my words; dāruṇam = shockingly; roma-harṣaṇam = they cause my hairs to stand on end.
Transgressing my words, you have shockingly and in a manner condemned by the standards of Vedic dharma spoken these audacious words. They cause my hairs to stand on end!
Niḥsādhvasam (“audacious”) indicates that Viśvāmitra’s sons were not afraid to talk back at their father. Dharmād api vigarhitam indicates that the standard of Vedic dharma is to carry out the instructions of one’s father while [the father was] living. “Condemned by the standards of Vedic dharma” means “deviated from the standards of Vedic dharma.” The words spoken by his sons were audacious because they were harsh, devoid of respectful devotion to their father. Therefore, they caused Viśvāmitra’s hair to stand on end.