क्षत्रवेदविदां श्रेष्ठो ब्रह्मवेदविदाम् अपि।
ब्रह्मपुत्रो वसिष्ठो मामेवं वदतु देवताः।
यद्ययं परमः कामः कृतो यान्तु सुरर्षभाः॥
kṣatra-vedavidāṁ śreṣṭho brahma-vedavidām api
brahma-putro vasiṣṭho mām evaṁ vadatu devatāḥ
yady ayaṁ paramaḥ kāmaḥ kṛto yāntu sura-rṣabhāḥ
kṣatra-vedavidām śreṣṭhaḥ = the best of knowers of the Veda of the kṣatriyas; brahma-vedavidām api = and [the best] of knowers of the Veda of the brāhmaṇas; brahma-putraḥ = Lord Brahmā’s son; vasiṣṭhaḥ = Vasiṣṭha; mām = me; evam = this; vadatu = may tell; devatāḥ = O celestials; yadi ayam paramaḥ kāmaḥ kṛtaḥ = you grant this prime desire of mine; yāntu = you can depart; sura-rṣabhāḥ = O best of the demigods.
O celestials, may Lord Brahmā’s son Vasiṣṭha, the best of knowers of the Veda of the kṣatriyas and [the best] of knowers of the Veda of the brāhmaṇas, tell me this. O best of the demigods, if you grant this prime desire of mine, you can depart.
1 Only brāhmaṇas can correctly understand, teach and expound the teachings of these three Vedas.
The Veda of the kṣatriyas refers to the Atharva Veda that can be used for pacifying and nourishing the kṣatriyas. Because Vasiṣṭha is the priest of the kṣatriyas of the solar dynasty, he is referred to as the best of the knowers of this Veda. The Veda of the brāhmaṇas refers to the three Vedas—Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma Veda—because only brāhmaṇas can expound them.1 [Vasiṣṭha was also the best of the knowers of these three Vedas.]
Brahma-vedavidām also indicates that Vasiṣṭha was the best of the knowers of those Vedic scriptures that establish [the truth of] the Supreme Brahman, Lord Nārāyaṇa, that is, he was the best of the knowers of the Upaniṣads that teach Vedānta philosophy.
Viśvāmitra wanted Vasiṣṭha to tell him that he had now become a brahmarṣi. Viśvāmitra considered that the demigods’ duty towards him would be fulfilled only if this particular desire of his was fulfilled, and that they could depart to their places then, not otherwise.