दृष्ट्वा तन् महद् आश्चर्यं ब्रह्मतेजोभवं तदा ॥
विश्वामित्रः क्षत्रभावान् निर्विण्णो वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥
धिग् बलं क्षत्रियबलं ब्रह्मतेजोबलं बलम् ॥
बलाबलं विनिश्चित्य तप एव परं बलम् ॥
dṛṣṭvā tan mahad āścaryaṃ brahmatejobhavaṃ tadā ||
viśvāmitraḥ kṣatrabhāvān nirviṇṇo vākyam abravīt ||
dhig balaṃ kṣatriyabalaṃ brahmatejobalaṃ balam ||
balābalaṃ viniścitya tapa eva paraṃ balam ||
"Having seen that great wonder, born of the power of Brahman, Vishvamitra, disillusioned with kshatriyahood, spoke these words: 'Shame on that strength -- the strength of a kshatriya! True strength is the strength of the power of Brahman. Having determined what is strength and what is weakness, I see: austerity -- that is the supreme strength.'"
a7c63f2f0278 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
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Here defeat gives birth to insight into what true strength is. Telling is the king's word: having witnessed the ruin of his weapons, he admits that "austerity is the supreme strength"; bitter experience teaches him to value the might of spirit above the might of arms. Here reveals itself the turning that begins with disillusionment in the worldly: only once convinced of the vanity of outer force does a person turn to the inner. Thus scripture shows that defeat can be redemptive: it breaks pride and opens the path to what is higher; and Vishvamitra, humbled, finds the true measure.