Vishwamitra Laughs within His Heart
Bala Kanda, Doha 275
Doha 275 · Movement 2 of 2
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Vishwamitra appears grave before the assembly, but inwardly he laughs. Parashurama's anger has coloured his sight until everything before him seems green, soft, and easy to cut.
The sage mistakes Lakshmana for a stalk of sugarcane. Kaushika knows the younger prince is iron, a blade rather than a plant, and wonders that the axe-bearer has still not understood.
The humour rests upon knowledge hidden beneath silence. Vishwamitra has walked with both brothers, witnessed Tadaka's fall, seen the sacrifice protected, and watched Ram break the bow. Parashurama sees only an insolent child. The guru sees concentrated strength deliberately clothed in youth, and lets the misunderstanding reveal itself.
Parashurama sees sugarcane before his axe; Vishwamitra knows he is looking at iron.
Read the passage from the Manas
गाधिसूनु कह हृदयँ हँसि मुनिहि हरिअरइ सूझ। अयमय खाँड न ऊखमय अजहुँ न बूझ अबूझ।।275।।
The son of Gadhi laughed within his heart, for the sage could see only green. 'This blade is forged of iron, not shaped from sugarcane. Even now the foolish one does not understand.'