Rama Breaks Shiva's Bow

Shloka 1 (bala.67.1)

जनकस्य वचः श्रुत्वा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः । धनुर्दर्शय रामाय इति होवाच पार्थिवम् ॥ 67.1 ॥

janakasya vacaḥ śrutvā viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ | dhanur darśaya rāmāya iti ha uvāca pārthivam ||

On hearing Janaka's words, the great sage Vishvamitra said to the king, "Let the bow be shown to Rama."

Shloka 2 (bala.67.2)

ततः स राजा जनकः सचिवान् व्यादिदेश ह । धनुरानीयतां दिव्यं गन्धमाल्यानुलेपितम् ॥ 67.2 ॥

tataḥ sa rājā janakaḥ sacivān vyādideśa ha | dhanur ānīyatāṃ divyaṃ gandhamālyānulepitam ||

Then King Janaka ordered his ministers, "Let the divine bow, anointed with sandal-paste and garlanded with flowers, be brought."

Shloka 3 (bala.67.3)

जनकेन समादिष्ठाः सचिवाः प्राविशन् पुरम् । तद्धनुः पुरतः कृत्वा निर्जग्मुरमितौजसः ॥ 67.3 ॥

janakena samādiṣṭāḥ sacivāḥ prāviśan puram | tad dhanuḥ purataḥ kṛtvā nirjagmur amitaujasaḥ ||

Thus commanded by Janaka, the ministers went into the palace, and, setting that bow before them, those men of boundless vigour came forth.

Shloka 4 (bala.67.4)

नृणां शतानि पंचाशद्व्यायतानां महात्मनाम् । मंजूषामष्टचक्रां तां समूहुस्ते कथंचन ॥ 67.4 ॥

nṛṇāṃ śatāni pañcāśad vyāyatānāṃ mahātmanām | mañjūṣām aṣṭacakrāṃ tāṃ samūhus te kathaṃcana ||

Five thousand tall and mighty men somehow managed to haul that eight-wheeled coffer along.

Shloka 5 (bala.67.5)

तामादाय तु मंजूषामायसीं यत्र तद्धनुः । सुरोपमं ते जनकमूचुर्नृपतिमन्त्रिणः ॥ 67.5 ॥

tām ādāya tu mañjūṣām āyasīṃ yatra tad dhanuḥ | suropamaṃ te janakam ūcur nṛpatimantriṇaḥ ||

Bringing that iron coffer in which the bow lay, the king's ministers reported thus to the godlike Janaka.

Shloka 6 (bala.67.6)

इदं धनुर्वरं राजन् पूजितं सर्वराजभिः । मिथिलाधिप राजेन्द्र दर्शनीयं यदिच्छसि ॥ 67.6 ॥

idaṃ dhanur varaṃ rājan pūjitaṃ sarvarājabhiḥ | mithilādhipa rājendra darśanīyaṃ yad icchasi ||

"O king, O sovereign of Mithila, O foremost of kings, here is that excellent bow, honoured by all kings, which you wished to have shown."

Shloka 7 (bala.67.7)

तेषां नृपो वचः श्रुत्वा कृताञ्जलिरभाषत । विश्वामित्रं महात्मानं तावुभौ रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥ 67.7 ॥

teṣāṃ nṛpo vacaḥ śrutvā kṛtāñjalir abhāṣata | viśvāmitraṃ mahātmānaṃ tāv ubhau rāmalakṣmaṇau ||

On hearing their words, the king, with joined palms, spoke to the noble Vishvamitra and to Rama and Lakshmana both.

Shloka 8 (bala.67.8)

इदं धनुर्वरं ब्रह्मन् जनकैरभिपूजितम् । राजभिश्च महावीर्यैरशक्तैः पूरितं तदा ॥ 67.8 ॥

idaṃ dhanur varaṃ brahman janakair abhipūjitam | rājabhiś ca mahāvīryair aśaktaiḥ pūritaṃ tadā ||

"O brahmin, this excellent bow has been venerated by the line of Janakas, and even highly mighty kings have earlier proven powerless before it."

Shloka 9 (bala.67.9)

नैतत् सुरगणाः सर्वे सासुरा न च राक्षसाः । गंधर्वयक्षप्रवराः सकिन्नरमहोरगाः ॥ 67.9 ॥

na etat suragaṇāḥ sarve sāsurā na ca rākṣasāḥ | gandharvayakṣapravarāḥ sakinnaramahoragāḥ ||

"Not all the hosts of gods, nor the demons, nor the rakshasas, nor the foremost gandharvas and yakshas, nor the kinnaras and great serpent-lords—"

Shloka 10 (bala.67.10)

क्व गतिर्मानुषाणां च धनुषोऽस्य प्रपूरणे । आरोपणे समायोगे वेपने तोलनेऽपि वा ॥ 67.10 ॥

kva gatir mānuṣāṇāṃ ca dhanuṣo asya prapūraṇe | āropaṇe samāyoge vepane tolane api vā ||

—none of these is capable of drawing this bow to full aim, of stringing it, of fitting the arrow, of flexing it, or even of merely lifting it; what then of any mere human?"

Shloka 11 (bala.67.11)

तदेतद्धनुषां श्रेष्ठमानीतं मुनिपुंगव । दर्शयैतन्महाभाग अनयो राजपुत्रयोः ॥ 67.11 ॥

tad etad dhanuṣāṃ śreṣṭham ānītaṃ munipuṃgava | darśaya etan mahābhāga anayo rājaputrayoḥ ||

This, O foremost of sages, is that best of bows now brought here; show it, O illustrious one, to these two princes.

Shloka 12 (bala.67.12)

विश्वामित्रः सरामस्तु श्रुत्वा जनकभाषितम् । वत्स राम धनुः पश्य इति राघवमब्रवीत् ॥ 67.12 ॥

viśvāmitraḥ sarāmas tu śrutvā janakabhāṣitam | vatsa rāma dhanuḥ paśya iti rāghavam abravīt ||

On hearing what Janaka had said, Vishvamitra, with Rama beside him, said to Raghava, "Behold the bow, dear child Rama."

Shloka 13 (bala.67.13)

महर्षेर्वचनाद्रामो यत्र तिष्ठति तद्धनुः । मंजूषां तामपावृत्य दृष्ट्वा धनुरथाब्रवीत् ॥ 67.13 ॥

maharṣer vacanād rāmo yatra tiṣṭhati tad dhanuḥ | mañjūṣāṃ tām apāvṛtya dṛṣṭvā dhanur atha abravīt ||

At the great sage's word, Rama opened that coffer wherein the bow lay, and having beheld the bow, he then spoke.

Shloka 14 (bala.67.14)

इदं धनुर्वरं ब्रह्मन् संस्पृशामीह पाणिना । यत्नवांश्च भविष्यामि तोलने पूरणेऽपि वा ॥ 67.14 ॥

idaṃ dhanur varaṃ brahman saṃspṛśāmi iha pāṇinā | yatnavāṃś ca bhaviṣyāmi tolane pūraṇe api vā ||

"O brahmin, I now touch this excellent bow with my hand, and I shall make the attempt to lift it, and even to draw it to full aim."

Shloka 15 (bala.67.15)

बाढमित्येव तं राजा मुनिश्च समभाषत । लीलया स धनुर्मध्ये जग्राह वचनान्मुनेः ॥ 67.15 ॥

bāḍham iti eva taṃ rājā muniś ca samabhāṣata | līlayā sa dhanur madhye jagrāha vacanān muneḥ ||

"Very well," said the king and the sage together; and at the sage's word, Rama playfully grasped the bow at its middle.

Shloka 16 (bala.67.16)

पश्यतां नृसहस्राणां बहूनां रघुनंदनः । आरोपयत्स धर्मात्मा सलीलमिव तद्धनुः ॥ 67.16 ॥

paśyatāṃ nṛsahasrāṇāṃ bahūnāṃ raghunandanaḥ | āropayat sa dharmātmā salīlam iva tad dhanuḥ ||

While many thousands of people looked on, that righteous scion of Raghu strung the bow as though it were mere sport.

Shloka 17 (bala.67.17)

आरोपयित्वा मौर्वीं च पूरयामास वीर्यवान् । तद्बभंज धनुर्मध्ये नरश्रेष्ठो महायशाः ॥ 67.17 ॥

āropayitvā maurvīṃ ca pūrayāmāsa vīryavān | tad babhaṃja dhanur madhye naraśreṣṭho mahāyaśāḥ ||

Having strung the bowstring, that valiant one began to draw it taut, and that most glorious, foremost of men broke the bow in its middle.

Shloka 18 (bala.67.18)

तस्य शब्दो महानासीन्निर्घातसमनिःस्वनः । भूमिकंपश्च सुमहान् पर्वतस्येव दीर्यतः ॥ 67.18 ॥

tasya śabdo mahān āsīn nirghātasamaniḥsvanaḥ | bhūmikampaś ca sumahān parvatasya iva dīryataḥ ||

There arose from it a mighty sound, like the crash of a thunderbolt, and the earth trembled greatly, as though a mountain were splitting apart.

Shloka 19 (bala.67.19)

निपेतुश्च नराः सर्वे तेन शब्देन मोहिताः । व्रजयित्वा मुनिवरं राजानं तौ च राघवौ ॥ 67.19 ॥

nipetuś ca narāḥ sarve tena śabdena mohitāḥ | vrajayitvā munivaraṃ rājānaṃ tau ca rāghavau ||

Stunned by that sound, all the people fell to the ground, save for the eminent sage, the king, and the two Raghavas.

Shloka 20 (bala.67.20)

प्रत्याश्वस्तो जने तस्मिन् राजा विगतसाध्वसः । उवाच प्रांजलिर्वाक्यं वाक्यज्ञो मुनिपुंगवम् ॥ 67.20 ॥

pratyāśvasto jane tasmin rājā vigatasādhvasaḥ | uvāca prāñjalir vākyaṃ vākyajño munipuṃgavam ||

When the people had recovered themselves, the king, his own fear now gone, being himself skilled in speech, spoke with joined palms to the eminent sage.

Shloka 21 (bala.67.21)

भगवन् दृष्टवीर्यो मे रामो दशरथात्मजः । अत्यद्भुतमचिन्त्यं चातर्कितमिदं मया ॥ 67.21 ॥

bhagavan dṛṣṭavīryo me rāmo daśarathātmajaḥ | atyadbhutam acintyaṃ ca atarkitam idaṃ mayā ||

"Holy one, I have now witnessed with my own eyes the valour of Rama, son of Dasharatha; this is to me a most wondrous, unimaginable, unlooked-for thing."

Shloka 22 (bala.67.22)

जनकानां कुले कीर्तिमाहरिष्यति मे सुता । सीता भर्तारमासाद्य रामं दशरथात्मजम् ॥ 67.22 ॥

janakānāṃ kule kīrtim āhariṣyati me sutā | sītā bhartāram āsādya rāmaṃ daśarathātmajam ||

My daughter Sita, on obtaining Rama, Dasharatha's son, as her husband, will bring glory to the line of the Janakas.

Shloka 23 (bala.67.23)

मम सत्या प्रतिज्ञा सा वीर्यशुल्केति कौशिक । सीता प्राणैर्बहुमता देया रामाय मे सुता ॥ 67.23 ॥

mama satyā pratijñā sā vīryaśulkā iti kauśika | sītā prāṇair bahumatā deyā rāmāya me sutā ||

O Kaushika, my vow that her bride-price would be valour has now come true; my daughter Sita, dearer to me than my own life, is fit now to be given to Rama.

Shloka 24 (bala.67.24)

भवतोऽनुमते ब्रह्मन् शीघ्रं गच्छंतु मंत्रिणः । मम कौशिक भद्रं ते अयोध्यां त्वरिता रथैः ॥ 67.24 ॥

bhavato anumate brahman śīghraṃ gacchantu mantriṇaḥ | mama kauśika bhadraṃ te ayodhyāṃ tvaritā rathaiḥ ||

With your consent, O brahmin, let my ministers set out at once by chariot, in haste, to Ayodhya; may good befall you, O Kaushika.

Shloka 25 (bala.67.25)

राजानं प्रश्रितैर्वाक्यैरानयंतु पुरं मम । प्रदानं वीर्यशुक्लायाः कथयंतु च सर्वशः ॥ 67.25 ॥

rājānaṃ praśritair vākyair ānayantu puraṃ mama | pradānaṃ vīryaśulkāyāḥ kathayantu ca sarvaśaḥ ||

Let them, with humble words, bring King Dasharatha to my city, and let them tell him in full of the giving of this maiden won by valour.

Shloka 26 (bala.67.26)

मुनिगुप्तौ च काकुत्स्थौ कथयंतु नृपाय वै । प्रीतियुक्तं तु राजानमानयंतु सुशीघ्रगाः ॥ 67.26 ॥

munigupatau ca kākutsthau kathayantu nṛpāya vai | prītiyuktaṃ tu rājānam ānayantu suśīghragāḥ ||

Let them tell King Dasharatha that the two Kakutsthas are under the sage's protection; and let those swift-going envoys, gladdening him, bring the king here.

Shloka 27 (bala.67.27)

कौशिकश्च तथेत्याह राजा चाभाष्य मंत्रिणः । अयोध्यां प्रेषयामास धर्मात्मा कृतशासनान् । यथावृत्तं समाख्यातुमानेतुं च नृपं तथा ॥ 67.27 ॥

kauśikaś ca tathā iti āha rājā ca ābhāṣya mantriṇaḥ | ayodhyāṃ preṣayāmāsa dharmātmā kṛtaśāsanān | yathāvṛttaṃ samākhyātum ānetuṃ ca nṛpaṃ tathā ||

Vishvamitra said, "So be it." And the righteous king, having consulted with his ministers, sent forth those who had received his charge to Ayodhya, to relate all that had happened just as it occurred, and likewise to bring the king here.