Shloka 20
Pātāla-varṇana (Nārada’s Description of the Netherworld) / पातालवर्णनम्
एष कृत्ये समुत्पन्ने तत् तद् धारयते बलम् । सहस्रशतसंख्येन प्राणेन सततं ध्रुव:,यह धनुष आवश्यकता पड़नेपर लाखगुनी शक्तिसे सम्पन्न हो वैसे-वैसे ही बलको भी धारण करता है और सदा अविचल बना रहता है
eṣa kṛtye samutpanne tat tad dhārayate balam | sahasraśata-saṅkhyena prāṇena satataṃ dhruvaḥ ||
Kaṇva said: “When a duty or crisis arises, he gathers and sustains whatever strength that particular task demands. With life-breath multiplied into hundreds and thousands, he remains ever steady and unshaken—like a bow that, when required, becomes capable of vastly increased power.”
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
True capability is situational and disciplined: when duty arises, one should summon the appropriate strength without wavering. The verse praises steadiness (dhruvatā) and the ability to concentrate one’s vital energy (prāṇa) to meet righteous demands.
Kaṇva is describing a person’s character—someone who, when a necessary task or crisis presents itself, can uphold the required power and remain constant. The accompanying sense (as reflected in the Hindi gloss) uses the bow as an analogy for power that becomes greatly intensified when needed.