Shloka 22
Pātāla-varṇana (Nārada’s Description of the Netherworld) / पातालवर्णनम्
एतच्छस्त्रं नरेन्द्राणां महच्चक्रेण भासितम् । पुत्राः: सलिलराजस्य धारयन्ति महोदयम्
etac chastraṁ narendrāṇāṁ mahac cakreṇa bhāsitam | putrāḥ salilarājasya dhārayanti mahodayam ||
Kaṇva said: “This is a great royal weapon, radiant like a mighty discus. The sons of Varuṇa, lord of the waters, bear this bow that brings great prosperity and exalted success.”
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the idea that true royal power is supported by extraordinary discipline and divinely sanctioned instruments; a king’s might is not mere aggression but a responsibility aligned with kṣatriya-dharma, where weapons symbolize protection, order, and rightful sovereignty.
Kaṇva is describing a remarkable royal weapon—understood in context as a great bow—whose brilliance is compared to a discus. He notes its exalted, success-bestowing nature and associates it with Varuṇa’s lineage, saying that the sons of Varuṇa bear it.