Shloka 1.31.8
सिद्धाश्रमात् शोणातटं प्रस्थानम् — Departure from Siddhāśrama and the Invitation to Janaka’s Yajña (Bow of Mithilā)
तद्धि पूर्वं नरश्रेष्ठ दत्तं सदसि दैवतै:।अप्रमेयबलं घोरं मखे परमभास्वरम्।।1.31.8।।
tad dhi pūrvaṃ naraśreṣṭha dattaṃ sadasi daivataiḥ | aprameyabalaṃ ghoraṃ makhe paramabhāsvaram || 1.31.8 ||
For that bow, O best of men, was long ago bestowed by the gods in a sacrificial assembly—terrible, of immeasurable power, and supremely radiant amid the rite.
O best among men, this bow of immeasurable energy. dreadful and highly lustrous was bestowed on king Janaka by devatas in a sacrificial assembly in the past.
Dharma is linked to yajña as a sanctified sphere where divine order is affirmed; sacred objects are portrayed as entrusted to uphold righteous purposes, not mere power.
The sages explain the bow’s divine origin: it was granted by the gods in an ancient sacrificial context and is famed for its overwhelming power.
Reverence for sacred provenance—recognizing that power is legitimate when rooted in dharma and divine sanction.