Shloka 1.67.10

शिवधनुर्दर्शनं—रामेण धनुर्भङ्गश्च (The Showing of Śiva’s Bow and Rama’s Breaking of It)

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

kva gatir mānuṣāṇāṃ ca dhanuṣo 'sya prapūraṇe | āropaṇe samāyoge vepane tolane 'pi vā || 1.67.10 ||

Translation

“What chance have mere humans with this bow—whether to bend it, string it, set the arrow, draw it back, or even lift it at all?”

Context

How then can men bend, string, fix the arrow, pull the string and lift it?

Characters & Entities

• Janaka
• Viśvāmitra
• humans (mānuṣa)
• the bow (Śiva-dhanus / Pināka)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Humility before the sacred: dharma includes knowing one’s limits and recognizing that divine instruments demand exceptional worth and discipline.

What is the narrative situation?

Janaka emphasizes the bow’s extraordinary weight and difficulty, implying that ordinary people cannot even handle it.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Janaka’s prudence—he frames the challenge realistically and safeguards the sanctity of the test.