Shloka 19
Pātāla-varṇana (Nārada’s Description of the Netherworld) / पातालवर्णनम्
एष गाण्डीमयश्वापो लोकसंहारसम्भूत: । रक्ष्यते दैवतैर्नित्यं यतस्तद् गाण्डिवं धनु:
eṣa gāṇḍīmayaśvāpo lokasaṃhārasambhūtaḥ | rakṣyate daivatair nityaṃ yatas tad gāṇḍīvaṃ dhanuḥ ||
Kaṇva dit : «Voici l’arc nommé Gāṇḍīva, né pour la destruction du monde au temps de la dissolution cosmique. C’est pour cela même que les dieux le gardent sans relâche. Ce n’est pas une arme d’orgueil, mais un instrument placé sous protection divine, dont l’usage doit être gouverné par le dharma.»
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power—especially divinely sanctioned power—must be treated as a trust, not as personal glory. A weapon capable of vast destruction is guarded by the gods, implying that its rightful use is constrained by dharma and cosmic order.
Kaṇva identifies and praises the bow Gāṇḍīva, describing its extraordinary, cosmic origin and stating that divine beings constantly protect it—underscoring its unique status among weapons in the lead-up to the great conflict.