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 dit : «Quand surgit un devoir ou une crise, il rassemble et soutient la force qu’exige précisément cette tâche. Le souffle vital, multiplié par centaines et par milliers, le laisse toujours ferme et inébranlable—tel un arc qui, au besoin, devient capable d’une puissance prodigieusement accrue.»
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.