Shloka 9
अध्याय १८४ — भैक्षविभागः, शयनविधानम्, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य निवेदनम्
Alms Distribution, Night Lodging, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s Report
सो<न्वेषमाण: कौन्तेयं पाउ्चाल्यो जनमेजय । दृढ धनुरनानम्यं कारयामास भारत,भरतवंशी जनमेजय! पांचालनरेशने कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनको खोज निकालनेकी इच्छासे एक ऐसा दृढ़ धनुष बनवाया, जिसे दूसरा कोई झुका भी न सके
so 'nveṣamāṇaḥ kaunteyaṃ pāñcālyo janamejaya | dṛḍhaṃ dhanur anānamyaṃ kārayāmāsa bhārata ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O Janamejaya, the Pāñcāla king, intent on finding Kuntī’s son Arjuna, had a firm bow made—so unyielding that no other man could even bend it. The episode underscores a deliberate test of worth: the sought-after hero is to be identified not by claim or birth alone, but by proven capability and resolve.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate recognition is tied to demonstrated excellence and fitness for duty: the unbendable bow functions as an ethical filter, ensuring that the chosen hero is revealed through capability, not mere assertion.
Drupada, king of Pāñcāla, wants to locate Arjuna and therefore commissions an exceptionally strong bow—one that others cannot even bend—setting up a test by which Arjuna can be identified.