Shloka 9
उलूकदूतवाक्यम् / Ulūka’s Message to the Pāṇḍavas
प्रतिपेदे हृषीकेश: शार्ड्ध च धनुरुत्तमम् । महातेजस्वी रुक््मीने द्रमसे विजय नामक धनुष पाया था। भगवान् श्रीकृष्णने अपने तेज और बलसे मुर दैत्यके पाशोंका उच्छेद करके भूमिपुत्र नरकासुरको जीतकर जब उसके यहाँसे अदितिके मणिमय कुण्डल वापस ले लिये और सोलह हजार स्त्रियों तथा नाना प्रकारके रत्नोंको अपने अधिकारमें कर लिया, उसी समय उन्हें शार्ड़् नामक उत्तम धनुष भी प्राप्त हुआ था || ७-८ है ।। रुक्मी तु विजयं लब्ध्वा धनुर्मेघनिभस्वनम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | pratipede hṛṣīkeśaḥ śārṅgaṃ ca dhanur uttamam |
वैशम्पायन उवाच—प्रतिपेदे हृषीकेशः शार्ङ्गं च धनुरुत्तमम्।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and victory are ethically framed as instruments for restoring dharma: breaking unjust bondage, defeating tyrannical forces, returning stolen sacred property (Aditi’s earrings), and providing protection to those harmed. The acquisition of Śārṅga symbolizes rightful strength aligned with moral responsibility.
The text states that Kṛṣṇa received the excellent bow Śārṅga, and it contextualizes this by recalling his earlier exploits—overcoming Mura’s bonds, defeating Narakāsura, recovering Aditi’s jeweled earrings, and taking the rescued women and treasures under his protection—during which the bow was obtained.