Shloka 22
Pātāla-varṇana (Nārada’s Description of the Netherworld) / पातालवर्णनम्
एतच्छस्त्रं नरेन्द्राणां महच्चक्रेण भासितम् । पुत्राः: सलिलराजस्य धारयन्ति महोदयम्,यह धनुष राजाओंके लिये एक महान् अस्त्र है और चक्रके समान उद्धासित होता रहता है। इस महान् अभ्युदयकारी धनुषको जलेश वरुणके पुत्र धारण करते हैं
etac chastraṁ narendrāṇāṁ mahac cakreṇa bhāsitam | putrāḥ salilarājasya dhārayanti mahodayam ||
Sinabi ni Kaṇva: “Ito’y dakilang sandata ng mga hari, nagniningning na parang isang makapangyarihang cakra. Ang mga anak ni Varuṇa, panginoon ng mga tubig, ang may tangan sa busog na ito na nagdudulot ng malaking kasaganaan at marangal na tagumpay.”
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the idea that true royal power is supported by extraordinary discipline and divinely sanctioned instruments; a king’s might is not mere aggression but a responsibility aligned with kṣatriya-dharma, where weapons symbolize protection, order, and rightful sovereignty.
Kaṇva is describing a remarkable royal weapon—understood in context as a great bow—whose brilliance is compared to a discus. He notes its exalted, success-bestowing nature and associates it with Varuṇa’s lineage, saying that the sons of Varuṇa bear it.