ततस् तु ते राजगणाः क्रमेण; कृष्णानिमित्तं नृप विक्रमन्तः ॥
तत् कार्मुकं संहननोपपन्नं; सज्यं न शेकुस् तरसापि कर्तुम् ॥
ते विक्रमन्तः स्फुरता दृढेन; निष्कृष्यमाणा धनुषा नरेन्द्राः ॥
विचेष्टमाना धरणीतलस्था; दीना अदृश्यन्त विभग्नचित्ताः ॥
tatas tu te rājagaṇāḥ krameṇa; kṛṣṇānimittaṃ nṛpa vikramantaḥ ||
tat kārmukaṃ saṃhananopapannaṃ; sajyaṃ na śekus tarasāpi kartum ||
te vikramantaḥ sphuratā dṛḍhena; niṣkṛṣyamāṇā dhanuṣā narendrāḥ ||
viceṣṭamānā dharaṇītalasthā; dīnā adṛśyanta vibhagnacittāḥ ||
"Then those hosts of kings, one by one, O king, coming forward for Krishna's sake, could not string that mighty bow even by force. Those lords of men, straining in vain, thrown back by the resilient, mighty bow as they drew it, floundering on the ground, appeared pitiful, their spirits broken."
8caf457918b9 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:37:22 PM UTC
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Here proud kings are humbled by a trial beyond their strength. It is telling that the bow itself throws back those who dare it: what exceeds one's strength does not yield to forcing, but casts down the presumptuous. Here pride shatters against what surpasses it: those who had thought themselves mightiest fall into the dust. It is telling that men proud only a moment before now "appeared pitiful": arrogance unsupported by true strength ends in humiliation. Thus the scripture shows the humbling of presumption; and the impossible bow exposes the worthlessness of those who boasted of their strength.