राम दाशरथे वीर वीर्यं ते श्रूयतेऽद्भुतम्। धनुषो भेदनं चैव निखिलेन मया श्रुतम्॥
Rama, son of Dasaratha, I have, O hero, heard of your wonderful prowess; and I have also heard all about your breaking of the bow.
तदद्भुतमचिन्त्यं च भेदनं धनुषस्तथा। तच्छ्रुत्वाहमनुप्राप्तो धनुर्गृह्यापरं शुभम्॥ तदिदं घोरसंकाशं जामदग्न्यं महदनुः। पूरयस्व शरेणैव स्वबलं दर्शयस्व च॥
Having heard of that wonderful and inconceivable breaking of the bow, I have bent my steps hither. Do you take another auspicious bow,. Do you stretch it, fix the arrow upon this mighty and dreadful bow, belonging to Jamadagni; and thus display your prowess.
तदहं ते बलं दृष्ट्वा धनुषोऽप्यस्य पूरणे। द्वन्द्वयुद्धं प्रदास्यामि वार्यश्लाघ्यमहं तव॥
Then, having witnessed your might in stretching the bow, I shall offer you combat, laying under contribution our utmost strength.
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा राजा दशरथस्तदा। विषण्णवदनो दीनः प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥ क्षत्ररोषात् प्रशान्तस्त्वं ब्राह्मणश्च महातपाः। बालानां मम पुत्राणामभयं दातुमर्हसि॥ भार्गवाणां कुले जातः स्वाध्यायव्रतशालिनाम्। सहस्राक्षे प्रतिज्ञाय शस्त्रं प्रक्षिप्तवानसि॥
Hearing his words, king Dasaratha with a blank countenance, and clasped hands, said, You have quenched your ire against the Ksatriyuas; and, moreover, you are a Brāhmaṇa boasting of high austerities. It therefore behove you to dispel the fears of my sons who are boys. You bring your life from the race of the Bhargavas engaged in observing vows, and studying you Veda; and you have renounced arms vowing in the presence of the thousandeyed one.
स त्वं धर्मपरो भूत्वा कश्यपाय वसुंधराम्। दत्त्वा वनमुपागम्य महेन्द्रकृतकेतनः॥
Embracing a life of righteousness, you did were confer the earth upon Kaśyapa and repaired to the forest, making the Mahendra hill your home.
मम सर्वविनाशाय सम्प्राप्तस्त्वं महामुने। न चैकस्मिन् हते रामे सर्वे जीवामहे वयम्॥
O mighty Muni, you have come here to compass the destruction of my all; but if Rāma be slain, we shall never live.
ब्रुवत्येवं दशरथे जामदग्न्यः प्रतापवान्। अनादृत्य तु तद्वाक्यं राममेवाभ्यभाषत॥
Thus addressed by Dasaratha, the powerful son of Jamadagni, disregarding his words, thus addressed Rāma,
इमे द्वे धनुषी श्रेष्ठे दिव्ये लोकाभिपूजिते। दृढे बलवती मुख्ये सुकृते विश्वकर्मणा॥
These two foremost of bows, extraordinary, and worshipped of all the worlds, and stout, and powerful, surpassingly excellent, constructed with care by Viśvakarman.
अनुसृष्टं सुरैरेकं त्र्यम्बकाय युयुत्सवे। त्रिपुरघ्नं नरश्रेष्ठ भग्नं काकुत्स्थ यत्त्वया ॥
One of these, O foremost of men, for the destruction of Tripura, the celestials gave to Tryambaka, desirous of encounter, even that which, O Kākutstha, which you have snapped.
इदं द्वितीयं दुर्धर्षं विष्णोर्दत्तं सुरोत्तमैः। तदिदं वैष्णवं राम धनुः परपुरजयम्॥
This second, which is irrepressible, was given to Vişnu, by the chiefs of the celestials. And, O Rāma, this bow belonging to Vişnu, is capable of conquering hostile cities.
समानसारं काकुत्स्थ रौद्रेण धनुषा त्विदम्। तदा तु देवताः सर्वाः पृच्छन्ति स्म पितामहम्॥ शितिकण्ठस्य विष्णोश्च बलाबलनिरीक्षया। अभिप्रायं तु विज्ञाय देवतानां पितामहः॥ विरोधं जनयामास तयोः सत्यवतां वरः।
O Kākutstha, equal in energy to the bow belonging to Rudra. Once on a time the deities, with the object of ascertaining the respective prowess of Visnu and the blue-throated one, asked the great-father, foremost of those abiding by truth, reading the intention of the deities, fomented a quarrel between them.
विरोधे तु महद् युद्धमभवद् रोमहर्षणम्॥ शितिकण्ठस्य विष्णोश्च परस्परजयैषिणोः।
Upon that quarrel breaking out among the deities, there took place a mighty contest capable of making one's hair stand on end, between Vişnu and the blue-throated one, each burning to beat the other down.
तदा तु जृम्भितं शैवं धनुर्भीमपराक्रमम्॥ हुंकारेण महादेवः स्तम्भितोऽथ त्रिलोचनः।
Then on Vişņu uttering a roar, Siva's bow of dreadful prowess became flaccid. And thereupon the three-eyed Mahadeva became moveless.
देवैस्तदा समागम्य सर्षिसङ्घः सचारणैः॥ याचितौ प्रशमं तत्र जग्मतुस्तौ सुरोत्तमौ।
Upon the assembled gods with the saints and the Cāraṇas beseeching those two foremost of celestials, they became pacified.
जृम्भितं तद् धनुर्दृष्ट्वा शैवं विष्णुपराक्रमैः॥ अधिकं मेनिरे विष्णुं देवाः सर्षिगणास्तथा।
Upon beholding that bow of Śiva rendered flaccid by Vişnu's prowess, the deities with the saints acknowledged Vişņu as the more powerful.
धनू रुद्रस्तु संक्रुद्धो विदेहेषु महायशाः॥ देवरातस्य राजर्षेर्ददौ हस्ते ससायकम्।
The enraged Rudra of high fame made over the bow along with its shafts to the hands of the Rajarsi, Devarata of Videha.
इदं च वैष्णवं राम धनुः परपुरजयम्॥ ऋचीके भार्गवे प्रादाद् विष्णुः स न्यासमुत्तमम्।
O Rāma, this bow belonging to Vişnu, capable of conquering hostile cities, Vişnu consigned to Bhrgus' son, Reika, as a worthy trust.
ऋचीकस्तु महातेजाः पुत्रस्याप्रतिकर्मणः॥ पितुर्मम ददौ दिव्यं जमदग्नेर्महात्मनः।
The exceedingly energetic Rcīka made over the divine bow to his son of immeasurable prowess, my sire the high-souled son of Jamadagni.
न्यस्तशस्त्रे पितरि मे तपोबलसमन्विते॥ अर्जुनो विदधे मृत्युं प्राकृतां बुद्धिमास्थितः।
Once on a time, on my sire surcharged with ascetic energy, renouncing the bow, Arjuna, under the influence of unrighteous sentiment, compassed the death of my father.
वधमप्रतिरूपं तु पितुः श्रुत्वा सुदारुणम्। क्षत्रमुत्सादयं रोषाज्जातं जातमनेकशः॥ पृथिवीं चाखिलां प्राप्य कश्यपाय महात्मने। यज्ञस्यान्तेऽददं राम दक्षिणां पुण्यकर्मणे॥
Thereupon, learning of the lamentable and untoward slaughter of my sire, I from ire, annihilated the Kșatryas, springing up afresh by numbers, then bringing under sway the whole earth, I, O Rāma, on the sacrifice being over, conferred it upon the righteous Kasyapa as Daksina.
दत्त्वा महेन्द्रनिलयस्तपोबलसमन्वितः। श्रुत्वा तु धनुषो भेदं ततोऽहं द्रुतमागतः॥
Having made this gift, I was dwelling in the Mahendra hill equipped with ascetic energy, when, hearing of your snapping of the bow, I have speedily come hither.
तदेवं वैष्णवं राम पितृपैतामहं महत्। क्षत्रधर्म पुरस्कृत्य गृहीष्व धनुरुत्तमम्॥ योजयस्व धनुःश्रेष्ठे शरं परपुरंजयम्। यदि शक्तोऽसि काकुत्स्थ द्वन्द्वं दास्यामि ते ततः।।२८।
Do you now, O Rāma, agreeably to the cannon of the Kșatrya morality, take this excellent and mighty bow of Vişņu, that had belonged to my father and grand father. And do you set upon this best of bows an arrow capable of conquering hostile cities. And, O Kākutstha, if you succeed, I shall then offer you combat.-28