शंभुरपि तथा करोमीत्युवाच
Śaṃbhu replied: So be it, I will do thus.
राम एव नाथः सीताया भविष्यति रामं च कृत्वा स्वस्त्यद्यैव करिष्यामि गृहाणाजगवं धनुरिदम्
Rāma alone will be the lord of Sītā, and today itself, having made Rāma auspicious, I will act. Take this great bow of mine.
राजोवाच- किमेतेनाजगवेन धनुषा स्वयंवरे सीतां रामं प्रापय
The king said: With this bow of yours, how will Sītā be given to Rāma in the svayaṃvara?
शंकर उवाच- इदं धनुरसज्यं मे यस्तु सज्यं करिष्यति तस्मै देया मया सीता प्रतिज्ञामेवमाचर
Śaṃkara said: This bow of mine is unstrung; whoever is able to string it, to him Sītā shall be given by me. Thus is my vow; act accordingly.
इत्येवमुक्त्वा भगवान्गणैरंतर्दधे हरः । अथादातुं धनू राजा न शशाकातियत्नतः
Having spoken thus, the blessed Hara vanished from the assembly. Then, though the king tried with great effort, he was unable to lift the bow.
अथोज्ज्वलं शतसहस्रगजबलं समाहूय गृहाणेत्युवाच
Then, summoning a force as strong as a hundred thousand elephants, he said, 'Take it.'
स चापि मातुलं नत्वाट्टहासं कृत्वोत्प्लुत्य धनुर्द्वाभ्यां कराभ्यामुद्दधार जानुपर्यंतं मातुलो मारीचः श्रुत्वा एकाकी विप्रवेषं कृत्वा विदेहमयाचत वैश्वदेवांते प्राप्तमतिथिं मामवैहि
And he, after bowing to his maternal uncle, laughed loudly, leapt up, and with both hands lifted the bow up to his knees. His uncle Mārīca, having heard this, disguised himself as a brāhmaṇa, approached Videha at the end of the Vaiśvadeva rite, and said, 'Recognize me as a guest who has arrived.'
राजोवाच- स्वागतं भो इदं ब्रह्मन्नासनं तत्र निषीदेति
The king said: Welcome, O brāhmaṇa, here is a seat; please be seated there.
स चातिथिस्तथेत्युक्त्वा निषसाद
And that guest, saying 'So be it,' sat down.
अथ राजा जलमादाय पादौ प्रक्षाल्य गंधपुष्पाक्षतैरभ्यर्च्य महाजं तस्मै निवेद्य भोजनाय प्रार्थयामास
Then the king, taking water, washed his feet, honored him with sandalwood, flowers, and rice grains, offered him great food, and invited him to dine.
स चापि तदन्नं षड्रसोपेतं सौवर्णभाजनगतमीक्षमाणइवेतस्ततो विलोकयामास
And that guest, seeing the food, which was endowed with all six tastes and placed in golden vessels, gazed at it and then looked around.
तस्मिन्नेवावसरे सीता पद्मकिंजल्कप्रभेषदरुणवसनं बिभ्रती नीलकुटिलकुंतलैश्चलद्भिर्यूनां मनांस्याकर्षयद्भिः प्रेक्षमाणदृष्टिभग्नकलैरिव स्त्रीणां चित्तमीदृशमिति दर्शयद्भिरिवोपशोभित-ललाटानंगचापसुभ्रूपद्मपत्रारुणविलोचना तिलप्रसूननासामृदुस्निग्धरो मशकपोलानंतरा रक्तोष्ठराक्तासनमाणिक्यनिभदाडिमीदशना जपाकुसुमारुणाधरातिशोभितचिबुकाशुक्ति-कर्णासमदीर्घकंठातिमांसलवक्षाः पीनोद्भिन्नकुचकुड्मलानेकहारोपशोभिता सुभगाका-। रानतिमांसलबाहुलता मुग्धायतसमानांगुलिशिखापद्मारुणपल्लवाविविधबहुरत्नांगुलिभूषणामुष्टिग्राह्यमध्यासु रोमराजिगंभीरनाभिः पृथुजघनाकरिकरोरुस्तूणीरजंघासुपादकमला-नूपुरादि पादविभूषणा पादांगुलीभूषिता विकसितसौगंधिकं विदधती भुंजानमारीचस्य पुरतश्चागता
At that very moment, Sītā appeared, wearing garments as red as the filaments of a lotus, her dark, curling locks captivating the minds of young men, her glances breaking the hearts of women as if to show what such beauty is like; her forehead adorned, her brows like Cupid’s bow, her eyes red as lotus petals, her nose delicate as a sesame flower, her cheeks soft and smooth, her lips red as bimba fruit, her teeth like pomegranate seeds, her chin radiant as a hibiscus blossom, her ears like oyster shells, her neck long, her chest full and adorned with many ornaments, her arms plump, her fingers and toes like lotus buds, adorned with various jewels, her waist slender, her navel deep, her hips broad, her thighs like elephant trunks, her legs straight, her feet like lotus flowers adorned with anklets and toe rings, exuding the fragrance of blooming blue lotuses, she came before Mārīca as he was eating.
वीक्ष्यासावचिंतयदेनां कथमपहरामि कथमालिंगामि कथमन्यत्किंचित्करोमीत्येवमवसरमलभमानस्तूष्णीमेव विनिर्गतः
Seeing her, he thought: 'How can I abduct her? How can I embrace her? How can I do something else?' But finding no opportunity, he silently departed.
अथ देवा धनुःसज्जीकरणाय यतमाना अहंपूर्विकया विद्यमाना अन्योन्यतिरस्कारेण महेंद्रः प्राप धनुरुत्तमं प्रांतद्वयात्परं नावनमयितुं शशाक
Then the gods, striving to string the bow, each tried to surpass the others. Mahendra reached the bow, but could not bend it even at the ends.
अथ सूर्यो धनुरादाय नमयन्नेव निपपात
Then Sūrya, taking the bow and attempting to bend it, fell down.
वायुर्बलवतां श्रेष्ठो जग्राहाजगवमथ स्वेनैव करेणोत्कर्षयन्नधः पपात धनुश्च वायोरुपरि पपात अहसंस्तदा सर्वे
Vāyu, the foremost of the strong, took the great bow and, pulling it with his own hand, fell down, and the bow fell upon Vāyu. At that, all were astonished.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे तुरगवरमारुह्य बाणासुरः सहस्रबाहुरनेकानेकशिरोभिर्दैत्यैः परिवृतः प्रह्लादसमेतो विदेहपुरीमाजगाम
Meanwhile, mounting the excellent horse, Bāṇāsura, the thousand-armed one, surrounded by numerous demons with many heads, together with Prahlāda, arrived at the city of Videha.
अथ स्वविभूषणोद्भासितां दिशं कुर्वन्स्वतेजसापयशसो देवताः कुर्वन्नानाविधगीतं शृण्वन्द्व्यंगुलमात्रेण शक्तो विरराम
Then, making the directions shine with his own ornaments and glory, causing the gods to sing various songs, he rested, able to do so for only the length of two fingers.
प्रह्लादोबलिश्चैवधावातेऽथविरेमतुः
Prahlāda and Bali also rushed forward, but then withdrew.
अथ राक्षसेषु तूष्णींभूतेषु राजानोऽतिबलिनः समागता ज्याबंधाशक्ता अपसृत्य तस्थुः
When the rākṣasas became silent, the mighty kings gathered, strung their bows, but withdrew and stood aside.
अथ ब्राह्मणाः समागताः
Then the brāhmaṇas assembled.
अथ विश्वामित्रो धनुरादाय एकांगुलपर्यंतं सज्यं कृत्वा विरराम निवृत्ताश्चापरे
Then Viśvāmitra, taking up the bow, strung it up to the length of one finger, and rested; the others also withdrew.
अथ दिनमात्रे धनुषि तूष्णींभूतेषु राघवः सहानुजैरागत्य धनुर्निरीक्ष्यास्पृशत्
Then, when the bow had been silent for a day, Rāghava, together with his brothers, arrived, examined the bow, and touched it.
अथ राजकुमाराः शतशः समागताः सर्वाभरणभूषिता धनुर्दृष्ट्वापस्पृशुर्न चालनक्षमाः
Then hundreds of royal princes assembled, adorned with all ornaments; seeing the bow, they touched it, but were unable to move it.
अथ दाशरथिप्रमुखाःकुमाराः समागताः
Then the princes led by the sons of Daśaratha assembled.
अथ वेत्रझर्झरपाणयः समागमन्सर्वानेवापसारयामासुः
Then those with vetra and jharjhara in their hands assembled and drove everyone away.
अथ रामो लक्ष्मरणहस्तं गृहीत्वा सर्वाभरणभूषितो धनुरासाद्य स्पृष्ट्वा नत्वा प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य धनुरादायोद्दधार
Then Rāma, adorned with all ornaments, taking Lakṣmaṇa's hand, approached the bow, touched it, bowed, circumambulated it, took up the bow, and lifted it.
तदादानसमये सर्व एवैत्य सहासमूचुः अत्र भग्ना महारथा इति
At the moment of taking it up, everyone came together and laughed, saying, 'Here the great charioteers have been defeated.'
अथ स रामो धनुर्ज्यास्थानमवनमय्य धनुषि जानुं कृत्वा सज्यमेककरेणोत्पादयन्कोट्यामनामयत्
Then Rāma, placing the bowstring's position on the bow, set his knee on the bow, strung it with one hand, and bent it with the tip.
अथसज्जीकृतं दृष्ट्वा सर्व एव नासाग्रन्यस्तांगुलयोऽभवन्
Then, seeing it strung, everyone placed their fingers on the tip of their noses.