King Janaka, pleased with the assembled sages and noble souls, recounted a tale of great significance. Long ago, he said, the bow of Shiva—a peerless and radiant weapon, the very jewel among arms and belonging to the great-souled Lord of the gods—was entrusted to his illustrious ancestor. This mighty bow had been kept in the house of Janaka as a sacred trust. Janaka then spoke of a wondrous event. While he was ploughing the fields as part of a sacred rite, a miracle occurred: from the furrow of the earth arose a maiden, radiant and pure. As he cleared the field, he found her—a child who became renowned as Sītā, for she emerged from the very earth itself. Janaka raised her as his own daughter, though she had no mother’s womb, and she grew up under his loving care. Recognizing the divine nature of Sītā’s birth, Janaka resolved that only a display of supreme prowess would win her hand. He declared that Sītā, the child of the earth, would be given in marriage only to one who could prove himself worthy. Hearing of her beauty and virtue, kings from across the world gathered in Mithilā, each aspiring to win her as his bride. To all these assembled rulers, Janaka proclaimed that he would not give his daughter except as a prize for exceptional strength. Eager to be tested, the kings requested to see the legendary bow of Shiva. The bow was brought forth, and one by one, the kings attempted to lift and string it. Yet none could even move the sacred weapon, let alone string it. Their pride wounded, the kings were rejected, and in their anger and frustration, they besieged Mithilā, doubting their own strength and feeling deeply insulted. For a full year, the kings and their armies afflicted the city, but their resources were spent and their hope faded. Distressed by this suffering, Janaka turned to intense austerities, propitiating all the hosts of gods with his devotion. Pleased by his penance, the gods granted him an invincible army, which swiftly routed the besieging kings. Defeated, the kings fled in all directions, powerless and shamed. Janaka then spoke of the bow itself, radiant and revered. He announced that he would show this divine bow to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, and if Rāma, son of Daśaratha, could string it, he would offer Sītā—his daughter born without a womb—as his bride. At this, the great sage Viśvāmitra, who was present, said to King Janaka, “Show the bow to Rāma.” Janaka immediately instructed his ministers to bring forth the divine bow, adorned with fragrant garlands. The ministers entered the city and, with great effort, brought out the massive chest containing the bow—so heavy that five hundred strong men strained together just to move it. When the chest was set before them, the ministers addressed King Janaka, saying, “O king, here is the excellent bow, honored by all kings. Behold it if you wish.” With reverence, Janaka turned to Viśvāmitra and the two princes, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, and said, “This bow has been revered by generations of Janakas and mighty kings, yet none have been able to string it. Not gods, not asuras, not rākṣasas, nor even the foremost of gandharvas, yakṣas, kinnaras, or great serpents—none have succeeded. What hope, then, is there for men? Yet, O sage, let this best of bows be shown to these two princes.” Hearing this, Viśvāmitra addressed Rāma: “My child, Rāma, behold the bow.” At the sage’s command, Rāma approached, opened the chest, and gazed upon the divine weapon. He spoke, “I will touch this excellent bow with my hand. I will attempt to lift and string it as well.” Janaka consented, and Viśvāmitra encouraged him. Then, before the eyes of thousands, Rāma, the delight of the Raghu line, stepped forward. With effortless grace, he took hold of the bow in the middle. As all watched in awe, Rāma strung the bow as easily as one pours water. Then, drawing it fully, he broke the mighty bow in two. A thunderous sound echoed, shaking the earth as if a mountain had split. The people, stunned by the deafening crash, fell to the ground—save for the great sage, the king, and the two princes. When the crowd had recovered, King Janaka, his fear gone, approached Viśvāmitra with joined palms and spoke with deep respect. “O revered one,” he said, “I have witnessed the strength of Rāma, son of Daśaratha. This is truly marvelous, inconceivable, and beyond all expectation. My daughter Sītā, in gaining Rāma as her husband, will bring eternal fame to the house of Janaka. My vow is fulfilled: Sītā is to be won by prowess. My beloved daughter is to be given to Rāma.” With Viśvāmitra’s blessing, Janaka asked that his ministers swiftly journey to Ayodhyā in fast chariots, to inform King Daśaratha of these wondrous events and to prepare for the joyous union of Sītā and Rāma.