Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 25: The History of Tāṭakā
Text 1.25.2
अल्पवीर्या यदा यक्षाः श्रूयन्ते मुनिपुङ्गव।
कथं नागसहस्रस्य धारयति अबला बलम्॥
alpa-vīryā yadā yakṣāḥ śrūyante muni-puṅgava
kathaṁ nāga-sahasrasya dhārayati abalā balam
alpa-vīryāḥ = of weak prowess; yadā = then; yakṣāḥ = yakṣas; śrūyante = it is heard that; muni-puṅgava = O best of sages; katham = how is it that; nāga-sahasrasya = of a thousand elephants; dhārayati = has; abalā = this woman; balam = the strength.
O best of sages, it is heard that yakṣas are of weak prowess. Then, how is it that this woman has the strength of a thousand elephants?1
1 Women are sometimes referred to as abalā, “weak,” like here.