Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 66: The History of Lord Śiva’s bow
Text 1.66.19
तेषां जिज्ञासमानानां वीर्यं धनुरुपाहृतम्।
न शेकुर्ग्रहणे तस्य धनुषस्तोलनेऽपि वा॥
teṣāṁ jijñāsamānānāṁ vīryaṁ dhanur upāhṛtam
na śekur grahaṇe tasya dhanuṣas tolane ’pi vā
teṣām jijñāsamānānām = for the sake of those desirous of knowing; vīryam = its strength; dhanuḥ upāhṛtam = I had the bow brought [for them]; na śekuḥ grahaṇe = they could neither hold; tasya dhanuṣaḥ = that bow; tolane api vā = nor move it.
For the sake of those desirous of knowing its strength, I had the bow brought [for them]. They could neither hold that bow nor move it.
The kings could not move it with their hands to test its weight.