Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 66: The History of Lord Śiva’s bow
Text 1.66.20
तेषां वीर्यवतां वीर्यमल्पं ज्ञात्वा महामुने।
प्रत्याख्याता नृपतयस्तन्निबोध तपोधन॥
teṣāṁ vīryavatāṁ vīryam alpaṁ jñātvā mahā-mune
pratyākhyātā nṛ-patayas tan nibodha tapo-dhana
teṣām vīryavatām vīryam = that the strength of those strong persons; alpam = was [too] less [to string the bow]; jñātvā = coming to know; mahā-mune = O great sage; pratyākhyātāḥ = were refused; nṛ-patayaḥ = the kings; tat nibodha = listen to what happened afterwards; tapaḥ-dhana = rich in austerity.
O great sage rich in austerity, coming to know that the strength of those strong persons was [too] less [to string the bow], the kings were refused. Listen to what happened afterwards.
When Janaka understood that those kings did not have the strength [to string the bow], he refused their request to marry his daughter.