Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 67: Lord Rāma Breaks Lord Śiva’s bow
Text 1.67.10
क्व गतिर्मानुषाणां च धनुषोऽस्य प्रपूरणे।
आरोपणे समायोगे वेपने तोलनेऽपि वा॥
kva gatir mānuṣāṇāṁ ca dhanuṣo ‘sya prapūraṇe
āropaṇe samāyoge vepane tolane ’pi vā
kva gatiḥ = who has the strength; mānuṣāṇām ca = among human beings; dhanuṣaḥ bow; asya = this; prapūraṇe = to lift it; āropaṇe = string it; samāyoge = fix an arrow to it; vepane = pull its string; tolane api vā = or shake it to weigh it.
Who among human beings has the strength to lift this bow, string it, fix an arrow to it, pull its string or shake it to weigh it?1
1 A bow has to be lifted and then strung. Then an arrow can be fixed on to it or its string can be pulled.
Nevertheless, Janaka wanted to show it to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, as it is clear from the next verse.