Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 118: Conversation Between Sītā and Anasūyā
Text 2.118.49
तेन पूरयता वेगान्मध्ये भग्नं द्विधा धनुः।
तस्य शब्दोऽभवद्भीमः पतितस्याशनेरिव।।
tena pūrayatā vegān madhye bhagnaṁ dvidhā dhanuḥ
tasya śabdo ’bhavad bhīmaḥ patitasyāśaner iva
tena = when He; pūrayatā = strung it; vegāt = forcefully; madhye = in the middle; bhagnam = broke; dvidhā = into two; dhanuḥ = the bow; tasya śabdaḥ abhavat = it produced a sound; bhīmaḥ = terrible; patitasya = that had fallen; aśaneḥ iva = like a thunderbolt.
When He forcefully strung it, the bow broke in the middle into two. It produced a terrible sound, as if a thunderbolt that had fallen.
NOTE. What is surprising about the Supreme Lord’s stringing this bow of Lord Śiva? He Himself states in Bhagavad-gītā (7.11) that others are strong by His mercy:
balaṁ balavatāṁ cāham
kāma-rāga-vivarjitam
“I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire.”