← 1.74.12 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 74: Paraśurāma: The two divine bows and the challenge · 1.74.14 →
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.74.13
Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 74: Paraśurāma: The two divine bows and the challenge. Paraśurāma ignores Daśaratha’s plea, recounts the rival divine bows and his vengeance, and challenges Rāma to string Viṣṇu’s bow
In the sequence: He explains that Viśvakarman made two great divine bows, one for Śiva and the other for Viṣṇu
1.74.13
idaṃ dvitīyaṃ durdharṣaṃ viṣṇor dattaṃ surottamaiḥ
samānasāraṃ kākutstha raudreṇa dhanuṣā tv idam
this second, unassailable one was given to Viṣṇu by the chief gods; and this one, O Kākutstha, is equal in power to the bow of Rudra.
Words: idaṃ — this; dvitīyaṃ — second; durdharṣaṃ — unassailable; viṣṇor — to Viṣṇu; dattaṃ — given; surottamaiḥ — by the chief gods; samānasāraṃ — of equal strength/pith; kākutstha — O Kākutstha; raudreṇa — with Rudra's; dhanuṣā — with the bow; tv — and, indeed; idam — this
Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.