Rama, Who Broke the Bow of Shiva

The bow of Lord Shiva which was created by Vishwakarma, the architect of the gods, was handed over to Nimi Chakravarti, who in turn gave it to his eldest son king Devarat and was thus passed down to king Janak through that lineage of kings.As a child, Sita had moved this great bow which could not be moved by the strongest of men. This incident left a deep impression on her father king Janak’s mind. He decided to use the bow as a measure of worthiness for any potential suitors for his daughter’s hand in marriage. He vowed that he would give his daughter’s hand in marriage to the one who is able to string the great bow of Lord Shiva. King Janak knew that only a man of great valour and honour would be able to accomplish such a feat, and only such a man would be worthy of his beloved daughterSita. Ten thousand royal men were drawn to the beauty of Sita, but were unsuccessful in moving the bow. To the delight of king Janak, Lord Ram attempted the test, as every other suitor did. He was able to lift the bow easily and as he strung it, the bow snapped into two pieces, causing a noise so loud that it echoed through the entire universe!Thus, it became known to all that Lord Shiva’s bow had been broken by the mighty Lord Ram, and everyone rejoiced on hearing the announcement of the royal wedding.