SB 4.16.23 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

विस्फूर्जयन्नाजगवं धनु: स्वयंयदाचरत्क्ष्मामविषह्यमाजौ तदा निलिल्युर्दिशि दिश्यसन्तोलाङ्गूलमुद्यम्य यथा मृगेन्द्र: ॥ २३ ॥

Verse text

visphūrjayann āja-gavaṁ dhanuḥ svayaṁ yadācarat kṣmām aviṣahyam ājau tadā nililyur diśi diśy asanto lāṅgūlam udyamya yathā mṛgendraḥ

Synonyms

visphūrjayan — vibrating ; āja — gavam — made of the horns of goats and bulls ; dhanuḥ — his bow ; svayam — personally ; yadā — when ; acarat — will travel ; kṣmām — on the earth ; aviṣahyam — irresistible ; ājau — in battle ; tadā — at that time ; nililyuḥ — will hide themselves ; diśi diśi — in all directions ; asantaḥ — demoniac men ; lāṅgūlam — tail ; udyamya — keeping high ; yathā — as ; mṛgendraḥ — the lion .

Translation

When the lion travels in the forest with its tail turned upward, all menial animals hide themselves. Similarly, when King Pṛthu will travel over his kingdom and vibrate the string of his bow, which is made of the horns of goats and bulls and is irresistible in battle, all demoniac rogues and thieves will hide themselves in all directions.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

When he traveled the earth during battle, twanging his irresistible bow made of cow and goat horn, like a lion with raised tail, the sinful fled away in all directions. Just as a lion walking about with raised tail, Pṛthu wandered the earth twanging his bow.

Purport

It is very appropriate to compare a powerful king like Pṛthu to a lion. In India, kṣatriya kings are still called siṅgh, which means “lion.” Unless rogues, thieves and other demoniac people in a state are afraid of the executive head, who rules the kingdom with a strong hand, there cannot be peace or prosperity in the state. Thus it is most regrettable when a woman becomes the executive head instead of a lionlike king. In such a situation the people are considered very unfortunate.