Varuna said to Agni, “I am giving." He then gave him that jewel of a bow, Gandiva, a bow endued with great energy. It was a great enhancer of fame and achievements, it was incapable of being injured by any weapon, it was the chief of all weapons and the gem of them all, it was the smiter of hostile armies and it was alone equal to one hundred thousand bow; it was the enhancer of kingdoms and it was variegated with excellent colours; it was well-adorned and beautiful to look at without a mark of weakness and injury anywhere and it was always worshipped both by the celestial and the Gandharvas.
ददानीत्येव वरुणः पावकं प्रत्यभाषत। तदद्भुतं महावीर्यं यश:कीर्तिविवर्धनम्॥ सर्वशस्त्रैरनार सर्वशस्त्रप्रमाथि च। सर्वायुधमहामात्रं परसैन्यप्रधर्षणम्॥ एकं शतसहस्रेण सम्मितं राष्ट्रवर्धनम्। चित्रमुच्चावचैर्वर्णैः शोभितं श्लक्ष्णमव्रणम्॥ देवदानवगन्धर्वैः पूजितं शाश्वतीः समाः। प्रादाच्चैव धनूरत्नमक्षय्ये च महेषुधी॥