Chapter 72 - Jarāsandha slain

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

47.. (When Kṛṣṇa had spent a restful period for some days) on a certain occasion, king Yudhiṣṭhira was seated in his court-hall attended by sages, Brāhmaṇas, Kṣattriyas, Vaiśyas and his brothers, preceptors, elders of the family, clansmen and relatives. He addressed Kṛṣṇa within the hearing of them all.

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

3. O Lord Govinda! I intend to adore you and your hallowed part-manifestations (in the form of Indra and other deities) by performing the noblest of sacrifice called the Rāja- sūya. May you be pleased (to help us) to accomplish this.

4. O lotus-navelled Lord? Your feet destroy everything inauspicious. Those pious people who constantly worship them physically, contemplate on them mentally, and sing of them vocally attain emancipation from saṃsāra. They obtain even worldly blessings if they so desire but not others.

5. O God of gods! Let the world, therefore, witness the supreme efficacy of the service of your lotus-like feet. O Lord! Be pleased to demonstrate to the Kaurava and Sṛñjaya chiefs, the status reached and fruits reaped by those who worship you and by those who do not do so.

6. O Lord! You are Brahman himself, the Inner Soul abiding in all beings. You eternally enjoy your essential state of blissfulness and look upon all as equal. Hence the notion of difference such as ‘this is mine’ and ‘this is not mine’ cannot be predicated of you. Like persons betaking to the celestial wish-yielding tree, your grace is conferred on those who serve you and it is commensurate to the measure (and intensity) of their service, and there is no violation of this law.

The Lord replied:

7. O King! This resolution of yours is excellent. O destroyer of enemies? By performance of the Ṛājasūya sacrifice your auspicious fame (as the conqueror of all kings) will pervade the three worlds.

8. The performance of this sovereign sacrifice is desirable not only on behalf of us, your friends and well wishers, but also on behalf of sages, your ancestors, gods and all created beings.

9. Having defeated all the kings in the world and thus brought under control the whole of the earth, collect all the necessary articles of sacrifice and then commence the performance of this great sacrifice.

10. O King! These brothers of yours are born from the rays of the deities (such as Indra, Vāyu) who are the guardians of the worlds. And I, who am never won over by persons lacking self-control, have been conquered by you, by your control of mind and senses.

11. In this world, not even a celestial being can discomfit my devotee by his energy, glory, affluence or supernatural power, much less can an earthly being do so.

Śrī Śuka said:

12. Having heard the approbatory speech of the Lord, king Yudhiṣṭhira became extremely delighted and his countenance looked cheerful like a fresh-blown lotus. He assigned the conquest of cardinal points (of the world) to his brothers who were imbued with the lustre and energy of god Viṣṇu.

13. He commanded Sahadeva to conquer the South along with Sṛñjayas and deputed Nakula to the West, and Arjuna to the North and Bhīma, in alliance with Matsyas, Kekayas and Madrakas to the East.

14. Conquering the kings with their might and energy, those warriors brought from those quarters immense wealth to king Yudhiṣṭhira who was preparing for sacrifice.

15. Hearing that Jarāsandha could not be conquered, Yudhiṣṭhira became anxious. They say that to Yudhiṣṭhira who was pondering (over the subjugation of Jarāsandha), Kṛṣṇa, the Primary Cause of the world, suggested the expedient suggested by Uddhava.

16. O Parīkṣit? Thereupon, the three (warriors)—Bhīmasena, Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa—disguised themselves as Brāhmaṇas and went to Girivraja (the capital of Magadha) where stayed Jarāsandha, the son of Bṛhadratha.

17. Those three Kṣattriyas disguised as Brāhmaṇas, went to Jarāsandha’s palace at the time of receiving unexpected guests (with no previous appointment). They begged of king Jarāsandha who was friendly and devoted to Brāhmaṇas and was a keen observer of the sacred duties of the householder.

18. O king! Please know us as unexpected guests who have come over a long distance for soliciting a request. May god betide you! Be, therefore, pleased to grant our request.

19. Is there anything unbearable to people with fortitude and endurance? What act is there which the unrighteous would hesitate to do? What is there that the generous cannot give away? What person is a stranger or an enemy to those who look upon all as equals.

20. Whoever, endowed with capability to do so, does not, by means of this perishable body, achieve everlasting glory worthy of being sung by the righteous, is worthy of being pitied and censured.

21. Kings Hariścandra, Rantideva, Śibi, Bali, Mudgala (who lived on grains gleaned from fields), the legendary pigeon (who sacrificed its life for the hunter and the hunter (who emulated the pigeon’s example) and many others attained to everlasting fame at the cost of this transient body.

Śrī Śuka said:

22. From their tones, appearance, the scars on the forearms caused by the friction of bow-strings, Jarāsandha came to know that they belonged to the Kṣattriya class. He also felt that he had seen them formerly somewhere. He began to think:

23. “These are certainly Kṣattriyas who have adopted the guise of Brāhmaṇas. I shall give whatever they beg of me even if it be my body which is difficult to part with.

24. The glorious fame of king Bali is heard glorified far and wide in all directions even though he was dislodged from his sovereign position by Viṣṇu in the disguise of a Brāh- maṇa.

25. The great king of Daityas, knowing full well that it was Viṣṇu in the form of a Brāhmaṇa and though prevented by his preceptor Śukra, he gave away the earth to Viṣṇu in the guise of a Brāhmaṇa who intended to deprive Bali of his sovereignty and splendour for the sake of Indra.

26. What is the good of this life of that wretched Kṣat- triya who does hot aspire to attain vast renown at the cost of this perishable, ever-waning body for the good of Brāhmaṇas.”

27. Reflecting thus, the noble-minded king Jarāsandha spoke out to Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna and Bhīma, “O Brāhmaṇas. Choose whatever you desire to have. I shall give even my head to you.”

Lord Kṛṣṇa replied:

28. “O great king. We are Kṣattriyas who have come here to seek a fight. We do not beg for food. We want a fight with you, in a single combat if it pleases you.

29. This is Vṛkodara (Bhīma) the son of Kuntī. This is his brother Arjuna. Please know me as Kṛṣṇa, their maternal cousin and your sworn enemy.”

30. Thus informed by Kṛṣṇa, the king of Magadhas laughed loudly. Getting enraged, he declared, “you dull-witted fellows, (if you so seek it) I shall give a battle with you.

31. I shall not fight with a coward like you who get confounded in battles. Out of my fear, you abandoned your capital Mathurā and sought shelter in the sea.

32. This Arjuna is neither equal in age nor surpassing me in strength. And hence he is no match for me as a combatant. Bhīma is my equal in strength.”

33. With these words, he handed over a huge mace to Bhīmasena and taking another tremendous mace for himself he went out of the town.

34. There on a level ground as the arena, the two warriors closed in fight against each other, both of them, being proud and furious in battle, hit each other with their maces hard like (Indra’s) thunderbolt.

35. While they were making skilful wheeling manoeuvres to the right or to the left, the combat became spectacular like the one of actors on the stage.

36. O king! When the maces hurled at each other clashed each other, there arose a harsh and cracking sound caṭ caṭ resembling the clapping of Vajras (Indra’s thunderbolt) or like the clashing of the tusks of two fighting tuskers.

37. Just as two twigs of the sun plant are reduced to pulp when two elephants, furious with rage, fight with each other with those twigs, those two maces hurled with full force of their arms dashed against each other and came in contact with each other’s shoulders, hips, feet, hands, thighs and collar-bones and were reduced to powder.

38. When their maces were broken down in this way, those furious warriors among men pounded each other, boxing with fists as hard as iron. The noise produced by the blows of their palms as they struck each other was like that of two tuskers dashing against each other and was harsh like the striking of Vajra (or clapping of thunder).

39. Both Bhīma and Jarāsandha were equal to each other in training, strength and energy. They struck each other with unabated force. The combat however remained undecided.

40. In this way twentyseven days passed while they fought by day but behaved like friends at night (when the combat was over).

41. O king Parīkṣit! On one day Bhīmasena confessed to Kṛṣṇa, his maternal uncle’s son, “O Mādhava (Descendant of Madhu), I am unable to vanquish Jarāsandha in the duel.

42. Śrī Kṛṣṇa knew the secret of the birth and death of the enemy and how the demoness Jarā conferred life on Jarāsandha. He strengthened Bhīma by transferring his energy and began to consider.

43. He hit upon a plan of killing the enemy. Kṛṣṇa of infallible insight showed it to Bhīma symbolically by splitting a twig.

44. Bhīma, a prominent warrior of enormous strength understood the suggestion conveyed to him. He took hold of Jarāsandha by both his feet and felled him on the ground.

45. He pressed down one foot of the enemy with one of his feet and with his both hands he caught hold of the other foot and tore him in two from the anus, like an elephant splitting a branch of a tree.

46. Now people beheld the two separate parts of the body each with one foot, one thigh, one testicle, one hip, half the back, one breast, one shoulder, one arm, one eye, one eyebrow and one ear.

47. There was a great outcry, when the king of Magadhas was slain. Clasping Bhīma in their arms, Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa applauded him.

48. The glorious Lord Kṛṣṇa is the creator and protector of all beings. None could fathom his greatness and power. He installed Jarāsandha’s son Sahadeva as the king of Magadhas on the throne and set at liberty kings kept in confinement by Jarāsandha, the king of Magadhas.