Shloka 28
Jarāsandha-nipātana, rāja-mokṣa, and rājasūya-sāhāyya-prārthanā
Jarāsandha’s fall, liberation of kings, and request for support
क्षत्रियस्यैतदेवाहुर्धम्य कृष्णोपजीवनम् । विक्रम्प वशमानीय कामतो यत् समाचरेत्
kṣatriyasyaitad evāhur dharmyaṃ kṛṣṇopajīvanam | vikramya vaśam ānīya kāmato yat samācaret śrīkṛṣṇa |
قال جاراسنده: «يا شري كريشنا! إنهم يقررون أن هذا وحده هو الرزق الموافق للدارما للكشاتريا: أن يُظهر البأس، ويُخضع العدو لسلطانه، ثم يعامله بعد ذلك كما يشاء.»
जरासंध उवाच
Educational Q&A
Jarasandha asserts a hardline doctrine of kṣatriya conduct: conquest and subjugation are presented as a dharma-approved livelihood, and once an enemy is controlled, the victor may treat him at will. The verse is ethically revealing because it equates righteousness with sheer dominance, exposing a self-serving interpretation of dharma.
In the Sabha Parva context, Jarasandha addresses Śrī Kṛṣṇa while defending his own political-military stance. He argues that a warrior-king’s proper way is to overpower foes and then act freely toward them, thereby justifying coercion as legitimate royal practice.