Shloka 5
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya Resolve and the Slaying of Jarāsandha
तद् देवदेव भवतश्चरणारविन्द- सेवानुभावमिह पश्यतु लोक एष: । ये त्वां भजन्ति न भजन्त्युत वोभयेषां निष्ठां प्रदर्शय विभो कुरुसृञ्जयानाम् ॥ ५ ॥
tad deva-deva bhavataś caraṇāravinda- sevānubhāvam iha paśyatu loka eṣaḥ ye tvāṁ bhajanti na bhajanty uta vobhayeṣāṁ niṣṭhāṁ pradarśaya vibho kuru-sṛñjayānām
Darum, o Herr der Herren, möge diese Welt hier die Kraft des hingebungsvollen Dienstes an Deinen Lotosfüßen sehen. O Allmächtiger, zeige die Stellung der Kurus und Sṛñjayas, die Dich verehren, und die Stellung derer, die Dich nicht verehren.
Here we clearly see the heart of a preacher. The great devotee Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja implores Lord Kṛṣṇa to demonstrate plainly the result of worshiping Him and the result of not worshiping Him. If the people of the world could understand this, they could begin to recognize that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everyone’s ultimate self-interest lies in surrendering to Him. As confirmed by great authorities, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is a pure devotee of the Lord, and thus his actual motivation in discharging his duties as a king was to establish the supremacy of Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the real purport of the activities of the Pāṇḍavas, which are described in both the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Mahābhārata.
FAQs
This verse declares that the world can directly witness the extraordinary potency (anubhāva) that comes from service to the Lord’s lotus feet—service itself becomes the cause of divine support and auspicious outcomes.
In the narrative of Canto 10 Chapter 72, Kṛṣṇa offers respectful prayer to Lord Śiva (Devadeva) while seeking that the Lord’s will be manifest—so the world may see the effect of devotion and the steadfastness of the Kuru–Sṛñjaya heroes.
Cultivate steady daily bhakti—consistent japa, prayer, and service—so that faith does not depend on external success or failure; the verse highlights firmness of commitment as a visible mark of spiritual character.