Shloka 16

Jarāsandha as Obstacle to the Rājasūya — Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Genealogical Brief

Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 13

Devanagari script

अभिहर्तु नृपा: षट्सु पृथग्‌ जात्यैश्व नैगमै: । ववृधे विषयस्तत्र धर्मनित्ये युधिषछ्ठिरे

Transliteration

abhihartu nṛpāḥ ṣaṭsu pṛthag jātyaiś ca naigamaiḥ | vavṛdhe viṣayas tatra dharmanitye yudhiṣṭhire ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: In jenem Reich traten Könige aus vielen verschiedenen Ständen und Gemeinschaften —sechs an der Zahl, dazu mannigfache Zünfte und städtische Körperschaften— hervor, um Tribut und Dienst zu leisten. So wuchsen Herrschaftsgebiet und Mittel, denn Yudhiṣṭhira war unbeirrbar dem Dharma ergeben, und seine gerechte Regierung zog Wohlstand und geordnete Gefolgschaft an.

Word by Word

अभिहर्तुंto take away / to seize

नृपाःkings

षट्सुamong six / in six (groups)

पृथक्separately

जात्यैःby classes / by castes

चand

नैगमैःby guilds/merchants (trading groups)

ववृधेincreased / grew

विषयःrealm / dominion

तत्रthere

धर्मनित्येin (him) ever steadfast in dharma

युधिष्ठिरेin Yudhishthira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

nṛpāḥ (kings/rulers)

naigamāḥ (merchants/guilds/townsmen)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links political prosperity to ethical rule: when a king is dharma-nitya (steadfast in righteousness), diverse groups—other rulers and civic/mercantile bodies—willingly support the realm, and the kingdom’s resources and stability grow.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the expansion and flourishing of Yudhiṣṭhira’s dominion: various kings and organized social-economic groups come forward to offer tribute/service, and the realm’s viṣaya (domain and revenues) increases under his dharmic leadership.