Shloka 68
Samrāt-Lakṣaṇa and the Counsel to Check Jarāsandha (सम्राट्-लक्षणं जरासन्ध-प्रतिबाधा-परामर्शः)
यदि त्वेनं महाराज यज्ञ प्राप्तुम भीप्ससि । यतस्व तेषां मोक्षाय जरासंधवधाय च,राजन! यदि आप इस यज्ञको पूर्णरूपसे सम्पन्न करना चाहते हैं तो उन कैदी राजाओंको छुड़ाने और जरासंधको मारनेका प्रयत्न कीजिये
yadi tvenam mahārāja yajñaṃ prāptum abhīpsasi | yatasva teṣāṃ mokṣāya jarāsandha-vadhāya ca ||
Śrī Kṛṣṇa sprach: „O großer König, wenn du dieses Opfer wahrhaft erlangen und zu seiner vollen Bestimmung führen willst, dann bemühe dich, jene gefangenen Könige zu befreien—und Jarāsandha zu töten.“
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
A righteous sacrifice cannot be pursued in isolation from dharma: the king must remove oppression (free the captive rulers) and eliminate the adharma-based obstacle (Jarāsandha). Ethical responsibility and protection of others are presented as prerequisites for legitimate ritual success.
In the context of planning a major royal sacrifice, Kṛṣṇa advises the king that the rite’s fulfillment requires decisive action: rescuing the kings held captive by Jarāsandha and confronting Jarāsandha himself. The counsel links political action and moral duty to the completion of the yajña.