Shloka 2
Jarāsandha-prastāvaḥ — Nīti-cintā ca Jarāsandhasya janma-vṛttāntaḥ
The Jarāsandha Prelude: Strategic Counsel and Birth Account
भीमार्जुनावुभौ नेत्रे मनो मन्ये जनार्दनम् | मनश्नक्षुविहीनस्य कीदृशं जीवितं भवेत्,भीमसेन और अर्जुन मेरे दोनों नेत्र हैं और जनार्दन आपको मैं अपना मन मानता हूँ। अपने मन और नेत्रोंको खो देनेपर मेरा यह जीवन कैसा हो जायगा?
bhīmārjunāv ubhau netre mano manye janārdanam | manaś cakṣu-vihīnasya kīdṛśaṃ jīvitaṃ bhavet ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Bhīma und Arjuna sind mir wie meine beiden Augen; und Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) halte ich für meinen eigenen Geist. Wenn man Geist und Augenlicht verlöre—was für ein Leben bliebe dann?“
युधिषछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that righteous leadership depends on both ‘vision’ (clear perception and capable support) and ‘mind’ (sound counsel and inner discernment). Yudhiṣṭhira expresses that Bhīma and Arjuna function as his practical means of seeing and acting, while Kṛṣṇa is the guiding intelligence; without these, dharmic decision-making becomes impossible.
Yudhiṣṭhira is speaking emotionally and politically about the indispensability of his closest supports: Bhīma and Arjuna as his primary strength and capability, and Kṛṣṇa as his guiding counselor. He uses a metaphor—loss of eyes and mind—to convey that separation from them would render his life and kingship directionless.