Shloka 23

Jarāsandha–Bhīma Niyuddha-prastāvaḥ

Commencement of the Regulated Duel

Devanagari script

पर्यग्न्यकुर्वश्च नृपं द्विरदस्थं पुरोहिता: । ततस्तच्छान्तये राजा जरासंध: प्रतापवान्‌ | दीक्षितो नियमस्थोडसावुपवासपरो5भवत्‌,पुरोहितोंने राजाको हाथीपर बिठाकर उसके चारों ओर प्रज्वलित आग घुमायी। प्रतापी राजा जरासंधने अनिष्टकी शान्तिके लिये व्रतकी दीक्षा ले नियमोंका पालन करते हुए उपवास किया

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: paryagnyakurvaś ca nṛpaṃ dviradasthaṃ purohitāḥ | tatas tacchāntaye rājā Jarāsaṃdhaḥ pratāpavān dīkṣito niyamastho 'sāv upavāsaparo 'bhavat ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Die Priester vollzogen das Ritual, den König—auf einem Elefanten sitzend—mit geweihtem Feuer zu umschreiten. Dann, um den unheilvollen Einfluss zu besänftigen, nahm der mächtige König Jarāsandha die Weihe zu einem Gelübde an; die vorgeschriebenen Entsagungen einhaltend, widmete er sich dem Fasten.

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'purohitāḥ': 'household/royal priests

• officiants', 'nṛpam': 'the king', 'dviradasthaṃ': 'seated on an elephant (dvirada = elephant

• -stha = situated)', 'paryagnyakurvan': 'they performed the paryagni rite

• they circumambulated with fire / carried fire around', 'tatas': 'then

• thereafter', 'tacchāntaye': 'for the pacification of that (omen/evil)

• for appeasement', 'rājā': 'the king', 'jarāsaṃdhaḥ': 'Jarāsandha (king of Magadha)', 'pratāpavān': 'mighty

• powerful', 'dīkṣitaḥ': 'initiated/consecrated for a vow or rite', 'niyamasthaḥ': 'abiding in restraints

• observing prescribed rules', 'upavāsaparaḥ': 'devoted to fasting', 'abhavat': 'became

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Jarāsandha
• purohitāḥ (priests)
• nṛpa (the king)
• dvirada (elephant)
• agni (fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames royal responsibility in dharmic terms: when confronted with perceived inauspiciousness, a ruler should seek communal welfare through sanctioned ritual (śānti) and personal restraint (niyama, upavāsa), showing that power is meant to be governed by sacred order and self-discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

The priests conduct a pacificatory rite by moving consecrated fire around the king while he sits on an elephant. After this, Jarāsandha undertakes a formal vow-initiation and observes strict rules, especially fasting, to neutralize the feared ill effect.