Shloka 1

Devanagari script

हि 5 बछ। हि न न एकाशीरत्याधिकशततमो< ध्याय: भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णका अर्जुनको जरासंध आदि धर्मद्रोहियोंके वध करनेका कारण बताना अजुन उवाच कथमस्मद्ितार्थ ते कैश्व योगैर्जनार्दन । जरासंधप्रभूतयो घातिता: पृथिवीश्व॒रा:,अर्जुनने पूछा--जनार्दन! आपने हमलोगोंके हितके लिये कैसे किन-किन उपायोंसे जरासंध आदि राजाओंका वध कराया है?

Transliteration

Arjuna uvāca | katham asmaddhitārthaṁ te kaiś ca yogair janārdana | jarāsandha-prabhūtayo ghātitāḥ pṛthivīśvarāḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna said: “O Janārdana, for the sake of our welfare, by what means and through what strategies did you bring about the slaying of the kings of the earth—foremost among them Jarāsandha?”

Word by Word

• {'arjuna uvāca': 'Arjuna said', 'katham': 'how? in what manner?', 'asmad-hitārtham': 'for our benefit

• for the welfare of us (the Pāṇḍavas)', 'te': 'by you

• your', 'kaiḥ': 'by which (means)?', 'ca': 'and', 'yogaiḥ': 'methods, devices, stratagems

• also ‘skillful means’', 'janārdana': 'Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa), ‘chastiser of the wicked/men’', 'jarāsandha': 'Jarāsandha (king of Magadha)', 'prabhūtayaḥ': 'and others like him

• the rest, numerous others', 'ghātitāḥ': 'caused to be slain

• brought about their killing', 'pṛthivī-īśvarāḥ': 'lords of the earth

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Janārdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Jarāsandha
• pṛthivīśvarāḥ (kings/rulers of the earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames righteous statecraft: even when violence occurs, it is questioned in terms of dharma and collective welfare. Arjuna asks not merely ‘what happened’ but ‘by what ethical and strategic means’ Kṛṣṇa removed oppressive rulers, implying that ends (public good) must be examined together with means (yoga/upāya).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Drona Parva context, Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa and inquires how Kṛṣṇa previously orchestrated the downfall of Jarāsandha and other kings—seeking an account of the strategies and circumstances by which those powerful rulers were eliminated for the Pāṇḍavas’ benefit.