Shloka 30

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

Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 13

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच इयं या राजसूयस्य सम्रार्ड्हस्य सुक्रतो: । श्रद्धधानस्य वदत: स्पृहा मे सा कथं भवेत्‌,युधिष्ठिरने कहा--महात्माओ! राजसूय नामक उत्तम यज्ञ किसी सम्राटके ही योग्य है, तो भी मैं उसके प्रति श्रद्धा रखने लगा हूँ; अतः आपलोग बताइये, मेरे मनमें जो यह राजसूययज्ञ करनेकी अभिलाषा हुई है, कैसी है?

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | iyaṃ yā rājasūyasya samṛddhasya sukratoḥ | śraddadhānasya vadataḥ spṛhā me sā kathaṃ bhavet ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “This desire that has arisen in me for the Rājasūya—an exalted, richly accomplished sacrifice, fit for a sovereign and a noble rite—how should it be regarded? Though I speak with faith and reverence for it, tell me: what is the true nature of this longing in my heart to perform the Rājasūya?”

Word by Word

{'yudhiṣṭhira uvāca''Yudhiṣṭhira said', 'iyam': 'this (feminine

referring to spṛhā, ‘desire’)', 'rājasūyasya''of the Rājasūya (royal consecration sacrifice)', 'samṛddhasya': 'prosperous, richly endowed, fully accomplished', 'sukratoḥ': 'of the good rite/sacrifice

of a well-performed sacrificial act', 'śraddadhānasya''of one who has faith

of one who is reverent/trustful', 'vadataḥ''of (me) speaking

while speaking', 'spṛhā''desire, longing, aspiration', 'me': 'my', 'sā': 'that', 'katham': 'how?', 'bhavet': 'might be/should be (evaluated as)'}

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Rājasūya (sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical self-inquiry: even a pious, prestigious act like the Rājasūya can be driven by ambition. Yudhiṣṭhira asks elders to judge whether his aspiration is dharmic—rooted in duty and welfare—or merely personal craving for imperial status.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sabha Parva context, Yudhiṣṭhira is considering the Rājasūya, a sacrifice associated with paramount sovereignty. He openly admits that a longing has arisen in him and asks for guidance on how to understand and evaluate that desire before acting.