Shloka 22

Samrāt-Lakṣaṇa and the Counsel to Check Jarāsandha (सम्राट्-लक्षणं जरासन्ध-प्रतिबाधा-परामर्शः)

Devanagari script

भ्राता यस्याकृति: शूरो जामदग्न्यसमो5भवत्‌ | स भक्तो मागध॑ राजा भीष्मक: परवीरहा

Transliteration

bhrātā yasyākṛtiḥ śūro jāmadagnyasamo 'bhavat | sa bhakto māgadhaḥ rājā bhīṣmakaḥ paravīrahā ||

Translation

Whose brother Ākṛti is a hero, equal in prowess to Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma)—that Bhīṣmaka, the slayer of enemy-champions, is nevertheless a loyal adherent of Jarāsandha.

Word by Word

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• आकृतिः: Ākṛti (name)
• आकृतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकृति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• शूरः: heroic, valiant
• शूरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जामदग्न्य-समः: equal to Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma)
• जामदग्न्य-समः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जामदग्न्य + सम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: was, became
• अभवत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भक्तः: devoted, adherent
• भक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मागधः: Magadhan
• मागधः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मागध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भीष्मकः: Bhīṣmaka (proper name)
• भीष्मकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्मक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पर-वीर-हा: slayer of enemy-heroes
• पर-वीर-हा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + वीर + हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Bhīṣmaka
• Ākṛti
• Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma)
• Magadha
• Jarāsandha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Political loyalty and dependence can bind even powerful kings: personal valor and strong lineage do not prevent a ruler from aligning with a dominant overlord. The verse highlights how devotion/partisanship (bhakti) in a political sense shapes the balance of power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Kṛṣṇa is describing the network of rulers connected to Jarāsandha. He notes that Bhīṣmaka—renowned for killing enemy champions and having a brother as mighty as Paraśurāma—still stands as a loyal adherent of Jarāsandha, illustrating Jarāsandha’s wide influence.