Shloka 26
Samrāt-Lakṣaṇa and the Counsel to Check Jarāsandha (सम्राट्-लक्षणं जरासन्ध-प्रतिबाधा-परामर्शः)
शूरसेना भद्गकारा बोधा: शाल्वा: पटच्चरा: । सुस्थलाश्च सुकुट््टाश्व कुलिन्दा: कुन्तिभि: सह
śūrasenā bhadrakārā bodhāḥ śālvāḥ paṭaccarāḥ | susthalāś ca sukutṭāś ca kulindāḥ kuntibhiḥ saha ||
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: “The Śūrasenas, Bhadrakāras, Bodhas, Śālvas, Paṭaccaras, Susthalas, Sukutṭas, and the Kulindas—together with the Kuntis—have all fled toward the southern quarter. Overwhelmed by fear of Jarāsandha, many kṣatriya clans and neighboring rulers who dwelt in the southern Pañcāla region and the eastern Kunti country have abandoned their former northern holdings and taken refuge in the south.”
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how unchecked political terror (Jarāsandha’s dominance) can force even kṣatriya rulers into flight and dependence, implying that righteous kingship must protect subjects and allies rather than rule through fear.
Kṛṣṇa lists multiple peoples and rulers who, frightened by Jarāsandha, have abandoned their northern positions and moved south, describing a wider regional displacement and the pressure Jarāsandha exerts over neighboring polities.