Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

तस्यां वयममित्रघ्न निवसामो5कुतो भया: । आलोच्य गिरिमुख्यं तं॑ मागधं तीर्णमेव च

Transliteration

tasyāṁ vayam amitraghna nivasāmo 'kuto-bhayāḥ | ālocya giri-mukhyaṁ taṁ māgadhaṁ tīrṇam eva ca ||

Translation

There we shall dwell, O slayer of foes, free from fear on every side. Having considered that foremost of mountains, and also that Magadha who has been crossed over (overcome), we shall remain there.

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: in that (place/condition)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Plural

• अमित्रघ्न: O slayer of foes
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमित्रघ्न
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• निवसामः: we dwell / we reside
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वस्
• Form: Present, First, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अकुतोभयाः: fearless (from any quarter)
• अकुतोभयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकुतोभय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आलोच्य: having considered / having reflected
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√लुच्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• गिरिमुख्यम्: the chief of mountains
• गिरिमुख्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गिरिमुख्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: that (one)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मागधम्: the Magadhan (Jarāsandha)
• मागधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मागध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तीर्णम्: crossed / passed over
• तीर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √तॄ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrīkṛṣṇa
• Amitraghna (addressee epithet)
• Magadha (region/king referred to as Māgadha)
• Foremost mountain (giri-mukhya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Deliberation (ālocya) should precede action, and a well-chosen secure refuge enables fearlessness (akuto-bhayāḥ). The verse highlights prudent counsel and strategic steadiness rather than impulsive reaction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrīkṛṣṇa addresses a warrior-ally as “slayer of foes,” proposing that they stay in a particular place without fear, after assessing a key mountain stronghold and the situation regarding the Māgadha (the Magadhan power/king) as having been ‘crossed over’ or neutralized.