Shloka 54
Samrāt-Lakṣaṇa and the Counsel to Check Jarāsandha (सम्राट्-लक्षणं जरासन्ध-प्रतिबाधा-परामर्शः)
त्रियोजनायतं सद्म त्रिस्कन्धं योजनावधि
triyojanāyataṃ sadma triskandhaṃ yojanāvadhi | raivatakī durgakī lambāī triyojanikā | ekaika-yojane senānāṃ tritridalāṇāṃ chāvanī | pratyeka-yojanānte śataśata-dvārāṇi senābhiḥ surakṣitāni | vīrāṇāṃ parākrama eva tasya gaḍhasya pradhāna-phāṭakaḥ | yuddhe unmattavat parākrama-pradarśakair aṣṭādaśa yādava-vaṃśyaiḥ kṣatriyaiḥ sa durgaḥ surakṣitaḥ ||
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: The fortress of Raivataka extends for three yojanas. It is arranged in three tiers, with encampments of three divisions of troops at each yojana. At the end of every yojana there are a hundred gates, guarded by the army. Yet the true main gate of that stronghold is the valor of its heroes. It is secured by eighteen Kṣatriyas of the Yādava line, who, intoxicated with the ardor of battle, display fearless prowess.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes that fortifications and gates matter, but the decisive protection of a realm is the disciplined valor and readiness of its defenders—an expression of kṣatriya-dharma where courage and martial competence function as the true ‘main gate’ of security.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes the stronghold at Raivataka: its three-yojana extent, tiered arrangement, troop encampments, and numerous guarded gates, concluding that it is ultimately safeguarded by the heroic prowess of eighteen Yādava Kṣatriyas.